This blog post was the sermon message at the 190th Anniversary Celebration of the First Presbyterian, Union, on October 27, 2024 I don’t like ‘remembering’. Seems only fair that I should say that. I splashed water on Pacific’s anniversary by saying I didn’t like anniversaries. Seems only fair that I splash water on Union’s anniversary and remember, by saying I…
Our Selah’s Team Members’ Perspectives on Faith and Mental Health, and Caring for Pastors Our Selah is a Zoom-based, sister ministry of Light for the Darkness (L4TD) that serves clergy. It was created in response to a pastor’s plea and the current state of clergy. According to a 2021 Barna Research study, only 35% of pastors are healthy and almost half…
Waiting for a mental health gem? Wondering how you were going to work on your heart, your mind, and your soul fitness to do your best at the Greatest Commandment? This is it–Living Life. Our new six-week, faith-based, skills support group that Rev. Stephanie Allen (MDiv, MSW) and Kevin Jones (MAC, PLPC) have crafted collaboratively is going to lift people…
In Sunday’s gospel, John 14:15-21, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The GREATEST commandment is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind–‘ the biggest “to do” of the Christian faith! How many of us hear we need to “work harder” at loving God…
Why are mental health awareness and mental health care important? While 14k die in the US from hunger each year, approximately 8 million die from mental health variances yearly, but this is not something we talk about. 67 percent of the homeless have mental health variances; if we can help stabilize people before they lose their homes, we are preventing homelessness instead…
Message on Hope by Rev. Wendy Downing Steelville Presbyterian Church Years ago, I saw a maternity shop named “Great Expectations.” That’s what this season is all about, isn’t it? Expectations. That’s what these two passages are about. Both passages are the kind that look forward, and look to the future, with a deep sense of anticipation and expectation. Isaiah was…
Blog Post by Jim Cook, Ruling Elder Member of our Presbytery and Past Interim Presbytery Leader, along with his Stem Cell Donor, Ludwig Original “Be the Match” Blog Posted on April 13, 2021 –FOUND HERE Below find the recent and exciting update! Dear Ludwig, My name is Jim Cook and I am the recipient of your donated stem cells. I…
Blog Post by Rev. Vicky Michaels Grace Presbyterian Church Crystal City, Missouri Psalm 42 – The New Living Translation For the choir director: A psalm[a] of the descendants of Korah. 1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand…
Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Susan R. Andrews, HR Parish Associate at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church During the past forty-five years, I have watched drastic changes in the life of the church, and in the ministry, I was trained to do. At first, I was sad. Then I was mad. But recently my resistance has melted into curiosity. As I…
When I was much younger, I thought that being a pastor would be a pretty good gig. Limited hours – Sunday mornings and a few meetings now and then – relatively decent pay, and sometimes it even came with a house. How hard could that be? I went a different route but still thought that this Pastor job looked pretty…