On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This past Sunday, many congregations celebrated this event as a catalyst for the way the Reformed faith came to be and continues to understand its calling. “Presbyterians celebrate the tradition that grounds their faith on Reformation Sunday,” according to the Presbyterian Historical Society, which publishes bulletin inserts highlighting a significant figure or event in the Reformation.
Even though it doesn’t appear in the Book of Order — I looked — perhaps there’s no phrase, for better or worse, that sums up Presbyterianism than “decently and in order.” If something exists in our life together, we Presbyterians have a committee and — if we’re really on our game — an acronym for it. However, there’s an important reason for our fascination with process and structure: We value shared governance.
It’s that time of year again: time to take a quick breath to recall Advent and Christmas celebrations; time to look ahead to what the new year will bring. It’s also time to consider your local congregation’s missional priorities and the financial pledges you have received so that a budget can be finalized.
Educator, consultant, chaplain, tennis coach and human rights advocate Dr. Michael J. Adee offered up a lifetime of insight and stories during a webinar Monday exploring the work that’s been done by the church and remains to be done toward the full inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender and non-binary people.
If a sacrament may be defined as a visible sign of an invisible grace, in a similarly sacramental fashion, God’s grace and love are on abundant, if mostly virtual, display through “Links of Love,” a colorful paper chain representing Presbyterian generosity across the denomination, country and globe.
When the Rev. Dr. Fairfax Fair began her ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Pasadena (Texas) in suburban Houston on December 1, 2019, she had a few scant months to see church members before the global pandemic shut everything down.
During a time of great anxiety, grieving and loneliness brought on by the coronavirus, the corporate work of the Presbyterian Church (U.SA.) goes on, even as circumstances are trying and innovation and collaboration have become valuable traits.
