As progressive Christians we spend a lot of our time emphasizing the relationships of scripture. We have a relational God, a God of covenant, a Christ who ate with sinners and declared the unholy clean. When we talk about commandment we talk about the attempt to trick Jesus and loving saying “Love God and Neighbor”… Read More
Pastoral is Political: Until We All Win
My social media timelines are filled with pictures of Serena Williams, arguably the greatest athlete in the world, angrily yelling at the tennis umpire in the U.S. Open. I don’t watch tennis, football is my sport, but I have to say that I have been a big fan of Serena’s for a long time. It… Read More
Pastoral is Political: The Talk
There it was, out of the blue, I mean, I maybe should have seen it coming, but didn’t. I can’t explain it, all the signs were there. Last week I was catching up on Grey’s Anatomy, a show many have abandoned over it’s fourteen seasons, but one I still watch. If you watch it too,… Read More
Pastoral is Political: Tear Them Down
Paul walks into Athens. He’s there to speak, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Except… except, how do you do that when it is illegal to preach in Athens about foreign gods? So he does what any good preacher would do, he walks the town and prays for inspiration. As he walks through… Read More
Saturday Prayer
Dearest Lord Jesus, for the crimes of the fathers, we ask forgiveness. For those who prioritize profits over the poor, who think that other is less than. Send us mercy and grace and soften Pharoh’s heart. Amen. The Reverend Shannon Meacham currently serves Ashland Presbyterian Church in the safest part of Baltimore, the suburbs. You… Read More
Pastoral is Political: ALL We Have to Live On
Manchester, Portland, Egypt, London, Kabul… Where does it end? We like to blame all Muslims for ISIS or the Taliban when we know that’s not true. We compare them to the KKK, yet today white supremacy doesn’t walk around in a sheet they walk around with secret service agents. I grew up with spurts of Catholicism and… Read More
Saturday Prayer
When all is said and done, what will you say about me, O God? That I spent my sabbath binging television series? That I snuggled with my children and beloved on the couch, or that I closed myself indoors escaping to other worlds all while your sun shone on our creation outside? Its all a… Read More
Saturday Prayer:
There’s a meme going around that jellyfish have lived for millions of years because they have no brain, the conclusion of this, o holy one, is that there is hope for humanity. I actually see the opposite. Why did you give us all this capacity? Is it the tradeoff for love? Jesus taught us to… Read More
Saturday Prayer: All Things New
Dear God, another Lent and Easter has passed, another commemoration of your greatest sacrifice and love. Another reminder that redemption is not easy nor should be taken lightly. Spring has sprung and it again tells me what once was lost has been found. Rebirth is all around, hugging the world with its beauty. As the… Read More
Saturday Prayer
Thank you, God, for lovely days, for food and friends, and time to play. Amen. -sometimes the simplicity is all we need
