Isaiah 9:2 (the Message) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows-- light! sunbursts of light! Advent is a season recognized throughout church traditions to anticipate and await the arrival of Jesus. The Word that had been hoped for [...]Read More
Ferguson and the Call for Peace
While all people of good will call for calm and respect for the rule of law in Ferguson, Missouri, the truth remains that violence begets violence. Truthfully, Michael Brown's violent death at the hand of a police officer, and the violent aftermath, are tragic reflections of America's continuing [...]Read More
Tired, But We Will Get On Our Way
I am tired. I am tired of all the talk about injustice and little action; I am tired of the racism that goes mostly unquestioned. I am tired of the poverty that takes lives every day, of walking through slums and shantytowns. I am tired of the excuses that privileged white folks [...]Read More
What is a Pastor Like Me Doing at a Protest?
Twenty-five years ago, I was in 10th grade and lived in Lakewood, Colorado. As a suburbanite, I rarely ventured downtown. It was considered unsafe and largely to be avoided. The main strip through our city is Colfax Boulevard where the east end garnered the reputation for being the red-light [...]Read More
Does God Stand with Immigrants
At church we sang Chris Tomlin’s “Our God.” I love this song, and I can’t help but get some goosebumps as we celebrate the bigness of our powerful God.And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?It was three days [...]Read More
The Thing I Did That I Said I Could Never Do
Last year I had the unique pleasure of coming on staff for my dream job with the CCDA, a national association of Christian Community Development practitioners, to work on a grant for immigration reform. CCDA is a table partner for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a broad coalition of evangelical [...]Read More
Why The Outrage?
“WHY THE OUTRAGE?” They ask. - I am outraged because the death of a young life did not even get the full consideration of a court of law. I believe this minimally deserves a trial. - I am outraged because prosecutor Robert McCulloch has ties to police that deeply impact his perspective, [...]Read More
Lamentation for Ferguson or Healing in the Aftermath of Ferguson
The hearts of our staff at Mission Year were heavy on our weekly prayer call. It was the morning after the grand jury decision in Ferguson and there was a lot of disappointment, pain, and anger. Many of us were struggling with words to say and prayers to pray. Instead of listing a litany of prayer [...]Read More