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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“Language used in the worship and work of the church should affirm the wholeness of God and the full personhood of every individual.” So wrote Starr Luteri, in the PC(USA)’s 1996 study paper “Language About God”. [1] When you think about it, isn’t that what we want the Church to
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This Christmas season, we have touched on a wide variety of topics as we have investigated what the hymns in Glory to God say about justice for the church and for individuals. Some of what our authors have shared has been received almost universally with great rejoicing, and some has
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Salvation History in the Presbyterian Hymnal Letter by Nahida H. Gordon, Introduction by Rev. Chris Iosso Mary is warned by Simeon in the Christmas story that “a sword will pierce her heart” (Luke 2:35). Frankly, this letter from Professor Nahida Gordon, a Palestinian American Presbyterian, makes me uncomfortable because it challenges
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[ezcol_2third][/ezcol_2third] [ezcol_1third_end]Author David Lamotte sings “This Is My Song” (#340)[/ezcol_1third_end] “The prophet does not ask if the vision can be implemented, for questions of implementation are of no consequence until the vision can be imagined.” — Walter Brueggemann In the field of music therapy, stories are often told of
MoreAfter the General Assembly 219th in 2010 lifted the ban on the ordination of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, the leadership at my past church thought it might be a good idea to host a couple of evening classes to inform individuals about the issues voted upon in Minneapolis. From
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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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Question: “Why should European-American Presbyterians in the United States include world music in our worship?” I love a good mashup; I suspect we all do. There is something powerful about the collision of two different songs, a mess of lyrics and melodies that seem to work together while simultaneously offering
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