Right before his death in the gospel of John, Jesus offers the longest prayer we have in his words. Jesus prays for his disciples--his friends who served in his lifetime--and, I have to believe, he prays for us. Jesus’ final prayer: it holds fantastic insight into the mind of Christ. In the most important hour, we know the greatest concerns of his heart. And, what are Jesus’ greatest concerns? The prayer rambles a bit; it’s full of emotion.
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As a kid I had a sense that altars weren’t OK. Or at least — when we create them they belong only in approved “sacred sanctuaries” like a church or temple. I was raised Presbyterian and eventually became an ordained minister in this tradition, and as I learned more about the theology of my lineage I realize my childhood spidey senses were sharp. Reformed theology doesn’t acknowledge an altar but rather a communion table at the front of the sanctuary, this is because an altar is interpreted as a place where sacrifice is made, and the theology holds that the sacrifice of Christ was perfect and need not be replicated or repeated in any way. The Reformed tradition is also one with a real lack of images and a history with very restricted visual and physical representations of the sacred. So the concepts of crafting shrines felt pretty far from
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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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