When we hear the name Montessori, we probably think of hippy parents with children running wild. The questions I’ve heard from many parents when considering how to start their children in school are usually around command and control: Don’t they need to learn discipline? How will I get them to listen to me? How will I get them to do …
The Feast Day of St. Francis
I’m not sure there is a more beloved saint than St. Francis in all of Christendom. Even Protestants revere him. What’s not to like? He preaches to birds, for Christ’s sake. So every year, churches all over the world honor St. Francis by having a “Blessing of the Animals” service. It’s the one day a year that most churches allow …
St. John Henry Faulk
I have listened to David Marquis wax nostalgic about John Henry Faulk for years, so it was a joy this past Sunday to honor David’s friend and mentor as a saint of Church in the Cliff. By the time we reach All Saints Day this year, we will have canonized twenty people. I daresay none will have received such a …
St. Marsha P. Johnson
St. Marsha P. Johnson was a panhandler, a hustler, a drag queen, an activist, and a saint. Born Malcolm Michaels in Elizabeth, New Jersey on August 24, 1945, she was told by her mother on coming out that she was “lower than a dog.” As soon as she graduated high school, she, like other queer youth in 1963, moved to …
The Holy Ones
Growing up a in an evangelical tradition, our focus was always on conversion, getting people saved. It was understood as a one-time, all-or-nothing event. There was always some discussion of what came after, but it was a little muddled. That one event made us a new creature, casting aside the concerns of the flesh. However, I was not alone in …
On Labor Day, Money and Millennials
This past Sunday, we talked about money. I thought it would be awkward, but, as I should have expected, everyone was generous and kind. If anyone is considering whether to come to Church in the Cliff and wondering what kind of place it is, I’m proud to say that’s it: generous and kind. The reason we were talking about …
Floodwater Utopia: No Place for Beloved Community
Matthew 25 gives us an image of the Gospel: a person shows up at your door in need and you serve that need. It sounds simple, but it requires you to look directly into the eyes of the other and find compassion. It would seem, in the wake of tragedies like Hurricane Harvey, that it has become on earth as …
In Which Scott Keeps Digging
During the conversation on Sunday, my friend and mentor, Jann Aldredge-Clanton, raised an important point. She said that she enjoyed my sermon on the birth of Moses and the courageous actions of the women who made his existence possible, and she thought that it was a message that needed to be given to a wider audience. However, she was concerned …
Nevertheless, She(s) Resisted
Our Scripture today brings us, perhaps, one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. It’s not just this story, but the broader story of which this is just the beginning. The story of the Exodus is the defining narrative of the Jewish people. It is a story of liberation and hope. A story of trials and tribulations. It is …
The Good Samaritan
Our friend and scholar Lindsey Mosher Trozzo lead worship this past weekend, as Scott was on vacation. She was kind enough to provide a summary of the conversation for this week’s blog. Scott was sad to miss it and heard that Lindsey “killed it.” Thank you, Lindsey! Sunday we looked at the Story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. …