Weekly Outlook - Prayers for your table — and voices to hear

Dear readers, Imagine this: everyone is settling in around the table, the aroma of roasted turkey wafting through the room — when a well-meaning relative cheerfully says, “Would you pray for us before we eat?” Suddenly your heart jumps. You love your family. You love God. But being put on the spot to offer a polished, meaningful prayer while the mashed potatoes cool can make the mind of even the most practiced prayer go blank. It’s a surprisingly common anxiety. Pastors who pray publicly every week have told me they still feel that flutter in their stomach when asked to pray spontaneously in a room full of people they love. Lay folks often worry: Will I say the right thing? Will it be long enough? Too long? Too emotional? Not emotional enough? There’s a unique vulnerability in praying aloud — especially on a day filled with expectations, traditions and tender emotions. That’s why we at the Presbyterian Outlook want to offer a little grace — and a little help. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, visiting friends or family, or simply gathering with a small circle this year, you don’t have to come up with the perfect prayer on the spot. We’ve curated a collection of thoughtful, beautiful Thanksgiving prayers. They’re ready to use at your table, to print for a bulletin, or simply to read quietly before the meal. Let these prayers steady your spirit, ease that moment of pressure, and help you enter the day with gratitude, not anxiety. Wishing you a gentle, grace-filled Thanksgiving. With hope and delight, Rose Schrott Taylor Digital Content Editor Presbyterian Outlook

Exploring Indigenous theology by Emery J. Cummins Seven things queer people would like the church to know by Mike Ferguson Clergy response to border patrol in Charlotte by Patrice Gaines A prayer of Thanksgiving for the God who knows us by Caroline Garcia Oz was always political — ‘Wicked’ simply makes it clear by Michael Parker Your travel playlist, curated by Outlook readers by you In case you missed it... The Rev. Dr. Bridgett A. Green is named president and publisher of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation Currently the interim president, Green will officially begin in her new role on Jan. 1, 2026. — Presbyterian Publishing Corporation Reading God’s Love: Three new children’s books for growing faith Discover three new children’s books that nurture faith, justice, and belonging. — The Outlook Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life Witty, dramatic, and unexpectedly relatable — "Convent Wisdom" shows how sixteenth-century nuns faced money stress, messy relationships, and big spiritual questions… just like us. Caroline Barnett offers a review. The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage In "The Tears of Things," Richard Rohr calls readers to transform their anger into compassionate action through true prophecy, writes Amy Pagliarella. Chicago Presbytery issues call to action in face of ICE raids The presbytery seeks "creative action and stubborn hope" and vows to follow the lead of those bearing the brunt of the violence. — Chicago Presbytery

byFaith Magazine - How PCA Churches Are Feeding Their Communities

How PCA Churches Are Feeding Their Communities By Adam MacInnis “We believe Jesus calls us to serve those in our community who are in need. I want them to know it’s a church ministry, and that’s what our motivation is.” READ NOW

The Bible, the Church, and God’s Mission By Robby Holt Robby Holt reviews the second edition of “The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative.” READ NOW Answering God’s Call to Defend the Fatherless By Herbie Newell From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals his heart for the vulnerable. READ NOW Remember the Widow By Paul Joiner The truth of the gospel needs to be embodied by the community that the gospel creates. READ NOW Remembering the Poor By Jessica Fikkert What do followers of Jesus look like? READ NOW

AROUND THE WEB Clean Words and Clean Witness What a profile of budget director Russell Vought teaches us about Christian witness. ‘In God’s Timing’: 2 Adoptions, 31 Years Apart Our mission was always to say: How do we serve women between the choice for life, and then on the other side of the postpartum ward, how do we help make sure that women and children are thriving? It’s Here: Gen-Z Revival Hits Campuses This Fall   This level of spiritual engagement “is unheard of in our world." Reformed Theological Seminary Receives Nearly $1 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Launch The Kaleo Project JACKSON, MS – Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) has received a grant of nearly $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish The Kaleo Project. Federal cuts, SNAP freeze stirs need — and generosity — at Olathe food pantry Hours before a freeze on federal food assistance benefits was scheduled to go into effect midnight Friday, a line formed outside the New Hope Food Pantry in Olathe. FOLLOW  |  DONATE  |  DAILY DEVOTIONAL

WCC news: Religious leaders bear living witness to faith expressed at Nicaea 1700 years ago

In an historic commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, faith leaders gathered in Nicaea—modern-day Iznik, Türkiye – on 28 November to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the church. Vatican News 28 November 2025 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay joined His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV for an ecumenical prayer service.  His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew noted the hope expressed through the sacred commemoration even in world with upheavals, difficulties, and divisions. “We are here to bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the fathers of Nicaea,” he said. “We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward. The power of this place does not reside in what passes away but in what endures forever.” Pillay shared a Gospel reading from John 17, which includes a passage with a prayer from Jesus that is oft-cited in the World Council of Churches: “That they all shall be one, just as you, my Father, are in me, and I am in you.” Delivering a message, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged that we live in a time marked by may tragic signs yet we are linked by a profound bond.  “In this way, we are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist, to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life,” said Pope  Leo. “Today, the whole of humanity afflicted by violence and conflict is crying out for reconciliation.” His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV signed a Joint Declaration giving thanks for the fraternal meeting 1700 years ago and in the present.  “We are convinced that the commemoration of this significant anniversary can inspire new and courageous steps on the path towards unity,” reads the declaration. “The goal of Christian unity includes the objective of contributing in a fundamental and life-giving manner to peace among all peoples.” The declaration encourages the whole of humanity to knit together.  “While we are deeply alarmed by the current international situation, we do not lose hope,” the declaration reads. “God will not abandon humanity.” Watch the full recording from Vatican News Vatican News See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland