After the General Assembly 219th in 2010 lifted the ban on the ordination of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, the leadership at
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As an editor, I’m used to going in search of articles, but this time the article found me! While brainstorming for this Advent issue, I came across the following Facebook conversation among several friends. This article documents the beginning of
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As an editor, I’m used to going in search of articles, but this time the article found me! While brainstorming for this Advent issue, I came across the following Facebook conversation among several friends. This article documents the beginning of a conversation that is by no means over, and I
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Images of nature and creation in hymnody are hardly new. The psalms, among the earliest songs of God’s people, are replete with images and celebrations of God’s good creation, and as ancient a text as Francis of Assissi’s “All Creatures of Our God and King” (#15) contains an exhilarating richness
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“What does the new hymnal communicate about justice and inclusion for people with disabilities?” There is really no answer to the question of what a volume of 853 hymns will communicate to someone in the pew about justice and inclusion for persons living with a disability. What is communicated will
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A few weeks ago, a friend of mine was telling me about the first time her partner accompanied her to the PC(USA) General Assembly. She told me that they were there to be a witness to the Church, to join their voices with many others in calling for the full
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“Heaven is Singing for Joy / El Cielo Canta Alegria,” (#382) was written in 1958, but/and Glory to God is the first Presbyterian hymnal to include it. The notes below the hymn read as follows: “Written in 1958 for a picnic of theological students in Argentina, this piece represents the
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Glory to God indeed! Alleluia! I add my voice to the chorus of my brothers and sisters throughout the country singing from our new hymnal. I celebrate this new powerful resource, a labor of love that took great time, energy, and perseverance from faithful people. This hymnal will help the
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Along with the invitation to write this article about gender justice in the new PC(USA) hymnal, Glory to God, I received a list of relevant hymns. My first reaction was, “Wow, that is a whole lot of hymns with the word ‘woman’ in the title.” It felt awkward, a bit
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Hymns are a powerful form of discourse. Along with other acts of worship, it is through hymns that our theological beliefs begin to be shaped. Indeed, it may be that hymns—out of all the forms of discourse in a traditional worship service (e.g., sermon, scripture reading, prayers)—have the greatest influence
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When I was in fifth grade, my mom became the director of Christian Education at my home church. Consequently, before I learned to drive, I spent many hours at church waiting until it was time to go home. As it was before the age of smart phones – and because
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It may sound like the start of a joke, but the question is a legitimate one: How many Presbyterians does it take to decide to buy a new church hymnal? In reality, it is a significant decision that will wind its way through countless committees, congregation members, and Sessions. It
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