Posts by pwsbuilder
A Reflection On The Recent Shootings In Charleston
As a pastor of a prominently African American Church, the recent shootings that took place in Mother Emanuel, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the South, continue to remind us that racism is alive, screaming and kicking. According to a survivor, the shooter said, “You rape our women and are taking over our…
Read MoreThe Path To Fatherhood
As I stand in the shower, the water hits my face and I start to cry. I don’t know if it’s being in the enclosed space or the fact that I’m naked and free from the trappings of a “good, capable, and confident person.” Maybe it’s because the water can immediately wash the tears away.…
Read MoreLifting Up Prayers For The Black Community Following Charleston Massacre
Late on Wednesday evening a white gunman fatally shot nine black people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina before fleeing the scene and evading local police. Anti-black violence in places of worship is nothing new. The most infamous of these attacks was the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist…
Read MoreDiscovering Abby & Becoming Myself
It was the day after Thanksgiving 2006. My entire extended family had gathered at my brother’s “cabin” on the banks of the South Fork of the Snake River for a traditional turkey dinner the day before. My mother and step-dad went home to Pocatello after dinner, but the rest of us stayed overnight, sleeping on…
Read MoreTwo Stains On Our Nation As Anti-LGBT Bills Pass In Michigan & North Carolina
As the country awaits a decision from the Supreme Court on marriage equality, anti-LGBT forces who want to use religion to allow discrimination have pushed bills through in Michigan and North Carolina. Both North Carolina’s marriage refusal bill SB 2 and Michigan’s adoption refusal House Bills 4188, 4189 and 4190 have gotten final approval and are about…
Read MoreRemembering Mario Cooper
The email took me by surprise. Sean Strub, the founder of POZ magazine, asked if I would write a few words about our friend Mario Cooper. “What happened to Mario?” I wrote back obliviously. Before Sean had time to respond, I called my friends Maurice Franklin and Phill Wilson and found out for myself. Our…
Read MoreWhen God Met Me On The Bridge
Often times we think that we have to walk into the sanctuary, sit two rows back from the altar and just wait for our “aha” moment to realize what our purpose is, but that isn’t always the case. On March 5, 2015, I loaded two overly packed suitcases into one of three vans and headed…
Read MoreWhere Have All the Black Men Gone?
A few weeks ago I was stunned by a front page New York Times article headlined, “1.5 Million Black Men, Missing from Daily Life.” As troubling as the recent deaths of young black men at the hands of law enforcement have been, they serve as tragic examples of a larger trend of our own “disappeared,”…
Read MoreTony Campolo Calls For Full Acceptance Of Gay & Lesbian Christians Into The Church
On Monday, Dr. Tony Campolo, well known evangelical activist, educator, speaker, and founder of Red Letter Christians released a statement on his blog announcing his official change of heart and mind on inclusion of gay couples in the church. In the statement he says: While I have always tried to communicate grace and understanding to people on both sides of…
Read MoreThe Price Of Authenticity
They say freedom isn’t free. This is something I know very well. Authenticity is also not free. Lack of authenticity has its cost, as well. The price of authenticity is often added to the cost of living inauthentically and the burden is carried by everyone whose life touches any human being for whom the struggle…
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