Row On, Row On! | No Kings Oct 18 Friends! The best thing about being home is getting my eating and exercise routines back into the schedule. I love travel, but the structure of exercise in the morning, four meals a day, jelly beans here and there, that feels like home to me. Oh, and Ken is here with me! Today is part two of how we can care for people who are poor. -Liz Advanced Care for Poor People Many churches are making a much bigger difference than that of small give away programs. All...
1 day ago • 2 min read
Five Loaves, Two Fish | Mary Gauthier: Mercy Now Hello Friends, I'm enjoying being back in the routines of home and work. And loving my memories of the Wild Goose Festival. I did a workshop on Wealth and Poverty--essentially telling, and hearing, what are some things that churches can do to address poverty. I'm expanding on that here with three upcoming articles. The first, today, is about the simple things to do, and ways you might expand those ministries. The second, next Monday, is harder...
6 days ago • 2 min read
Do What Must be Done (song) | Naked Pastor Artwork | Hello Reader, I'm home for six whole weeks! Whew. I love travel. And after travel I really love home. And to top it off, my niece came to visit so we could play strategy games. And I even won one (out of many). -Liz Who is Lost? At United Congregational Church in Worcester, MA they imagined a new understanding of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-10). It has been common to think of the sheep that gets lost as blame-worthy: it lost its way, it...
9 days ago • 3 min read
Welcome! Below is the introduction to Act! Be Church Now, which started in March 2025. I'm glad you are joining us. You can respond to any newsletter by replying to the email. I'd love to know your reactions, or hear stories of what your congregation is doing. The Newsletter will arrive in your inbox on Mondays and Thursdays around 5:35am Eastern Time. Thanks for reading, -Liz Introduction to Act! Be Church Now Be Church Now! Today, this week, this month, this year. Now is our chance to be...
9 days ago • 3 min read
Storytelling | Gettysburg Address Friends, I love travel. And I'm ready to be home. In my meeting with EDS staff we imagined how to change the world. At Wild Goose we lived in a changed world for few days. Now the real world is close and I'm trying to tell the story that God's Kingdom, God's Kin-dom where we all are family to each other, is really nearby. -Liz The Kingdom of God is at Hand Imagine that the Kingdom is at hand. Almost here. Okay, it is pretty hard right now to imagine God's...
13 days ago • 3 min read
Labor Day's Origin | Waging Non-Violence Ken and I are on the road, heading back from Wild Goose Festival. It was inspiring, exciting, faith-filled, and exhausting. Also, for the first time ever, cool! (Well North Carolina cool: high of 81º, but evenings in the 60s.) I come home with much to write about, much to celebrate. Also, I'm not very good at selling myself, even when I have a booth. Do I need to hire a publicist? -Liz Systemic Love Labor Day was created by Grover Cleveland June 28,...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Spiritual Neighboring | Learning Theological Analysis Traveling, traveling, traveling! I've finished up with Episcopal Divinity School's staff meeting, now on to the Wild Goose Festival. But today, lots of flying! -Liz Pastoral Care for Healthy People To be a church involved in the resistance, our leaders need a strong spiritual foundation. To be a church reaching out to the community, our leaders need a strong spiritual foundation. Or maybe it is this: to be a church our leaders need a...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Labor Day | We Shall Not Be Moved I've just finished up a weekend of pure touristy relaxation. We all need these breaks. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is chilly a beautiful. The power of the great lakes invokes the vastness of God. Most importantly, my friends Steve and Dave are perfect friends for solving all the problems of the church. Rest assured we have it all worked out. We did not, however, overcome all of our fears. Perhaps next vacation. -Liz Do Not Fear I teach active bystander...
23 days ago • 3 min read
About preaching | Songs of Change I am healthy again just in time to head to Marquette, MI for a leadership retreat with the staff at Episcopal Divinity School. I'm going early to do tourist activities. I packed my bathing suit but I can't imagine getting into the very cold great lakes! LOL. -Liz Getting Started I was a gathering recently where a pastor wondered how to get started on justice issues with a church that had never addressed such issues before. I also have a friend, lay, who is...
27 days ago • 4 min read
Repairers of the Breach | Plan for Labor Day After a wonderful start to my new job I am down with Covid! It has not been too bad - 48 hours of a bad cold, and a serious headache, followed by quick and steady recovery. Thank you Paxlovid. Thank you science. Despite our serious attempts to keep Ken safe, he has tested positive now too. No symptoms; we can hope that stays true. Stay healthy! -Liz Resisting Despair I said just two weeks ago that this is not the worst time ever, and I stand by...
30 days ago • 3 min read