Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Four Voices of hope & change

This past Sunday evening at the Contemplative Eucharist at Grace Cathedral I spoke about three voices that have been influencing my thoughts, dreams and work over the past few weeks. I'm adding a fourth to this blog post. Here we go.

The work and life of Elizabeth O'Connor

Phyllis Tickle's new book The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing & Why

Elizabeth Lesser's Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow in particular what she calls the Phoenix Process

Diana Butler Bass' latest A People's History of Christianity

Each of these voices speak to the challenges and opportunities of changing times. Please check them out and pass them on.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

homelessness & community in SF

Last week, I visited the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society's Polk Street: Lives in Transition exhibit, which chronicles the complex lives and circumstances of those who seek and have sought comfort, acceptance, hope and a home in the Polk Street & Tenderloin neighborhoods through the years. You can learn more about the exhibit here, and in this week's Guardian read a story about a few of the people whose stories are shared in the exhibit. One of those people is my friend and San Francisco clergy colleague, the Reverend Megan Rohrer. Megan is an important part of today's Polk Street area and through the Welcome Ministry is seeking to respond to poverty in San Francisco one person, one sidewalk at a time. The Human Rights Campaign shares some of Megan's inspiring story here.