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Wisdom, as found in the biblical books of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes — and in other places too — is all about the human condition, Creation and nature, moral character, navigating life and experience.
With a nod to the rain that pounded Montreat Conference Center since the start of the recent Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ Music & Worship Conference, those gathered to worship opened the service by singing “There Shall be Showers of Blessing” and “Rain Down.”
I served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in South Korea from 2016–17. During my time there, one of the major eye-opening revelations was learning about the role of the United States during the Korean War and in maintaining the current North-South divide on the Korean Peninsula. No one taught me about this in my history classes.
Moving on from Creation to the Torah, Dr. William Brown recently made the case that the current struggle to determine what’s concrete in, say, the interpretation of laws under the U.S. Constitution was vexing for folks in Old Testament times as well.
In the middle of the chaotic summer of 2020, I find myself one early Saturday morning at the recently opened pool that we use in the summer. Perhaps due to my vocation (youth ministry), I really enjoy and learn from observing and listening to young people.
There’s something about holding a pilsner glass full of one’s favorite beer and singing praises to God with more than 100 fellow conference-goers singing right along.
Children; brass, rhythm and string instruments; and communion all found their way into worship at the Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ Worship & Music Conference.
In the beginning, Dr. William Brown said recently, God created a dialogue.
“It has everything to do with our place and our role in Creation,” said Brown, Old Testament Professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, said during the second installment of his “Dialogue, Dissonance & Debate in the Bible” course at the Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ Worship & Music Conference held at Montreat Conference Center.
Carried onward throughout her sermon by expressions of support and applause, the Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett brought the 47th biennial conference of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus to a close with a message about taking a second look and seeing what’s in plain view.
Enthusiastic energy filled the Compass Ballroom at the Marriott Hotel in North Charleston, South Carolina, recently as the 2023 conference of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus (NBPC) commenced. While the national conference takes place biennially, this year’s event, called “A Gathering of Black Presbyterians,” was the first to be held in person since the pandemic began. A virtual gathering was held in 2021.
