Dear Reader,
In my early 20’s, having just decided to go to seminary, I visited a church and was pleased to discover a woman pastor leading the service. Not having known many women ministers made me doubt and feel insecure about my own call. I marveled at the woman in the pulpit that Sunday, and her message. The stories of her life and the personal experiences she shared resonated with me. As I listened, my hopes rose. Maybe I can do this.
But as soon as the woman finished, a man sitting in front of me grumbled to the person next to him, “I don’t care for this ‘women’s’ way of preaching. Too many personal stories.”
All my fears and insecurities came rushing back. I can’t do this. I thought I could. But I can’t. It would take years for me to find my voice and come out of hiding.
Everyone has a story. It takes courage to share yours.
Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us sat on my to-read pile for far too long. Honestly, when a book about faith or religion rises to the New York Times bestseller list, my bias grows against it. Popular spiritual writing quickly gets tagged “shallow self-help” in my mind. But Cole Arthur Riley proved me terribly wrong.
Not only does Riley go theologically deep, evoking liberation and womanist theology, quoting bell hooks, Thomas Merton, Howard Thurman, and literary giants like Alice Walker and Tony Morrison, but her exquisite writing, and the sharing of her own experiences, elevated her to the rank of my new favorite contemplative writer.
As the title notes, This Here Flesh, is Cole’s story of her bodily spirituality. She courageously shares her personal stories of bodily trauma and chronic illness. Because she gets so personal—intimate, yet not overly so—we, as readers are invited to connect with Cole, her body, her soul, her health struggles, her faith. Reading this book was like the rare, soul-baring kind of conversation you can have with a good friend, where you are deeply honest and, as a result, deeply nourished. Cole’s book wouldn’t have been as nourishing or as liberating had she not courageously shared of herself and her personal story.
The grumbling man who doesn’t like “women’s” way of preaching can still trigger my insecurities, but now, I know better. I know—from experience—that authenticity resonates, and that vulnerability is a necessary risk we must take if we desire deep and meaningful connections. We can’t expect others to share their stories with us if we are not willing to share our own.
Recent writing:
For the Presbyterian Outlook’s issue on theological leadership, I share my hope that every pastoral leader hears these permission-giving, faith-filled words: “Feel free to make some changes.”
In my interview with interfaith leader and activist Eboo Patel, I appreciated Eboo’s challenge that “diversity is not just the differences you like. It’s also disagreement.” With all the talk about “deconstruction,” Eboo emphasizes our need for construction. “We need to build,” he says, as he champions religious institution-builders and the vision they bring to their work. Click here to read the whole interview.
On the topic of religious diversity, click here to read my editorial calling for hospitality with more “moral punch.”
Books I’m loving:
I happened upon The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by accident, but the title lured me in. Written as a conversation between legendary anthropologist Jane Goodall and author Douglas Abrams, The Book of Hope delivered lots of needed inspiration, stories and science that I will return to again and again. Who doesn’t need a good word of hope nowadays?
If you have a teenager, know a teenager, or just want to understand teenagers, pick up a copy of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adults by Dr. Lisa Damour. This book really helped me as a parent trying to cope with the wild swings of teenagerdom. Damour also has a great podcast called Ask Lisa.
Finally, I’m almost done with my latest science fiction novel, A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. This is a short (147 pages), ethically-minded book, with a gender-neutral main character, Dex, who befriends a robot named Mosscap. In 2024 we’re publishing an issue of the Presbyterian Outlook on the ethics of AI, and I’m definitely going to reference this book in my editorial. Short, sweet, optimistic about our future. Worth the read.
Upcoming speaking:
Saturday, October 28: Preacher and Keynoter for Grace Presbytery’s gathering at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
Sunday, November 19: Preaching at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA and speaking after worship about Necessary Risks.
January 2-5, 2024, Keynote speaker for College Conference at Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC. The theme for this conference is “Necessary Risks.”
Let’s connect!
Is your book club or church reading Necessary Risks? Are you planning an educational event for your church, presbytery or synod that aligns with the theme of Necessary Risks: Challenges Privileged People Need to Face? I’d love to get you and your group on my schedule—just hit reply to start talking or contact me by clicking here.