Category Archives: Faith
Every time there is a new allegation of abuse in the church, I catch my breath. The problem with trauma is that it’s always there, under your skin, re-living in the experiences of others. I do this work both as a trauma survivor and a daughter, of a pastor and of evangelicalism. I remember my … Continue reading Abuse Survivors need Church Leaders to Do More than “Apologize”
The White Church Must Move Beyond Performative Justice
What continues to contribute to the separated black and white Church is not just the race conversation but also how each Church experiences God in their racial and social experience. For each of these churches, it’s more than race; it’s the existential experience as well. In 2016, I held two simultaneous pastorships at the same … Continue reading The White Church Must Move Beyond Performative Justice
Reading the Bible Through the Lens of Black Rage
Little Black girls and Black boys collect indignities, large and small, as they navigate the cities and towns, the highways and backroads of these United States. Little boys see their blackness shift from cuteness to danger. Women find themselves pushed and pulled into sexual stereotypes that present them as objects of pleasure. As hips and … Continue reading Reading the Bible Through the Lens of Black Rage
I Refuse a Naive Unity with Christian White Supremacists.
Immediately after the Nov 6, 2020 election, many well meaning, but naive, predominantly white progressive religious leaders were advocating for “unity.” But Black and brown people knew better. We understood that unless Trump and his most ardent supporters were held accountable for the pain and suffering they caused, that things would only get worse. Most of … Continue reading I Refuse a Naive Unity with Christian White Supremacists.
Our Church Refused to Pay Reparations, So We Did It Ourselves
The idea was simple. We asked our church to set up a reparations fund in Reverend Jehu Jones’ name. Rev. Jehu Jones was a Black Lutheran Preacher from 1832-1851 who was never paid. We asked for $32K in reparations annually: the amount of the salary he was denied, adjusted for inflation. We considered this to … Continue reading Our Church Refused to Pay Reparations, So We Did It Ourselves
Pastors are Exhausted…Give them a Sabbath
It’s a radical idea, I know. Every time I pose the question to a harried, sleep-deprived pastor, the answer is the same: “Cancel church!?” The requite gasps of alarm end the discussion as quickly as they start. But I think the question is worth asking. Especially during a worldwide pandemic. Church leaders are saddled with … Continue reading Pastors are Exhausted…Give them a Sabbath