“To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of men.” ― Ella Wheeler Wilcox

On Sunday Morning, I was visiting a congregation just outside of Portland to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ. As I had spent the previous 4 days in mourning, confusion, and even anger, the weight of preaching in this time and space was not lost on me. The struggle of preaching to a potentially diverse body in the wake of the election and also the balance to make sure I didn’t get “partisan” but still addressed the social justice message of Christ, weighed heavily on me as I prepared and experienced my own depth of sadness, loss, and fear. My concerns about the message I was to bring started to dissipate though as the congregation began to sing “We Shall Overcome”. I am so proud that this protest song that has served as an anthem for the African-American civil rights movement is also in the Community of Christ hymnal. My Sunday Morning ended up serving as a great foundation for what I was to experience later that day.  Continue reading →