I am delighted to yield this space today to the Rev. Casey Wait, pastor, storyteller, and painter. She currently serves as pastor of John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, Virginia. You can reach Casey on Twitter @caseyfitzgerald or by email revcasey@johncalvinpres.org. You can see her paintings by visiting http://www.caseypaints.com or listen to her tell stories… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Interruptions
I was in the middle of writing The Pastoral is Political post, when someone came into the church to talk to me. We spoke, masked and distanced for an hour, before I began to get messages about the attack on the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C. We cannot pretend this is normal, so I… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political – The Impromptu Journey Back
I refuse to believe that I am alone in revising my life and reassessing goals on the fly. I had a different plan but join me on this impromptu, unplanned journey back into 2020 with hopes for an improved 2021 ahead. I had to let go of what I wanted and initially dreamed of embracing the gems of the reality of 2020. Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: playground politics
In this Advent season of waiting, preparation and anticipation, the world has waited in eager anticipation for a cure, or at least a vaccine for Covid-19. It has taken global efforts and the co-operation of scientists to produce a vaccine. In the last week, people in the UK have received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. This should… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Honor Thy Children’s Mother
I wonder what would have happened if Joseph chose to be incompatible with Mary and took her to the divorce courts of today’s era. They lived under Jewish law which was based strongly on the ten commandments wherein the command is given, “Honor your father and mother.” Sadly, no standard was given explicitly for how… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Misattribution & Apathy
As Covid 19 became a reality across the world, as cases spread and lockdowns tightened an interesting subgroup of Americans surfaced. These anti-maskers decided that being told to wear a mask violated their civil liberties. They called loudly for their personal freedoms even when faced with the high cost of the health of those around… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Love Your Body
Love your body. That’s all I really want to tell you this week. Love your body. And I don’t mean by that, add twenty-eleven more things to our to-do lists that are already heavy enough with trying to live through, survive through, pastor through, organize through, teach through, parent through, love through multiple pandemics of… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: By the Numbers, November 4 2020
Let us talk of numbers. As I write this, the US Presidential election is not yet decided. The magical number of 270 – the electoral college votes necessary to secure the presidency – is the source of all energy. The strange and complex system called the electoral college is not worth exploring on this day… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Poetry as Cure for Being Gaslit
Poems (and psalms) alone are not sufficient to address injustice. But they can be a first step in the right direction. Read More
Pastoral is Political: “Pastor, Stay in Your Lane!”
We in the United States are less than two weeks away from nation-wide elections in the middle of an economic crash wrapped in a COVID pandemic and fried in “science sucks” with a side of a high-stakes Supreme Court nomination. We will soon know what kind of United States of America people have voted for,… Read More
