I have been reflecting on the recent trial and conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The jury returned after just 10 hours of deliberation – evidently a fairly brief deliberation for a trial that lasted three weeks and included testimony from 45 witnesses … Continue reading “It’s Not a Time to Celebrate”
Category: racism
Attempting to Understand Privilege
So the congregation I serve is taking on “privilege” in its many forms. I should preface that our congregation is more than 95% of European decent. We have some members who are Native American, of Chinese descent, and whose families are from Latin-American countries. But this is mostly white people talking about privilege. To understand … Continue reading “Attempting to Understand Privilege”
Prayer of Thanksgiving
I haven’t posted anything the past couple of weeks, since the election. I have been listening to people’s reactions and trying to process what happened and what it might mean for our nation and world. Each year our local Tempe Interfaith Fellowship hosts an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. It is an amazing service, and a highlight … Continue reading “Prayer of Thanksgiving”
Connectional Living
In the Presbyterian Church we wrap our vision around three ideas discerned over hundreds and thousands of years of the Christian Church: Confessional, Constitutional, and Connectional. We are confessional because we confess our faith and are guided by historical confessions written over thousands of years in response to particular situations and contexts. We are constitutional because we … Continue reading “Connectional Living”
responding out of powerlessness
Whew! The final debate in the presidential election is over. It was heated. It was challenging (to watch and listen). The mud being slung all over the place in both the gubernatorial race and all the races down ticket is astonishing. It feels like it’s more than in the past. Yet, looking back at history it’s … Continue reading “responding out of powerlessness”