Rev. Joe Palekas, Author at The Washington Institute

Joe holds a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary, and currently serves on the pastoral staff of McLean Presbyterian Church. He graduated from American University, where he majored in International Studies with a focus on identity, race, gender, and culture. Joe believes the gospel is big enough to capture all of life and hopes to be a part of bringing that to reality in people’s lives.

Articles by Rev. Joe Palekas

Faith • Biblical Reflections

Matthew 1: God With Us in Covenant and Crisis

Rev. Joe Palekas | 7 min read

On January 2, 2023, Quentin Colon Roosevelt became one of the youngest ever people elected to office in Washington, D.C. at 18 years old. His office? Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Single-Member District 3D03. You can be forgiven if you have not heard of Mr. Colon Roosevelt or his elected office and if you do not...

Faith • Theological Reflections

The Image of God: Rest

Rev. Joe Palekas | 12 min read

Karioshi suggests that the necessity of rest can be a matter of life and death. This Japanese word essentially translates as “death from overwork,” a tragically regular phenomenon in Japan in which men and women die, whether of natural causes or suicide, because of too much work and no rest. Even though this concept is...

Faith • Biblical Reflections

No Polite Prayers: How Psalm 77 Helps Us Pray Fiercely

Rev. Joe Palekas | 13 min read

How might you describe your conversations with God? What words would you use to characterize your tone or approach? For those of us who have spent any amount of time within a Christian subculture, our prayer lives are often the first thing to get stale – we shift from true piety in our prayers to...

Culture • Christianity & Culture

Impressing Strangers: Social Media, a Rich Man, and Jesus

Rev. Joe Palekas | 9 min read

In September of 2021, the New Yorker published an essay titled, “On the Internet, We’re Always Famous.” The essayist, Chris Hayes, argues that our fundamental human desire is the desire for recognition. We yearn to see and be seen, to know and to be known – to experience a mutual gaze. He then goes on...

Faith • Biblical Reflections

Bashing Babies on Boulders? Making Sense of Psalm 137

Rev. Joe Palekas | 11 min read

Where were you on May 2, 2011? I was at an Usher concert with a few friends. It was a great concert, and I enjoyed hearing Usher perform several hits from his newest album, Raymond v. Raymond. The concert, though, is not the reason I remember that day. I remember May 2, 2011 because of...

Faith • Theological Reflections

Reweaving Shalom: An Interview with Author Hugh Whelchel

Rev. Joe Palekas | 13 min read

Things are not the way they are supposed to be – COVID, racial injustice, political division. The list goes on. Does the very fact that everyone agrees things should be different mean anything? Hugh Whelchel thinks so. Our recognition that things are not as they ought to be points us to a deeper reality –...

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