The Presbyterian Outlook

3 weeks ago | pres-outlook.org | Michael Goodwin

As someone who keeps a feelings wheel close by to help me name my emotions, I’m a natural choice to offer a final good word on the theme of joy. According to my chart, joy is one of “the places we go when life is good.” But what about when life is hard? “It’s hard to write jokes right now. Nothing feels funny because everything feels heavy,” I complained to my stand-up comedy teacher, Stephen Rosenfield, from The American Comedy Institute. “Everything is funny,” he said, unfazed.

3 weeks ago | pres-outlook.org | Henry Owen |Emily Owen

Every time we climb the lookout point tower at John Knox Ranch, a summer camp and retreat center operated by Mission Presbytery, the view seems to include at least one new house. The vista surrounding John Knox Ranch has transformed over the past 6 years from mostly rural ranches to crops of new houses and collections of RVs. This increased development poses a significant threat to wildlife habitat, water resources and much-needed green spaces in our area of the Texas Hill Country.

2 months ago | pres-outlook.org | Patrice Gaines |Rose Taylor

When I was 21 and – in many ways – not at all who I am today, I was convicted of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of a needle and syringe. That was 54 years ago. I didn’t sell drugs; I used them. I was teetering on becoming an addict. I was in love with a man who had already entered the land of addiction, who had crossed that border between his stint in Vietnam and his return to a country that still blatantly discriminated against Black men. My charges were felonies.

Feb 4, 2025 | pres-outlook.org | Patrice Gaines

In the 33 years of Jesus’ life, his reputation spread by word of mouth. Two thousand years later, the book about his life is still the bestselling book of all time. Jesus has done well without a public relations firm, commercials, or apps inviting believers to know him. Maybe that’s because his disciples – and most Christians throughout time – lived in a pre-tech world. Today, would Paul have produced a series of television commercials instead of writing letters-epistles?

Jan 15, 2025 | pres-outlook.org | Teri McDowell Ott

God, where do we go from here? The chaos we have seen. The fighting. The violence. The disrespect. Our nation remains divided. Our politics partisan. We recognize the need for change but are paralyzed by fear of uncertainty. We seek justice, healing and restoration, but are stymied by entrenched patterns, broken systems and the innate power of our tribalism. God, save us from the tyranny of chaos. Order our collective lives. Renew our spirits. Turn us to your holy work of building beloved community.