Mission Yearbook: Mister Rogers homage helps wrap up a week of listening and learning

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The Rev. Dr. Matt Sauer donned his red sweater one last time Friday during the 2025 edition of Synod School (photo by Kim Coulter)

As he did all week long at Synod School, the Rev. Dr. Matt Sauer shared his inner Fred Rogers on the final day, donning a red sweater to honor the wisdom and caring heart of a Presbyterian pastor influential to the millions of Americans who grew up watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Sauer, pastor of Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry in Wisconsin, shared a clip of Rogers singing “It’s You I Like” to Joan Rivers on “The Tonight Show,” which Rivers found moving.

“In this space I get to be more real than anywhere else,” Sauer told his fellow Synod Schoolers. “It’s a gift you give me every year.” Sauer closed with a clip of Rogers singing his “Goodnight God.”

Led by Synod School Dean Lisa Tarbell, those assembled got to honor one of their own. John Tonje, who grew up attending Synod School, was drafted last month by the Utah Jazz after a stellar basketball career at Wisconsin. Tarbell recorded herself congratulating Tonje and then being cheered by those who filled Schaller Chapel.

Tarbell had another significant announcement: next year’s convocation speaker will be Dr. William Yoo, Associate Professor of American Religious and Cultural History at Columbia Theological Seminary and the author of two recent well-regarded books published by Westminster John Knox Press: “Reckoning with History” and “What Kind of Christianity.” The 72nd Synod School is scheduled for July 26–31, 2026, at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Also on the last day of this year’s school, the Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, Synod School’s convocation speaker, sported a tie-dyed T-shirt given to her by a youth group in Jacksonville, Illinois. “She’s one of us now,” the youth said.

Turning to the day’s topic, authenticity, McKibben Dana reported that a Synod School musician shared with her the guidelines for a community band he plays in back home, including:

• Tell one another, “You sound great!”
• Figure stuff out and play wrong notes occasionally.
• If a song is feeling too difficult, pick up some percussion.

“In this gathering, I don’t want perfection,” the musician told McKibben Dana. “I want humanity.”

She played a clip of an interview with the novelist, poet and professor Ocean Vuong, who said students — especially students in the U.S. — “are more and more self-conscious of trying.”

“They would say, I want to be a poet, I want to be a good writer, but it’s a bit of a cringe. This cringe culture is, ‘I don’t want to be perceived as trying and having an effortful attempt at my dreams.’ As a teacher, that’s a horrifying sort of report from the field,” Vuong said. “I think they are scared of judgment. They perform cynicism because cynicism can be misread, as it often is, as intelligence. You are disaffected. You’re too cool. You’ve seen it all. And so, they pull back.”

“But in fact, they are deeply hungry for sincere, earnest effort,” Vuong said. “Sincerity is something we deeply hunger for, particularly young people, but we are embarrassed when sincerity is in the room.”

The teacher has the authority to set the tone, Vuong said. “If you set the tone for your students and you welcome them — that you won’t judge them, that [they] can be sincere and honest without being condemned or ridiculed for it, that they can try their best and it won’t be cringy to do so — then you truly liberate them toward their best selves.”

McKibben Dana wondered how we “get past this idea that being myself is somehow cringy and that it’s better to be intelligent and removed.”

Years ago, she took a parenting workshop during which young parents were asked to imagine their children at 21 or 25. What are the qualities parents would like their grown children to have? Answers included service to the world, meaningful work, a community that cares for them, a sense of joy and work-life balance.

“Great!” the instructor said. “That’s your list. That’s how you build the self you send into the world as they grow into maturity.”

McKibben Dana displayed a photo of a bumper sticker proclaiming “Non-judgment day is here.”

“Let us go out into the world,” she said. “Let us be encouraged.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Shelly Lewis, Administrative Manager, Finance & Accounting Controllers Office, Administrative Services Group
Tony Lewis, Operations & Accounting Associate, Operations, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation        

Let us pray:

Merciful Lord, forgive us for not listening for not hearing the voices of the oppressed and suffering. May your love guide us in joining our brothers and sisters for transformation, bringing glory and humor to you. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Fellows invite Presbyterians to imagine a church made new

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(Photo by Stephen Myers via Unsplash)

A church is the people.

A place where Scripture guides our imagination into new life.

A place where everyone belongs.

A place where people can ask all the questions they have.

A place where all of life is woven together.

A place where the community wants to come, to share and to be.

That was the collective picture of a church envisioned by attendees of a midweek worship service recently led by summer fellows from the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.

Attendees of the July 23 service were asked to share their ideas on a digital whiteboard as part of an exercise in radical imagining.

“The UKirk college ministry I participated in as an undergrad started the year with our leadership team with a similar prompt” to imagine a church that serves your needs, fixes what is broken and makes you excited to attend, said Isabella Shutt, a fellow pursuing a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

The whiteboard filled with elements like “transformative and powerful preaching" and “racial equity" as well as qualities like “celebrates the gifts of every person" and “opens the door and the community is welcomed in.”  The board also included drawings of things like the sun and trees, a loaf of bread, a fish, a cup and other doodles.

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Photo by Adam Gonzales via Unsplash)

The exercise was part of a sermon based on Ezekiel 47:1–12 in which Ezekiel first sees visions of calamity but later is led to the banks of a river, where God lets him in on something more hopeful.

The Lord “explains that the healing power of the river will cause fish to become abundant, that the river will heal all things, that the trees will bear fruit,” said fellow Alex Pickell, a PC(USA) candidate for ordination who helped give the sermon. “Note that Ezekiel is not seeing it with his own eyes. God is sharing this vision with him. Maybe Ezekiel won’t ever see it all for himself. All he sees is the river before him. But through God’s vision, Ezekiel is being opened up to the idea that there could be a new, full life for his people, one that’s abundant and vibrant. Ezekiel’s task then is to imagine the possibilities.”

Why the need for radical imagination today? “Radical imagination is a collective process of play and exploration, used to conjure new choices where there appeared to have been none before,” Shutt said. “It is rooted in lessons from the past and present and is deeply concerned with the future.”

Shutt went on to say, “Radical imagination can lead us to ask questions like, ‘If we are rebuilding a temple, why not expand its impact beyond the people who worship there and plan for the land around it as well? If we are building on a river, why not consider the needs of the fish and the plants that make that river its home?’”

The 30-minute service, mostly attended by employees of entities of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was one of the final activities of the fellows, who are college students and seminarians serving in the advocacy offices and engaging in a summer of writing Action Alerts, attending policy briefings and working with ecumenical partners.

This year’s fellows have served at a tumultuous time, marked by divisive policymaking in Washington and war and famine abroad. natural disasters, civil unrest and other chaos, but “we await the wonderful rainbow at the end of the hurricane.”

Later, during the sermon, Pickell noted that the Ezekiel passage raises serious questions, such as “Where is God in our rapidly changing world?” and “Who are we being called to be in it?”

“In our own world, like Ezekiel’s, we are experiencing a disordering of life,” Pickell said. "Our country, our world, and our denomination face changes and terrible loss. It can seem almost too much to bear at times.”

However, that is where radical imagination comes in, Shutt said.

After the whiteboard exercise, she advised attendees, “As you continue reading the news, adjusting to your changing roles during unification, and working towards a better future, remember that, like Ezekiel, you are asked to imagine. Amen.”

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Kristen Leucht, Senior Church Consultant - Los Angeles, CA, Engagement & Church Relations, The Board of Pensions
Clare Lewis, President & CEO, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program    

Let us pray:

Loving God, we pray for those who hunger and thirst for the gospel for those who teach, for those who learn, for all who are called to your service. Amen.

Affordable Advent liturgies, prayers and hymns 🎄

Slow down. Pay attention. Draw Near this Advent. Dear friends, In a season often marked by hurry and noise, Advent invites us to slow down — to breathe, to watch, to draw near to the One who draws near to us. This year, the Presbyterian Outlook is delighted to share our 2025 Advent devotional, Draw Near. Written with pastors, congregations and everyday followers of Christ in mind, this devotional offers Scripture, reflection and prayer for each day of Advent — grounding us in hope, stretching us toward justice and opening us to the quiet wonder of God’s presence. Whether used personally, in family devotion, small-group study, or as a congregational resource, Draw Near is crafted to nurture reflection and communal preparation for the coming of Christ. Inside you'll find: Daily Scripture readings and reflections Prayer prompts Accessible, Reformed-rooted theological insight Beautiful Advent themes of longing, hope, waiting and incarnation We pray these words help you step into the season with intention and tenderness, guided by the God who meets us in flesh and light and love. In hope, The Presbyterian Outlook team Read a sample  Order your digital devotional today  Thank you for supporting the Outlook’s mission to equip and inspire faithful Christian witness in the world. May this Advent season be for you a time of deep anticipation, holy attentiveness and renewed joy in Emmanuel, God-with-us. Order today You may also like ... Come, Lord Jesus: A free Advent candle liturgy by Shardae Henry Shea Watts Family Christmas Eve Service by Jenny Lee Advent prayers by various authors Creator of the Stars of Night: An Advent Candle Liturgy by Carol Holbrook Prickett Wait for the Lord: An Advent candle liturgy by Montisa Anntoinette Watkins and Shavon Starling-Louis Advent hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

Copyright © 2025 Presbyterian Outlook, All rights reserved.

WCC NEWS: New WCC Advent resource will help mobilise healing communities

A new Advent resource from the World Council of Churches, “Reflection, Prayer, Action,” is designed to guide congregations in preparing for the birth of Christ by engaging deeply with themes of women’s wellbeing and agency, the positive role of men in family life and reproductive health, displacement and migration, and the promise of peace. 'Family moments make great memories' reads a sign in the kitchen as a family prepares an evening meal in their home in Beit Sahour, in the larger Bethlehem area. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 28 November 2025 Rooted in Scripture, early Christian insights, and the lived realities of today’s world, “Reflection, Prayer, Action” offers concise reflections, prayers, community actions, and advocacy points to mobilise churches to become agents of healing and justice.  By integrating spiritual formation with concrete acts of solidarity and resource mobilisation, especially in support of health, wellbeing, and vulnerable communities, this Advent initiative invites faith communities to anticipate Christ’s coming not only with devotion, but with committed action that nurtures hope, restores dignity, and strengthens holistic peace. “We reflect on the resilience, dignity, and agency of women, embodied powerfully in the story of Mary,” reads one reflection. “As a young, pregnant teenager, Mary embraces God’s calling with remarkable courage despite potential stigma, insecurity, and risk.” Download the full ressources here 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

Mission Yearbook: Thanksgiving’s goal is year-round gratitude. The main task is noticing

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Photo by Diliara Garifullina via Unsplash

Deadlines being what they are, I’m writing this Thanksgiving piece on gratitude long before the bird’s in the oven, the potatoes have been mashed and the pumpkin pies are cooling on the wire racks. The hardest part is putting fingers to keyboard without those olfactory cues. Nonetheless, it’s not difficult to reach inside a grateful heart, as we do every year at this time, and thank God for being alongside us on the journey.

In fact, I’m working at making gratitude a more everyday occurrence. All that’s required here is to notice: no big health scares of late, children who make the effort to call us regularly to chat on the phone — and seem to enjoy it — and work that still feels like a calling and is fresh every day.

Clearly, any success at year-round gratitude depends solely on my own efforts. Blessings and accompaniment are just about always there and require only that I notice them, a little like a backyard strewn with dyed eggs on Easter Sunday.

I’m also noticing as I get older that the benefits of noticing can be cumulative. When I perceive a drought of either blessings or presence, it’s not hard to tap into the noticing that occurred last week or last month. While it’s great to stay current, it’s also reassuring to look back and be blessed all over again.

An old friend once told me I could carry on a conversation with a dead ant on the sidewalk. It’s a quality that’s helped sustain my career as a journalist, and it’s a curiosity that can also make noticing more frequent and less difficult. May blessings and accompaniment be yours this Thanksgiving Day.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service 

Let us join in prayer for:

Laura Lee, Senior Designer/Production Specialist, Presbyterian Women
Sang Ik Lee, Translator, Global Language Resources, Administrative Services Group            

Let us pray:

God of blessings and accompaniment, thanks for walking alongside us — not to prevent calamities, but to be there for counsel and emotional first aid when we need it most. Stoke our inclination toward gratitude, so we can be mindful year-round of your gifts and your guidance. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Magic and miracles highlight worship

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The Great Zambini, also known as Dr. Jeremy Penn, performs during Synod School worship. (Photo by Kim Coulter)

Fortunately for the children at Synod School, the Great Zambini stopped by during a worship to perform a little magic.

The very amateur magician, also known as Dr. Jeremy Penn of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa, had to try three times to magically move a sack of snack crackers from a table into a small bin. On the third try, after he’d turned his back and said the magic word, a child helpfully moved the snack to its intended spot.

“OK,” the Great Zambini admitted. “It’s my first time doing this trick.”

His second trick was much more successful. In order to illustrate the evening’s Scripture lesson — the feeding of the 5,000 — the Great Zambini and his helpers had distributed dozens of snacks to adults seated in Schaller Chapel. He asked the children to go find the people with the snacks, ask for them and then either devour them or share the crackers with someone who needed them.

“Sometimes, I think the miracle was the people watching the disciples being generous,” the Great Zambini told the children. “The people thought, maybe I can be generous, too. The miracle was changing hearts and minds, turning us into generous people.”

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The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis delivers a meditation during worship at Synod School. (Photo by Kim Coulter)

With all the problems currently confronting society, the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, the Synod School preacher, said she’d like to see a miracle like the feeding of the 5,000 — only bigger. “Not one time, but over and over,” she said.

Years ago, Theoharis witnessed one such miracle in Tent City in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. “That scrappy, imperfect miracle is more of what expanded hope looks like,” she said.

In those days, Tent City was a homeless encampment of more than 40 families living in cardboard boxes and tents during the hot summer months. “The shelters were full,” Theoharis said. “The moms and their babies were told to sleep in their cars or on the streets.”

The Kensington Welfare Rights Union shared food, clothing and toiletries with Tent City residents. People living in Tent City provided child care for one another and pooled their money. Their neighbors would drop off water, juice and food.

Philadelphia had around 39,000 abandoned housing units at the time. But the shelters were closing, and affordable housing programs were being cut.

“That’s when the miracle happened,” Theoharis said. Maybe it was the growth in donations from nearby churches. “Perhaps it was God’s work creating order and justice out of the chaos of poverty and hunger,” she suggested.

Groups of folks would “come and pray with us, witness and share what they had. More and more people heard about the miracle taking place. People came and they came, and some of us never left.”

The miracle in the biblical feeding story is the community that was formed, she said. In the past few months, Theoharis has traveled to 40 communities, “and in every single one, I see a miracle, and in some, 200 miracles.” The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it this way, she noted: “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

A friend recently sent Theoharis a gardening video. Gardening is a good comparison for people working on building justice and expanding hope, Theoharis said.

“Sometimes you put in a lot of work and you don’t see the results. Sometimes some plants die but others grow,” she said. “The moment can be frustrating, but beautiful miracles grow every day. It’s a lesson in perseverance.”

Theoharis closed her reflection with Cardinal Dearden’s “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own,” which includes these words: “We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.”

“We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.”

“To me, this is the good news,” Theoharis said. “Thanks be to God.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Ali Laswell, Accounting & Payroll Administration, Controller, The Presbyterian Foundation
Lee (DJ) Dong Jo, Lead, Korean Congregational Relations, Engagement & Church Relations, The Board of Pensions

Let us pray:

Most gracious God, we seek your presence whenever and wherever we gather together in Christ’s name. We know you watch over us and lead us. Continue to bless us as we look for ways to share our ministry with siblings near and far. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.