June 17, 2024   Summer greetings, friends! On Wednesday the nation will observe Juneteenth. (And the presbytery office will be closed in observation of it.) Slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment on January 31,1865 and ratified by the required
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April 22, 2024     Greetings, friends,   If I might yank the words of the great American poet, John Dylan, out of context and apply them to a new situation, then… (as he sang):   Come rather round people
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley and an introduction to our new columnist! April 8, 2024  Greetings of joy in this Eastertide! I am pleased to let you know that starting today, our stated
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March 25, 2024   Friends, With palms waving and the people crying “Hosanna” (God save now!) we have entered Holy Week. Many preachers I know read the whole palm/passion narrative on Palm Sunday noting that if they don’t, most of
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March 18, 2024 Dear friends, Today begins the holy month of Ramadan for Muslim people. It had been hoped that today would also be the beginning of a six-week ceasefire in Gaza. The cease-fire was envisioned as a period of
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February 28, 2024   We have just observed the second Sunday of the season of Lent. On the sign board outside Brown Memorial in Tuscaloosa is the message: “Lent – Spiritual Spring Cleaning.” So many of our churches are offering
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January 30, 2024   Greetings, friends, As you know, the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is part of the PCUSA’s Matthew 25 initiative. As of today 1,180 congregations have embraced the vision. In addition, 96 mid councils, and 66 groups
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January 15, 2024  New Year’s greetings to you as we move into 2024! May God grant us in this new year grace, courage, and purpose for the sake of Christ’s kindom and our own soul’s sake.  As you receive this
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December 11, 2023     Hail, favored Ones!   Many of our congregations are using the Advent resource from A Sanctified Art. Its theme this year is “How Does a Weary World Rejoice?” taken from the line in O Holy
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October 30, 2023    Yesterday, on Reformation Sunday, I had the honor and joy of participating in the 135th Anniversary celebration for South Highland Presbyterian Church (Birmingham). It was a beautiful worship service with glorious music, a stirring sermon by
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September 18, 2023 Greetings, friends,   I love the energy and opportunities that fall brings with it for deepening our discipleship. New classes are being offered. New small groups are organized. New sermon series started. It is a time for
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August 7, 2023 There’s a lot going on in the presbytery this month and I thought I’d share a few of the happenin’ things. When my siblings and I used to lovingly call our mother out for what we perceived
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July 24, 2023   I have been heartened to hear of many of you taking vacations this summer. To the beach or the mountains or a version of staycation. Summer affords this important antidote to the busyness that consumes much
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Rev. Dr. Sue Westfall June 26, 2023   Friends,   Last week I participated in a clergy conference hosted by Faith in Action Alabama. Faith in Action Alabama
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Ponderings Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Sue Westfall April 24, 2023     Dear Friends,   Last Saturday the United States, along with 190 other countries around the globe, celebrated Earth Day which
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Sue Westfall April 10, 2023   Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! With joy yesterday the church declared the great mystery of our faith, Christ has
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Sue Westfall March 27, 2023   Dear friends,   Greetings to you in these closing weeks of Lent. I have been asked to re-run an article I wrote
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Sue Westfall February 27, 2023 Lenten greetings, friends, Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate with the season of Lent which, this year, began last Wednesday with a
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Ponderings of the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley Sue Westfall February 13, 2023     Dear friends,   I’ve been thinking about dying churches. This is not because we will be closing several churches this year. A
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