One evening several Christmases ago — not too long after I had resigned from my pastoral position — I started compiling a list of all the things I thought would make for a flourishing pastor-congregational relationship. As I looked over the list, I realized that I had created the perfect top 10 guide to giving gifts to pastors.
It is ironic that an institution that places such an emphasis on beauty from stained glass, to art, to music, is not front and center on the global environmental crisis. Here is an opportunity to take the lead on this issue. What if local churches put trash in their mission?
What if this Lent, many of us welcomed and risked a rejection each day? What if we embraced this counterintuitive way to strengthen and hone our discipleship?
My experience of the National Civil Rights Museum held up a mirror to me and the reflection I saw was not “the fairest one of all” but a racist self that I wanted to change and transform. Luckily, I was on pilgrimage with a group of people who were also on parallel journeys.