The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Helen Keller observed that “faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” And John Calvin wrote faith is “the firm knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us.” While none of these definitions are fully complete, each gives us a glimpse of this Christian cornerstone, much like the beginning of Hebrews 11, which affirms that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for.”
Ahead of Sunday’s opening of climate talks to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written “The Climate is Changing,” new lyrics set to the hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”
Think about the first and last words of Scripture. The book of Genesis opens with “In the beginning …” (Gen. 1:1). And the book of Revelation closes with “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20), followed only by a postscript extending Christ’s grace to all the saints. The season of Advent brings together both ends of the Bible.
The 2018 edition of the Book of Common Worship, the primary worship book for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is now available. The new edition is the sixth official service book to be published for North American Presbyterians and it is the first edition published in the 21st century. Responsive to the many changes in the church and world since the last revision (in 1993), these new editions are more informative, user-friendly, inclusive and flexible than ever before.
Programs Encourage People to Hear God’s Voice in Biblical Stories
Jesus used stories and parables to educate and inspire his followers. Presbyterian World Mission and New
Castle Presbytery are carrying on that tradition in creative ways by publishing resources that engage readers in the work, prayers and practice of mission.
