As we stated in the inaugural issue, this publication is designed to examine the Presbyterian Church with new eyes - to engage the Bible and our theology in exploring issues facing the Church - to utilize a constitutional and confessional framework for appreciating the ambiguities we face - to rediscover new avenues from the lessons of history that enable us to comprehend contemporary situations.

Many of you have forwarded to members of the Office of the General Assembly your thanks for this e-magazine, its content and its promise. Know that we are looking at ways to provide an interactive feature in the coming months in order to capture your response and share this conversation with other readers.

This month's issue include two sermons that speak to the ecumenical nature of the larger church and our own. In January of 2002, nine U.S. denominations celebrated in inauguration of a new ecumenical entity known as Churches Uniting in Christ. On that occasion, Michael Kinnamon, then General Secretary of the Consultation on Church Union, preached on "We Have Come This Far By Faith." You'll not want to miss what he has to say. As Theodore Gill was preparing for new work at the World Council of Churches and on the occasion of a meeting of the Committee on Ecumenical Relations, he preached in the chapel of the Presbyterian Center on "I Am Ecumenical; Therefore, I Am Evangelical." It's a very powerful sermon. Finally, we publish an article from Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick on "Following the Prince of Peace in a Violent World."

Enough talk . . . time for some good reading. Thanks for stopping by. Continue to join us on this journey!