From the General Presbyter Fake Worship? I still remember when the phrase “Fake News” was coined. It represented a sentiment that what was being reported was not an actual event, sometimes as the event was unfolding in real time. In some ways it was designed to get folks not to believe what they saw, but […]
General Presbyter Jacqueline Taylor offers her perspective on faith, worship and living as a Christian in the 21st century.
May 3, 2023
From the General Presbyter Connectional vs. Relational The Presbyterian Church USA boasts of being a “connectional church.” From a practical perspective, it means each “council” of the church supports each other. The congregation supports the Presbytery who supports the Synod and General Assembly. On a good day, we then practice a kind of trickle down […]
February 22, 2023
From the General Presbyter Last week, I did what I always do, and asked myself, “What am I going to do for Lent?” Am I going to give up something, pray more, read a devotional, what? And every year, I look around for inspiration or hope that something will drop in my lap, and I […]
January 12, 2023
From the General Presbyter “We Is The New Me” (from the movie Khakee: The Bihal Chapter) So how was it? Christmastime worship, I mean. Did folks come back on Christmas Eve? Was the sanctuary fuller? What about Christmas Day? Did your “friends at home” as my yoga teacher would say, experience the celebration of the […]
November 30, 2022
From the General Presbyter The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Do you remember that ghost from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol? Shrouded, mysterious, creepy, silent. Scrooge was afraid and if we stop for a moment and think, so are we. What will this Advent/Christmas season be like? Will people come back to church? Will […]
October 27, 2022
From the General Presbyter Enter the Dinosaur I love to watch archaeologists at work, but I get really impatient when I see them slowly brushing off unearthed bones with a paintbrush. I want to yell at the screen: “Hurry up and free the dinosaur!” Our Strategic Planning progress is much like this. Though it is […]
August 3, 2022
From the General Presbyter “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, how does your garden grow?” Old English nursery rhyme My neighbor and I share a wire fence she erected because she is growing vegetables on her side. On my side are Hosta’s and random other things that pop up occasionally. Sometimes these are wild strawberries, other times, […]
July 12, 2022
From the General Presbyter Bad Karaoke On my recent vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I reserved an oceanfront condo located within a resort. From my balcony, I could hear children playing in the swimming pool, people laughing while dining outdoors and….bad karaoke! Okay, there were a few people with good voices but for the […]
June 16, 2022
From the General Presbyter A colleague recently shared something she heard, that went something like this: “COVID has provided an off ramp for church goers.” Yes, yes it has. And many of you are frustrated that attendance is down, sometimes, way down. I have total respect for those who do not feel safe in large […]
May 24, 2022
From the General Presbyter I want to first address the faithful pastors in this Presbytery of Baltimore. Please hear me; there is no way you can possibly carry the heavy burdens this world has put on us in these violent and terrible times. Words often fail in the face of today’s shooting in Texas. There are not […]
