In 1983 in Vancouver, the Assembly of the World Council of Churches articulated a “eucharistic” vision which …unites our two profoundest ecumenical concerns: the unity and renewal of the church and the healing and destiny of the human community. Church unity is vital to the health of the church and to the future of the […]

“Thee, thee and thee, but not me,” Dr. Kubler-Ross used to say about death and dying.It happens to everyone else but not to me. So it is with tragedy and lament in the ministry. Things happen in other communities, but not here; things happen to other pastors but not to me. And then it happens. […]

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, there has been renewed attention to the role of lament in public and private life. Lament involves the recognition that we are not in control. It is a healthy corrective in a culture which focuses on success (presumed to be attainable) and on being in control of our […]

by Walter Brueggemann Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.  75 pp. $6.00 Reviewed/excerpted by Joyce M. Bowers Walter Brueggemann is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia.  He is a prolific author; many of his books have been published by Fortress Press, notably Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy […]

The theme of this article is “The Law-Court Pattern of Prayer.” This pattern is used by the poets in accounts about Abraham, Moses, and Elijah, and is present in about fifty Psalms, in Jeremiah and in Job. In all of these texts the poets wrestle with the experience of innocent suffering. We will look at […]

I.  We lament death.  We grieve and we mourn. “Blessed are those who mourn,” said Jesus, “for they shall be comforted.”  In this beatitude many people take refuge.  I have heard people call this the principal beatitude of their lives. What are we lamenting?  We lament death.  Death means change.  Death disrupts what we have […]