DEAR CHURCH,

A Blog

Modern-day versions of Paul's letters to the churches with a focus on racial and social justice.

Dear Church, Open Your Eyes to Racism

By Kathleen Hart | April 4, 2023

Dear Church,  I write to you to admit my own blindness as a white woman to our history of racism and the harm that has been done and continues to…

Dear Church, I Write to Share a Recipe for Gumbo!

By Jonathan C. Augustine | July 21, 2022

Dear Church,  Given America’s polarized divisions, it’s time to make gumbo!    As a proud native of New Orleans, I have absolutely no reservation in sharing that gumbo is my favorite…

Close-up of a man with his hand cupped around his ear to hear better.

Dear Church, I Can’t Hear You

By Antwan Steele | September 10, 2021

Dear Church, Hello! Are you there? A social awakening is happening outside the walls of your well-constructed edifices. Do you not see it?  Your people are hungry for change, yet…

A gate or cell door illuminated by a sunbeam.

Dear Church, Injustice Incurs Judgment

By Daniel Morrison | July 24, 2021

The sin of injustice has marred the history of the United States of America. The blood spilled from the bodies of people of color, the blood of men, women, and children, and the blood of the poor and weak have for centuries cried out for justice from this country’s soil. The genocide of Manifest Destiny, the horror of the Atlantic slave trade, the fires of Tulsa, the tragedy of Japanese American internment camps, and the lynch mobs of the South all testify against this country. They bear witness to the fact that this country—this empire—has grown and flourished through the exercise of injustice. The testimony of the Christian Scriptures affirms that injustice incurs judgment.

Hands raised in prayer in the background, a thumbprint and cross in the foreground.

Dear Church, Reconcilers Have to Reconcile!

By Reagan Chaney | May 7, 2021

For many years I believed my hope and my identity depended on how hard I worked for the body of Christ. But not in the 1 Corinthians 12-way, one body…

The American flag and a cross on a sunny day.

Dear Church, God Bless America

By Jay Hogewood | January 31, 2021

Unclench your fists. Hold out your hands. Take mine. Let us hold each other. Thus is God’s Glory Manifest. “Epiphany,” Madeleine L’Engle Dear Church,  God bless America? Really?  Tragically, our…

Man sitting cross-legged on rocks jutting out of the ocean.

Dear Church, Rest with Jesus

By Ethan Asters | October 28, 2020

Dear Church,  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a…

Person walking in the snow, with snowflakes clinging to their hair and coat.

Dear Church, I’ve Been Avoiding This Conversation With You

By Briayna Cuffie | September 30, 2020

Dear Church, I separated myself from you in late 2012. Until this summer, I had not stepped foot in my home church since November of 2013. I jokingly state that…

Dear Church, The 2020 Census will have a lasting Impact

By Allison Plyer | August 31, 2020

Dear Church,  By now you’ve heard that the 2020 Census will determine how much federal funding each community will get for healthcare, schools, housing, food assistance, and so much more.…

Newsletter example

Signup

Join the conversation

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Asset 7speech-bubbles
Asset 15speech-bubbles