Theology

I am not usually one for New Year’s resolutions, but I thought I’d give it a try this year. My resolution? More tears.

I’ll put the gym membership off for another year, keep the low-sugar recipes on the shelf a little while longer, and press ‘pause’ on my long-running goal of drinking less coffee. But one thing that can’t wait: more weeping. More crying. More tears. More mourning.

The sum of all our efforts didn’t add up and meet our expectations. We read books on how to renew a church. We discerned the future with the congregation. The Council met late into the night discussing strategic changes to attract younger members. We renovated the building, updated the logo, and installed a new sign at the road. We went door to door and mailed 5,000 postcards inviting our neighbors to church. We provided local service opportunities for our members to put their faith into practice. And yet, all of our efforts didn’t add up. The pews were still empty.

“Do you have any new year’s resolutions?” I asked students one time during a campus ministry Christmas gathering. “Yes, I want to be more spiritually grounded and sin less this new year”, one of the students said. But, what is sin exactly? It is always interesting to hear the answers that young people give me when I have asked that question.

A New Year’s  Examen for those who work for justice and mercy

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

It’s that most wonderful time of year! The time to tune your car radio to play 24/7 Christmas songs and get a head start on the holiday cheer! Maybe you’re groaning, but I love that for the final six weeks of the year we get to deck the halls and jingle the bells! 

Syd Hielema joins us for this episode about fostering pastoral care and hospitality for the LGBTQ+ community within the Christian Reformed Church. In this episode we hear from participants of the "Hospitality to LGBTQ" cohort. Syd discusses the challenges of fear, the importance of a covenantal approach, and how intentional community learning can shape posture over position.

I sang in the junior church choir, I wore a white shirt and black slacks as the official uniform at Unity Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. If my mother did not secure a ride from a church deacon or member, we rode the Chicago Transit Authority buses to bring us to one of the many houses of worship that served as refuges from Chicago styled racism suffered during the week. 

1. Do not be afraid.
2. Love one another.
3. Stand firm.

Each one is short and to the point. Lay these three on top of each other, and a powerfully rich framework for seeking justice takes shape. 

Discount? Why, yes please! A friend asked if I was interested in attending the Courageous Conversations Conference, with her to be a part of a group rate. Courageous Conversations is “an annual gathering that unites Black voices from both conservative and progressive spaces and believes in the power of diverse thought to foster growth and understanding.” Get a discount? To attend a conference I already planned on attending? Yes, Ma’am! The conference, organized by Jude 3, had already been on my radar since I saw some of their content on social media.