In recent years, a beautiful and necessary shift has taken place in many of our churches. Pastors are increasingly preaching on the "theology of lament," urging us to stop practicing "spiritual bypass" - that tendency to skip over pain with a quick Bible verse - and instead to sit in the ashes like Job. We are finally acknowledging that the book of Lamentations is in the Bible for a reason, and that roughly one-third of the Psalms are cries of distress rather than songs of vi

The transition from the world of academia - where my worth was measured by the complexity of my theological arguments and the depth of my intellectualizing - to the clinical world of Sankofa CPE has been a process of profound "emptying out." In the classroom, I was taught to fill the space with knowledge. In the hospital room and at the community breakfast table, I am learning that the most transformative thing I can offer is a space that is intentionally, vulnerably empty of

Faith communities often view themselves as bastions of radical welcome, yet the underlying structures of our institutions frequently tell a different story. To move beyond surface-level inclusion, we must confront the concept of implicit bias - specifically how "normative" standards can quietly exclude those outside the dominant culture. Drawing from the "Implicit Bias Workshop" presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ by Chri

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

Stepping into my first verbatim presentation for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) felt a bit like walking onto a stage without a script. For those unfamiliar, a verbatim is a detailed, written account of a pastoral encounter - word for word, pause for pause - presented to a supervisor and a small cohort of peers for intense reflection. It is an exercise in vulnerability, and I am deeply grateful that my professor and my cohort met that vulnerability with incredible support a

I’ll never forget the cold shock that hit me when the results of the Harvard Implicit Association Test flashed across the screen. I had gone in with such a smug sense of confidence, honestly expecting to be in the tiny percentage of people who registered as neutral or even, dare I hope, pro-people of color. I mean, my entire professional life is steeped in anti-racism work; I chair a program dedicated to Decentering Whiteness in the church, and the people I love and trust mos

For clergy or lay members engaged in the demanding and holy work of pastoral care, sustainability is key. The following safeguards are...

Marcus Borg’s vision of Christian formation, nourishment, and living in The Heart of Christianity resonates deeply with my own journey...

When my Committee on Ministry asked me to “learn to speak a language of faith that is inviting, not off-putting,” I’ll admit my first...

When I first encountered James W. Fowler’s model, the “Stages of Faith,” I was struck by how elegantly it maps spiritual and existential...

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in ministry is that caring for myself is not a luxury - it’s a calling. If I want to...

Reflection Paper - TH10610: Living the Heart of Progressive Christian Theology Christopher Schouten August 2, 2025 In his examination of...

by Christopher Schouten, MID Preached June 29th, 2025, Pride Sunday First Church Phoenix UCC, Phoenix, AZ Beloved community, Happy Pride...

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...

As a future pastor in the United Church of Christ, a tradition rooted in extravagant welcome and the belief that "God is Still Speaking,"...

Let's be honest. The phrase "Artificial Intelligence" might conjure images from sci-fi movies or sound like something far removed from...

We live in deeply polarized times. If you're reading this, chances are you've felt bewildered, frustrated, or even angered by the...

There are moments in life, often quiet ones, where a light flicks on. Suddenly, patterns you’ve lived with for decades snap into focus....