Ideas for Action

I have the privilege of listening to a lot of pastors and worship leaders. I hear their joys and we give thanks. I hear what breaks their heart and mine breaks too. This reflective narrative comes from listening and learning. Part of this is my own voice. But largely it’s the collective voices I’ve had the honor of walking beside. The goal in writing and sharing this was not to slander any congregation but rather to shed light on the lingering trauma that many pastors and worship leaders carry with them into their daily work.

In this series on Deacons and Justice, we have looked at how structural injustice creates obstacles to creating communities of justice, and how deacons (and all Christians) work to affirm the dignity of all peoples. One final but essential piece of Christian justice work is the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 17-21).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:1-18, NIV) 

This year the U.S administration introduced a new refugee resettlement program called Welcome Corps. This program allows individuals and groups to sponsor and resettle refugees without the support or financial assistance of resettlement agencies. With resettlement numbers down after years of cuts to the resettlement budget, Welcome Corps is an opportunity to offer a pathway to safety to more refugees and live out our biblical call to welcome the stranger as found in Matthew 25. With this new program comes a few frequently asked questions—read on to learn more!

In November 2022, Representative Donald McEachin died after a years-long struggle with colorectal cancer. His death ended a lifelong commitment to justice for all creation, but his legacy lives on.

When COVID happened and all our meetings went virtual, many of us got to see what we look like when we talked. We were unfamiliar with our facial expressions and the different message it was conveying when we spoke. As a result, we started to stare at our own faces during those virtual meetings to make sure they were not betraying our emotions or conveying what we don’t mean. The camera became a tool which unveiled this blind spot.