Teaching Tuesday (Holy Week Part II)

Jesús spent the the day on parables and prophecies. He taught on every taboo topic he could think of.

If Sunday was about Jesus and Empire

Monday was about Jesus and Economics

Tuesday is about Jesus and Education.

I do not necessarily believe that knowledge is power, but I do think that it is a key component. I have the spirit of Sid the Science Kid, in that I, too, want to know everything about everything. So I love this picture of Jesus, holding court in the public square, taking questions from the peanut gallery, and refusing to shy away from the hard topics.

I usually take this time to focus on what our churches are teaching, but as a proponent of public education, I want to take this time to think about education in general. I believe that that a well-informed electorate is the cornerstone of a functional democracy…and for some reason, there are people in power who want to keep us as uninformed or as ill-informed as possible. They attack education at every turn, decreasing funding for research, deriding teachers and making it extremely difficult for them to do their jobs.

Jesus taught so that his disciples would be prepared for what’s to come. So yes, even in the Bible, he was teaching to the test. But there has to be more to education than making sure the kids can color in the right circles or punch the right buttons. One of my favorite preachers often tells his congregation that his job is not to make them think what he’s thinking, but to make sure that they are, indeed thinking.

So my Teaching Tuesday questions are:

My church covenant says that I’m supposed to religiously educate my children. Does yours? What does that look like today?

What do you think about the state of education nationally, locally, and personally?

Does the church play a role in public education? Should it?

And last, but certainly not least:

Have you thanked a teacher recently? You should absolutely do that if you haven’t.

Jesus was an amazing teacher, but there are good teachers in schools all over the world. They are a gift, and we should treat them as such.

Same Old Story: Holy Week 2025 (Part 1)

I desperately need Resurrection Power this week (and every week, to be honest) but especially after the absolute worst week of my life. So on Sunday Morning, I sat in one of the back pews of a church I don’t normally frequent, hollered out “Hosanna”, and cried my little eyes out. Then I went to brunch…and both were good for my soul.

Anyway, it’s time for my annual thoughts on Holy Week,

We start on Palm Sunday. Luke 19:28-40. On Palm Sunday, we commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. As he rode into the city, a crowd laid Palm leaves at his feet. Others laid down their coats on the road, and still others cried out “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD. “I didn’t actually get any Palm leaves this year, but that didn’t stop me from crying out, “Have mercy!” and Hosanna!

I was grateful that no one attempted to console or quiet me on Sunday. But in Luke’s telling of the story, the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke the folks who were saying those things.

Why? Because acknowledging a King who was not Caesar was dangerous. On Sunday, Jesus’ impromptu parade could be seen as a challenge to the empire. Nobody protects the empire more than folks who are subject to the empire, but who have been given just enough authority to rule over someone else. Jesus being a called a king was a threat, not just to Rome, but to the Jewish authorities who were given some semblance of dominion in the city.

Question: Is faith a threat to empire? How so? Or Why Not?

And y’all are getting a two-fer today. Because on Holy Monday, we get to see one of my favorite new testament stories: Jesus turning over tables in the temple. Mark 11:15-17

Full Disclaimer: I love table-flipping Jesus. As a good Baptist, I believe all things should be done decent and in order… but every now and then, I do wish somebody would come in there and crack the whip a few good times. I done told y’all, I ain’t that good of a Christian! And more often than not, I would be the one Jesus would need to whip into shape.

On day one, Jesus is seen as a threat to the empire. On day two, he is messing with the economy. And we both know that neither the Caesar, nor the church plays about their money. Ask Bishop Marvin Sapp. Also today is April 14th. If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you might want to get on that.

This is about money, yes, but it’s also about attention, which leads me to my Holy Monday questions:

How do faith and finances impact one another? Which did you spend more time focusing on this week? What tables would you like to see turned over in your own life?

I pray that as we walk together towards the cross of Calvary that you see a new thing in the same old story.

Women and Missions

On this last day of Women’s History Month 2025, I wore a shirt that says Black Women Matter…because some of y’all need a reminder…and also because it’s one of my favorite sweatshirts. It’s big and comfy, and I have a pair of shoes that perfectly match.

Anyway, with all that is going on in the world, I desperately wanted to hear from a woman of God this weekend. Not surprisingly, there are not that many women-led congregations in this city. Some of the churches I visit regularly still don’t allow women in the pulpit. BUT it was a fifth Sunday, and in the churches that I frequent, that usually is missionary Sunday. These Sundays are the few times a year that women are allowed to headline a Sunday service, so I actually had quite a few options.

Let me say this first. Many of our local churches are generally not very good at missions. They pass out tracts, they hold prayer meetings, and ever so often, they might actually send a missionary to a foreign country for a couple of weeks. I think these ladies do important work, but it makes me sad that we only highlight what they do a few times a year.

The truth of the matter is that women are the backbone in most of our churches. They are the ushers, the Sunday school teachers, the secretaries, and the accountants. They are the sermonic soloists, the program coordinators, and almost the entirety of the culinary committee. They do it all…except preach, unless the calendar is kind enough to grant us a fifth Sunday.

The truth of the matter is that women are not just vital to the missions department, but vital to the mission of the church. That’s what I needed to hear on Sunday morning. It’s great that we did this event or that, or that we helped support a shelter or build a school in a distant land. I am grateful that we can do these things, but I needed to be reminded of our worth, right here, in our own sacred spaces. What I needed to hear, and what I want all of us to know is that women are worthy of dignity, honor and respect every day, that we, too are image bearers, and that our voices matter. Not just on fifth Sunday.

2025 Lent

It’s the first day of the Lenten season. Christians all over the world are giving up their vices for a period of about 6 weeks, as we prepare for Easter, the highest of our holidays. The entire faith is built on the idea of the resurrection, so it makes sense for us to consecrate ourselves for this time period… but I can’t help but wondering if we are doing it wrong.

I grew up in a house where my mom always fasted for Lent. Her fasts often consisted of giving up alcohol or chocolate, and earlier in my adult life, I would give up those things, too. But at this big old age, and in this current timeline, I am not inclined to give up either of those things. I wish I could say that I’ve matured in my Christian walk, but the truth is I am going to need all of my vices, including both chocolate and alcohol, just to get through the week.

That’s not to say that I’m not doing other things in preparation for the holiday. I’m devoted to spending less time on my phone. I’m not going to eat meat on Fridays, and I’m purposely spending more time in prayer, and I’m excited to see what behavioral changes result after my 40 days of mindfulness. And even in that, I’m positive that I’m doing it wrong.

The most commonly cited textual basis for fasting during Lent comes from Matthew 4: 1-11. But I’m stuck in the first two verses.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (NKJV)

Now I have about 10 questions just based on these two verses, but since I know we are all suffering from shortened attention spans, I’ll ask just the ones from the first verse this week, and maybe get to verse two later this month.

  1. Are our fasts really spirit led or are we just fasting because that’s what we’ve always done? It’s what our parents did, and it’s what we are teaching our kids to do. Our pastors have gotten savvy and called for corporate fasts during Lent. Don’t get me wrong. I love a good corporate fast. It’s good to have accountability partners (or people to commiserate with, whichever you prefer.) But based on this text, Jesus fasted alone. He hadn’t even met Peter, James, and John yet, which leads me to my second question, which really is a bunch of questions just written in paragraph form.
  2. What are the benefits of a corporate fast versus a personal fast? Are there different goals and if so, do group goals supersede the individual goals? Speaking of goals…
  3. Why would the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by devil? What was the end goal there? Couldn’t Jesus just as easily be tempted in the city as he was when he was away from everybody else? In my experience, other people are a gateway to temptation. Somebody is always offering me something I don’t need. And far too often, I play the role of the temptress. Don’t judge me. You probably do, too.

And I haven’t even gotten to the fasting part yet. But here are just a couple of things to consider as you are sanctifying yourself for the next month and a half. Consider reading Isaiah 58:-5-8. It talks about the fast the Lord would prefer over our public displays of piety. It talks about things like seeking justice and feeding the hungry.

Might I also suggest looking taking a look at Matthew 6:16-18. If you have a good Bible, the words are in red, which means the Lord, himself is speaking. In a nutshell, he says spend a lot less time looking like you’re fasting, and a lot more time actually doing the work. My favorite part is when he tells us not to walk out looking dirty or ashy (Matthew 6:17). The Lord said it’s Ash Wednesday. Not Ashy Wednesday.

So get your anointing oil and some lotion. There is work to be done in the world. Let us prepare accordingly.

Thoughts and Prayers

We barely have a week under our belts in 2025, and of course the world is already going crazy. Here in America, we have the dance of fire and ice. While California battles devastating wild fires, much of the rest of the country is battling dangerous snow and cold. It’s even snowing down south. No, your slip is not showing. It’s the actual weather report. It is actually snowing in Dallas and Little Rock, and other places where snow is not the norm. Here in the Midwest, we were blanketed with more than a foot of snow in some places. And that’s just the weather. I haven’t talked about the death of president Carter, the deaths of more than 46,000 people in the recent iteration of the Israeli/Palestine conflict, (an overwhelming majority of the casualties are Palestinian), what’s happening in Sudan, or Justin Trudeau resigning as a party leader. I haven’t discussed the tragedy that happened in New Orleans, a place near and dear to my heart, nor the veteran who killed himself and the ensuing explosion of a cybertruck in Las Vegas, though at some point, we are going to have to talk about what is going on with our veterans. It’s been 9 days. It’s going to be a banner year.

In church news, which is the primary focus of this blog, we have the poor teenage girl who went viral for apologizing to her church for getting pregnant. I was 13 when my friends started getting pregnant, and while I definitely had a visceral reaction to this clip, I have decided not to start my 2025 writing year focusing on what the church is doing wrong. I imagine over the next 11 months, we’ll have plenty of time to do that!

Instead, I want to focus on worship. What better way to start off the year! While I did not attend a watch night service this year, I did watch part of an online service. There was technology failure which caused me to miss the end of the sermon, but I did at least catch the scripture. Isaiah 43: 18-19, and a song welled up in my spirit.

Everybody generally starts getting excited at the vamp. If you are unfamiliar, it quotes Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered.” And while that is certainly true in my life, there is a subtext that resonates with me, more than this refrain ever could.

Have you ever received an answer to a prayer that you hadn’t even uttered yet? A majority of my life is a testimony of anwered prayers that I had not even thought to say out loud. God is so good! My God has delivered more than that I could think, or even imagine. In 2025, I am trusting in the God who has plans to prosper me. I am trusting in the God who has plans for me and is faithful to perform it!

I am not claiming to be prophetic. I am only claiming to be a believer in the God who sent the prophets.

And so in 2025, I am believing God to be everything God proclaims to be. I am believing me to be and have all that God has proclaimed over my life. I am praying that for you, too. And even if I never even whisper your name,(my prayer list is long) I hope that you know how much you are loved and treasured, by me, and by the God of the universe.

God is good, even when we are not…and for that alone, God deserves our praise. God is more than able.

This year, I will worship…even when it hurts. Even now.

Hallelujah and Happy New Year!

My America

Tonight, my youngest child had her vocal music concert. It was a spectacular display of Americana. The kids were all decked out in red, white and blue, as they sang familiar patriotic tunes and rhythmically waved flags to familiar tunes. I smiled as the kids sang about the purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain. I waved at other parents in the crowd, and ogled at the newborn baby curled up in her daddy’s arms just a couple of rows away.

I saw a familiar little face, appearing to sing all the words and doing all the motions along with her classmates. She was dressed in a turquoise sequins and her face was lit up. I’m not talking about my baby, though her patriotism was just as evident. This little girl is a child I met last year on a field trip. She spoke no English, and the dialect she spoke wasn’t even available on Google translate. But she stood on those risers today reciting the name of all 50 states, and waving her flag just like the rest of the kids in her class, and I was proud of her, and happy for her, and excited that she could participate in this way.

This is my America.

After a few quick pictures and hugs, we loaded up in our car and headed home, and I made the mistake of looking at the news. This was the first story I saw. I fought back tears , and literally felt sick to my stomach. Missouri State representative David Gregory wants to basically put a thousand dollar bounty on the heads of illegal immigrants in Missouri. I am disgusted, and heartbroken that someone, an elected official, no less, would think that this is a good idea.

I wonder how far this law will go. I wonder how much support it will gather in mid-Missouri towns that are dependent on migrant workers for agricultural work. I wonder if the law will generate support from across the state lines. I wonder how long it will take for armed vigilantes to be roaming around our towns looking for folks they think might be “illegal.”

This too, is my America.

We are waving our flags and our rifles. We place a hand over our hearts and turn a blind-eye to injustices happening in front of our faces. We believe in We the People, but we don’t necessarily trust our neighbors.

America is a dream our minds cannot quite wrap itself around, so we navigate it the best we can.

We put our hands to plow and try to make our little corners of the world as livable and as loveable as we can. That’s why I spent two nights this week at local schools, to hear children singing about hope and freedom. That’s why I was drawn to the little girl who is working so hard to learn a language other than her native tongue. This is why I write instead of simply screaming into the void. We have to work to make America the dream it can be.

Or it will become the nightmarish hellscape of other people’s imaginations, as envisioned in Missouri Senate Bill 72.

Appreciation Post

It’s clergy appreciation month. While I haven’t been sitting under a pastor for quite some time, I still appreciate the men and women of God who have spoken over my life, and those who have walked with my family through the tough times, and celebrated with us in times of joy.

I am hard on pastors. Honestly, I am hard on most people (ask my siblings or my kids), but I might be a little harder on people who are supposed to be keeping watch over my soul. I realize that pastors are just people. They are prone to the same mistakes as the rest of us, and they are in need of as much grace as I am…and I try to grant that grace. Sometimes, I fail fantastically, and for that I apologize.

To the preachers and pastors who have welcomed me into their Bible study and Sunday school classes over the last five years: Thank you for creating spaces where seekers like me feel welcome to share our thoughts and for allowing us ask tough questions.

To the clergy who showed up for weddings and funerals, even when I called at the last minute: I appreciate your willingness and your availability to serve. Thank you for sharing your gifts with my family when we most needed to hear from God.

To my YouTube pastors, specifically Rev. Drs. Marcus D. Cosby, and Howard-John Wesley: Thank you both for showing the world what Christian friendship and kinship can look like. These two men have defined for me what ministry partnership is. Each of them is a unique gift to the kingdom. They complement each other. They love each other unapologetically in public, and the world needs more of that. We’ve all seen pastors in competition with one another. It’s nice to see these two brothers collaborating.

And finally, to my favorite preacher in the world, the one I am married to: It is a joy to walk beside you as we do life together. Your prayers have carried me, comforted me, and kept me. I wasn’t ready when you first accepted your call. I’m probably still not ready now, but I will always and forever have your back. I will gladly be your Amen corner, and I can hardly wait to see what God does with us next.

There are wolves in sheep’s clothing in pulpits all around the world. IF you have a good pastor, be grateful. IF you don’t have a good pastor…go find one! There are men and women of God who really are called to love you to life.

I really do have a heart for those who are called to the ministry. Despite what you may have heard (or seen!)

Happy Clergy Appreciation Month.

I’m Sorry, 2024

I know the song is 20 years old, but we need to run this Ruben Studdard classic back one more time! Because even though Yom Kippur is a month from now, now seems as good a time as any to be issuing an apology.

There are two apologies I’ve seen creep up in my social media feeds this week. The first was issued to Natalie, or the unnamed sister from Pastor Keion Henderson’s “Hush” moment. I wrote about the initial incident here, in case you need a refresher. In the video, you see the pastor calling her out, not by her name but what she is wearing. I am choosing to believe that this apology to Natalie was both spontaneous and sincere, which explains why he didn’t seem to know her name. In the video, he embraces this woman, who is still wailing, perhaps for a different reason. He says to her that he had no idea his actions would cause her so much pain.

I have a few issues with his apology. First, before the apology he makes a demand. He didn’t ask for a hug. HE didn’t ask for consent to hug her. He gave her a command, and she acquiesced. Even if she did so willingly, this rubbed me the wrong way. True apologies require nothing on the part of the receiver. You are not required to accept. You are not required even to acknowledge receipt. You are certainly not required to physically put yourself in a position to be hurt again. A true apology requires nothing on the part of the recipient. The onus is solely on the one apologizing.

The second part that bugged me was how fast he walked away. His rebuke of her took several minutes, and a whole lot more words than his apology did. I’m not suggesting this man had to stand around and prolong his church service. (Y’all know I love getting out of church as early as possible!) But I am saying that your apology needs to be as loud as your disrespect…and the apology is not generating near the amount of likes and shares as the initial interaction. He also didn’t say specifically what he was apologizing for, and perhaps what is understood doesn’t need to be expressed. After all, he was not apologizing to me.

But to his credit, Pastor Keion Henderson stood up before his congregation and apologized to a member, a woman no less, in the presence of both witnesses and cameras. For that, I am grateful. I pray that other pastors and leaders follow in this path.

The second apology that I am seeing every time I scroll comes from our beloved “Unc”, Shannon Sharpe. If you haven’t heard about Shannon Sharpe’s Instagram Live fiasco, let me just give you a brief recap. After a brief stint of pretending he had been hacked, the former Denver Bronco, admitted to accidentally going on Instagram Live during a sexual encounter with someone named Michelle. The live feed showed no illicit video or photos, but you could hear the interaction. I felt bad for the Club Shay Shay podcast host. I am notorious for pocket dials and accidental postings. I cannot even imagine some of things my friend groups have heard in the background.

Unlike Pastor Henderson’s apology, Shannon’s apology came out immediately. He said he was embarrassed, and he admitted it was his fault. This man called his family, his employer, and his fans. What I didn’t hear was a specific apology to the other person whose voice was heard on the recording. I hate that the world knows her name, now. It would have been better had she remained an anonymous voice on the recording. We have to be careful that in our efforts to make amends that we don’t cause further harm. I pray that Shannon apologized to her privately the second that he realized what happened, and that he apologizes again for the negative attention she might receive now that we know her first name.

But this post isn’t really about the former football star, nor is it about the pastor. It’s not even about the women who were wronged. It’s about those of us who owe someone else apology. It’s about those of us who issued half-hearted quiet apologies, when the people we have wronged are owed a whole-hearted, full voice, “I’m sorry.” Let’s learn from these examples.

How we make amends matters.

P.S. Ruben Studdard’s apology was terrible! One song cannot apologize for everything you did this year. But in case you’ve never heard it, here you go:

Dreams and Dragons:

My husband and I finished watching House of Dragons this week. We happened to watch on the same night that Kamala Harris accepted her party’s official nomination to run for president. We were also watching the Game of Thrones spin-off when Donald Trump accepted his party’s nomination. We have decided that fiction is much less stressful than whatever is happening in the real world.

That was until we watched the last two episodes of our date night show. There was no resolution. There wasn’t even an epic battle. There were just two opposing sides, each with their flaws and faults, shoring up support for their sides. Both sides were willing to sacrifice the lives of innocents so they could secure their positions. So no, no parallels to American politics at all.

I wrote about a tale of two kingdoms here. In it you learn about an election of sorts between Rehoboam and Jereboam, two biblical kings who split their nation. While that biblical narrative is fascinating and may be worth studying more in depth in the next few months, I’d like to focus less on the political significance of the House of Dragons, and more on the spiritual significance I noticed in the show.

First and foremost, I saw the dragons as a metaphor for one’s calling. The dragons are both sacred and scary. A dragon (or your calling), can take you very far very fast, or it can light you on fire right where you stand. Sometimes your calling finds you, as was the case with Lord Corlys’ illegitimate son, Alyn. You can be minding your business and be plucked out of obscurity to do something great for the kingdom.

Then, of course, there are those of us, like Daemon and Aemon who are unhappy with the assignment set before us, and who strive in our hearts for something greater. The challenge then becomes which do we want more, our God-given destinies, or our own earthly desires. The goal, of course, is that our goals and God’s goals for us , be the same…but I’m guessing most of us are not there yet. Or maybe that’s just me.

There are others of us still, like the common born folks of Targaryen parentage, who had always been told stories of our greatness, and are just looking for opportunities to shine. There are folks like Hugh Hammer walking among us, who know full well what they are capable of and only hoping for someone else to notice it and thrust them into greatness.

Or you could be admittedly born into royalty, and only wish to fade into the background, as Queen Helaena had hoped to do. The crown, which had caused her more pain and grief than she thought bearable…and still she was challenged to exchange her position of supposed privilege for one of even more immediate risk and danger. We do not know yet whether Helaena will answer her call. Do you know whether you will answer yours?

Okay, so maybe I’m reaching. Maybe there is not much spiritual significance in a show about a fictional brother and sister fighting over who should be greatest in their father’s kingdom.

But even if I am, it’s better than how the season ended! There was no moral to the story. There was no delightful denouement where everybody lived happily ever after, and we not even a sneak peek of what happens next…and if you dare challenge me to the read the books to find out what happens next, then you don’t know me very well.

https://giphy.com/embed/bWM2eWYfN3r20

via GIPHY

What I do know is that wherever you are in the kingdom, there is work that you are uniquely gifted to do…and it’s high time you get started.

Winter is coming.

Here’s the Kicker!

I am a Chiefs fan by default. I was born and raised in the Kansas City metro. I live and work on opposite sides of state line, and pay taxes to both Kansas and Missouri. I like when the Chiefs win the Superbowl because it usually means school is out or that I can work from home to avoid parade traffic. I don’t necessarily watch the games, outside of the the championship games. (I stopped watching the NFL years ago for other reasons.) But if you ask me who my favorite team is, I will tell you I am rooting for the home team.

So when Harrison Butker’s name started showing up on timeline, I raised my eyebrow. I seriously doubt Butker was anybody’s favorite KC Chief before this weekend. Now his jersey sales have spiked. There are articles on every corner of the internet. I glanced at a couple. I heard a couple of hot takes on social media, and then I read the entire transcript of his commencement address for myself.

I wish I could say I was surprised by the content, but I can’t. It was exactly what I expected it to be. The only surprise for me was that Harrison Butker is only 28 years old. (How on earth is he giving his second commencement address at that age? He’s still a baby in my eyes). He acknowledged the school administration, talked about the importance of his own faith, while doubting the faith of the current president. He said that “things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia,…stem from a pervasiveness of disorder”.

He told students to live their faith out loud, which I think is a great thing to tell young adults starting their journey into the career force. He gave examples of a couple of saints and told the students to walk out their calling. Again, solid advice.

But the part that both the detractors and Mr. Butker’s new fans are all hyped about is what he said after that. To the women of the class of 2024, the Superbowl Champion said, How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.” He then told the male graduates of Benedictine to: “Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. ”

The truth of the matter is that I am ‘”churchy” by both nature and nurture, and I have heard several variations of what Butker said during his commencement address my entire life. “A woman’s place is in the home.” “Men are natural leaders and more suited to A,B, and the rest of the alphabet too!” I know some of you are upset about it, and I understand why.

But here’s the kicker. Harrison Butker isn’t saying anything new. Your priests, pastors, preachers, and pulpiteers have probably been saying this same thing for years. Some do it in back rooms. Others say it directly from the lectern. Worse yet, is that it’s not just church. Prime minister and presidents can also think this way,

I did find it a bit curious that Butker encouraged the graduates to move to a place where a traditional Latin Mass was readily available. I would like to adapt this message to you, dear friends and readers, not that you attend a church in a foreign language, but that if the place where you attend worship service is not life-affirming, that you find a place that is.

I don’t care if that place is a traditional Latin mass or a non-denominational gathering at a community center. Find a house of worship that works for you, a place where you can experience God and community. Unlike Mr. Butker, I don’t believe we’re living in a post-God world. But like the kicker said to graduates, you were made for this!