Here’s a Prayer for all those who collapse at the end Who are just holding it together Somehow Til the end of the Day And then lose it When they get in the door Or are asked to do a thing Or have to leave their comfort zone/thing/activity Here are for those for whom the “Simple” tasks are not easy Socializing Being Organized Paying Attention Meeting People’s Eyes Going Outside Sensory Overload New Things Exposure All the Things the one has to Weather Here is a prayer for those whose bodies react with twitches, or sleep disturbance, or accidents migraines or other body aches This is a prayer fo ..read more

Corky Lee was an ABC, American born Chinese, a photographer and activist, for whom art and activism was one and the same, whose camera’s eyes gave witness to the nuanced and diverse Asian Americans, who said of himself “I’m ABC from NYC … wielding a camera to slay injustices against AAPs.” Corky grew up on the streets of Flushing, NY, where I navigated my own childhood. Ken Chen, a journalist himself had a lunch interview with Corky in a Chinese restaurant in Flushing. Ken expected Corky, who knew those streets, to recommend a dish. Instead, Corky asked Ken for a recommendation ..read more

Bob As we seek to be a Matthew 25 community, both locally and globally, we recognize that racism and white supremacy are international projects which have been centuries in the making and which require a “full court press” to nullify and destroy these death-dealing ideologies, disarming these powers and principalities. Bob and Kristi Rice As Kristi and I have participated in Healing Hearts Transforming Nations (HHTN), a healing and reconciliation ministry in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now South Sudan, we have learned the power of “Identificational Repentance,” or “Standing ..read more

Hello Presbyterian Interwebs,  I’m reporting to you live from my toilet, where I sit, hunched over a pregnancy test, attempting to will a positive result into existence via telekinesis.   (It’s not working.)  I’ve been here before. Telekinesis is just the latest failed tactic I have employed in my fertility journey so far.    The journey started over three years ago when, at 30, I proudly asked my gynecologist to remove my (trusty) IUD. I, a responsible multi-racial, indigenous millennial woman, had entered adulthood sans a baby out of wedlock. I was triumphant. I ..read more

On April 13th -15th in Charlotte, NC, a cadre of Black Presbyterian clergywomen and PCUSA staff gathered—not only to take part in the celebration of and a series of workshops for Black women—but to have a meeting in dialogue about the issues, concerns, and challenges of Black Presbyterian clergywomen. Conference attendees worshipped and attended a series of workshops, sunrise yoga, and 39 plenaries over three days, as Black Presbyterian woman leaders met to embrace, inquire, question, and prophetically call out their struggles as Black female religious leaders. As the only Black heterosexual m ..read more

The 2023 Spring Conference of The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership was extraordinary. It was meaningful to connect, worship, and learn with those I already knew from the PCUSA and to meet new womxn from other denominations! This was the opportunity that I had been waiting for, a chance to immerse myself in Womanist thinking with those who are leaders in the field. Not only will this experience be reflected in my personal life and ministry service but it will also help as I work on my Doctor of Ministry Thesis Project: Remember Who You Are! How Clergy and Christian Leaders Ca ..read more

A few weeks ago, on one of the most beautiful afternoons we’ve had so far this spring, I drove a few miles up the highway to meet a colleague, who is also a dear soul friend. Interstate-81 notwithstanding, it was a gorgeous drive, throughout which I gave thanks for both the beauty of this piece of Virginia I call home, and the joy of meeting with my clergy friend, who serves outside of DC. The icing on the cake was listening to a series of episodes of the podcast “Welcome to the Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast.”(1) I could feel my breath deepening, my pulse slowing, and feel-good ..read more

This poem was originally written and performed as part of PMA’s 2023 Vision Convocation. You can learn more about red-tagging and the experience that inspired Cathy’s poem here.  This banner is an act of red-tagging. It shows Cathy’s face with a demand to leave the country. You want the 411 Here’s the 411   You say that I am red –   You know what’s red   My lips are red Red is my lipstick My painted toes are red My menstrual blood is red   But I am not red   What do you want people to read on my garage?   Read that I am a terrorist Read that I am a communis ..read more

When the Korean Presbyterian Church of Boston Started Its Story of 70 years With the Stories of Native Americans. When a Korean-American church celebrates its 70th year anniversary by opening with a Native American (Elona Street-Stewart – co-moderator of the 224th General Assembly) telling the story of her people in Turtle Island thousands of year before it became United States, the destruction that came with Christian Mission in Turtle Island, and the impossible gospel-bloom from the dust – (the storyteller is a Christian Native American!) — the lens you wore to see the world gets knocked of ..read more

Right now, everyone is simultaneously the youngest we’ll ever be, and the oldest we have ever been. With every moment that passes we are both welcomed into a new, youthful experience, as well as congratulated for making it this far with only a few bumps and bruises. That’s crazy! As a 26-year-old woman, this feels exciting and daunting. I am a non-traditional student completing my undergraduate degree. I started at 25. I have no regrets in waiting, because I was not ready for the commitment and discipline college requires when I was 18. Now I enjoy school, homework, and getting involved, which ..read more