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This advent season, the Council decided our theme would be focused on Climate Change. As people of faith, we proclaim our belief that our world is God’s creation, that God sees it as good, and that it is ours to protect and maintain. We also recognize that the quality of life for all of us […]

NC No Torture has launched its Christian study addressing North Carolina’s involvement in the CIA’s Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation program. The study offers a guide for how to prepare, organize, and conduct a workshop that will produce meaningful conversation and reflection. The document is supported by a comprehensive list of primary sources, relevant news articles, […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” He also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it […]

The Council is hiring a full-time Fund Development Coordinator. The full job description is posted below and at this link.  Position: Fund Development Coordinator COUNCIL DESCRIPTION With more than eight decades of progressive activism, the North Carolina Council of Churches remains the leading faith voice for justice advocacy in North Carolina. We are particularly concerned […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, […]

The following remarks were delivered by Jennifer Copeland as the opening invocation to the Raising Wages press conference held in the press room of the NC General Assembly this morning. Great God of creation, with the labor of your words you created our world, saying sky and making sky, saying land and making land, saying […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. […]

Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 2:1-12 Epiphany celebrates God’s presence with humanity through the person of Jesus Christ.  With the birth of this baby, the reign of God breaks through the barriers between God and humanity.  Epiphany is observed 12 […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. This post contains the scripture passages and reflections on their application. 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. This post contains the scripture passage and reflections on its application. Luke 2:1-20 The Lectionary Gospel Reading easily is divided for Christmas Eve, Luke 2:1-14, and for Christmas Day, Luke 2:15-20.  Taken together, they create the […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. This post contains the scripture passage, a brief commentary on the text, and a reflection on its application. Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. This post contains the scripture passage, a brief commentary on the text, and a reflection on its application. Luke 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of […]

Excerpted from My Soul Magnifies the Lord, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches. This post contains the scripture passage, a brief commentary on the text, and a reflection on its application. Luke 21:25-36: There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress […]

As the flood waters recede–slow as that is–our focus shifts from survival to recovery. Having weathered a few of these storms, now arriving with increased frequency, we know that recovery has only just begun. Indeed, some in our state haven’t recovered from Hurricane Matthew or Isabel or Floyd or Fran. How does one recover what […]