*thin places: a Celtic term for those places where the division between earth and heaven collapse, where we can contemplate and experience the divine in the midst of our lived experiences. and so is this. I went to college in Baltimore, and some of my friends still live there. My friends seeContinue reading “What if Oakland is one of the thin places?*”
Category Archives: religion
On Disciples of Christ Resolution No. 0319 (Sense-of-th e-Assembly), “ON ASSURING CIVIL LIBERTIES AND EQUAL JUSTICE TO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES”
Martha stood all of 4’11”. This was twelve years back, but she already trembled slightly with age. I was in my 20s and prone to histrionics which looked like righteous indignation to the casual observer. Well, I was in my 20s and more prone to histrionics which may have been righteous indignation inContinue reading “On Disciples of Christ Resolution No. 0319 (Sense-of-th e-Assembly), “ON ASSURING CIVIL LIBERTIES AND EQUAL JUSTICE TO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES””
Sibling rivalry–hiccups in my ordination process and being a pain-in-the-butt sister
The great thing about hanging out with people who think just like you is that you don’t have to think about the people who don’t think just like you. The problem with hanging out with people who think just like you is that you forget that other people don’t think just like you. The intersectionContinue reading “Sibling rivalry–hiccups in my ordination process and being a pain-in-the-butt sister”
“Many men have loved Ella.” The silence-shame binary; can clergy move past it?
This new year I got to hang out with one of my best friends. He’s known to be a wee bit judgmental (said the pot of the kettle). I mentioned a friend of mine/acquaintance of his in passing, a friend who is active in the church and not particularly quiet about her active sexual history.Continue reading ““Many men have loved Ella.” The silence-shame binary; can clergy move past it?”
The liberal church and the front lines–where are we?
Duck Dynasty, the Nation of Islam and the failure of liberal Christianity A good evangelical friend of mine predicted that I would fail at growing First Christian Church of Oakland not long after I started pastoring there. I told her about what kind people were there, and about their racial diversity and their openness toContinue reading “The liberal church and the front lines–where are we?”
Dancing in my panties—a girl pastor’s commitment to helping the next generation see themselves better than she did
I danced around the kitchen in my underwear the other day. The blinds were up and I bet the cars driving by my apartment on the 980 had a fabulous view of me in my underwear as the music blared over the sound of my dishwasher (I wasn’t inviting voyeurism; it was a long overdueContinue reading “Dancing in my panties—a girl pastor’s commitment to helping the next generation see themselves better than she did”
A pastor, a reluctant prophet, and someone who doesn’t want to be a trope walk down the street. (On letting go of pastoral identity for the health of the community and how the community may not love you for it)
I was walking down the street a week ago, when I passed a woman on the sidewalk. In retrospect, I’m impressed the ground did not crack beneath me; people a mile away who were having a perfectly pleasant day in that moment thought, “Woah! Why do I feel so totally bummed all of a sudden?”Continue reading “A pastor, a reluctant prophet, and someone who doesn’t want to be a trope walk down the street. (On letting go of pastoral identity for the health of the community and how the community may not love you for it)”
Sermons from days long ago
Someone recently told me I have a bunch of sermons on youtube, so I thought I’d provide links to them in case you’re interested in my liberation-lite preaching. There are also a couple of audio links and a few sermon manuscripts (go figure!) Unless otherwise specified, these were preached at First Christian Church of Oakland.
On cruising and colonialism and Christian ideas of community
I’ve learned a few things on my cruise of Greece and Turkey so far: 1) Much of the area that we call Athens is actually 43 distinct municipalities. 2) The national drink of Turkey is Raki (thus confirming the argument my parents’ Libyan friend in the 1960s consistently made that the Q’uran prohibits getting intoxicated,Continue reading “On cruising and colonialism and Christian ideas of community”
Warning to Jesus, Paul and the socially conscious Christian: Your religion’s fine until you start messing with our business
A hot sun shines down on the port town of Kucadasi in Turkey today. A thriving city on the Asian side of the country, Kucadasi was well below ocean level 2,000 years ago, when the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, at 250,000 people, was one of the biggest cities in the Roman empire. One of thoseContinue reading “Warning to Jesus, Paul and the socially conscious Christian: Your religion’s fine until you start messing with our business”
Sandhya Rani Jha 