Thoughts and prayers
There are a lot of thoughts and prayers happening these days. Hurricanes, a mass shooting, and the re-awakened demon of nuclear war ought to cause a lot of thinking and praying. “Thoughts and prayers” has become a common phrase, shorthand for I care about this, something to say when…
Going deeper with Sanctuary
This Sunday we’ll begin a fall worship series focused on Sanctuary. In the last month Sanctuary has become a major theme for our congregation. We have practiced Sanctuary in our building and been a part of a mobile Sanctuary surrounding Edith at various times after she left our building. It…
The new year: fear and joy
This morning I was part of a meeting that included Edith Espinal, her attorneys, and several key advocates. This coming Monday is an important day for her. She has a check in with ICE in which there will be one of three outcomes: 1) Her stay of removal will…
Journeying with the Anabaptists
I am currently participating in an online course through the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary called “Exploring Anabaptist History and Theology.” Because I attended a Methodist seminary, this is a chance for me to gain more formal training in the history of the tradition in which I am now ministering. Like…
Sanctuary so far…
Two weeks ago today three of us from CMC sat around a table at which Edith Espinal made the decision to go into sanctuary in a local congregation to avoid imminent deportation. After one location quickly fell through, we found ourselves being asked whether the Mennonites would be able to…