앨리스는 제가 원목 교육 기간에 방문한 첫 환자였습니다. 우리는 그녀의 많은 손주들에 대해 얘기를 나눴습니다. 예수님에 대해 얘기할 때, 그녀의 눈은 기쁨으로 춤을 추었습니다. 그와 같이 아름답고 기쁨이 넘치는 믿음으로 제 가슴이 뭉클했습니다. 막 신학교를 마치고 교회에서 사역하며 수년간 기도에 대해 가르쳐왔는데, 제 자신의 기도 생활은 의심과 회의의 세계였습니다. 제가 한때 누렸던 간절한 열망의 기도의 물줄기는 말라버렸고 이제 저는 암으로 죽어가는 여인의 침대 옆, 말씀도 기도도 없는 광야에 서있었습니다.

Alice was one of the first hospital patients I visited during clinical pastoral education. We chatted about her many grandchildren. Her eyes danced with joy as she talked about Jesus. My own heart ached for such beautiful, joyful faith. I had just finished seminary and while I had been working in churches and teaching about prayer for years, my own prayer life had become an abyss of doubt and questions. The thirst-quenching flow of prayer that I had once enjoyed had dried up and now I stood by the bed of a woman dying of cancer, a wordless and prayerless desert.

Presbyterians do mission in partnership and the mutual support has been strong as the U.S. fights pandemics on two fronts, COVID-19 and systemic racism. Below are excerpts of letters, messages, sermons and poems that have been sent to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) They contain messages of love, solidarity and prayer from partners around the world.

Some symptoms of racism might be obliterated with a wrecking ball approach, but a new Synod of the Sun network aims to help dismantle the structure and proactively remember grim events of the past, including the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

Calling it “a step toward transforming policing in America,” the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., is urging support of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020.

Sparked by the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and most recently Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, protesters around the world have taken to the streets calling for police reform following the deaths of blacks at the hands of police officers. And while there have been some immediate policy changes, including the passing of “Breonna’s Law” banning no-knock warrants in Louisville, Kentucky, Brooks’ death reminds us that the battle for justice and equality for black Americans is far from over.

With the coronavirus continuing to infect scores of people daily worldwide, the number of people experiencing acute hunger is expected to skyrocket globally, and some partners of the Presbyterian Hunger Program say the economic ramifications of the pandemic already are hurting the ability of people around the globe to feed themselves and their families.

Final preparations are under way this week for the first fully online General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Normally during the final week, organizers would be traveling to the host city to oversee the layout and production of the PC(USA)’s biggest meeting.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers had to scrap all of their onsite plans and quickly come up with an online solution.

Count on a former architect to see the flaws in existing structures and work tirelessly and faithfully on ways to redesign them.

Ruling Elder Marj Carpenter, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 207th General Assembly (1995), a tireless supporter and interpreter of mission and for 15 years director of the Presbyterian News Service, died Saturday in Big Spring, Texas, following a long illness. She was 93.