Ecclesio.com

From the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/) meme    mēm     noun 2 : a pervasive thought or thought pattern that replicates itself via

Confessions emerge when a moment of status confessionis emerges, times when people have lost their way and are thus confused

There was a song by gospel group the Williams Brothers that came out when I was a child. I still

No one political party has ever, in the history of politics in the U.S., attained a clean record when it

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped

The Transfiguration of Christ in Mark 9 is a really tough passage for me for two reasons. The first reason

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and

Genesis 21:9-20 (NRSV) 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with

This week on Ecclesio, five seminarians, representing five PC(USA) seminaries, will be sharing reflections on scripture and society, putting sacred

Kenya made the news – even international news in the US – because of terrorism. In April 2015, gunmen claiming

In the last 12 months, I have traveled to three countries outside the US – which is another way of

Psalm 72:3-4 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May he defend the

The United States is currently in the midst of negotiating two major trade deals. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would

“You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Matthew 6:24b At any given time in the United States of America, 34,000

“[The Abolition of private prisons] is a cornerstone of our collective work to put justice back into the so-called criminal

“In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’

Yesterday, I shared perspectives of Cuban Christian leaders on the renewal of relations between the US and Cuba, and the

Pope Francis recently announced that he would be meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro during his visit to Cuba in

Guest Post by Dr. Norman Glaubenleben, Ph.D. April 1, 2015 Earlier today, the selection committee for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries’ annual Unnamed

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries affirms & supports LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leaders and those pursuing a call to rostered leadership, while engaging

Walking to El Santuario de Chimayo in northern New Mexico at 5:00 a.m. is a Holy experience. It is still

In 1999 I went on my first pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo in Chimayo, NM, as one of the

When teaching world religions at NC Central University, covering Hinduism, one figure that is very determinative in the Hindu faith

In Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner writes about bread: “Man (sic) does not live by bread alone, but he also does

The Doctrine of Discovery has been the seedbed of racism and colonialism for centuries, but Christians are beginning to wake

The video above is from Mark Charles who is the son of an American woman (of Dutch heritage) and a

In the 16th century it was universally agreed among European Christians that they could more or less do whatever they

  From 1500 to the 1960’s European Christians colonized the entire planet. No. Seriously. Look at that map. Only five

About a month from now, the Supreme Court will rule on same-sex marriage for the second time in 3 years.

Before looking ahead to religion issues on the Supreme Court’s plate this year, it is important to look back at

In addition to being one of the highest-grossing movies in American history, American Sniper is also, without doubt, one of

Do we really have to say this? Torture during warfare is evil, and as such it is against the will

  Christmas Eve 2014: A Pastor’s Reflections at Findlay It was gray and cloudy – Rain and wind were in

We’ve heard the story so often that we can tell it without preparation, notes, or prompting: God’s son, born to

Ok, full disclosure before I go any further: generally speaking, I dislike Christmas music. So much of what I grew

Click here to listen to excerpts of Willan’s O Antiphons When the days are gray – so full of gray,

Advent. Season of waiting. Season of hope. Season of peace. Maybe. I’m not sure about that last one. Maybe even

I am a professional church musician.  Actually, I have been a church musician since I was twelve years old, when

In these posts, I have been discussing incarnation – the Incarnation, where God chose to enter into human life in

I finished yesterday with this question (read the entire post here). “How can we white people come to care as

So God created humankind in God’s own image… Genesis 1:27 …the body is one and has many members…if one member

“You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell…” –Number 35:34 I have always

When you take the time to create a space that feeds and nourishes your own soul, you learn that this

For several years I passed through 30th Street Station in Philadelphia every day on my way to work. The jobs

This week’s collection of reflections are about how particular places in the world have connected particular people to God. When

Beyond the issue of philanthropy, and beyond the issue of considering our economic systems critically, stands a third issue.  The

I was at a meeting of Presbyterians a few weeks ago. I realize the redundancy of writing “meeting of Presbyterians,”

Christianity has had to deal with the fact of the world’s economy since its founding.  Anyone who has read the

“Excitement in higher education was viewed as potentially disruptive of the atmosphere of seriousness assumed to be essential to the

When Teresa asked me to respond or dialogue with her essay, I was not exactly sure what I was agreeing

I did it again.  I went to the grocery store with half a dozen reusable cloth bags on the back

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on

1. The Accra Confession was adopted at the 24th General Council of WARC in Accra, Ghana in 2004. 2. It

The Accra Confession was written ten years ago by men and women who were far more intelligent than me. They

Reinhold Niebuhr has suffered much in the past decade.  While during his lifetime he was lionized and his likeness even

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133: 1 NIV) The Reformed Church

Until the philosophy that holds one race superior, and another inferior is finally, and permanently discredited and abandoned . .

Long before I came to serve as its executive director, through generations of leadership and mission statements, the Covenant Network

In stressful times, everyone wishes for a silver bullet:  one simple way out of a difficult mess, one thing to

You couldn’t get more different from my congregation in Queens, NY than the Bethel Murdoch Presbyterian Church in Loveland, OH. 

I horrify my mother by thoroughly enjoying the particular manifestation of the church that is the General Assembly. At our

Much has been said and written about the Presbyterian Church’s vote to divest from Israel’s occupation. I have just finished

Continued from yesterday: http://www.ecclesio.com/2014/09/after-the-hysteria-rev-dr-jeff-deyoe/ Did we or didn’t we join the “BDS Movement”? Another final gasp by those opposing divestment over

This past June the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) did the unthinkable (according to some) and made a decision to divest from

The PCUSA’s decision to divest from Caterpillar, Motorola, and Hewlett Packard, has sent ripples of unifying hope and joy to

It is occasionally said that Christian peacemaking in Israel-Palestine is best served by not choosing sides. According to this approach,