Mark 6:31-32 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Last weekend ten pastors from the second cohort of our Cultivating Enough in the Care of Clergy initiative were led by our Director of Lilly Initiatives, Rev. Source ..read more

April 5, 2024 To the Members and Friends of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, For more than a year the Board of Pensions has indicated that the benefit package that shaped so many of our ministries would no longer be sustainable. Given the increases in health care costs, this was not a surprise. After discernment and many conversations around the nation, their new benefit plan has been released. Source ..read more

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(based on Mark 14:1-15:47) From H. G. Wells Time Machine to the Back to the Future franchise and beyond, our imaginations have been captured by the idea of being transported to another time and place in the blink of the eye. We hitch a ride with the main character of the story to change the course of history or travel to a better world, and more often than not, return home at the end of the… Source ..read more

Having visited and worshipped with over 90 of our churches in the last seven years, I have listened to a variety of preaching styles framed by every topic imaginable. Any sermon preached on John 12:20-33 is one in which we truly see Jesus, as the Son of God, glorified in his death and resurrection. For several years I gave sermons for an Episcopal school my wife and I helped start in North… Source ..read more

I am not sure who to blame, the author of John or Jesus, for the inclusion of the story of the Nehushtan, the bronze serpent that Moses fashioned to “save” the Israelites (Numbers 21:4-9). Whoever is to blame cherry picks only the “nice” parts of the story: when the children of God gaze upon that which is lifted up, they are saved. Jesus alludes to the fact that he too will be raised up… Source ..read more

Villanova University offers $35,000 in Grant Funding to churches in the Philadelphia area from their Children, Liturgy, Ecology, and Renewal (CLEAR) Project at Villanova University. Villanova University received a grant from the Lilly Endowment, and they want to share those funds with twelve Christian congregations or church-affiliated schools in the Philadelphia area. Each congregation or church… Source ..read more

The Board of Pensions has just announced the 2023 Tax Guide for Ministers, which includes the 2023 housing allowance letter, and the Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches and What You Need to Know in 2024: All resources can be found here: 2023 Minister’s Tax Guide and its companion Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches. They can be accessed on pensions.org and this year they will not… Source ..read more

The Office of the General Assembly has planned a format to include online committee meetings and in person plenaries. Visit their website to get the latest planning updates and deadlines. Source ..read more

I’m not sure what is behind it, but it’s been a struggle to embrace this season of Lenten preparation, as we make the journey towards the Cross. I have been slow to engage in this time of reflection. Then, the Gospel of John, seeing my lack of inertia, comes right along and shares with us Jesus’ entrance upon the temple mount. If the flipping of tables and the ensuing chaos doesn’t wake one… Source ..read more