Reading poetry is one of the ways some of us nourish our faith, a way we set or reset our inner compass and stay focused on the big picture, on the spiritual journey. I know that is true for me. In this monthly column, ‘Setting the Inner Compass,’ I share some of the poems I find nourishing to the soul. I’ve been away from this column for a couple of months. It’s been a busy season with some writing, preaching and summer music/hiking/baseball fun with my partner. My role on the Presbyterian Church USA national committee of the Self Development of People (SDOP) committee has also demanded some time. I chair the West Task force. It’s a great team that reviews applications for funding and visits those we think meet our criteria. After those visits, we vote on funding. One project was particularly moving: Mothers Organized For Peace and Healing. On our site visit we spent an afternoon in a small church hall in Los Angeles listening to mothers share their stories about the children they lost to gun violence. It was a sacred and powerful time. We heard about the way each child’s life was lost, we talked about the journey of grief, about loss and then prayed together. They sought to fund a collecti
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In contemporary theological studies, the voice and impact of African women theologians have been instrumental in redefining religious and ethical paradigms around the world. Their contributions not only enrich theology with historically marginalized perspectives, but also challenge and transform power structures within faith communities.
The theological work of women makes illuminates the unseen and denounces practices and activities that run counter to the Gospel. The work of women investigates and teaches in favor of social justice to understand the intersections between spiritual practices, constructions of gender, sex, ethnicity and social justice,
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Mike Parson, the governor of Missouri has never granted clemency in a death penalty case- even amidst millions of signatures, op eds, and local and national pleas for him to save the life of an innocent man on death row, Marcellus Khaliifah Williams. But despite his self-proclaimed pro-life position, Gov. Parsons failed to act, and Williams was executed on September 24, 2024. The execution was a disappointment to many given no DNA evidence linked Williams to the crime and the prosecution’s original case against Mr. Williams was based solely on the uncredible and unreliable testimony of two incentivized witnesses. The case was so flawed that the current District Attorney, many of the original jurors, and the victims’ families all spoke out against the execution.
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I move toward conflict; I don’t flee. My penchant for steadfastness in conflict can’t even be brushed aside as naive, try as some might, because I’m just too old and seasoned for someone to say otherwise. I speak at local Board of Education meetings in support of protections and rights for trans students. I am in the process of closing a dying church on behalf of my Presbytery. I address misconduct. I am a fiercely empathetic pastor, even when my personal reserves are low. I am a loyal friend. I raise good, stand-up-for-others kids. And, when I was in the PC(USA) ordination process, I told the truth. In my home Presbytery, seeking to move from the ‘inquiry’ to the ‘candidate’ stage, I told the truth in the essay questions that the Committee on Preparation for Ministry (
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