A Presbyterian, a Lutheran, and two Episcopalians walk into a hospital. Not the start of a joke, I promise. Instead, it was
Keep ReadingA Theological Reflection Why can’t white folks in general – and white Christians in particular – be rid of the problems of white privilege and racism? Why can’t a board, a vestry, a session, or pastors and Christian Educators simply
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Racism kills. It dehumanizes us all, telling some of us we are less than human and rendering others of us incapable of having a decent conversation about it. It takes our best intentions and misshapes them beyond recognition; no matter what we do or what we mean to do, we
MoreA Theological Reflection Why can’t white folks in general – and white Christians in particular – be rid of the problems of white privilege and racism? Why can’t a board, a vestry, a session, or pastors and Christian Educators simply do the things necessary to solve the problem of ‘race
MoreIn Zora Neale Hurston’s 1928 essay, “,” she writes about her lived experience as a black woman in the South. She talks about her racial awakening, describing it as “the day I become colored.” She uses many metaphors to talk about race, including calling herself a “brown paper bag” alongside other bags
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An Opening Editorial Yes, you read the title right. I am racist, and so is the majority-white denomination I serve, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I’m not particularly happy to admit this about myself or my Church. True, I have never engaged in explicitly hateful actions based on a person’s race
MoreSo many experiences come to mind when I think about my trip to Israel/Palestine. It’s been almost 18 months since I had the privilege of traveling to Israel/Palestine with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program as part of the Mosaic of Peace Conference (2014). It was a remarkable trip. I was blessed
MoreIs There Shalom in the Land? This article was originally published in the Advent 2015 issue of the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s PHP Post, available at http://www.pcusa.org/resource/phppostadvent2015/. “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” – Jeremiah
MoreInstitutions, Hospice Nurses, and Midwives This issue of Unbound has been incredibly rich. We’ve heard about ways that the many churches that comprise the Church universal work together to participate in God’s reign – from the halls of power in Washington, DC and the United Nations to small churches in
MoreA Quick Primer on the National Council of Churches The modern ecumenical movement, of which the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA is a major leader, began some 150 years ago with the advent of youth organizations such as the Young Women’s Christian Association, the Young Men’s
MorePutting the ‘Movement’ Back in Ecumenical Movement “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” In 2012 the World Council of Churches (WCC) met in Greece, and the following year their assembly was held in Busan, South Korea. The theme above was the guiding message for both gatherings, the
MoreNew Worshiping Communities in Traditional Denominations One evening last spring, my brother and I were considering whether or not we wanted to go see Mad Max: Fury Road. It was opening that evening, and neither of us had heard much in terms of reviews, so I offered to check out
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