WARNING: In this sermon, I challenge the idea of penal substitutionary atonement and present a non-violent way to view the crucifixion. In traditional seminary experiences, students are often taught the different ways cultures and denominations view the crucifixion, but that's not something everyone is familiar with. So before you listen to this, just know this may rearrange the furniture in in your head and spiritual belief system. If you would like more resources as you explore this idea, please check out the links at the bottom of this sermon!
Read MoreA decolonial reading of this text, therefore, challenges us to recover and reclaim the forgotten lives in the text and the context. A recovery of these forgotten lives is by ‘hearing to speech’ their voices, which is an affirmation of their existence in society.
Read MoreOn this sixth Sunday of Eastertide, Pastor Erin guides us through John 17:1-11. Jesus is departing his disciples giving them the task of continuing his work of liberation and continuing his politics of a non-violent way of resistance to oppression and corrupt government.
Read MoreA Recap of my trip to the Faith In Action Faith Forum February 2022 in Washington, D.C.
I also had the opportunity to share a reflection at the Corazón AZ Rise + Vote Town Hall meeting and a few people asked me for a copy. The audio is a recording of that event!
Read More“Truthsgiving, coined by Indigenous activist Christine Nobiss is meant to dismantle common misunderstandings about Thanksgiving with...well, the truth. Some say Thanksgiving is celebrated at the expense of Native peoples, and while America celebrates a day of thanks with feasts and football, many Native Americans continue to live with disparities and economic hardships…”
Read MoreWe're on week 7 of our journey through the work of Oscar Romero and the way he preached the Good News of Jesus among the poor and oppressed of El Salvador. In this episode, we reflect on Romero's homily from April 9, 1978 and are guided through Luke 24:13-35 as we discuss the importance of pushing back on the line of tolerance for White Supremacy.
Read MoreWe're on week 4 of our journey through the work of Oscar Romero and the way he preached the Good News of Jesus among the poor and oppressed of El Salvador. In this episode, we reflect on Romero's homily from February 24, 1980, and are guided through Isaiah 43:14-21. God has always been in the business of liberation and tearing down systems of oppression. Can you see what God is up to today? Can you see the story He is telling? Will you join Him in the work of liberation?
Read MoreWhat Oscar Romero had hoped for the Salvadorian people is that those in power would see and understand that, like the earth, we are one people and belong to one another. And like Jesus, have empathy for our country’s most vulnerable (the poor). Romero wanted his listeners to see that as God’s good creation we are responsible for our neighbors. So, to bring harm to someone else is actually bringing harm to ourselves.
Read MoreJesus, Howard Thurman, and MLK all lived in contradiction to the world they were living in. We must also do so if we want to create spaces of peace for communal flourishing. BUT…it starts with a seed in a greenhouse. I could think of no better way to gift the world with who I am than by sharing this message I gave last Sunday called The Greenhouse Contradiction. It strongly represents who I am as a pastor and the community we are growing @kaleophx.
Read MoreWhat is the language of a decolonized faith? How do I marry my faith with my desire to see social and political change? Where is Jesus in relationship to the oppressed and marginalized?
I had the opportunity to share a reflection at the Corazón AZ Rise + Vote Town Hall meeting and a few people asked me for a copy. Below is a transcript!
Read MoreOn the weekend of MLK Day, my husband and I had the privilege of having dinner with one of our city’s matriarchs, Linda Morris, and this sermon was inspired by her. Click here for a recording from that gathering and a transcript of my message notes.
Read MoreAt the beginning of the fall semester, “Millions of people watched a disagreement between pairs of students at Arizona State University that was captured on video, with the clip showing two white male students getting asked to leave a multicultural space. Groups of ASU students have advocated for multicultural spaces on campus for several years to provide an area for students of color, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ students and others to meet and discuss issues.” In this episode, Erin Dooley and Ericka Vaughn Byrne sit down to talk through their reaction to the ASU Multi-cultural Space video.
Read MoreThe coming of the birth of Jesus was indeed a threat to political power, authority, and rule. But to those experiencing oppression, the coming of Jesus was a gift of hope and liberation.
Read MoreAfter the heavy week of Julius Jones, Kyle Rittenhouse, and ASU Multi-cultural center, I spoke at Kaleo Phx on Sunday, November 21, 2021. This is a recording from that gathering and below is a transcript of my message notes.
Read MoreI've been doing therapy for a year as of July 18th, 2020. Wow. I can't believe it's been a year.
Read MoreIT ALL STARTED WHEN…I had my good friend, Vanessa, in town from Philly. While she was in town it had just come out in the news that they had the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the country...
Read MoreIn this episode, I sit down with Ubani Ukuku and talk about Black women in America, the importance of voting, the upcoming election, and all the amazing things she's doing through her justice coaching program (of which, I'm proud to say, I will be going through myself in January 2021). Black women have a unique vantage point when it comes to how the systems work and how we can reimagine a better future. Listen and learn from the best of the best — Ubani Ukuku.
Read MoreTana Padilla is the FIRST Christian white woman I have ever met personally that is actively fighting for racial justice and advocating for black and brown people. In this episode, we discuss the hard truths of racism in the church and what it takes to see racial reconciliation.
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