Weekly Outlook - SBC vote to bar women pastors fails again

Dear readers, Remember when we called COVID-19 Corona? Or how we would go to the stores without masks but use disinfectant to wipe down our groceries when we came back? Remember a time without TikTok, but when Instagram Lives would go viral? When we were asked not to buy KN-95 masks so that hospitals could purchase them?  I'm currently watching the reality TV show "Southern Charm," and I'm working my way through their 2020 season. It's horrifying to remember what we didn't know, to watch people be careless. At the same time, I find myself filled with compassion for the person I was in those days. For all the unknowns. For the movie nights at home with my sister. For my daily walks in the park, listening through the Harry Potter series. For the family meals outside, the canceled plane tickets. The longing. The isolation. The fear. The peace. As I relive 2020 from a distance, my work at the Outlook has simultaneously asked me to think about loneliness, the theme of our June issue. I find myself wondering, not for the first time, the impact the pandemic had on us as individuals, communities and a country. I wonder: Where do we go from here?  Our June issue is an offering to start a conversation about loneliness and connection. We were recently validated in our choice of topic when we received a letter from a reader writing, "As support staff for an aging and shrinking small congregation, every single article in this [June] issue was something I want to share with the church leadership and members." Perhaps one of the first steps of finding connection is talking about our desire for it, and the fears, habits, and circumstances that hold us back. Peace, Rose Schrott Taylor Digital Content Editor Presbyterian Outlook  P.S. If making meaningful friendships is a topic of interest to you or the people you serve, you may also enjoy our Fresh Outlook Bible Study on friendship.

Vote to bar churches with women pastors fails again at SBC meeting by Bob Smietana Grief and hope: The theological legacy of Walter Brueggemann by Michael W. DeLashmutt The long loneliness (of men) by Catherine Knott LGBTQ teens wanted a Pride festival in their town. How five churches made it happen. by Rachel Berkebile How students are struggling — and connecting — in 2025 by Katrina Pekich-Bundy Finding God in the questions we dare not ask by David Zepf Recording now available! In case you missed it... Forty-seven graduate with Certificates in Migrant Ministries Pittsburgh Theological Seminary celebrates its inaugural class of activist learners to accompany migrants. — Beth Waltemath Young adults discover and transform the world through the YAV program Pentecost Offering helped make Steffan Johnson’s years of volunteer service possible. — Emily Enders Odom Walter Brueggemann, influential biblical scholar, dies at 92 His books were influential primarily with clergy, but through their sermons Brueggeman’s concepts have become familiar to many churchgoers. — Yonat Shimron The spiritual art of staying Amy Pagliarella recommends two memoirs on rootedness and renewal. Holy punks and sacred spaces: Rethinking where we can find God Charissa Howe calls on churches to look for God's action in their community, even in unexpected places. Swipes and likes: Redefining the loneliness epidemic To combat the epidemic of loneliness, we must shift from transactional engagement to intentional community-building, writes Kat Robinson. Planning a sermon series on nonviolence? This webinar offers biblical insight, stories, and tools to preach peace in a violent world.

Did you know loneliness is America’s most significant health problem, according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in 2022? Explore biblical wisdom and practical steps to cultivate meaningful friendships with this “Friendship” Bible study by Katy Shevel.