After a member leaves the church, but continues to engage angrily with the pastor and the congregation . . . what’s a pastor to do? Dear Matriarchs: Several months ago a family left our church because they couldn’t see how our church’s commitments to LGBTQ+ inclusion is faithful to the gospel. We thought they had… Read More
Thursday Prayer: Steady Ease
Breathing in: steady out of the miry bog, my feet set upon a rock… You are indeed my rock… Breathing out: ease Your yoke is easy, your burden light. (Scripture paraphrased from Psalms 40 and 31, Matthew 11) Jemma Allen is a priest in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and… Read More
Monday Prayer: turning toward love
Bearer of all, how tempting it is to sag and weep as your people suffer wound after unthinkable wound. How tempting it is to shrink from the pain and the grief, and seek the corners where we may be shielded from the assaults of hate. How tempting it is, to hope that others will step… Read More
11th Hour Preacher Party: Mayhem! edition
This weekend marks the start of my church’s annual holiday club, called Mayhem. It’s aptly named, as we will run around like crazy people for twelve hours a day for the next nine days, hoping that children, young people, adults, and volunteers will experience God in a new way. This year we have written a… Read More
Friday Festival: Breathing Room
It’s been a chaotic week for me, not so much in my life’s activities, but in my mind and in my spirit. I have been craving calm, a respite from what I sometimes call my “mental hyperventilating.” These posts by fellow RevGals offered an oasis of serenity for me, and I hope for you as… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God of the Many Doors, Open Hallways, Closed Windows- As we face choices both large and small, Grant us your wisdom. May the clarity that arrives when we focus on you Strengthen our minds and our vision. Our stomachs churn and our head aches From hours upon hours of worry and wonder. Dissolve our anxiety-driven… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Whiteness, Immigration, and Who Gets to Be Considered Made in God’s Image
A number of months ago, I did some Googling. Maybe it was because of some actions or tweets by Kim Kardashian regarding her Armenian advocacy or appropriating another culture. Or maybe I was just curious to figure out where the word Caucasian originated. Either way, I found this article: “How Armenian Americans Became ‘White’: A… Read More
Monday Prayer
Precious Holy… This morning I scanned Facebook as I do every morning – so many prayer requests I read today… for family and friends, for recovery and acceptance, for hope and despair, for sickness and health… so many prayers. Holy One, I add my prayers to the voices of the faithful, who share their news,… Read More
11th Hour Preacher Party: Teach us to pray
There are some really interesting options in the RCL passages this week – What’s in a name, in Hosea; Restoration and forgiveness in Psalm 85; What happens when a community forgets God in Genesis; Building on Christ’s foundation in Colossians and Teach us to pray in the gospel. Richness and diversity on a plate. What… Read More
RCL: God’s Got Us Covered
Many years ago, I sent out post cards to about 400 senior high youth that said the following: Would you marry a prostitute? Come to Sunday School and find out. Needless to say, I received a number of phone calls from concerned parents. I also had a full Sunday school class for a few weeks.… Read More
