Exactly one year ago this month, my world stopped spinning - or rather, it spun completely off its axis. I received the surprise news that I was being laid off. After more than a decade of pouring my heart, energy, and identity into a company across two continents, the carpet was yanked out from beneath my feet. As a classic Enneagram 3, my worth had long been intertwined with my work, my titles, and my visible achievements. In a single morning, I felt stripped of the armor I

With great thanks to Rev. Susan Valiquette and Worship Leader Matthew Charest of First Church Phoenix UCC for teaching and modeling most of what I have learned about this subject! Their partnership is a model for how to ensure contemporary worship music supports the message and the mission of a progressive church. Every Sunday morning across thousands of churches, a subtle theological war is waged - not between the pulpit and the street, but between the pulpit and the soundbo

Over twenty years ago, hundreds of progressive faith communities - particularly within the United Church of Christ (UCC) - took groundbreaking steps by adopting Open and Affirming (ONA) declarations. In their era, these LGBTQ+ inclusive church statements were courageous line-in-the-sand proclamations: declaring that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals were loved by God and welcome in the life of the church. However, theological understandings of human identity

When we look at the news, follow public discourse, watch government officials interact, or read the despicable things people post on social media every day, it is easy to feel a profound sense of exhaustion. So much of the rhetoric and action in our world today seems to stem not from wisdom or strength, but from deep, unaddressed damage. We see leaders and everyday citizens alike operating from places of fear, insecurity, and pain - tearing down others as a defense mechanism

Lectionary Scripture: Genesis 32:22–31 | Matthew 14:13–21 Celebration on the Lake UCC, Payne Springs, TX, 7/2/2026 Opening Prayer Loving God, meet us right where we are today—especially if we're feeling worn out, overwhelmed, or full of questions. Take our small offerings, our open hands, and the places where we're hurting, and show us how deep Your grace really goes. Speak to us through these stories today so we can see Christ clearly and walk in love. Amen. Introduction: Sh

In hospital rooms, hospice bedside visits, and quiet office corners, the primary tool of spiritual care is rarely a book of scripture, a lofty sermon, or a set of wise answers. It is silence. More specifically, it is the deliberate practice of holding space—stepping back from our own internal narrative to absorb another person’s reality without judgment, interruption, or the sudden urge to play life coach. Yet, as I complete five months of clinical pastoral education, I am le

In a recent piece on his blog Southern Fried Heresy, the Rev. Mark Sandlin posed a vital question that most Christians rarely ask: How do we actually determine if a specific theology deserves to be kept? He pointed out that while we love to defend our preferred tool for finding truth - whether that is scripture, tradition, or reason - we rarely take a step back to evaluate the tool itself. Sandlin argues that the definitive test for any theology is its real-world yield. I com

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 139:1–3, 13–16 (NRSVUE) O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways... For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from yo

If you had asked me four years ago what the Member in Discernment (MID) process would look like, my inner Enneagram Type 3 would have happily handed you a beautifully formatted, color-coded spreadsheet. As an "Achiever" who spent three decades navigating the fast-paced world of technology marketing, I know how to get things done. I understand milestones, key performance indicators, and deliverables. When I officially entered the MID process and was presented with the MID chec

In his June 30, 2026, New York Times op-ed, "I'm Gay, Not Queer. It Matters," Matthew Vines issues a plea for a return to what he calls the "simple, transformational message" of the gay rights movement: that being gay is "not a rebellion against ordinary life," but merely a minor, domestic variation of it. In Vines’ view, the expansive, radical, and inherently disruptive term "queer" is a liability—a "radical chic" aesthetic that threatens to alienate the straight mainstream

As a Member in Discernment (MID) in the United Church of Christ, the last three years have been marked by a profound transition in my life. It is easy to view the ordination process as a series of requirements: courses completed, papers written, committees met. But underneath the tangible tasks of preparation, I recognize that a deeper, quiet work of the Spirit has been at play. I have come to understand that readiness for spiritual leadership cannot be measured by academic m

The Supreme Court has handed down its highly anticipated six-three decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J. - a ruling that upholds state-level restrictions on transgender athletes and dramatically reshapes the legal landscape of scholastic sports. Writing for the majority, Justice Kavanaugh ruled that both Title IX and the Fourteenth Amendment allow schools to determine sports eligibility based strictly on biological sex. For many inside the church and across the political spectr

Delivered at First Church Phoenix UCC, June 28, 2026 Open & Affirming / Pride Sunday Sermon starts at 27:45 Introduction: The Desert and the Wall Good morning, beloved family of First Church Phoenix. It’s a blessing to be back with you again, especially during the national celebration of Gay Pride Month and the UCC’s celebration of Open & Affirming Sunday today! I’m so grateful for your ongoing witness for justice and inclusion in this church and out in the world! Your witnes

This month marks a significant milestone on my path to ministry: the completion of my second year in Project Proclaim, a bold preaching initiative of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ (SNEUCC), funded by the Lilly Endowment and hosted in partnership with PATHWAYS Theological Education. Looking back, this two-year commitment has been nothing short of transformative. Aside from the incredibly generous opportunities I’ve received to step into the

Every June, like clockwork, the arrival of Pride Month brings a predictable surge of Christian anti-gay vitriol. For anyone watching from the outside, it is a baffling spectacle - particularly when you witness largely uneducated zealots aggressively attacking highly educated, ordained clergy with isolated Bible verses. These protestors weaponize scripture with an absolute certainty that they possess the unyielding, authoritative word of God, completely blind to the fact that

Juneteenth - celebrated every year on June 19th - marks a profound turning point in American history. It commemorates the day in 1865 when the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally notified of their emancipation, a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in "East Woods" on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center. When viewed through the framework of Liberatio

It is a deceptively simple sentence: "Jesus loves all." If you post this on almost any social media platform, expecting a chorus of "Amens" or a gentle nod of agreement, you might be shocked by the swiftness of the digital backlash. Within minutes, notifications pop up, flatly declaring: "No, He does not." Or, "Only if they repent." Or, "God has wrath for the wicked." For progressive Christians who celebrate an open communion table, radical hospitality, and a theology of univ

We live in a world that runs entirely on receipts. From the moment we wake up to the moment we sleep, we are tracking balances, measuring returns, and calculating worth. If you work hard, you get a promotion. If you pay the premium, you get the insurance. Everything has a price tag, and every interaction is a contract. It is an exhausting way to live, but it is the only language our culture truly knows. So, it makes perfect sense that we try to bring that exact same ledger t

It happens every June like clockwork, but this year feels different. Over the last few weeks of this LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, I have witnessed an incredible increase in "Christian hate speech" - a phrase that by all rights should be an absolute oxymoron. The vitriol aimed at queer people seems louder, sharper, and more relentless than before. Maybe it has always been this bad and I am just seeing it clearly now. As an intern at the Cathedral of Hope - the world’s largest LGBTQIA

There is an old, sharp maxim that has long circulated among those called to public and spiritual service: "My ministry comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable." For as long as I can remember, this has not just been a catchy phrase to me; it has been a guiding compass. I was born into a household where advocacy was the default language. My earliest memories are of my father arguing cases before judges and my mother fighting fiercely for causes before the city counc