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

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

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

There is a distinct exhaustion that comes with trying to manage the universe. ​For many progressive Christians, the spiritual journey isn't a quest to manage the behavior of our neighbors, but an ongoing, intentional effort to build bigger tables. We find ourselves spending our time, energy, and resources figuring out how to include everyone - stretching our understanding of fellowship, tearing down historical barriers, and pursuing harmony in a deeply fractured world. ​Yet,

The feast of Pentecost is the Church’s primordial celebration of polyglossia - the divine shattering of a monolithic, "imperial" language in favor of a Spirit-led diversity that speaks directly to the "heart-languages" of the marginalized. On May 24, 2026, Cathedral in Dallas offered a profound contemporary enactment of this ancient narrative. Through three distinct worship movements, Cathedral demonstrated how a singular, progressive theology of radical inclusion can be tran

When I first encountered queer theology, it felt like a breath of fresh air in a room that had long been stuffy with exclusion and misunderstanding. It invited me to rethink faith, identity, and community in ways that felt deeply affirming and radically inclusive. For those of us involved in leadership within the United Church of Christ (UCC), embracing queer theology is not just an academic exercise—it’s a transformative journey that can reshape how we nurture spiritual comm

Worship leadership and sermon at First Church Phoenix UCC on April 26, 2026. Scripture Base: Jeremiah 31:31-34 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Sermon starts at 35:45 Introduction: The Invisible Thread Friends, seekers, and members of this beautiful First Church family - today we are talking about the very thing that holds the walls of this sanctuary up. I don’t mean the literal stone, the desert-baked wood, or the mortar that Omah, Max and the team here so faithfully maintain. I a

The United Church of Christ's (UCC) Committees on Ministry (COMs) currently lack specific guidance on addressing individuals in ethically non-monogamous (ENM) relationships in authorization and adjudication. Grounded in the UCC's core principles of covenant, extravagant welcome, and justice, these guidelines assert that the ethical practice of relationships, rather than their structure, is paramount. By applying existing frameworks like the Manual on Ministry , the Marks of F

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Funny what happens when you upload a bunch of documents - both "official" UCC discernment documents and personal documents about my...

We are part of a tradition that proudly proclaims, "God is still speaking." In these times of deep societal division, I believe one of...

We live in fractured times. The political and cultural divides in America feel wider and deeper than many of us can remember. These...