Dorothy Day On Dignity & Charity

 

Black History Month Keynote 2022 From Seminary Of The Southwest

I have not listened to all of this yet, but there is some inspired preaching here that we all need to listen to and heed. 

Waging War Betrays The Pursuit Of Peace

 

Life will be beautiful....

 

"If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."

 

Pope Francis says his heart aches over the situation in Ukraine and announces a “Day of Fasting for Peace” on Ash Wednesday.

From the Vatican News. Please read the entire article here.

During the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis made a heartfelt appeal for peace in Ukraine, saying that the threat of war had caused “great pain in my heart.”

“Despite the diplomatic efforts of the last few weeks,” the Pope said, “increasingly alarming scenarios are opening up,” with many people all over the world feeling anguish and pain.

““Once again the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests,” he stressed. Pope Francis appealed to those “with political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies.””

He also prayed that “all the parties involved refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilizing coexistence between nations and bringing international law into disrepute.”

Will we strive for justice & peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

 

A church gets it right...

 

SMELL: It was bad - an unfortunately familiar smell. A homeless man, saturated in cheap liquor and his own pee, sat inside the cafe beside the door to our gathering room...

I got this from the St. Alban's Episcopal Church Facebook page:

S M E L L :: It was bad - an unfortunately familiar smell. A homeless man, saturated in cheap liquor and his own pee, sat inside the cafe beside the door to our gathering room. No one said anything to me about it, but I could tell they wanted to ask “What are we going to do?” It was horribly breathtaking. We looked through bags of clothes that had been donated for times like this, but couldn’t find anything to fit him.

 
What WERE we going to do?
I took that question to Jesus, and asked for wisdom and almost instantly the answer came - “Welcome him.” I’ve learned by now not to argue with Him, so I didn’t. I walked over - introduced myself - he introduced himself as Wayne- and we shook hands.
“I’m glad you’re here Wayne.”
“Thank you, it’s been a while since I was here.”
“I see you have some coffee, can we get you anything else?” His hands were bright red from spending the night in the cold. His eyes were watery, he was hunched over, arms wrapped around his urine-soaked body.
“You had to camp last night, huh?”
“I did.”
“Wayne - are the only clothes you have the ones you’re wearing right now?” He looked at me seemingly fearful and ashamed. He knew.
“Yes.” He looked at the floor.
“Can we get you some new clothes to change into?”
“That would be nice.”
I asked his sizes and sent one of our leaders to Family Dollar down the road to get him some new - everything.
Wayne went to change and clean up in the bathroom. The smell lingered, all day.
As I lay in bed last night thinking about Wayne, Holy Spirit asked me this question. “Shannon how do you think your sin smells to me?” I knew the answer. “And yet . . . I welcome you to come be with me, offering you new clothes - ‘a ring and a robe’ - a fresh start - every time.”
Does your life stink? Are you isolated from God and others? God says “You are welcome.” He has something for you, if you’ll accept it. He’s not put off by the stench of your life. He will clean you up when you get to Him - He has new clothes for you and a fresh start.
And that . . .
is amazing grace. . .
and it smells oh so good.
- Shannon Greer

Shared from Christianity Without the Insanity

"God did not make us poor. Greed and abuse and power make us poor."

 

Jesus looks in the mirror

 

James Cone on Black Theology & Black Liberation

 This takes some study. I have not taken in all of it. It would be good to pick this up in a group.

Another great service & message from the Seminary of the Southwest

An inspiring service from beginning to end, but hit 18:22 to get the message.

 

How Private Equity Firms Caused The UMWA Strike In Brookwood: A fundamental matter for people who are concerned about working-class religious and spiritual matters.

It seems to me that this is a fundamental matter for people who are concerned about working-class religious and spiritual matters.

Please support the strike! Send donations to:

UMWA STRIKE AID FUND

P.O. BOX 513

DUMFRIES, VA 22026

How Private Equity Firms Caused The UMWA Strike In Brookwood, Alabama

February 18, 2022

Source: Patch.com

Here’s an in-depth look at how ongoing business practices have impacted striking blue-collar workers for one west Alabama coal producer.

BROOKWOOD, AL — There’s a little wooden shelter at the intersection of Lock 17 Road and Miners Memorial Parkway in Brookwood that sat vacant on Friday. The site, which is scattered with weathered black and yellow picket signs supporting the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), was silent save for the bustle of traffic.

Severe storms had done a number on the picket line, which had been active for 325 days as of the publication of this story. The site’s portable toilet had been blown over by the wind and some of the ground signs were upended.

The empty picket line also stood in stark contrast to the operations directly across the road in the seemingly-busy offices of Warrior Met Coal.

But it was around the same time this reporter was leaving the site that Braxton and Haeden Wright, along with numerous other striking UMWA members, prepared to board a flight back to Alabama from Washington, D.C.

Read the whole story here.

Cornel West On How To Think

 

Father, I Stretch My Hand To Thee...

 

A Profound Excerpt From Rev. Gloria White Hammond, MD Talking On "African American Spirituality, Serious Illness, and the COVID-19 Crisis."

Three minutes and twenty seconds of a profound reflection on African American Spirituality and healing.

The video blurb says:

The Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative (TMC) at Duke Divinity School and the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine at Duke held a seminar on September 18th, 2020 with Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD, Swartz Resident Practitioner of Ministry Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and co-pastor of Bethel AME Church in Boston. This is an excerpt from an interview entitled, "African American Spirituality, Serious Illness, and the COVID-19 Crisis." TMC Seminars are a semi-monthly gathering of faculty, students, clinicians, and others interested in the intersections of theology, medicine, and culture. For more information and recordings, visit https://tmc.divinity.duke.edu/seminar...

Preaching Racial Justice: A Conversation with The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis

 

"The Black Man's Prayer"---Deacon Samuel Cainion

 

Maybe you're needing to slow down on judging....