Faith and Justice Update | October 2023
From Lavish Love to Queering the Inward Journey
October 2023
God is a lavish lover. All that God offers humanity is done with tantalizing sweetness and tenderness that seeks above all else to woo a fallen creation back to God’s self.
––Rev. Adriene Thorne
If it's going to be a long ride, it helps to have a sweet companion. So it is in life, and so it is in the spiritual life. While it has been our custom each year to reflect on spirituality as a long road, it has been helpful over the past month to combine our reflections on the long journey of spirituality with a focus on God as lavish lover. Some of us are unaccustomed to thinking of God in this way. As we lean into uncomfortable topics, however, it has led to riveting conversations, new ways of relating to God, and––we hope––increased fortitude for the road ahead.
In the coming month, we will be learning about how queer theology disrupts our preoccupations with health and flourishing, encouraging us to embrace aspects of life we would much rather rush past or gloss over. It is a path of paying close and loving attention that we trust will lead us deeper into what one of our texts calls "the tragedy of bodied existence." We will be learning that queer theology, with its strange, unexpected openness to the futility and fragility of life, can be a surprising resource for a world filled with so much tragedy.
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Mini-Gathering: Queerness and the Way of Jesus (Nov 4)
Join us for in-person or streaming sessions with Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort and Rev. Tonetta Landis-Aina as we continue the fall season on Spiritual Theology: The Way of Jesus. They will be in conversation with Peter Choi to help enlarge our imaginations of Jesus, reminding us of the ways queerness and the way of Jesus intersect.
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November: Queering the Inward Journey
What if we spent less time obsessing over perfection and the illusory, exhausting dream of plenitude? And more time embracing our frailties? What if we were more honest about our finitude and the futility of many of our days? These are some of the unexpected questions queer theology raises for us – in addition to the more expected ones like, What is queer? What is queer theology? What does queering theology mean?
Throughout November, reflecting on these questions will guide us deeper into the inward journey of spirituality.
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Save the Date! New Prayers for a New World: Jan. 26-27 in San Francisco
Join us for a rich, creative, and restorative time of imagining and uttering new prayers to step faithfully into the future. We are thrilled to have Cole Arthur Riley (writer, liturgist) as our keynote speaker, talking about her upcoming book, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human (anticipated January 16, 2024). And Kinship Commons will be leading our times of worship and prayer. More speakers will be announced soon.
Registration will open in early November, with options for both in-person and virtual participation. We hope to see you on January 26-27, 2024, in San Francisco!
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ICYMI: Recent Highlights
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The Faith and Justice Network
Seeking Faith, Learning Justice
Dear Friends of Faith and Justice, In a year filled with so many reminders of our world‘s need for more faith and justice, we took time as a team to reflect on our work in the world. This process led to a refined vision and mission, which we are excited to share with you now! We trust you‘ll see how this renewed clarity guided our activities over the past year and is now shaping our sense of the work that lies ahead. Our Work in 2025 F&J Fellowship and Network: At the heart of our community...
November 2025 Honoring Our Pasts, Embracing New Futures Community Reflections on In My Grandmother's House While our November theme is The Inward Journey, the guidance of Rev. Dr. Pierce reminded us that inner work is never an individual endeavor. We are each a unique reflection of the Divine image of Love, shaped within the intricate networks of our families, communities, and churches of origin. Rev. Dr. Yolanda Pierce speaking at our Fall Gathering As we enter a season of celebration, one...
October 2025 Choosing Love in a Fragile World Community Reflections on Good Soil In reading Jeff Chu’s book and digesting his remarks from our Fall Gathering, a theme emerged: choosing love. Click to watch Jeff Chu's talks from our Fall Gathering Love, as Jeff reminds us, is not a feeling—it’s a deliberate, often difficult, choice. And love is not separate from faith and justice—it’s foundational. In both his book and our live conversation with his Farminary professor, Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy...