What does it mean to be a “friend” to colleagues in ministry when harm has been done? How can reparations pave the way to a more just future?   A catchy thematic worship song starts out every Sunday at Third Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. “Come on and get your praise on, you know... Read more » The post A PT Special Feature: Reparations for the Future at Third Presbyterian Church appeared first on Presbyterians Today Blog ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly. Reconciliation usually means “the restoration of friendly relations.” It is fair to ask exactly what we would be “reconciling” to in the context of any racial divide, injustice or harm…”   ‘Reconciling to what?’ That was one of the first questions I had from a member of the newly formed Repair and Reconciliation Alliance of the Pittsburgh Presbytery. The alliance had been fo ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly. “Finally!” was all my United Methodist friend had to text me when I asked how their general conference was going. While I echo their relief, I know the recovery period for my LGBTQIA+ siblings is far from being final. Presbyterians stand as proof that the vote is sometimes the easiest part of change. As the leader of a ministry with over 90% LGBTQIA+-identifying members, I know a v ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly. _____________________________________________________________________________________ “The nature of Divine Love is to go as low as possible to serve the beloved.” Mechthild of Magdeburg This powerful understanding of God propensity toward helping and healing the least of these comes from the story of the beguine Mechthild of Magdeburg. A movement of laywomen that arose in t ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly. For the past 12 years I have been a pastor who offers support and presence to women who have been sex-trafficked. It started when Presbyterian Women from a church I was serving took me to Human Trafficking Awareness Day at our statehouse. I have built relationships with women who have lived a particular kind of hell, advocating for them and learning about addiction and trauma ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly. Unfortunately, I grew up in the traditional Black churches that teach that LGBTQ+ people will burn in hell because of their “sinful desires.” This tormented me all my life because I knew I was not choosing to feel the way I did about girls/women; it was simply who I was. I was constantly teased in school and by society for being “gay,” so I only wished that I could find love a ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly.   Religious trauma is becoming quite a buzzword. Therapists are writing books about it. Mainstream news networks are substantially covering it. Faith communities (like Harbor, the online community I help lead) have formed to help people heal from it. The downside of buzzwords is that we hear about them so often that we eventually become desensitized to them. After enough ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “healing” and “repair.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published bimonthly.   Do we heal? Or is it a matter of moving pain around to find a place where it rests a bit easier? Or perhaps a space is carved out — not ease, but intensity. The heart becomes an ocean, holding the strange creatures dwelling at the sea bottom, the fierce storms that tear everything apart, the light on waves — piercingly beautiful. In the religious and legal attacks on ou ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. The 51st International conference on Dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims (JCM) on ‘What is Home’ was held in Kigali, Rwanda from 5th February to 11th February2024, organized in partnership between Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) and United Evangelical Mission (UEM). 65 participants from Tanzania, Kenya, DRC, and Rwanda attended the meeting. Presentations from the th ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. In the ever-evolving narrative of climate justice, there exists a profound intersection with faith. For many, the urgency of protecting our planet stems from deeply held spiritual beliefs that advocate for stewardship of the Earth and compassion for all living beings. Yet, despite the intrinsic connection between faith and environmental advocacy, the journey towards climate justic ..read more