By Chris Roseland A common table prayer opens with “O Lord, make us truly thankful for that which we are about to receive …” It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? But isn’t there something a little strange about that prayer? I mean, why would anyone pray that way? “Oh Lord, make us truly thankful …”… Read more »
November 16, 2021
Becoming ‘Truly Thankful’
By Chris Roseland A common table prayer opens with “O Lord, make us truly thankful for that which we are about to receive …” It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? But isn’t there something a little strange about that prayer? I mean, why would anyone pray that way? “Oh Lord, make us truly thankful …”… Read more »
By Chris Roseland Recently, the Office of the General Assembly released the 2020 annual statistics report showing a decline in membership last year at just over 56,000, which is about the same loss rate as has been reported since 2016. For 2020, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) counts a total membership of about 1.24 million members,… 
By Chris Roseland Over the past year amid a pandemic, protests and politics, I often heard many pastors, elders and mid council staff say that they are having a particularly hard time making ends meet. People aren’t giving the way they used to give. These churches and presbyteries are struggling to do more with less,… 
By Chris Roseland There’s a millpond in the neighborhood where my family and I live. It has a couple of fountains in the middle of it that shoot water at least 10 feet in the air. Usually when the spring rains come, the water flows in and flows out. It’s beautiful. People, young and old,…