The Divinity of a Holiday-themed Snack Cake I can’t believe that precious Mother Time has brought us back around to this moment — the re-release of Christmas Tree Cakes in stores all across the United States. For some, seeing them on shelves signals an automatic eyeroll — perhaps to those…

Escapism or Empowerment? “When we aaaaaaall see Jeeeeeeesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!” If you know that song, you probably understand the deep significance it has in the lives of people of faith. My parents and grandparents know this song as one that was sung very often throughout their…

I’ve done it. You’ve done it. It is about damn time we acknowledge the elephant in the room. https://www.sph.umn.edu/news/measuring-structural-racism-in-minnesota-communities/ For as long as I have been White (oh wait), I have done this thing called racial gaslighting and it obviously isn’t good. You have done it, too. In fact, you’re…

Photo by BETZY AROSEMENA on Unsplash Ifyou grew up in any church ever (or not), you have heard of God being spoken of as a man. He/Him pronouns are used. God is described as masculine. Power and Dominion is historically attached to the Male body, so God has a Male…

Reclaiming and Reimagining the Liturgy of the Altar Call in Christian Worship The Altar Call As an evangelical kiddo, the altar call was one of the most important parts of our weekly worship services — arguably THE most important. The “Altar” for evangelical christians is less about a specifically-designed table where the communion…

“I don’t need religion. I just need Jesus.” Have you heard or said that before? Wait.. I’ve got another one.. “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” I HATE when people say this. It dehumanizes me. Oh and this one, too: “Everything happens for a reason.” sigh.. I am most certainly…

Reclaiming a rebellious, centuries old identity that was hijacked by conservative evangelicalism If you have seen my social media or any of my content by now, you have most certainly seen that I call myself a “Queer advocate & Minister in the Baptist tradition.” To most folks, that is quite a puzzling identity. I frequently get responses like, “You work at a…

Thinking Liturgically about Creating Multicultural, Anti-racist Worship Experiences I don’t know how many times I have seen a predominantly White congregation with a “Black Lives Matter” sign (and probably a Pride flag) out on the lawn. Most of the time, I shake my head in disappointment because I know the…

The Radical Origin of Baptism and Why It Is Important Today If you live in the United States, there is a good chance that you’ve either 1. been baptized or 2. know many people who are baptized. For some, that might have been a sprinkle of water as a baby…