Princeton Theological Seminary

Leaders have to resist the temptation of reducing their calling to servicing complaints. That always ends with idolatry. Monday, November 9, 2015

Unlike the Red Sea the Jordan doesn’t part until the priests take a step of faith in them. This was the goal of the hard journey. Monday, November 30, 2015

Even when we reach the Promised Land we are still confronted with giants in our way. The Promised Land is not Paradise. Monday, November 16, 2015

Monday, December 7, 2015

Saturday, May 23, 2015 President Barnes’ 2015 Commencement Address Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, New Jersey

April 26, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry Closing Worship Preacher: Dr. Eric Barreto, Frederick and Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary

2016 Commencement Address Saturday, May 21 Princeton University Chapel Speaker: M. Craig Barnes, president and professor of pastoral ministry, Princeton Theological Seminary

Jesus accepts his arrest only because he knows he must drink from God’s cup. According to the prophets this is a cup of anger. But in drinking the cup Jesus transforms it into a cup of com-passion.

Sermon: “Humility” This ancient hymn depicts fundamental paradigm for the followers of Jesus Christ who led us up to God by bowing down so very low.

Sermon: Gravitas Those who offer leadership in any form of ministry need to have not only skills but also a weighty soul that offers gravitational attraction. How is this found? According to the text it is found through hardship, an inherited tradition, and the biblical text.

Sermon: Humility This ancient hymn depicts fundamental paradigm for the followers of Jesus Christ who led us up to God by bowing down so very low.

April 25, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture - Lecture 3 Lecture: "Who Has Time For Joy?" Speaker: Rev. Michael Mather, pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana

April 23, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry Opening Worship Preacher: Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia

April 24, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture - Lecture 1 Lecture: "Movement to Movements: Young, Active, and Faithful" Speaker: Rev. Dr. Almeda M. Wright, associate professor of religious education at Yale Divinity School

April 24, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry Sermon Preacher: Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia

April 24, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture - Lecture 2 Lecture: “No Leaders Here”: The Justice Movements of Ordinary, Everyday Leaders Speaker: Rev. Dr. Almeda M. Wright, associate professor of religious education at Yale Divinity School

April 25, 2019 | The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry Sermon Preacher: Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

April 18 | Miller Chapel "Judas who betrayed him said, 'Surely not I, Rabbi?'" Society has always reserved his greatest judgment for betrayers because it breaks the trust and commitment necessary for us to live together. For Christians the greatest sin is to betray Christ. But could it be that we are so harsh on betrayers because we fear there some Judas chromosome lurking in our own lives?

April 16, 2019 “Solidarity and Defiant Spirituality: Africana Lessons on Ending Gender Violence” Speaker: Rev. Dr. Traci C. West, professor of Christian ethics and African American studies at Drew University Theological School

April 11, 2019 | Miller Chapel "At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place." Jesus’ ministry begins to draw a large crowd in Capernaum. But he retreats from this success to a deserted place. When the crowds find him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them and continuing his ministry to others. But Jesus was renewed in his true calling by being in the deserted place. So are we.

Legacy and Mission: Theological Education and the History of Slavery Conference Speaker: Darnell Moore, writer-in-residence at the Center on African American Religion, Sexual Politics and Social Justice at Columbia University and author of No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America Learn more: https://slavery.ptsem.edu/

Legacy and Mission: Theological Education and the History of Slavery Conference "Formation of Faith Leaders: What are the implications of this history for the mission and curriculum of theological schools?" Speaker: Luke Powery, Dean of Duke University Chapel and Associate Professor of Homiletics, Duke Divinity School Learn more: https://slavery.ptsem.edu/

2019 Asian American Theology Conference "Faith and Community Empowerment: Shining our Light, Finding Voice, Leadership, and Unity" Speaker: Hyepin Im

2019 Asian American Theology Conference "An Asian American Exilic Call to Politics" Speaker: Dr. Russell Jeung

March 28, 2019 | Miller Chapel "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold." We often confuse our fold with being the whole flock. Jesus said, “…there will be one flock, one shepherd,” which means there are always other sheep from other folds whose perspective on the one shepherd is different than ours. Apparently, this is the way the good shepherd has organized the one flock.

2019 World Christianity Conference Panel Discussion

2019 World Christianity Conference "Feminist Ethnography and 'Studying Up' in World Christianity Studies" Speaker: Dr. Sonja Thomas

2019 World Christianity Conference "Why Reflexive Ethnography Matters to the Study of World Christianity" Speaker: Dr. James Spickard

March 14, 2019 | Miller Chapel "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things…" It is easy for preachers to slide into easy Martha bashing on our way to commend Mary who "has chosen the better part." But a community of faith needs Marthas. The challenge is to insure our hard work doesn’t distract from worship where we sit at Jesus’ feet.

March 12, 2019 | Miller Chapel "Empowering the Faith Community for Prophetic Witness" Speaker: James Forbes, Senior Minister Emeritus of Riverside Church

March 12, 2019 | Miller Chapel Speaker: James Forbes, Senior Minister Emeritus of Riverside Church

February 28, 2019 | Miller Chapel The 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture Speaker: Rev. Dr. Frederick Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Church & Conference Center in Dallas, Texas

February 14, 2019 | Miller Chapel "Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him here.'" Jesus and a large crowd are leaving Jericho for Jerusalem. Blind Bartimaeus is rebuked by the crowd for trying to interrupt the parade with his cry for mercy. But Jesus stood still. That’s the hardest thing in ministry. Don’t just do something. Stand there.

February 7, 2019 | Miller Chapel "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?" Micah sets a courtroom in which the Lord is the prosecutor, the mountains are the jury, and we are in the dock. Our defense are meager questions like “What does the Lord expect of us?” But we’ve always known what is required of God’s people.

February 6, 2019 | Miller Chapel The 2019 Prathia Hall Lecture Speaker: Rev. Dr. Yvette A. Flunder, founder and senior pastor of City of Refuge United Church of Christ (City of Refuge UCC) in Oakland, Calif.

January 22, 2019 | Miller Chapel Spring 2019 Opening Communion Service Mark S. Smith, Helena Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis at Princeton Theological Seminary

December 12, 2018 | Miller Chapel The Carols of Many Nations service includes readings, choral anthems, and congregational carols led by the Princeton Seminary Choir and international students and staff of the Seminary.

December 6, 2018 | Miller Chapel "Keep on doing the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." (4:9) We want to accomplish monumental acts of heroism for God. We want to change the world. But Paul is here calling us to routine acts of faithfulness, and to “keep on doing” them again and again. Those who live by grace don’t think in terms of what they want to accomplish, but in terms of how God is changing the world through the faithful acts of quiet servants.

November 29, 2018 | Miller Chapel "Let your gentleness be known to everyone…" (4:5) Paul doesn’t tell Euodia and Syntyche to avoid having conflicts. He does tell them to have the “same mind in the Lord,” and he tells them to conduct the conflicts gently. In fact, he expects the whole church to be known for its gentleness. This is not the same as weakness. Only the strong can be gentle.

November 12, 2018 | “The History and Future of Liberia” Speaker: Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves, ’02 DMin, ’97 MDiv, Pastor of Providence Baptist Church, Liberia For information on the Princeton Seminary and Slavery Report, visit slavery.ptsem.edu/.

April 13, 2018 | (Re)Planting Missional Churches Conference (Re)Planting Missional Churches: The Theological Dimensions of Why Speaker: Rev. Kevin Haah, Lead pastor of New City Church of Los Angeles and visionary of the LA Church Planting Movement

April 13, 2018 | (Re)Planting Missional Churches Conference (Re)Planting Missional Churches, The Theological Dimensions of Why Speaker: Rev. Keas Keasler, Professor of theology and program director of Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University in Wichita

April 12, 2018 | (Re)Planting Missional Churches Conference (Re)Planting Missional Churches: The Theological Dimensions of Why Speaker: Dr. Dharius Daniels, Founder and lead pastor of Change Church in central New Jersey

April 13, 2018 | (Re)Planting Missional Churches Conference (Re)Planting Missional Churches, The Theological Dimensions of Why Speaker: Rev. Pam Driesell, Senior pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta

April 14, 2018 | (Re)Planting Missional Churches Conference Panel discussion: (Re)Planting Missional Churches, The Theological Dimensions of Why Panelists: Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle, Rev. Dr. Dharius Daniels, Rev. Kevin Haah and Rev. Keas Keasler

November 15, 2018 | Miller Chapel "…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…" (3:13-14) The grace of God disrupts the former plans we had for life, and it compels to let go of the alternative past we could have had. That is the only way we can be free to focus on the goal of using our lives for the work of Christ. As Paul and other biblical lives illustrate, God is not easy on the people who get used for the Gospel. But interestingly, in the end they all want to talk about their surpassing joy.

November 8, 2018 | Princeton Theological Seminary Library Speaker: Michael Gerson, columnist and author of “Trump and the Evangelical Temptation”

November 8, 2018 | Miller Chapel "…at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…" (2:10) Living in a very anxious society we strive to find ways to secure our lives, typically by discerning who is to blame for our problems. But the grace of God that binds us to Christ teaches us to conquer such aggression with humility. Grace sounds nice, but it is actually subversive of the prevailing order.

October 17, 2018 Panel Discussion on the Princeton Seminary and Slavery Report Panelists: Dr. Keri Day, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religion, Princeton Theological Seminary Ken Henke, archivist, Princeton Theological Seminary Library Dr. Gordon Mikoski, Associate Professor of Christian Education, Princeton Theological Seminary Dr. Jim Moorhead, Mary McIntosh Bridge Professor of American Church History Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary Rev. Kermit Moss, PhD Candidate and Interim Director of the Center for Black Church Studies, Princeton Theological Seminary For information on the Princeton Seminary and Slavery Report, visit https://slavery.ptsem.edu/.

October 17, 2018 | The 2018 Geddes W. Hanson Lecture Speaker: Dr. Willie James Jennings, associate professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University Divinity School For information on the Princeton Seminary and Slavery Report, visit https://slavery.ptsem.edu/.