We all deal with teenage angst in different ways. I managed by recording mixtapes from the radio and reading Jeremiah 12 obsessively. The mixtapes—which were, quite literally, tapes, have not survived the test of time, but the Bible has. Jeremiah writes: “You will be in the right, O God, when Read more…
by: John Powell My mother was a ‘no non-sense’ kind of person. So, when I would her saying loudly, “John Hayes, you git in here now!”, I knew I was in trouble! During my civil rights activity years, I was sure that I would get summoned before her again. But Read more…
I’m going to begin this morning with a confession. I’ve had a hard week. Most of you know that five years ago I was a successful academic with an elite position in my hometown. 2016 was a brutal year for me as I lost that work and entered what would Read more…
Emily Miner Last week Shelly asked me to share more about my experience presenting on racism in medicine to the anesthesia department at my institution. I thank each of you for the support you offered to me as I prepared for that. This week as I have been working on Read more…
Note the top podcast includes just the sermon; the bottom includes the poem 38 by Layli Long Soldier read by Elena Tsai and Trevor Bechtel’s pastoral prayer In March, I walked down the street and planted snap peas on the trellis at the preschool where no one went to preschool Read more…
I want to acknowledge, first, that we have had some emotionally heavy Sundays over the last few weeks, as we imagine our hopes for the future, especially our hopes related to racial justice and undoing white supremacy. We’ve packed in the possibilities, since the beginning of our series with John Read more…
I attended a meeting of the Interfaith Round Table this week on Speaking the Truth. And I was a little anxious going in because I went with an agenda. I’m convinced that one of the most important elections in our County for sometime could happen this Tuesday when we decide Read more…
by John Powell Revelation 7:9; John 4:1-15 While out for my weekly sequestered drive, I saw a billboard displaying a partially rephrased quote by Oscar Wilde that says, ‘All Sinners have a Future” . . . and on the opposite side it reads, “All Saints have A Past”. I read Read more…
