By Rev. Jane Smith at Channing Memorial Church in Ellicott City,  Md. “It was the first time she was part of a community who held her in loving embrace for exactly who she was – all of who she was. Including her addiction. She was given the opportunity to share her story and hear from others. And this acceptance – this led…

By the Rev. Jane Smith at Channing Memorial Church in Ellicott City, Md. “Today we engage with those who do not find the holy in the ornate but instead who find the holy in the suffering. In the marginalized. Today we learn about Liberation Theology – a theology with Christian roots, created by those suffering from oppression. Partnered with this is Womanist…

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for justice and freedom for all in his work in the civil rights movement. He imagined a nonviolent revolution – a revolution that required active resistance, not passivity. That worked to convert, not defeat; that served to be against evil, not against persons; that respected the dignity of each person. As we reflect on the…

Today we honor the ancient pagan celebration of winter solstice – the longest night of the year, when the darkness of winter begins to fade away as the days slowly become longer again. While there is this inherent contrast between metaphors and images of dark and light, the two complement each other, each with their own place in spiritual wholeness. When we…