The Power & Peril of the Crowd

April 14, 2019

The first time I was ever a part of a massive demonstration, I was blown away by the power of people gathered to push for change. I had driven down with my Seminary Apartment Mate, Rick, to Philadelphia to attend the Trans Visibility March. We through our Collars on, made signs, and joined the crowd […]

First Fruits

April 7, 2019

Spring is a very hungry, lean time. As the first flowers start to push through the soil, as blooms start to break out of the seemingly dead trees, as the birds start to show back up, excited, there is so much activity in the spring. But as many of you who try to eat […]

Budgeting Love

March 31, 2019

“In her book Men in Dark Times, Hannah Arendt recounts a story in which Pope John XXIII asked one of the Vatican gardeners, “How are things going?” The worker replied, “Badly, badly, Your Eminence,” telling Pope John what he earned and how many family members he had to support. “We’ll have to do something about […]

The God Who Sees

March 24, 2019

Last Friday night I walked into a mosque for the second time in my life, and I was scared. My first time in a mosque was in college- I was taking an Islamic Studies class and we attended morning prayers with our professor as part of an immersive experience. I don’t remember much about […]

Called To Be Light

March 17, 2019

For me, puberty began in earnest in 1969. Okay, admit it: If a prize was given for the most unexpected sermon opening line, I would be a strong contender for grand prize – don’t you all agree? Anyway, believe it or not, that puberty reference really is a more than appropriate beginning to this morning’s […]

“Get Up, & Do Not Be Afraid”

March 10, 2019

“When you find yourself lost, go back to the last place you knew where you were, what you were doing, and start from there.” It’s advice that has echoed through my mind for years since the first time I heard it. It’s a quote from the book “Blood Done Signed my Name,” by Timothy B. […]

A Faith of Your Own: God’s Ultimate Purposes

March 3, 2019

After our welcome signs were the target of a hate crime, motivated by anti-LGBTQ+, Anti-Muslim, and Anti-Immigrant bias, we, as a community, faced a choice; We could quietly take down our signs, maybe replace them, and keep our heads down, or we could engage with our wider community and push for us to be a […]

Life in Three Stories

February 24, 2019

If ever there was a passage of scripture that sums up the legacy and lessons, the witness to the Life of Dr. Cecile De Sweemer, it is our reading from today. Cecile pushed for justice, through prayer and action, on behalf, not just for herself, but those who needed a passionate advocate. I heard over […]

A Faith of Your Own: Jesus, The Christ

February 17, 2019

A few Wednesday’s ago, our Faith of Your Own Book Study topic was the images and understandings of Jesus in Scripture, throughout Church History, and a handful of contemporary theologies. It was the majority of my seminary and religious education distilled into one hour long lecture. After I finished, the room responded with various interpretations […]

A Faith of Your Own: Sources of Inspiration

February 10, 2019

“What if we read scripture like a love letter from God?” I was on the Oregon Coast with my pastor and Mentor Rev. Dr. Ken Evers-Hood. We were gathered around a drift wood fire with the high school youth group of the church that raised me. I had been hired to help lead our confirmation […]