Weekly Outlook - Deep listening, border politics, and Howard Thurman

Dear Outlook readers,  For several weeks, I've been enjoying a class focused on writing towards God. This week, a classmate shared a poem that spoke about Lent as feeling their back pressed against a wall.  Pastors and lay leaders (and publishers) know this feeling. Planning Lent requires a lot of preparation! But I think this feeling of pressure extends to all who choose to participate in this liturgical season. The invitation to lament can open the floodgates to dispair — especially in a world where there is so much pain, violence and loss.  I think there is some beauty in engaging sadness. As David Whyte writes in "The Well of Grief," only those who slip under the surface will know the source from which we drink. At the same time, we are not without agency and choices. In Lent, we reflect on living intentionally in the world.  I wonder if that desire for intentionality is what is driving so many people to our webinar tonight with Mark Elsdon exploring the coming wave of church property transition. The church may be in a moment of reformation, but we are not without resources. How will we choose to use them?  I pray we are all intentional with our time and choices this Lent, whether that is engaging internal despair or choosing courageous action. Maybe some mixture of both. In Christ, Rose Schrott Taylor Outlook digital content editor

Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition reviewed by Beth Guzman Returning to ritual: Gen Z and religion by Eliza Smith DeBevoise We need more Howard Thurman in our politics by David B. Gowler 13 books to read during Black History Month and beyond by Amy Pagliarella In case you missed it... A Matthew 18 church A Matthew 18 church is one where welcome is practiced, conflict is named, grace is extended, and God is present, writes Eliza Jaremko. PC(USA) response to Texas migrant tactics falls short The state of Texas is flouting human rights law, and the PC(USA)'s response rings hollow, opines Robert Lowry. Children’s books to celebrate Black history For intentional caregivers who desire to instill values like diversity, courage, self-worth and compassion, books can open the door to important discussions and questions. — Amy Pagliarella Deep listening dinners at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago Fourth Presbyterian Church’s “Deep Listening Dinners” focus on strengthening relationships, developing conversational skills and practicing handling differences in a respectful manner. — Teri McDowell Ott and Nanette Sawyer Litany for the Long Civil Rights Movement This litany honors all those who have fought for equal rights beginning in the 1930s and continuing today. It incorporates history, gratitude and lament. — Rose Schrott Taylor Growing to love Ash Wednesday Julie Raffety grew up without celebrating Ash Wednesday but now finds the hands-on, participatory nature of the ritual to be grounding.

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