Preaching During Crisis: Igniting Pastoral Imagination in the Face of Fatigue, Injustice and Collective Trauma

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We gathered preaching colleagues from across the country for a critical conversation on theological frames and homiletical strategies during these unprecedented and compounding crises: pandemic, racial injustice, economic fallout and escalating pastoral care needs. On June 17, 2020 the Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime, Director of Religion and Civic Engagement at Odyssey Impact and Rev. Peter M. Wallace President and Executive Producer Day1.org led a panel of preaching colleagues whose wide-ranging experiences in responding to these crises inspire healing, transformation and hope.

It's important that those of us who are going to be challenging our congregations, whether they're black or white, we have to begin to ask, how does a great God show love to an oppressed people?

Resources to help lead congregations, communities and classroom discussion on topics related to homiletics and Collective Trauma.

To help you in your work, please review the video excerpts of the intimate conversation, curated by Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, along with brief expert reflections, discussion questions and suggested additional resources.

Preaching to Communities of Color,
Preaching to Whites

Curated Video Clip #1

Duration [5:19]

Preaching Biblically that
Black Lives Matter

Curated Video Clip #2

Duration [6:43]

Asking Questions, Rather than
Being the Answer Person

Curated Video Clip #3

Duration [5:18]

Naming Racism without “WhiteSplaining,”
and Hope for the People of God

Curated Video Clip #4

Duration [8:48]

Expert Reflection and Discussion Guide

We hope that the accompanying written resources will support you in your work while leading your congregations and in educational settings during this time. We have heard from our wider network that these “bite-sized” resources are ideal for clergy cohort groups, deacon/congregational care teams, seminary education modules, and general faith leader edification and support.

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel

For these curated video clips and written resources, we are grateful to Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and author of Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully about Racism.

Prophetic work is hard.

Panel Moderators:

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime

Director of Religion and Civic Engagement
Odyssey Impact

Rev. Peter M. Wallace

President and Executive Producer
Day1.org

Panelists:

Rev. Matt Fitzgerald

Senior Pastor
Saint Pauls United Church of Christ
Chicago, IL

Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr.

Senior Pastor Emeritus
Riverside Church
New York

Founder
Healing of the Nations Foundation
North Carolina

Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis, Ph.D.

Senior Minister
Public Theology and Transformation
Middle Collegiate Church

New York

Rev. Mandy Sloan McDow

Senior Minister
Los Angeles First United Methodist Church
Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart

Senior Pastor
Christ Missionary Baptist Church
Memphis, TN

Special thanks to our Co-Presenting Partners on this Live Town Hall:

The information contained on this website is drawn from a variety of sources about mental illness; however it is not a comprehensive study and the information is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool. While through this website you are able to link to other websites, each website is independently operated and is responsible for the information contained on their site. We encourage anyone who thinks they may have a mental illness problem to seek out a qualified professional.

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