This document represents the weekly discussion submissions for my class. Each week, students engaged in thoughtful reflections and discussions that explored various theological concepts and personal faith experiences. These submissions provide insights and perspectives on the topics discussed in our course and how I integrated the learning from our readings.
Reading List:
The Bible - Recommended NRSV.
Stone, Howard W. and James O.Duke. How to Think Theologically, 3rd Edition.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013
Brown, Delwin. What Does a Progressive Christian Believe? A Guide for the Searching, the Open and the Curious. New York, Church Publishing Incorporated, 2008.
Kliever, Lonnie. The Shattered Spectrum. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1981
Pathways’ Statement on Progressive Christian Theology
United Church of Christ Statement of Faith, 1980.
McKim, Donald., ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996
Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: William B. Erdmans Publishing, 2014
Borg, Marcus. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time
“Revelation” from The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor. Reprinted with permission by the Estate of Mary Flannery O’Connor.
“The Dwarves in the Stable,” from Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner. Reprinted with permission by Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
“A Small Good Thing” from Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver. Used with permission of Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press.
“The Welcome Table,” Alice Walker
Week 1 – Discussion 1
By way of introducing yourself to the group, describe your first faith experience or lack thereof. Then describe your current faith stance. Here is an opportunity for participants to reflect on “embedded” and “deliberative” theologies.
Address the following questions: Where did your theological stance come from? How did you come to hold such beliefs? What scripture(s), traditions, readings, conversations, life experiences, or teaching support or inform your beliefs or points of view?
My theological stance originates from growing up in the United Church of Christ (UCC), where sermons, Sunday School, and confirmation classes taught me about the expansiveness of God’s love and grace. This core belief was symbolized by the words above the altar in my childhood church: “Love Never Faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Though Plymouth UCC was not yet Open and Affirming, it nurtured my belief in God’s unconditional love alongside my family’s support and acceptance.In high school, this embedded theology was challenged by the hateful anti-gay rhetoric of evangelical groups. While my church was compassionate, it remained silent on LGBTQIA+ issues in the 1980s, leaving me questioning whether God’s love truly extended to me. These doubts deepened during college, where the pervasive anti-gay rhetoric caused dissonance between the theology of my upbringing and the condemnation I encountered.
The Holy Spirit led me to the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which openly embraced my queer identity and affirmed God’s unconditional love. However, the ever-present background noise of anti-gay rhetoric and a move to Europe, where I struggled to find a welcoming church, pushed me to explore non-religious spiritual traditions.
Through studying these traditions, particularly those emphasizing the heart’s qualities—compassion, healing, connection, and unconditional love—I reconnected with God in a profound way. My theology transformed into one centered on God’s boundless grace and inclusivity, rejecting hate and marginalization.Today, my beliefs are supported by scripture such as Micah 6:8 (“Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God”) and the teachings of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves. They are also informed by conversations, life experiences, and the journey of reconciling my queer identity with faith. This theology affirms God’s love for all and serves as a foundation for my ministry.
Week 1 – Discussion 2
As stated above, Stone and Duke offer three guidelines for critical theological thinking: interpreting the meaning of Christian faith; correlating those interpretations with other interpretations; and assessing the adequacy of the interpretations and their correlations.
Delwin Brown begins his book telling us what “progressive” Christianity is not. Read Pathways’ Statement on Progressive Christian Theology. Address the following questions as interpreters, correlators of other interpretations, and assessors of the adequacy of the interpretations.
What resonated with you in Brown’s discussion of progressive Christianity? What, if anything, troubled or challenged you? How would you describe progressive Christianity to an inquiring parishioner?
Brown’s emphasis on the balance between theological depth and a commitment to social justice resonated deeply with me. His view that Progressive Christianity is rooted in Scripture while remaining open to reinterpretation in light of reason, experience, and cultural context feels both faithful and dynamic. I appreciated his critique of Liberal Christianity for sometimes becoming overly accommodating to cultural norms, losing its theological grounding. This underscores the importance of maintaining a strong, evolving theology to support a mission of justice. Brown’s insistence that Progressive Christianity must engage history critically while allowing tradition to transform the present aligns with my understanding of a faith that is both reflective and active.
I was challenged by Brown’s critique of Liberal Christianity as becoming “the sanctimonious expression of common cultural beliefs.” While I see the danger in losing theological distinctiveness, this critique forces me to examine how Progressive Christianity can avoid falling into the same pattern, especially as it embraces cultural change. How do we ensure that our openness to new interpretations doesn’t dilute our identity as a faith rooted in Christ? Balancing a deep respect for tradition with responsiveness to contemporary needs remains a tension I find both invigorating and challenging.Progressive Christianity is a faith that honors Scripture as a living text, seeking wisdom for today while staying rooted in Christ’s teachings. It embraces reason, science, and human experience as tools for understanding God’s will. Unlike rigid or overly traditional approaches, it invites open questioning, welcomes diversity, and prioritizes justice, inclusion, and compassion. It’s about living out God’s love by working for a more equitable world, grounded in deep theological reflection and a vibrant relationship with God.
Week 2 – Discussion 1
Juan Luis Segundo, Uruguayan Jesuit priest said, “Our interpretation of the Biblemessage must be constantly altered by present-day realities.” For example, he views thecrucifixion from the context of Latinx and black communities who have suffereddisproportionate deaths from the Covid-19 virus and variants. Why? Segundo suggests thatstructural injustice in our system makes health care for blacks not as good as it is for whitepeople. Segundo’s theological starting point is pointedly anthropological (from the context ofthe oppressed). Where do you lean? Your starting point? Anthropological or the revelationfound in scripture? How can the relationship between God and the Bible be described: the Bibleas a human response to God, the Bible as sacred scripture, the Bible as sacrament of the sacred,and the Bible as God’s Word?
I have always held a dualistic relationship with God: one with God as intimate friend and another with God as unfathomable mystery. This leads me to appreciate both an anthropological perspective as a starting point for theology as well as divine revelation, but for very different reasons. The anthropological starting point to theology speaks to me as a progressive Christian because it recognizes the importance of the human experience and that “starting points include life situations in which Christians find themselves.” (Stone & Duke, Chapter 4). In a world full of human suffering, injustice or marginalization, this approach is necessary if theology wishes to be relevant to the faithful and a source of comfort, justice and inclusion. And if we are looking for scriptural underpinnings to support these issues, then thankfully there are also many. I think of this approach as being useful for answering the question, “What would Jesus do?”
For me, using the divine revelation of scripture as a starting point is perhaps more helpful when we wish to consider mysteries of life that are beyond direct human experience. These more esoteric issues could include things like the nature of sin, understanding salvation, or contemplating the afterlife. The conclusions we come to where we use this as a starting point are likely harder to prove or even test, but they allow us to engage more deeply with God as mystery and the role we play in that mystery. I think of this approach as being useful for answering the questions, “Who is God and what is my purpose in life?”
I see the Bible’s as a human record of the history, culture and wisdom of the ages in which it is written. Since then, it has been translated, curated and interpreted according to the contemporary viewpoints, knowledge and biases of its stewards throughout the ages. It contains many stories which offer an accessible, timeless view of how humans can best live their lives, and it also contains stories which are bound to the places and cultures where they originally come from, with little relevance to today’s world except for us to perceive them as backwards and horrific (the treatment of women and slaves, for instance). But it has clearly lasted throughout the ages because it has value to us, not just as a historical relic, but as a rallying call and an invitation to each generation to learn about and emulate the life of Jesus Christ.
Week 2 – Discussion 2
A companion piece to our starting point in theology is how we view the authority of theBible. One of Marcus Borg’s central purposes in his book, Reading the Bible Again for the FirstTime, is to present conflict about the Bible within the church and to provide Christians with apersuasive way of seeing and reading their sacred scriptures, a way that takes the Bibleseriously without taking it literally.” (p. xi) Is this premise new to you?
Briefly describe your understanding of the authority of the Bible. How do you respond tothose who hold a different view? What role does the Bible play in your spiritual walk?
Marcus Borg’s premise in Reading the Bible Again for the First Time—that we can take the Bible seriously without taking it literally—is not new to me either. I too grew up in a progressive Congregational church and was taught this in my weekly confirmation classes throughout junior high school,. This approach aligns with how I understand the authority of the Bible, particularly within a progressive Christian framework. We can and must read the Bible understanding that it complex and can be read in many different ways.
As Brown says in Chapter 4, "“The bible is authoritative for progressive Christians because it empowers, not because it confines.” "For me, the authority of the Bible lies in its ability to reveal profound truths about God, humanity, and the journey of faith. I view it as a timeless piece of literature written by humans in specific historical, cultural, and social contexts, inspired by their encounters with the divine and their communities of faith. It is a living document that invites reflection, interpretation, and thoughtful engagement, rather than a static textbook dictating every aspect of faith, morality and ethics. And as I learn more and more about how to read it and engage with sacred texts, I feel that empowerment more and more.
For example, when interpreted through a strictly legalistic lens, certain passages in the Bible might seem to condemn homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-11, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:9-10). However, when we shift our focus to the overarching, timeless message of Jesus Christ—one that calls us to love our neighbor unconditionally—these verses take on far less significance in light of Christ’s radical command to prioritize compassion, inclusion, and grace.
When engaging with people who hold a more literal or inerrant view of scripture, I strive first to listen to their approach and understand and classify their theological starting point. After thoughtfully listening, I then share my perspective by emphasizing the value of questioning, wrestling with scripture, and embracing the diversity of interpretations, as well as considering reason and human experience as valid ways to interpret scripture. I try to find common ground in our shared love for the Bible, even if our theologies differ.
On my spiritual journey, the Bible plays a crucial role as a source of wisdom, comfort, and challenge. I turn to its stories, poetry, and teachings for inspiration, often reading it through lenses of social justice, inclusion, and personal growth, which are my primary calls to ministry. Its narratives of liberation, love, and resilience resonate deeply with my calling to minister to marginalized communities and to foster healing and wholeness in the church and the world. My relationship to it deepens and becomes richer as I age.
Week 3 – Discussion 1
Some of the events and encounters Hampl tells of in the essay are set inside the churchand some outside in the neighborhood. Consider the differences between the stories set in thetwo places. How do the differences illuminate Hampl’s view of God? “Problem,” or not? Thinkabout your faith journey. How is it like or different from Hampl’s? Do you find God a problem?Why or why not? What does the kingdom of God’s arrival look like in your little corner of theworld? How might you bear God’s life inside you? How might you say yes despite the empire’s no?
Hampl draws a pretty strict dividing line between church and outer world/neighborhood. She states that the two worlds even have different "borders" that are completely unrelated to one another. Life inside the church provided structure, a shared sense of identity, shared rituals and a feeling of devotion. It was also supposed to be the only source of "authorized" knowledge - to the point where Hampl doesn't know whether or not she can even trust knowledge or insight derived from outside of the church. The neighborhood almost felt like a more foreign place, despite its proximity to her life. Neighbors from other religions had strange beliefs and operated in odd ways and believed strange things. Especially the agnostics who had to do so much darn reading! Yet she seems to also feel affinity and affection for her neighbors, highlighting a dualistic upbringing where she was caught between two worlds.
For Hampl, the stories set in the neighborhood were originally messy and enigmatic while the church provided order and a vision for how to live life. But the "problem" came when the church couldn't live up to its own rules. . The idealized identity of growing up Catholic (and "perky") is something she eventually outgrew and rejected. She got "educated out of it all." "Anything to put it at a distance, to diminish the presence of that heritage which is not racial but acts as if it were." She rejected her embedded theology because she found too many inconsistencies and hypocrisies in the way church leaders and parishioners behaved. And perhaps her love for the non-Catholics in her neighborhood lead her to believe that there wasn't only one true way to God.
My faith journey was very different from Hampl's. Growing up in the UCC, I wasn't taught a dogmatic, monarchist theology, but more an Openness Theology. It taught me not that God was a puppet-master, but rather a friend who walks with us every day. Who wants the best for us, but we have to be co-creators in our own lives. And that's the theology I continue to believe to this day.God is not a problem for me because I don't dare to define who God is or how God operates or should operate in the universe. I classify God as a friend who cares but will not do everything for me, and as an unfathomable mystery that gives me the chance to practice awe and wonder and appreciation of all of creation. Because of God's friendship, I try to offer the same friendship and care to my neighbor (= everyone), and because of God as a mystery, I continue to walk in humility and and service to God's creation. This is how I bear God's life inside of me: to care and to share and to connect with other parts of God's creation; other members of the body of Christ. And I show that care especially to those who are rejected and discarded and persecuted by Empire, because those are the neighbors that need us the most.
Week 3 – Discussion 2
In chapter four of his book, What Does a Progressive Christian Believe, Delwin Brownbegins to set forth some of the guiding principles of Process Theology. It is recommended youread chapter four several times. As a primer, Brown first presents a different way of seeing God,beyond omnipotence and omniscience to answer “Why, if God is all-powerful and good, is thereso much utterly pointless evil in the world?” Process theology begins with the conviction thatlove and vulnerability are the fundamental components of God’s character. How would yourespond to God’s nature, power, presence and activity using the lens of love and vulnerability
A God that rules through control, power and dogma provides clarity and structure but can easily be self-contradictory. This view falls apart quickly when pain and suffering and evil are experienced. If God is good and God loves us and God is in control, how can these things happen? Bad theology then quickly falls into the trap of trying to assign blame to the sinner for not following God's will - usually for some unknown or contrived reason. Ultimately this view falls apart and doesn't make sense or leads to theocracy - or in the hands of government - Empire.
I love that process theology begins with the conviction that love and vulnerability are the fundamental components of God’s character. Love means that God is deeply involved and committed to the ongoing human story (and indeed the story of ALL creation), that God feels a duty of care for us, that God is impacted by our joys and sorrows, and that God is present in and aware of our lives. This corresponds with the archetype of a benevolent, caring loving parent, as opposed to a prescriptive, controlling, abusive parent. I think of God's vulnerability as sounding like this: "I care SO deeply about this world and ever creature and grain of sand in it, but I believe it is the right thing to take the chance to give creation the power over its own development, and to create the forms and processes that it sees fit. I know this will sometimes lead to disappointment and pain for me, but I have chosen to trust my creation with their own sovereignty and their own dominion, and to order things as they see fit. I know the outcome is not assured, and I can see both positive and negative outcomes, but I choose trust over control, and I am here to provide inspiration and guidance through the example of Jesus Christ and the creative power of the Holy Spirit. And hopefully that will help."
What should our response be to this view of God? To be in a covenantal relationship with God where we recognize the effort and the love God has put into us as God's creation, where we honor the autonomy and agency we have been given by using it thoughtfully and lovingly, and where we use the example of God's love and vulnerability to approach God's creation in the same way. In this view, "obedience" is not following a set of fixed rules, but rather living in love and vulnerability and making decisions from that place in order to align ourselves to not so much "God's will", but rather by emulating God's way of relating to God's creation.
Week 4 – Discussion 1
According to Brown, “the doctrine of “original sin” is not a denial of human goodness,and it is not about sex. It is about the layers of evil–racism, sexism, consumerism, egotism, etc.structured into our existence. Does Brown’s distinction move your theology forward? What doyou find troubling or challenging?
In Brown's Chapter 6, page 82, the author presents a compelling argument that "original sin" isn't about individual wickedness or sexual transgressions, but rather the embedded layers of societal evil as described in the question above. These things permeate our culture, and we are born into them almost as a horrible birthright. I agree completely with this assessment. These normative, exclusionary ideologies are undeniably sinful, and serve to maintain the existing power structures of Empire by keeping everyone in their place. However, my own thinking about human psychology leads me to believe that beneath these systemic issues lie fundamental aspects of our animal psychology that contribute to sin, and perhaps even serve as the foundation for all these "-isms." They don't come out of nowhere; I believe it is important (or at least interesting) to consider the underlying psychological nature of humans that causes them.
Even though we often regard ourselves as the culmination of God's creation, we are fundamentally still animals with primal instincts, instincts that, while crucial for survival in earlier times, continue to shape our behavior even today. One such instinct is the perception of scarcity. Deep down, our minds often operate on the assumption that resources are limited, that there isn't enough to go around, and that we won't get what we need. This creates a sense of competition and a need to ensure our own survival, which can easily morph into selfishness and disregard for the common good. We see this played out in the relentless pursuit of material possessions in our capitalist society, where individual gain often trumps collective well-being (and I use the word "trump" very intentionally here). I believe this scarcity mentality is something that overpowers our connection to one another and causes us to forget to love others as much as we love ourselves.
Another powerful influence is our innate tendency to categorize, to divide the world into "us" and "them." This probably served a much more important purpose in tribal societies in the past, helping people identify those who were part of their group - perceived as safe - and those who were not - perceived as unknown and potentially dangerous or even deadly. . But in today's world, this tendency mostly only serves to fuel xenophobia, prejudice and discrimination. It's the root of the various "-isms" Brown identifies. Racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry arise from this primal need to define boundaries, to create a sense of belonging by excluding others. We see this at an incredible scale in the tribalism currently taking place in America, and just in the past week, we are starting to see its sinful fruits.
Considering Stone and Duke, Chapter 6, page 90, and their summary of historical theological classifications of sin, salvation, and the means of grace, I believe the two human traits described above create the sin of broken relationship and alienation, calling for salvation through true knowledge to become self-aware of these characteristics as well as reconciliation with God and neighbor through love of both, and requires us to learn and follow the wisdom of Jesus Christ as a means of achieving that salvation, as Jesus tells us that we must love our neighbor as ourself. These are the choices of Stone and Duke's "sushi menu of sin and salvation" that move my theology forward.
Week 4 – Discussion 2
At the conclusion of O’Connor’s story, Mrs. Turpin hears her own curse at God thrownback at her. In her silence, she sees two things: first, her husband’s truck moving along thehighway and out of sight, and then, secondly, a sow and her shoats in the pig parlor. From thosetwo sights she then lifts her head and is filled with “visionary light.” O’Connor doesn’t spell outwhat she means. What do you make, on the one hand, of the truck on the highway and the pigsin their parlor, and on the other, Mrs. Turpin’s vision of souls “rumbling toward heaven.
By the time we get to the conclusion of O’Connor’s story, Mrs. Turpin has spent the entire story judging and classifying everyone she comes into contact with. They are: white-trashy, common, dirty, idle, vacant, trashy, nasty, stinking, lazy, ugly, fat, scowling, blue with acne, leathery, gritty-looking, snuff-stained, ungrateful, poor critter, idiots, lunatic, low, beneath, hog, filthy, ignorant, worthless, slumped, slouching, mean, bad disposition, broken out, peculiar, trash, worse than niggers, dip snuff and spit in every puddle, no manners, lying in the middle of the road and stopping traffic, rolling on the ground, lounging about the sidewalks drinking root beer. Why? Likely because - although she claims to be happy having gotten a "little bit of everything" from God - she at some point came to feel marginalized because of her weight or other factors. Her reaction to that was to find as many faults as she could in others and to order the universe in such a way that she could perceive herself as the most virtuous and favored. .
In her moment of crisis, she hears the echo of her lamentations coming back to her. Perhaps being able to hear herself gave her a new perspective; feedback on how she was being in the world, and perhaps she didn't like what she heard. She then sees her husband driving down the road and it disappears. She has a grotesque imagination of what might happen to her spouse and the farm workers, and perhaps is confronted with the finite nature of life, or perhaps the fact that - despite her crisis - life continues to move ahead without noticing her complaints to God.
In the final scene of the story, Mrs. Turpin experiences a "visionary light". As she hears herself reflected back to herself, and she considers the world she's constructed in which she's superior to everyone else, she looks at the pigs in their enclosure and realizes that - in fact - she is no better or no worse than them. This image is then reinforced by the vision of a line of people entering heaven, with the people she qualified as the lowest at the front of the line. This was a moment of grace and clarity where she came to understand that ALL God's creation benefits equally from God's grace, and that God does not play favorites. The things she has prided herself on—her moral superiority, her social status, her good Christian values and her relationship with her husband—are not what truly matter to God. Instead, it is the humble, the suffering, the outcast who receive God’s grace first. The "visionary light" is the beginning of a new realization that everything she has believed about herself and others is not true. She then returns home, pondering this awakening and having been changed.
Week 5 – Discussion 1
According to much sociological research and surveys, churches are losing members. TheUCC has lost 200,000 members in twenty years. Is the decline at least due to relevancy? Howcan ministers, the church, help people not give up on church? What role has the church playedin your life? How can a grounding in theology that is relevant aid in such a divide?
I believe relevance is one of the key explanations for the decline in church attendance, but I think it must be looked at from many different perspectives. Here are just a few thoughts.
For many older churchgoers, going to church helps to continue a beloved tradition of their past; a continuity that can be meaningful and comforting, or even just purely performative because their embedded theology tells them that’s what’s required of them. But for those that don’t have a church upbringing, that kind of relevance doesn’t exist.
Their children, the Millennials and Gen Z’ers, have grown up in homes where the theology of their parents may have been too restrictive, too high-demand and/or not relevant to their modern lives in the culture of their generations. For those that haven’t successfully deconstructed their faith, many of them have rejected religion outright as either irrelevant, wrong, or even evil.
Lastly, for those who do attend church, the ritual - while often comforting - can sometimes feel stagnant, outdated, or merely performative, depending on how it is practiced. It doesn’t always foster meaningful growth or provide members with the deeper understanding and practical tools they need to move beyond a basic grasp of “Love God, love neighbor, love self.” If people come to church and don’t feel spiritually nourished, they eventually stop coming.
Ministers and churches can retain and attract members by striking the right balance between elements that nourish the souls of a diverse congregation. While people may come for different reasons, they share a common desire to be part of a community that embodies the body of Christ. Rich, meaningful worship, uplifting music, hands-on mission work with visible impact, and opportunities for intellectual and experiential faith development all contribute to a vibrant church life. Additionally, acts of justice that unite the congregation in doing God's work in the world create a shared sense of purpose.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula—each church must engage in deep, reflective theological work to discern the unique combination of these elements that align with their calling and capacity. By doing so, they can foster a dynamic, spiritually nourishing community where everyone feels seen, valued, and connected to the sacred and the divine.
For me, church as a young person was a place of comfort and safety for a young, awkward, fat, queer kid in Iowa who came out of the closet a few years before the world was ready for me. It was a place of connection to my peers that was deeper and more meaningful than in school. It was a place where I found more belonging than in school. It was a place where I first experienced the miracle and the grace of the choir homophobe publicly apologizing to one of our gay peers for having been so horrible to him. It gave me hope. As an adult in the MCC and UCC, going to church has given me a deep understanding of God’s love for me and of the birthright of all people of our worthiness and “enoughness”. A strong grounding in theology can help reverse the decline in church attendance by making faith feel more real, relevant, and connected to everyday life. Theology isn’t just about rules or beliefs; t’s about understanding who we are, how we relate to God, and how we live out our faith in the world. When churches move beyond ritual and mission and create space for honest questions, real-life struggles, and personal growth, they become places where people want to be. A faith that encourages curiosity and allows people to wrestle with doubt makes church feel like a place of discovery rather than obligation. When theology is taught in a way that connects with people’s daily lives by helping them navigate relationships, find purpose, and work for justice, it gives them a reason to keep showing up. Church becomes more than just a Sunday routine; it becomes a source of strength, meaning, and personal transformation that empower us to create God’s world, “on earth as it is in heaven”.
Week 5 – Discussion 2
Since the mid 20th century, various dictators, popes, plutocrats have described GustavoGuitierrez and other liberation theologians as threats to their comfortable hold on global power.Guitierrez has argued the poor, oppressed people are called to be the agents of their ownemancipation, and the church must be in service to that struggle. Liberation theology beginswith the poor, as well as advocating for political and economic structures to change. The oldwoman in Walker’s story offers no more than embarrassment, and one who might be ignored.Discuss why the church people find this doddering old woman to be such a threat. If “racism” isthe cause, name the fears that contribute toward it.
Alice Walker's "The Welcome Table" shines a light on the ugly truth of racism hiding in plain sight within the church. It's a twisted irony where the desire to keep the church a "whites only" club stomps all over the message of Jesus Christ – the same Jesus who loved and hung out with the people that society shoved to the side, like tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, the poor, women, and other marginalized individuals.
The old woman was just looking for a place to pray, a place where she belongs. But fear slams the church door in her face. It's the fear of black people, the fear of what's different, the fear of those folks who have been pushed around and kept down for ages. The fear that she would disrupt the system they've so carefully constructed. The fear that acknowledging her dignity would force them to confront their own guilt in creating the system that "demoted" beloved children of God to a "less than human" category. These fears make them blind to her simple humanity, blind to the fact that she's just as hungry for God's love as they are. Blind to the fact that she's a sibling in Christ. The fear leads them not to treat her with dignity or respect but to physically remove her from their space, forgetting that they are in God's house, not their own.
This story throws the church's hypocrisy right in our faces. They preach about love and acceptance to prop up their egos and convince themselves that they are good people, but their actions scream something else entirely. They've built a system where skin color matters more than anything Jesus ever taught.
It's a story that resonated deeply with church friends who I shared this story with this week. My friend Ahmad (who was thrown out of a white church in the 70's, an event that eventually led him to spending a year and a half in a military prison until the ACLU got him out), wrote:"Chris this was new to me. However, in a very real way this scene (or those similar) has played out in so many ways over so many decades. The old lady wanted to worship God and this was her motivation for ascending the steps leading to the church's entrance. She was willing to endure ridicule, racial epithets, and whatever else the white congregation desired to throw her way. Such is the cancerous nature of racism/white supremacy. These whites did not respect the face she was aged, let alone a likely fellow-Christian. No, they had to prove they were superior by ejecting her from the premises. Her seeing Jesus was the beginning of her salvation. Sadly and so unfortunately, it took her demise to find the peace she had probably never known during her earthly sojourn."When they kick the old woman out, it's like they're kicking out everyone who doesn't fit their narrow idea of who belongs. It's an attempt to fortify their own power so they can hand it down to their children the way it was handed down to them. It's a reminder of all the times the church has been on the wrong side of history, propping up oppression instead of tearing it down. It reminds us of the sin of Christian Nationalists who are so closely tied to the white supremacy movement and are the modern incarnation of the church in this story.
But even with all that, the old woman's faith doesn't break. She finds Jesus not in a white church, but out on the open road. It's a powerful image of how God's love can't be locked up in some human-made system. It's a love that breaks down all the walls and welcomes everyone, no matter who they are.In the end, the old woman walks to her death, still searching for that place where she truly belongs, but walking side-by-side with an unconditionaly loving Jesus. It's a heartbreaking end, but it also shows how strong her spirit is. She never gives up on her faith, even when the church gives up on her.This story isn't just about one old woman and one racist church. It's a mirror held up to the church as a whole, showing us the ugly truth of how so many faith communities have let prejudice twist the message of Jesus. It's a call to wake up call to us as Progressive Christians to continue Jesus' minsitry to the marginalized and to challenge normativity in all its forms, saying to them "We don't just welcome you or accept you; we need you. We are insufficient without you!"
Week 6 - Discussion 1
Juan Luis Segundo, Uruguayan Jesuit priest said, “our interpretation of the Bible messagemust be constantly altered by present-day realities.” For example, he posits that the crucifixionin the context of Latinx and black communities suffer disproportionate deaths from theCovid-19 virus and variants. Why? Structural injustice in our system makes health care for blacksnot as good as it is for white people. Respond to Segundo’s “present day realities.
I wholeheartedly agree with Juan Luis Segundo's assertion that biblical interpretation must be "constantly altered by present-day realities". This resonates deeply with me when considering the struggle for inclusion and justice experienced by transgender individuals in America today, especially under the new administration, which seems to bring out a new, transphobic, repressive executive order almost daily. Segundo recognizes that scripture is dynamic and constantly demands re-examination through the lens of contemporary experiences and realities; realities that often didn't exist at the time the Bible was written . The plight of our transgender siblings, marginalized and denied their full humanity, requires us to "queer the Bible" and revisit familiar narratives and discover new layers of meaning that provide wisdom and guidance for doing deliberative theology in 2024. When preparing to teach a spiritual formation class on Queer Theology last year, I asked a Trans UCC pastor where I could find wisdom about the Trans experience in the Bible. She told me that the most impactful Bible story to her as a trans-feminine person is the story of Lazarus, raised from the dead by Jesus (John 11:1-44). She said she believes it offers a powerful paradigm for understanding the transformative power of love and acceptance in the context of transgender lives. This was my first practical introduction to the concept of "queering the Bible", and I'll never forget what she said it means to her.
I think we all know that "present-day realities" for transgender people in America are stark. They face disproportionate rates of violence, discrimination in employment and housing, and after years of progress, things are going in the wrong direction again, especially for young people. These realities constitute a form of societal "death," a crushing of the spirit that makes it difficult to embrace their authentic selves. "Structural injustice" perpetuates this suffering, with state legislation, executive orders and social norms that are designed to exclude and invalidate transgender identities. Just as Lazarus lay tightly bound in strips of linen in his tomb, so too are Trans people often trapped by societal expectations, misgendering, deadnaming and denial of basic services like access to bathrooms or healthcare, their true identities buried beneath layers of prejudice and oppression.Segundo's call for reinterpretation invites us to look at scripture through new eyes and ask how the story of Lazarus might speak to this reality. For instance, Jesus's command, "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:43), echoes the cry of a loving God calling transgender individuals to embrace their authentic selves. It is a divine affirmation of their inherent worth and a rejection of the "death" imposed upon them by a world that refuses to see them.
But the deep meaning of the story doesn't end there. The "grave clothes" (John 11:44) represent the old identity, the assigned gender at birth that no longer fits. Jesus command Lazarus' community to "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." This shows the crucial role of communities in supporting our transformation. It is a call to tear down the structures of prejudice and the tyrrany of inflexible gender constructs that bind transgender people and prevent them from living freely. The act of unwrapping the burial cloths is an act of welcome, an embrace of the new person who has emerged. It acknowledges their rebirth and celebrates their authentic identity.
In addition, the story emphasizes the power of the trans expereince to change beliefs and hearts. Many of the Jews who saw Lazarus raised from the dead came to believe in Jesus (John 11:45), while others reported Jesus' act to the Pharisees. Similarly, witnessing the transformation, courage, resilience and authenticity of transgender people can be a powerful and inspirational driver for change. We saw this as millions of Americans watched WIll & Harper on Netflix last year, giving for many the first real introduction they'd ever had to one person's Trans experience. While some who watched the documentary of the friendship between Harper Steele and Will Farrell didn't change their hearts or minds about Trans people, for many it had the impact of humanizing Trans people, challenging sterotypes about gender identity, showing what allyship looks like, and it sparked conversations around the water cooler and in the pews about Trans people and Trans acceptance. In a world where many question the relevance of Christianity to modern-day life., applying Segundo's principle to this biblical narrative shows that there can be a profound relevance of scripture to the struggles of transgender people today. It reveals that the love of Jesus, as demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus, isn't just about a specific historical moment but can be extended to all who are marginalized and oppressed. It empowers us to see the Bible not as a static text but as a living, breathing document, constantly speaking to us in new and profound ways as we confront the "present-day realities" of our world. Just as Lazarus was called forth from the tomb, transgender people being called forth to live fully and authentically, and it is our responsibility, as members of the community, to "untie them and let them go."
Week 6 – Discussion 2
How we speak of God shapes what we believe creation is and human beings withincreation, the fall of humanity, to Jesus, to salvation, to the consummation of all things. Morethan doctrines or a system of beliefs, these all hang together in an intricate and beautiful storythat lives in us and our shared experience. As you prepare for your final project, think of the lastscene in Carver’s story. Discuss the implications of finding Christian meaning in work that mayhave no Christian intent behind it.
Carole Kammen, the founder of Pathways Institute (ironically enough) in California, was and is a spiritual teacher that has had a profound impact on my understanding of humanity, the divine, and the overlapping relationship between the two. Among my favorite expressions that I've learned from her over the past 30+ years are "Nothing exists outside of God!" and "Use EVERYTHING for your growth and development." These two phrases especially have always been a strong invitation and a reminder to search for divine meaning in all things, whether it be in scripture, in nature, in the stories of our fellow humans, in tools of divination... essentially in anything that catches our eye and inspires thought and contemplation. Because God is still speaking... and we never know exactly how or where God will speak!
Carver's story is a heartbreaking tale of the stages of grief after a tragic, life-altering event. The story starts with the mundane task of ordering a birthday cake for a boy's birthday party. After the boy is tragically injured and suffers a roller-coaster of a dying process which stretches both parents to their emotional limits, the story circles back to the baker. His only concern in life appears to be carrying out the transaction of baking the cake and getting his money for it, and he's not very patient about it. He is completely unaware of the family's circumstances when he calls them repeatedly at all hours of the night and day, trying to get them to pick up their son's cake, and becomes increasingly belligerent in the process.
When one too many calls after the son's death sets up a potentially serious conflict between the baker and the parents, the situation turns into an unexpected encounter where both parties extend grace to each other. The baker finally drops his transactional demeanor and really listens to the parents and is moved by their loss and offers them the only comfort he knows how to: respite and comfort food in the form of hot cinnamon rolls with fresh, creamy frosting. But at the same time, in offering his apology, the baker also reveals a life driven by loneliness that has desensitized him to the rest of humanity.
This simple story, with no overt Christian messaging, resonates deeply with Christian themes when viewed through the lens of faith. The baker's initial callousness can be seen as a representation of the sin of disconnection from God and one another, where self-interest overshadows compassion and empathy. The baker's ultimate awakening to the suffering of the parents, mirrors the transformative power of grace. It's the movement from isolation to connection - from sin to redemption - a recognition of shared humanity in the face of suffering.
The offering of hot cinnamon rolls with fresh, creamy frosting, a humble comfort food, takes on sacramental significance in the story. It becomes a tangible expression of the baker's care, a small act of redemption in a broken world, and the only thing the baker can really offer the grieving parents. It shows God's grace working through simple and ordinary means, through a simple act of human kindness. It is a sharing of warmth and sweetness in the face of bitterness and loss. The story doesn't preach; it shows. It demonstrates the potential for grace and redemption to emerge even in the most unlikely of places, even from a seemingly hardened heart. This aligns with the Christian belief in the imago Dei, the idea that all humans, even in their brokenness, carry the image of God and are capable of representing the power of God in the world. The warm, sweet rolls, a simple pleasure, become a symbol of shared humanity and a reminder of the goodness that can still exist even amidst sorrow. And the parents finally rest, and "They talked on into the early morning, the high, pale cast of light in the windows, and they did not think of leaving."
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