What you are going to find in “The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive,” a book published in March by Westminster John Knox Press and written by the Rev. Dr. Patrick Reyes, are, as Reyes writes in the introduction, “stories, studies, and dreams about care for the conditions of our lives, of our communities, and of our bodies. For one to thrive, understanding the conditions that already surround us (and others) is the first step. For so many of us, purpose is defined, stolen, or withheld before we even enter the world. The question now is ‘How do we understand and influence these conditions?’”
Each year, the Academy of Parish Clergy honors the top 10 books for parish ministry, which “display excellence and helpfulness to clergy,” as well as the Reference Book Top 5 list. Two 2020 Westminster John Knox Press titles have been named Top 10 honorees and another has been included in the top 5 list of reference books.
The Rev. Dr. Gregory Ellison II has discovered heaven on Earth. For him it involves spending time at the Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee, with others who admire, as he does, the late Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman, one of Christianity’s most celebrated authors, preachers, scholars and mystics — and then being asked to edit a book on Thurman.
As of Feb. 5, the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has named itself a Matthew 25 agency, joining the rest of the Church in the important work of building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty.
On his first sober day, Jeff Dafler committed to reading the psalms, focusing on one each day to allow his mind time to turn over interesting phrases and words. As part of this process, he prayed for his Higher Power’s guidance and illumination. He savored the psalmists’ bracing honestly and identified with their feelings of fear, shame, loss, and regret.
Dr. Shannon Craigo-Snell literally co-wrote the book on becoming an ally in the struggle for justice. So when she states that’s easier said than done for white people trying to be allies with their siblings of color — as opposed to straight people looking to do something similar for their LGBTQ+ siblings — it’s time to take notice and take action.
Westminster John Knox Press is excited to announce the publication of three new Bible studies: “Lies My Preacher Told Me: An Honest Look at the Old Testament” by Brent A. Strawn, “The Flawed Family of God: Stories about the Imperfect Families in Genesis” by Carolyn B. Helsel and Song-Mi Suzie Park, and “From Daughters to Disciples: Women’s Stories in the New Testament” by Lynn Japinga. These three new Bible studies offer opportunities for individual and group reflection.
A decade ago, Walter Brueggemann called the church to journey together for the good of our community through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction in “Journey to the Common Good.” He distilled this challenge to its most basic issues: Where is the church going? What is its role in contemporary society? What lessons does it have to offer a world enmeshed in turbulent times?
For many in the United States, the summer of 2020 served as a moment of renewed attention to the disease of racial inequality and injustice in our country. But in order to look forward in our pursuit of antiracism, we must also look back and acknowledge our history. To help churches address the difficult work of examining the history of American slavery, Cheri L. Mills offers her new Lenten devotional, “Lent of Liberation: Confronting the Legacy of American Slavery.”
