4th Sunday in Advent with Bonhoeffer
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
INCARNATION
On December 21, 1930, the 24 year old pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached to a German-speaking church in Havana, Cuba. Nearly 100 years later, his words speak to our hearts:
“Mighty God” is the name of this child, the child in the manger who is none other than God himself. Nothing greater can be said: God became a child. In the Jesus child of Mary lives the almighty God.
Wait a minute! Don’t speak; stop thinking! Stand still before this statement! God became a child! Here Jesus is: poor like us, miserable and helpless like us, a person of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet he is God; he is might.
Now it is true that in three days, Christmas will come once again. The great transformation will once again happen. God would have it so. Out of the waiting, hoping, longing world, a world will come in which the promise is given. All crying will be stilled. No tears will flow. No lonely sorrow shall afflict us or threaten us anymore…
Can you heed Bonhoeffer’s command to “wait a minute! Don’t speak; stop thinking”?
Take 3 uninterrupted minutes (or more!) to meditate upon this: God became a child! Here Jesus is: poor like us, miserable and helpless like us, a person of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet Jesus is God; he is might.
In three days the “great transformation” will happen again. What images or emotions come up as you read Bonhoeffer’s description of the coming world in which the promise is given?
How might these reflections shift your experience of the days to come?
3rd Sunday in Advent with Bonhoeffer
“Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28
REDEMPTION
In a 1933 Advent sermon, Dietrich Bonhoeffer vividly describes a mine disaster that was currently in the news. Can you imagine yourself inside this story?
The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life is here. It’s no use running into walls; the silence all around him remains…The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive….An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, “Where are you? Help is on the way!” Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, “Here I am, come on through and help me! I’ll hold out until you come! Just come soon!” A final desperate hammer blow, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: “Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Where in your own life or in the world around you is there entrapment and fear? Where are you losing hope?
Enter into prayer now, listening and waiting. Can you hear Jesus calling, “Where are you? Help is on the way!” What do you say in response?
How might the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas bring rescue and release in your situation?
Look up. Raise your head. Hold on. Your redemption is drawing near.
From Perfectionism to Peace this Christmas
a talk given to the Middleburg Bible Study | Karen Wright Marsh | Dec. 5, 2024
A note from Karen: It was a true delight to be with the wonderful women of Middleburg, Virginia, and their Bible study community. I just had to share these words from our time together. May they bring you presence…and peace this Advent!
One week ago today was Thanksgiving….
At this hour last Thursday, we were roasting turkey, mashing potatoes, finishing off the gravy, calling folks to the table -- to give thanks.
Now Christmas is just 20 days away and I’m already getting the question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” Uh, no….There's still a pumpkin on my front step. Students are coming to the Bonhoeffer House tomorrow for our final weekly Theological Horizons lunch and will be arriving to decorate a tree that, if all goes to plan, I will pick up on the way back to Charlottesville today. I hope that I know where to find that box of ornaments.
Here we go – ready or not - headlong into the hap - happiest time of the year.
As I anticipate the 20 Advent days ahead, I’m thinking of four other women – two Marthas and two Marys.
Last weekend I ran into a photo of the first Martha looking flushed and happy – as I sorted through boxes of old books. There she was on the cover of my 1989 edition of Martha Stewart’s Christmas in which she chronicles her own preparations for Christmas, beginning with the mixing of 10 enormous plum puddings the day after Thanksgiving and concluding with a sumptuous Christmas Day dinner. Martha builds wreaths and topiaries, creates cookies, cakes, jellies and jams, paints her own wrapping paper, fills gift baskets with homemade goodies, and makes ornaments to decorate the trees (one in each room of her house, of course). She whips up a croquembouche and then a vat of cassoulet for her annual holiday party, and, after all that, wakes up early on Christmas morning to cook brunch. True to form, Martha has achieved Christmas perfection!
I would never aspire to match the over-the-top-ness of this lifestyle icon Martha Stewart, but part of me does want to try making her gingerbread mansion complete with a gilded roof. Though I know I won’t…Maybe next year I’ll come closer to putting on that perfectly perfect holiday.
In the meantime, sitting on the floor amidst my books, I imagined another woman – a girl, really, and an unexpectedly pregnant one. Mary, just a young teenager.
If you’d asked this Mary, weeks before she was to give birth to Jesus, how she would design her idea of a perfect first ever Christmas - I imagine she would have wished to be safe at home with her mother in Nazareth – or alongside her older cousin Elizabeth, the infant John in her arms: another new mother. Elizabeth, who would comfort her with wise words about the coming labor, and assure Mary that she’d call the midwives when the time came. I am certain that Mary would long to be surrounded by family and friends, people she knew and loved who would welcome Jesus into the family, congratulate Mary on a beautiful son, assure her that Joseph was a good man who would care for them both.
But Mary did not have any kind of perfectly perfect Christmas. No, Mary experienced a very imperfect one.
Forced by the powers of the empire to travel the 90 miles from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea – with Joseph, while she was uncomfortably, heavily pregnant, vulnerable to the dangers of the road – she and Joseph would find, when they arrived at last, that there was no space to be found in any of the guest rooms in the crowded town. Mary would deliver her first baby far from home, surrounded by animals. I wonder: did they even find a midwife in time? Yet ready or not, Mary gave birth and the writer of Luke tells us that she wrapped her firstborn son snugly and laid him in a manger.
For this Mary there were none of Martha Stewart’s grand meals, no gleaming ornaments,no carols ringing.
Yet imperfect as this scene was, extraordinary things unfolded for the little trio: Mary, Joseph and their baby.Don’t you know that even there in that strange place, Mary’s love and tenderness flooded her heart? Their first guests were not beloved family – but were Judean shepherds rushing in from the night fields, simple peasants who’d been dazzled by angels praising God, declaring peace, joyful news to all and --- rough strangers who came in haste to see this blessed Christ child announced from the sky.
There would be more miracles to come… wise men, a blazing star, a hurried escape from a murderous king… But on that Christmas first night, according to the words of, Luke 2:19, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
Other versions say, “Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.”
“Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully.”
A Perfectly perfect Christmas? No. But so much more.
So how have we come so very far – from these quiet moments with Mary, the young mother cradling her baby, deep in quiet reflection, -- to the frenzy of a holiday season that can all feel like too much?
Over Decades upon decades, centuries upon centuries, We have built up a set of expectations – pictures of what Christmas should be – but never is. Idealized, sanitized Nativity scenes of Mary, Joseph and the baby.Happy, harmonious families in matching outfits, extravagant gifts… pure joy for all.Dickens’ Christmas Carol playing yet again - with its happy ending in which Christmases past present and future all resolve in happy generosity and a full table complete with roast goose.
Look: As much as we love Christmas, this is undeniably a difficult time of year. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), almost half of all women and a third of men report increased stress around the holidays. We find ourselves buying gifts for people we don't know that well, traveling to see people we don't like that much, and just generally doing too many things in too little time—feeling like we need to pack in as much as we can. Family conflicts flare up in fresh ways. Many of us experience an intensification of loneliness, busyness, exhaustion, pressure, disappointments. At the end of the day, I don’t blame Martha Stewart for causing this, I really don’t.
Here is My problem with Martha Stewart: She insists that perfection is desirable – and achievable. And don’t we kind of love the idea of perfectly perfect? I think it’s safe to say for us women, our favorite flaw is perfectionism … we’re just a little bit proud when we say to each other, “oh, I can’t help doing all this, I’m just such a perfectionist.” We feel very different about confessing other negative emotions - struggles like jealousy, hypocrisy, a sense of failure. We Perfectionists just want to be too good – and who can find fault with that?
The drive toward Perfectionism is that much more problematic at Christmas, a time when anxiety and sadness is common. Perfectionism sets us up for more acute feelings of letdown when the Christmas we create doesn’t "measure up" to our imagined ideals. Do you know what I mean? I can’t wrangle my kids into matching outfits for a photo for a holiday card to send to all of my gorgeous friends. My relatives are upset because we can’t make the trip to their place on December 25; coming in on the 27th just isn’t good enough. I feel a little lost for reasons I can’t really explain. It’s tough when my bright, shiny ideas don't match reality, even though I’ve given it my all to do more, look better, meet the highest of high expectations.
Who can relieve me of this belief that these shortcomings are all my fault – that there’s something imperfect about me or about those around me – something lacking that needs to be repaired?
The images and promises of Martha Stewart’s Christmas book feed into my own illusions about what life can and should be – and I daresay those false ideas distract me and draw me away from the life God desires for me: a life of contentment and grace and peace.
Jesus speaks directly to me in my struggle - in his kind, compassionate way. Jesus does this by caring for another Martha, that Martha who, from the Bible studies of my youth, was often called out as a perfectionist.
We meet this second Martha – along with her sister, today’s second Mary – in Luke chapter 10. Here is the story: “While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.’”
I’d like to pause right here to say that I feel with Martha. The beloved teacher Jesus has come into town and dropped by with 12 hungry men and suddenly there’s a crowd that needs to be welcomed, refreshed with footwashing, tended to and fed – and soon.
Martha takes her hospitality seriously and I’ll bet she has not had weeks of advance notice to prepare cassoulet or plum puddings. I imagine that she’s just trying desperately to get something presentable onto the table. No wonder she’s irritated to see her sister Mary lounging at Jesus feet, oblivious to her sister’s efforts to meet the needs at hand.
Jesus does not dismiss Martha’s appeal, saying, “Just relax! It’s no big deal!” There’s something more significant in Jesus’ words -something that I’d never really noticed before. Jesus responds to Martha : “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed.” With insight and friendship, Jesus sees Martha’s worry, her distress at many things. I think he intends to ease her mind, to comfort her. “Few things are needed.” He says gently.
In the past I’ve bristled, thinking Jesus was preferring Mary over her sister Martha when he says, “Few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
But can I hear Jesus again, speaking, instead, as a loving invitation to Martha? Few things are needed, Jesus says. I wonder if he went on to say…I’ve travelled far just to be with you, Martha. Let’s not miss this opportunity to truly enjoy one another’s presence. Tonight’s dinner for 15 does not need to meet your highest standards – need not be the best roast lamb, the finest wines, the freshest bread. I know you’re a great cook. If only you will release your idea of a perfectly perfect festive dinner, Martha, I assure you that a simple meal of a few plain dishes will suffice. What could be better than having some time to be together with me – alongside your sister, Mary? I hear Jesus say, I want nothing more than to be present with you, Martha. Jesus loved his friend, Martha; he wisely saw the heart she put into her labors.
I imagine Jesus has compassion for Martha Stewart, too, who, now 83 years old, has suffered a divorce, public envy and criticism, and time in prison, but who has never slowed in her unrelenting drive for success – striving for the perfect perfection of a life that will never be fully achieved.
You and I each embody some of these two Martha, don’t we? Martha Stewart and Martha, the sister of Mary. We are the Marthas who want to see dreams come true, who desire to make the season special for everyone…who want to show how competent we are, how together we are…who are determined to make it all look effortless. Who want to be loved.
Christmas is 20 days away. Are you worried and upset about many things? Are you burdened by unrealistic expectations of yourself and others? Do visions of perfect perfection accentuate the pain of fraught relationships, the griefs of Christmases past, the economic or physical or emotional limits of what you can deliver this December, a month already laden with stress? Let’s be gentle with the Marthas within us, the Marthas of quietly broken hearts. Jesus certainly would be.
How might we live into Jesus’s reassurance that “few things are needed”? How do we take some time each day to sit, as Martha surely longed to do, at the feet of Jesus - to just rest and enjoy him? How can we take on more of the Mary who, when Jesus came for dinner, chose what is better than a finely executed event: who chose presence over perfection?
How do you and I choose, this December, presence with God? With one another? With ourselves?
How can we experience, alongside the other Mary, the mother of Jesus, the awe and wonder of that first Christmas. Might we accompany this young mother Mary and, with her, treasure up all these things, pondering them in our hearts?
To help us experience more of the Mary in each of us I’ve created several imaginative exercises, some gentle invitations– to take with us into the coming days and I will share them with you in a moment.
But first I’d like to say this: I believe that the antidote to perfectionism is found, first of all, in an attitude of awe and wonder. Instead of determinedly chasing after a vision of what we think must be or should be - if only we try hard enough – pause…and take on an attitude of curiosity about what is and what is to come. Let’s lay aside the demands we’ve made and try on a new posture: to begin to see, with fresh, curious eyes, the astounding, miraculous truth of Christmas. Can we meet this birth of Jesus as if for the first time - as if we’ve never experience it before?
Poetry helps me see old things in new ways. The 17th century poet Richard Crashaw returns me to an attitude of awe and wonder. In “the Holy Nativity of our Lord,” Crashaw writes:
…Poor World, said I, what wilt thou do
To entertain this starry stranger?
Is this the best thou canst bestow,
A cold, and not too cleanly, manger?
Contend, ye powers of heav’n and earth,
To fit a bed for this huge birth.
Welcome, all wonders in one sight!
Eternity shut in a span;
Summer in winter; day in night;
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
Great little one,
whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to heaven,
stoops heav’n to earth….
To thee, meek Majesty! soft King
Of simple graces and sweet loves,
Each of us his lamb will bring,
Each his pair of silver doves;
Till burnt at last in fire of thy fair eyes,
Ourselves become our own best sacrifice.
We best welcome this soft King Jesus – the great little one – not with what we create, produce, accomplish, or pull off, but with our very selves. Not even the greatest powers of heaven and earth could rightly entertain this starry stranger. Let you and let me offer our humble presence, which is really all we have to give, and all that Jesus desires, in the end.
As we take time to pause to be present with God, maybe we put ourselves into the Nativity story - and imagine bringing something that would bring a smile to the face of a baby of simple graces and sweet loves: like a lamb or a silver dove.
With Mary, let us come to the manger quietly, in deep reverence, holding deep within ourselves the extraordinary wonder of heaven contained in earth, God in an infant, a soft King.
May we, like Jesus’ friend Mary, let go of perfectionism to choose presence - which is the better part. May we commit to remembering the acts of our loving God and consider them carefully.
When we leave this precious time of fellowship today, I have no doubt that our to-do lists will spark up new Martha energies. I, for one, have got to find an adequate Christmas tree by the end of this afternoon. But, in fact, dear Marthas, few things are needed.
The imaginative, spiritual exercises I’ve created are easy, accessible invitations to presence - to God, to yourself, to others… They only take a few minutes. I hope you savor the opportunity to create a beautiful space for prayer and reflection, to take time looking deeply at artistic images of the Nativity, to let Christmas music enter your soul, to go back into the old family Christmas photos, to ponder your own deepest hopes and desires…
It’s my prayer that over the Advent days to come you and I will, like our two Marys, draw near, again and again, to the presence of God who was born a baby to love us, save us, to be with us here, through all of our earthly lives.
Karen Marsh (right) with Jennifer Andrews. one of the terrific leaders of the Middleburg Bible Study!
Karen Wright Marsh is an author of Wake Up To Wonder and Vintage Saints and Sinners. She is a speaker and the executive director and cofounder of Theological Horizons, a ministry centered at the University of Virginia that supports believers & seekers by providing a welcoming community for engaging faith, thought & life. She is the host of the Vintage Saints and Sinners podcast. Karen lives with Charles Marsh, a UVA professor, at the Bonhoeffer House in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Learn more at www.theologicalhorizons.org and www.karenwrightmarsh.com
2nd Sunday in Advent with Bonhoeffer
“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” I Corinthians 2:10
“This…is the unrecognized mystery of this world: Jesus Christ. That this Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter, was himself the Lord of Glory: that was the mystery of God. It was a mystery because God became poor, low, lowly, and weak out of love for humankind, because God became a human being like us,...because he came to us so that we would come to him. God as the one who became low for our sakes, God in Jesus of Nazareth-–that is the secret, hidden wisdom…that “no eye has seen nor ear heard nor human heart conceived.” (I Cor. 2:9)”
MYSTERY
God reverses our assumptions and confounds our reasonable minds. God, who is utterly free, does wonders where we least expect them; God redeems where we despair. God takes what is little, broken and humble and makes it marvelous. Unashamed of our lowliness, God marches right in, comes close, and chooses us. During Advent, may we stand in awe of the “unrecognized mystery of this world: Jesus Christ.”
What is one prevailing human assumption that God turns upside down in the Christmas story?
Where are you - or someone you love – feeling lost, neglected, weak, broken?
Might you enter into prayer now? What do you long to say to Jesus Christ, God-with-you, the great Mystery?
December Prayers: A Work of Attention
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Philippians 4:8
Dear Friends,
Even as holiday festivities pick up, December offers us opportunities to pause and reflect on all that we hold dear and all that we long for. The beautifully-filmed video above was created by Micah Lindstrom of Morgan Horse Studios and invites the viewer into a brief meditation of my practice as an artist, as someone who tries to attend to the beauty around me and tell about it. In that same spirit, and as we enter into Advent, enjoy the poem and music below, remembering the devoted attention that Mary gave to the Incarnate Divine Love in her arms.
grace & peace,
Messenger
My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
By Mary Oliver
Liturgies and Libations | Maddie Mislock ‘25
I never used to consider myself a morning person, especially in high school when waking up meant sore muscles begging me to stay in bed just a little longer and groggy conversations in the kitchen while I cradled my coffee. Mornings were not something I looked forward to. Perhaps they still aren’t. I need my half hour to lie in bed, my hour before I’m able to string sentences together, my morning to myself (whenever possible).
Yet I savor the act of cooking a hearty and nourishing breakfast. I relish sitting on the porch with my Bible open and a small candle flickering beside me. My favorite time to be in my house is when it’s quiet, which is usually in the mornings. The rituals between waking and starting the day’s work that were once a bother are now a buoy.
My routine hasn’t changed all that much over the years—breakfast, Bible, brushing my teeth. There has been one major shift: I no longer consume caffeine (a fact I sometimes wonder at, as someone who used to consume pitchers of coffee daily—yes, pitchers). One might think that removing a source of joy and comfort would be detrimental. However, cutting coffee was a first step on my healing journey.
Not only was my extreme dependence on caffeine replacing my dependence on the Lord, but it was wreaking havoc on my body. What seemed an insignificant “one more serving” was actually an insatiable thirst for pleasure.
Though I don’t constantly think about coffee anymore, there are other things that can try to take its place. I’m definitely a beverage person and looking forward to a kombucha or tea can help get me through a hard day. The times I savor a beverage are the times I take a pause—or close—to my work. It’s not just the drink, it’s the ritual.
It may seem a simple thing, because it is. It’s one glass. It’s one moment to slow down and breathe, to taste and see that the Lord is good. Sipping on a beverage is when calm seems instinctual. But these should not be the only moments in a day that I slow down. A fun drink is surely not meant to be my ultimate source of joy.
My rhythms of work, play, and sleep can quickly become askew. Even though my routines around starting (and closing) the day help ground how I allot my time and bring some disorder into order, structure and consistency are not meant to be perfectly attainable or satisfying.
Peace can permeate my days, if I invite it to. But it is not through what I drink or how much time I spend in bed. How we live shapes what we love, but the opposite is true too. There is a prayer I return to often, a lifeline of sorts, that offers this encouragement: [The Lord’s] rest is not only meant to be lived and loved in leisure, but in the midst of labor too.
Psalm 34:8 (ESV).
Cole Jones, Holy Grounds, CoJo Studio, 2022.
1st Sunday in Advent with Bonhoeffer
For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
Trust in God at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8
“Be brave for my sake, dearest Maria, even if this letter is your only token of love from me this Christmas-tide. We shall both experience a few dark hours…and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of separation whose purpose we fail to understand…
And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong…Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us. Whatever people may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as Love and rules the world and rules our lives.”
WAITING
Advent is a season of waiting: an art forgotten by our impatient age. In tender letters to his loved ones, Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggles honestly with life’s deepest questions, forced to wait in a Nazi prison for a release that will never come. Through the eyes of faith, he comes to perceive the cosmic reversal that Christmas brings. God is in the manger. There is wealth in poverty, light in darkness. God, who is Love, rules the world and rules our lives. May we, with Bonhoeffer, declare with hope that in Christ “no evil can befall us.”
What hard questions are you asking right now?
What practice might help you to “wait in silence” for God through these 24 days of Advent?
What is the Christmas message that you most long to hear and believe?
Thanksgiving with Theological Horizons 2024
a collection of Scripture, poetry & prayers
“O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to God with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:1-3
O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Do not let the empty cup be your first teacher of the blessings you had when it was full…
Seek, as a plain duty, to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God
in your daily life. Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
For the infinite variety of your creative expression, we praise you, O God.
You have made even the necessary act of eating a nurturing comfort and a perpetual delight.
Douglas Kaine McKelvey (contemporary)
"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, God’s love endures forever." Psalm 118:29
Thou that hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart….
Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;
As if thy blessings had spare days:
But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise.
George Herbert (1593-1633)
"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
One of the oldest anthems of the church is ‘Alleluia’. It means simply ‘All hail to the One who is.’ It is the arch-hymn of praise, the ultimate expression of thanksgiving, the pinnacle of triumph, the acme of human joy. Alleluia says ‘God is good — and we know it.’ Life itself is an exercise in learning to sing ‘alleluia’ here in order to recognize the face of God hidden in the recesses of time. ‘Alleluia’ in life means dealing with moments that don’t feel like ‘alleluia moments’ at all. Alleluia is not a substitute for reality. It is simply the awareness of another whole kind of reality—beyond the immediate, beyond the delusional, beyond the instant perception of things. In the Hebrew Scriptures, ‘Alleluia’ is an injunction to praise, a call to the people to summon up praise in themselves. It is a challenge to see in life more than is seeable in any single moment…and to trust the One who is. Adapted from Joan Chittister & Rowan Williams (contemporary)
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body;
and be thankful." Colossians 3:15
A PRAYER BEFORE FEASTING
Leader:
To gather joyfully is indeed a serious affair,
for feasting & all enjoyments gratefully taken are, at their heart, acts of resistance.
All:
In celebrating this feast we declare that evil & death, suffering & loss, sorrow & tears, will not have the final word.
But the joy of fellowship, and the welcome & comfort of friends new & old,
& the celebration of these blessings of food & drink & conversation & laughter are the true evidence
of things eternal, and are the first fruits of that great glad joy that is to come and that will be unending.
So let our feast this day be joined to those whose sure victories are secured by Christ,
Let it be to us now a delight, and a glad foretaste of his eternal kingdom.
Bless us, O Lord, in this feast.
Bless us, O Lord, as we linger over our cups, and over this table laden with good things,
As we relish the delights of varied texture and flavor, of aromas and savory spices,
of dishes prepared as acts of love and blessing, of sweet delights made sweeter by the communion of saints.
May this shared meal and our pleasures in it stir our imaginations,
focus our vision on the kingdom of heaven that is to come,
on the kingdom that is promised, on the kingdom that is already, indeed among us.
The resurrection of all good things has already joyfully begun.
May this feast be an echo of that great Supper of the Lamb, the great celebration that awaits the children of God.
Where two or more of us are gathered, O Lord, there you have promised to be. And here we are. And so, here are You. Take joy, O King, in this, our feast.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take seat, take feast, take delight! Amen.
(from Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey)
As you gather this Thanksgiving, please pray for Theological Horizons – as we support believers and seekers by providing a welcoming community for engaging faith, thought and life.
We are grateful for YOU!
On Joy & Grief | Perkins Fellow, Lanie Moore, ‘25
“Joy keeps my heart light, but grief keeps my heart soft. ”
This semester, I am volunteering once again at the Haven, a low-barrier day shelter for unhoused individuals near the Downtown Mall.
Like most of the buildings around the Mall, the Haven has history. Located in a centuries-old church building, the day shelter sits beneath a soaring sanctuary, with stained glass windows that pour technicolor light onto pews lined with boxes of supplies for the guests downstairs. First Christian Church used to fill that room every Sunday, lifting their voices in worship to El Roi, the God who sees; Jehovah Rafa, the God who heals; Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. Two hundred years later, that same God is just as present in the shelter below as He was in the sanctuary above.
In my last blog post, I talked about the grief I experience each week when I drive home from the Haven. I am haunted by the raw brokenness of humanity, laid bare in a church basement. I lament, and lament, and I know that my Father grieves alongside me. El Roi sees the suffering of His children, burdened by mental, physical, and economic illnesses far too heavy for them to carry alone. Because God didn’t design our bodies to handle the weight of constant grief, I also embrace joy. I can breathe deeply and be at peace knowing that God gives us strength to hold our grief and our joy together, side-by-side.
Likewise, my joy is not superior to my grief. Joy is not a final destination to be reached after embarking on a journey to overcome grief. These two states of being are equally valuable and equally necessary as we embrace peacemaking in the Now and Not Yet. Joy keeps my heart light, but grief keeps my heart soft. Every time, I will choose a heart softened by grief, lament, and prayer rather than a heart hardened by fear, avoidance, and lack of exposure.
So, I keep showing up. I keep answering calls at the front desk, folding towels in the back, cracking jokes with the shift managers. I embrace the heartbreak and despair when brokenness breaks the skin. I know that God is exercising my heart, keeping it from atrophy, or worse, rigor mortis.
Expose me, O Lord, and soften my heart. Pour into me as light from the stained glass windows upstairs. Amen.
Discover why we’re celebrating…
Be a part of the TH story today and make a gift to our ministry —
so that together we can reach more seekers and believers across the globe!
All are welcome, always.
Reflections on Vocation | Lauren Metters ‘25
My mother likes to tell a story about my first few days of nursery school. As she tells it, early into the year, my teacher called her aside at pick-up and expressed her surprise that I could count to fourteen. After all, most children my age stopped at ten. My mother laughed, explaining that our house had fourteen steps up to the second floor. I had learned to count the steps.
Today, I can count differently. One God, two natures of Christ, Three Persons in the Trinity, four marks of the Catholic Church, five precepts of the Church, six liturgical seasons, and seven Sacraments, eight Beatitudes, nine days in a Novena, ten Mosaic Commandments, eleven canonized Saints from the United States, twelve Apostles, thirteen Pauline epistles, fourteen Stations of the Cross.
As a Catholic, my faith centers around Sacramental life. My life is marked by Sacraments and ritual participation. I think it has led me, though, to narrowly define vocation. There are two vocations which are Sacramentalized: Marriage and Holy Orders. While we may be called to serve God in other aspects of our lives, I’ve experienced considerable challenges as an unmarried lay person, who, on account of my queerness, is likely to remain unmarried and lay. I also know that, as people continue to delay marriage (and, for that matter, ordination) until later in life, the number of unmarried and lay adults in the Church will continue to grow, even if most will eventually phase out of the demographic. I am convinced that empowering discipleship and commitment among those without a Sacramentalized vocation is a foremost challenge of the modern Church.
Whether justified, or on account of my own grief at not being able to receive either of the vocational Catholic Sacraments, it is difficult for me to engage in broader questions of vocation. All others seem subordinate and secondary to me. As such, I would like to offer the phrase “creative purpose.” What are the interactions, decisions, and contributions for which I was created? Perhaps easier to identify as a series of powerful or illuminative moments, discernment of creative purpose is no less lofty an endeavor, even if at times more accessible. As I engage my peers in the Horizon Fellowship, I offer this: perhaps these are some of the moments for which we have been created.
Fellow Arpan Sathiabalan | The Small Things
Community Development. The refrain rang out clearly, unmistakably, worryingly. My mind was awhirl with new perspectives, conscious of the magnitude of the task ahead of us and all-too-aware of how small I am in the face of it.
Attending the Christian Community Development Association Conference in Portland as a Perkins Fellow was a powerful experience. It was incredibly inspiring to see the work Christians around the world were doing, to see that people took their call to serve seriously and were making a real impact in their communities. I felt warmly welcomed into this community, loved by strangers with tender hearts who had so much wisdom to offer. Hearing about stories of injustice and redemption built a raging fire in my heart. “How could I stand by and do nothing?”
Yet, my impetuous passion was tempered by knowledge of my limitations. I lack the knowledge, resources, and know-how to solve many of the problems I see around me. This is something that I expect many of you to have wrestled with, the consciousness of wrongdoing but the difficulty in knowing how to promote justice. In this wrestling, I’ve come to learn that our heart posture is more important than our ability.
A curious moment at the airport as we left Portland cemented this lesson. After passing through security, an elderly gentleman was asking for help in reaching his flight. As I began to try to help, a middle-aged man who had already tried his hand at being helpful warned me that he didn’t know his flight information and was drunk. Taking stock of these facts, I decided I would walk with him to the flight display board. On the way there, he unexpectedly fell against my shoulder and sagged onto the ground unceremoniously! Quite an adventure for 7:30 a.m.! A security guard came over and we practically dragged him over to a nearby bench where he waited for the airport to find a wheelchair and someone to help him.
I didn’t solve all of this man’s problems, but I helped him the best I could. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says that ‘“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”’ I am unable to solve every problem I see around me. All I can do is be faithful to my small part and trust that God will use it, so that inch by inch the Kingdom of God advances here on Earth.
Arpan is second from the left. Priscilla Perkins (daughter of John & Vera Mae) is centered.
Reflections on Suffering | Elisabeth Doty ‘25
As an American, the last few days have been riddled with anxiety about the future. Amidst the commiserations and grieving of recent days, I’ve heard many tell me that I should be grateful and feel safe that I go to school in a state like Virginia, where I still have legal and medical protections as a queer and trans person.
And yet, instead of instilling confidence or relief, their words ring hollow. Such protections do not exist in places around the country, including my home state of Missouri, where politicians, using the mantle of a distorted Christianity, have demonized my community and many others in pursuit of political gain. Why do I still suffer when the burden of suffering is unequally and unfairly distributed?
When we are the direct objects of suffering, understanding it is difficult, but relatively straight forward. During my transition process, the question of why God made me trans mattered significantly less than the fact that my transition and coming out process was not easy and caused me pain. In the darkest times, when the world seemed too dark and scary and intolerant to handle the fullness of my authenticity, the biggest question to my suffering is why it felt like I did it alone.
When those we know and love suffer, understanding the suffering makes less sense. When a parent watches their child endure a painful mental or physical illness or when we watch a close friend endure the worst of unhealthy relationships, it is natural to wish that we suffer for them or in their place even when we can’t.
When those we don’t know suffer, comprehension of their suffering or the reason behind it is near impossible. We could buy into the just world theory: that people get the suffering they deserve. And if we reject that theory, getting to know how exactly one feels is near impossible at a distance.
The question remains, why do I still suffer when the burden of suffering is unequally and unfairly distributed? But, in response to this question, God has offered us answers. In the depths of my transition, I took heart in a poem my mother gave me as a child.
When we ask God, “Why, when I have needed you most, have you not been there for me?"
“The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."”
When we attempt to find inevitable insufficient explanations for the pain of the suffering of those we know and love, may we remember that God sent His beloved son Jesus to suffer with us and for us.
When the suffering of our world, our nation, and our communities feel too much to bear, may we remember that God does not demand us to understand the pain or numb it if we fail to.
When my communities– queer and trans people, women, Missourians, Americans– are suffering, I do not need to ‘take heart’ that I am insulated from the worst of it by nature of my various privileges. Because my liberation is wrapped up in the liberation of all people, rather than avoiding that pain, I ‘take heart’ in the community I share it with.
As we continue to examine vocation in the Horizons Fellowship, this week has reminded me of God’s call in response to suffering: that we may suffer well and suffer together. That, after all, is the meaning of empathy.
Praying together for our election
(from the Transforming Center)
PREPARATION
During this election season, we encourage you to find a time to pray with friends and family, people from your church or small group, and maybe even your neighbors. We have prepared this short liturgy to guide you. Set aside 15 minutes for this time of prayer. Sit in a circle (if praying with others) and light a candle.
ELECTION LITURGY
Light A Candle
Song
Heaven Help Us
written by Kirk Bolen (TC15)
Heaven help us, God come near us
Do what only you can do
Heaven help us, Father hear us
We’re crying out to you
Falling on our knees, we lift our eyes
to where our help comes from
Calling on your name, Lord, hear our cries
pour out your perfect love
Scripture Reading Philippians 4:5-7 (NRSV)
5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Silence (3 to 5 minutes)
Surrendering Our Fears
Take turns saying out loud the fears and concerns you are holding at this moment. After you name these, hold them quietly in God’s presence reminding yourself that God is bigger than any fear, any burden, any obstacle, any division, any disunity, any hatred, and any lie. If it helps, sit with your hands open on your lap as a symbol of holding these concerns in God’s presence. Whatever you are experiencing, God can handle it. You can also write your fears/burdens on a piece of paper and then throw the paper into the trash as one of you reads the scriptures below.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV)
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Prayer for Civic Engagement1
If praying as a group, consider alternating who reads the “one” lines as a way to have more voices represented, keeping in mind diversity of gender, ethnicity and/or age.
One: O God of justice and peace, in this season of Ordinary time, we pause to reflect on the extraordinary call You place upon our lives to be faithful witnesses in all we do.
All: As we approach the time of decision in our nation, we ask for Your guidance and wisdom. Help us discern what is right and just.
One: Help us engage with a spirit of love and humility.
All: May our participation in the civic process be a reflection of our commitment to Your Kingdom, where righteousness and equity dwell.
One: We remember the sacrifices of those who came before us, who fought for the rights and freedoms we now hold. May their courage inspire us to be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that these rights are protected for all.
All: Let our voting be an act of faithfulness, not only to our beliefs but also to the future generations who will inherit the decisions we make today. Strengthen our resolve to work for a society that mirrors Your compassion, justice and peace.
One: As we prepare our hearts and minds to engage in this civic duty, remind us that our actions are a testament to the faith we profess. May we be instruments of Your peace in our communities, advocating for justice and mercy with every step we take.
All: Guide our nation, O Lord, and help us be Your hands and feet in this world, committed to building a future that honors You and uplifts all of Your children. Amen.
Silence
(Ask God for Wisdom. What action/s do you need to take before voting? Are there any conversations you need to have? Is there any research you need to do? Ponder how your vote will impact your neighbors and our shared future.)
Poem
(A moment of reflection on democracy)
“Democracy”
Langston HughesDemocracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.
Blessing
(To be read together in unison.)
God, You are Mighty and Merciful. We are grateful for
the right to vote, and we will not take it for granted.
Empower us to prepare our hearts to vote in a way that reflects
Your justice, peace and compassion.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Encourage One Another
It is a strength for all of us to know that we are praying together across the country and around the world.
Leave a comment below with the state or country you will be praying in. Please note your comment may not show up right away. Please refrain from making political statements.
Use the share buttons below to encourage others to join us in praying about our election.
1 Adapted from Sacred Votes: A Guide to Election Participation, Justice and Social Transformation. https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/336. 30-35.
Blessed are the peacemakers
We at Theological Horizons take seriously Jesus’s final prayer in John 17, that the Christian believers all would be one, alongside the Beatitudes where Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God.” Our Fellows programs, Scoper Lecture, Vintage Lunch and Deeper Dialogues all seek to offer hospitable spaces (often around food!) where ALL are welcome, no matter what stripe of Christian (or seeker) they are.
As we enter into an election season fraught with a polarization that flattens and distorts the stories of those on the other side (our enemies Jesus calls us specifically to love), we are paying attention to the groups, both Christian and secular, that are seeking to build bridges across deep difference. Don’t see one you know and admire? Email christy@theologicalhorizons.org.
Christian Organizations:
The Colossian Forum: The ongoing work of The Colossian Forum is designed to promote the health and sustainability of the Church in the face of intensifying polarization and division. We do so by equipping Christians to recognize conflict’s inherent opportunities to actively pursue deeper relationships with neighbors and with God.
Telos Foundation To form communities of American peacemakers across lines of difference, and equip them to help reconcile seemingly intractable conflicts at home and abroad. (While the staff are mostly Christian, Telos works with people of any faith or no faith).
Global Christian Forum: The Global Christian Forum (GCF) is a unique gathering of global Christian churches and organisations bringing together all the major streams of world Christianity. The GCF is an open space where all Christians can meet to nurture unity by fostering mutual respect and understanding as well as by addressing common challenges together.
Sojourners: Congregations from Polarization to Unity (CPU) new initiative. Sojourners recently welcomed Rev. Dr. Andrea (Andi) Saccoccio to lead their new program, Congregations from Polarization to Unity (CPU), which aims to help congregations overcome the cultural and political polarization that has seeped into and divided our churches. CPU will provide ecumenical resources and experiences to congregants and faith leaders that will help them build bridges of understanding and common action, as they work towards addressing polarization.
Faith & Blue: Faith & Blue was launched to facilitate safer, stronger, more just and unified communities by directly enabling local partnerships among law enforcement professionals, residents, businesses and community groups through the connections of local faith-based organizations. The initiative aims to re-calibrate police-community relations through solutions-focused, in-person, socially distanced and/or virtual activities that are organized jointly by faith-based or other community groups and law enforcement agencies.
Charlottesville Clergy Collective: The Charlottesville Clergy Collective is a group of faith and allied community leaders who gather regularly to discuss and address the challenge of racial justice and equity in the Charlottesville-Albemarle Region of Central Virginia. Our mission is to establish, develop, and promote racial, economic, and other justice and equity issues within the faith leadership and wider community of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Region through fellowship, collaborative partnership, relationship-building, and public witness.
The And Campaign. Led by Justin Giboney, an Atlanta-based attorney and former political operative, and Rev. Chris Butler, a Chicago pastor and experienced community organizer, the AND Campaign encourages Christians to develop a political perspective shaped by Scripture and their Christian orthodoxy rather than the messages of either the Republicans or Democrats. In today's politics, they recognize a flaw with the dichotomy often presented and advocate for an "AND" approach rather than either or, with "Compassion (&) Conviction" as their motto. They emphasize the need to neither avoid nor idolize politics but rather to treat it as an aspect of discipleship under the Lordship of Christ.
The After Party. This book, free video course, and associated resources recognize the brokenness of the approach to politics in much of the American church and, in response, seek to guide Christians "towards a better Christian politics" by encouraging the Church to "radically recenter on Jesus." Developed by David and Nancy French, Russell Moore, and Curtis Chang, all of whom bring experience with not only the devastation to relationships brought on by unhealthy political approaches in Christian spaces but also with working to inculcate a more faithful approach, the After Party focuses on grounding Christian political engagement first and foremost in the "how" of Christlike love of neighbor, even enemies, and the fruits of the Spirit rather than prioritizing the "what," i.e. specific policies or candidates using whatever means necessary.
Kaitlyn Scheiss is an author, speaker, and Duke Divinity School doctoral student who works to equip Christians to develop an approach to politics shaped by robust spiritual formation that builds a foundation of confidence and hope in Christ rather than candidates, parties, or even policies. She emphasizes the need for Christ to guide our political engagement by both keeping our eternal perspective of His ultimate victory, which counters the temptation to view any candidate as a savior, and by clarifying the priority of loving our neighbor and seeking flourishing in our communities as the goals of politics. She also, especially in her most recent book, The Ballot and the Bible, empowers Christians to develop a more thoughtful approach to applying the Bible in politics, in contrast to the frequent proof-texting by both sides.
The Holy Post Podcast, hosted by Phil Vischer (the creator of VeggieTales), Skye Jethani, and Kaitlyn Scheiss, covers news, both political and specifically related to the American evangelical church. They intentionally offer an alternative to the culture war approach by prioritizing humility, intellectual openness, and grace towards those with whom they disagree. In addition to their news segment, they do a guest interview each week, often with people who recently published books, to deepen the conversation on Biblical, theological, political, and cultural matters with leaders in their respective fields.
Secular or Interfaith Organizations:
Essential Partners: We give people the means to strengthen relationships, deepen belonging, and renew hope in their communities. Founded in 1989, Essential Partners helps people build relationships across differences to address their communities’ most pressing challenges. Our proven approach helps people live, work, worship, and learn better together. Through richer, healthier, more inclusive dialogue, people strengthen relationships while gaining new insight into themselves and each other as well as the problems they face together.
Braver Angels: Americans on opposite sides of the political spectrum don’t only disagree on issues — they increasingly dislike one another. This growing partisan animosity is the crisis of our time and threatens our nation. Braver Angels exists to address this challenge.
Bridge Alliance’s comprehensive list of Bridge-Building Organizations working to foster unity and understanding among diverse groups, transcending political and social differences.
Dignity Dialogues has another list of bridge-building organizations. DD exists to encourage people of varying ideologies, races, religions, generations, and gender identities to explore the roots of their differences and biases. Learn to engage peacefully in difficult conversations and to mend fences. Whether you are among the politically polarized, the marginalized, or the mainstream, we urge you to join hands and hearts with others who share your humanity, although perhaps not your persuasion.
Interfaith America: Faith is a bridge. Interfaith America inspires, equips, and connects leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity.
The One America Movement partners with faith communities across religious, political, and racial divides to confront toxic polarization in our society.
Faith & Work Forum Highlights | Emilia Gore with Ava Flory
We loved launching this year’s Faith & Work series on September 20 with TH superstar Emilia Gore (UVA ‘15 and current TH board member), expertly interviewed by 4th year Ava Flory! Under the streaming sunlight of a gorgeous September afternoon, we welcomed both students and community members of all ages to hear Emilia’s insights, which inspire and encourage people at any stage of their lives or careers. Please enjoy an overview of the thoughtful perspectives that Emilia shared below, including some “nuggets” of wisdom to encourage you in your everyday!
Although pressure and stress from many directions often burden students in their career planning and job search process, Emilia offered a voice of calm, grounded in finding rest and security above all in the Lord.
She invited students to pause and intentionally cultivate times of stillness before the Lord even in what sometimes feels like a whirlwind with the internship/job search. She shared from experience about how these spaces often open the heart and mind to recognize what “lights you up” and encouraged students to heed those internal pulls in discerning their vocational steps. Listen to her guidance, which encourages not just students but also people at any stage of life or career!
Throughout the conversation, Emilia spoke of vocation as a space where God works in astonishing, sometimes surprising ways for purposes often beyond what we ever imagined. She shared about various transitions in her career, sometimes by choice and other times by external circumstances like the pandemic, and how they provided opportunities to deepen her faith and receive God’s direction for her next steps. Hear Emilia’s approach to discerning with the Lord when to seek a new role or next step vocationally.
Emilia’s work across sectors enriched her perspective on vocation and especially equipped her to offer poignant insights to students considering a wide range of career paths. As she spoke about her journey through the worlds of business, nonprofit, and government, she reflected on both distinctions and similarities. Listen to her eye-opening, perhaps surprising comments.
Despite seemingly stark differences across sectors, Emilia acknowledged that they all share stress of deadlines, priorities, and professional relationships. Amidst this daily professional challenge, she pointed to the wealth of the Christian tradition for remaining grounded in the ultimate truth and purpose as believers. Hear Emilia’s testimony of finding support from the saints.
Emilia also sought to demystify the sometimes intimidating prospect of networking, framing it as building connections that you never know how God might use. Hear her fresh view of this prominent aspect of professional life. We appreciated how her story illuminates how God writes our stories both through His sovereign leading and His empowering Spirit.
Thank you to Emilia for sharing your hopeful, experienced perspective on this topic with our community, and to Ava for skillfully directing the conversation!
Meet our Horizons Fellows | Vocational Discernment through Relational Discipleship
Not pictured are: Nykera Wallop, Sophia Hanway & Maddie Mislock.
We’re thrilled to welcome another cohort of Horizons Fellows as they wrestle with concepts of calling through constraints and commitments, reflecting Theological Horizons’ desire to discover Christ at the intersection of faith, thought, and life. Pulling 4th years from a variety of denominational, theological and ethnic backgrounds, a prominent goal of the Horizons Fellows is for students to experience the unity of Christ (John 17) alongside the plurality of expressions among those committed to following Jesus.
Anna Deatherage (Mentor: Jaclyn Cline) Anna is studying History and minoring in Spanish and looking forward to seeing how they can intersect in a career. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends, camping, running, and reading.
Annelise Wolfe (Mentor: Emili Hays) Annelise is studying Marketing and Information Technology in the McIntire School of Commerce with a minor in Studio Art. In her free time she loves to paint, songwrite, and grab coffee with friends.
Ava Flory (Mentor: Danielle Hill) Ava is studying business in the McIntire School of Commerce and minoring in Studio Art. She is interested in how business and art can be combined to uplift and enhance communities, and is exploring what that might look like in practice. In her free time she enjoys painting, being outdoors, exploring new places, and meeting new people.
Ben Benson (Mentor: Greg Gelburd) Ben is studying cognitive science. Outside of class he enjoys playing music, meditating, and playing basketball.
Elisabeth Doty (Mentor: Kristin Sancken) Elisabeth is an Environmental Science and Public Policy major from St. Louis, MO. Outside of class, she enjoys volunteering, playing frisbee, and reading in the library.
Ellie Joye (Mentor: Holly Slon) Ellie is studying Public Policy and Leadership and minoring in Religious Studies with hopes of going to law school. Ellie loves to be outside, read, and travel.
Lauren Metters (Mentor: Laura Brown) Lauren is from Massachusetts, and is double majoring in History and Religious Studies and minoring in Middle Eastern Studies. She is currently working on a thesis on how Catholic Mariology interprets Jewish resources. Outside of class, she enjoys travel, book buying, and Grit coffee.
Maddie Mislock (Mentor: Jane Grizzle) Maddie is studying English, Religious Studies, and Health & Wellbeing. She loves all things outdoors—especially climbing, hiking, snowboarding, caving, and, most recently, fly fishing—as well as line dancing and swing dancing.
Nykera Wallup (Mentor: Kristen Bell) Nykera Wallop is studying Sociology with a minor in Global Studies in Education. She loves to read, sleep, and spend time with family and friends. She wants to pursue a masters in Public Health and hopefully can work as a Public Health educator.
Sophia Hanway (Mentor: Sarah Davis) Sophia is studying Environmental Science and Global Sustainability. While she hasn’t settled on a career path yet, she’s interested in studying human-environment interactions and has a deep love of all things natural science. Outside of class she enjoys reading, cooking, running, and spending time outside.
Walker Hill (Mentor: Mary Brissett) Walker is from Richmond studying Psychology and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family/friends, playing pickleball, cooking, and spending time outside. She is not sure what her next steps will be, but she is looking forward to exploring all the possibilities that come with studying people and language!
Walker Wright (Mentor: Ben Webb) Walker is studying psychology and pre-health. He hopes to go to medical school and become a psychiatrist. When he is not studying, he enjoys weight lifting, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Meet our Perkins Fellows | Vocational Discernment through Community Engagement
If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us walk together.
— Aboriginal activist Lilla Watson
Perkins Fellows explore vocation through weekly community engagement. Named after the great Christian community development leader John M. & Vera Mae Perkins, this program builds bridges between the University and the community through mutually-beneficial partnerships. Perkins Fellows are placed with a community partner to connect their learning through service and theological reflection. Fellows receive mentoring and training in cross-cultural engagement and community development, with an eye towards vocational discernment in these fields of work.
We are thrilled to welcome our 24-25 cohort of 11 Perkins Fellows this year. They’ll be serving at various non-profits in the city, attending the annual Christian Community Development Conference in Portland, OR and, this fall, unpacking the book: Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit & Grace by Osheta Moore. You can learn more about our opening orientation, the Perkins Plunge, here. Read on to get to know our wonderful group.
PERKINS FELLOWS -24-25
Eujine Kim: Eujine is a third-year prelaw student double-majoring in Spanish and Global Security & Justice and minoring in Data Science. Eujine hopes to specialize in federal prosecution while also learning more about sports and property law. She believes service is extremely important because the little details are the foundation of a community. Serving at the International Rescue Committee, she hopes to serve the Charlottesville community as a student and a listener.
Zac Toimil: Zac is a third year student from New York City majoring in Public Policy & Leadership. He is a member of Chi Alpha. He likes to read, write, listen to music, and hang out with friends in his free time. He’ll be serving with Habitat for Humanity, to better serve the Charlottesville community and live out being the hands and feet of Jesus beyond UVA’s Grounds.
Arpan Sathiabalan: Arpan is a fourth-year McIntire student concentrating in accounting and finance. He is the treasurer of Chi Alpha and loves to play sports, classical piano, and read in his free time. Arpan is passionate about mentoring the next generation and will be serving as a tutor for Abundant Life.
Megnot Abebe: Megnot is a fourth-year student majoring in Global Development Studies and Commerce, originally from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. She is passionate about exploring the intersection of community development, business, and faith, seeking ways to integrate these areas to make a meaningful impact. Megnot continues to serve with Abundant Life Ministries, where she enjoys outdoor activities, connecting with the AL staff, and embracing the art of slowing down. When not in class or at work, Megnot can often be found outside, engrossed in a book or deep in conversation with a friend.
Sara Holt: Sara is a third-year student from Central Virginia majoring in Nursing with a potential double major in Religious Studies. She is looking forward to broadening her perspective of the greater Charlottesville community outside the University of Virginia and better learning how to serve in a way that reflects Jesus, at least in one way, through volunteering at Bread and Roses. Outside of classes, Sara enjoys filling her schedule with babysitting, weightlifting or running, and spending time with friends (especially if it involves going to a coffee shop).
Christine Cheung: Christine is a third-year at UVA and majoring in Economics and Computer Science. She enjoys studying and experiencing the overlap of public, social, and faith efforts with “numbers” work, especially when you get some cool-looking graphs out of it. Through serving at Kindness Cafe, Christine hopes to connect with the broader Charlottesville community and spread love by embodying the compassion and humility of Christ—and with the help of some good coffee, of course. She loves to play her guitar, journal with fountain pens, and go swimming when she finds those special pockets of time.
Lanie Moore: Lanie is graduating this December with degrees in Environmental Science and Global Environments and Sustainability. For her, Perkins Fellows has served as a space for reflection, openness, learning, and unlearning. Having completed her thesis on the topic of environmental justice in Richmond, her hometown, Lanie is interested in obtaining a master’s degree in Urban Planning and pursuing a career in community development. She spends her time working at Kindness Cafe, co-leading a small group Bible study of third-year women, and volunteering at the Haven, a low-barrier day shelter for unhoused individuals. She also enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, and taking long naps.
Eden Abebe: Eden is a third-year student majoring in Global Development Studies and double minoring in Religious Studies and Data Analytics. Passionate about advocacy, civil rights, and education policy, Eden seeks to bridge gaps in communities where inequities persist. She serves as a counselor on the University Judiciary Committee, mentoring students through the trial process and co-leads a second-year Bible study group. She loves to dance, listens to podcasts, and try new foods. Eden is ecstatic to make an impact through community development and service alongside Abundant Life Ministries this year.
Grace Jackson: Grace is a fourth year student studying Global Development Studies. She loves to spend time at Abundant Life and learn from the kids and staff alike. She seeks to glean wisdom from peacemakers who have come before her, engage in hard conversations, and advocate for justice with humility and grace. She is committed to MLK’s Beloved Community, seeking the biblical vision of shalom both personally and systemically. Grace also loves to engage with the world through pottery, poetry, food, and nature.
Kaya Lynch: Kaya is a fourth-year studying Speech Communication Disorders. She’s currently volunteering with Kindness Cafe, and loves working with everyone there! Her desire is to help facilitate a more equal world, and to learn more about life by following in the footsteps of those who came before. She is excited to carry the skills and knowledge from Perkins Fellows to her future career!
Fionette King: Fionette is a third-year student studying Global Development Studies. She enjoys serving the Charlottesville community and is currently volunteering at the Music Resource Center. Perkins Fellows has inspired her to be a more careful listener, taking action towards social justice issues. Outside of class, Fionette enjoys dancing, reading, and spending time with friends. Fionette hopes to represent Christ well in her community while forming meaningful connections.
Perkins Fellows 24-25 out at Buck’s Bend for our monthly gathering.
SOTC DC Recap: Reaping Wonder in the Everyday
Earlier this month, Theological Horizons ventured up to the Washington, D.C. and NoVa region! Karen encouraged long-time and new friends alike to incorporate ancient practices of rest and wonder into their spiritual lives in the hectic modern world.
First, she shared some highlights from her book Wake Up to Wonder at D.C.’s National Presbyterian Church. Check out the recording here!
Later, friends of Theological Horizons gathered for a lovely afternoon in Falls Church. The Lord blessed us with radiant sunlight and clear skies, as Theological Horizons friends of all ages and backgrounds chatted, laughed, and ate together. Even amidst the often intense environment of a city like D.C., Karen shared simple practices from saints across the centuries to find rest in the presence of God.
For example, Karen presented Martin Luther’s enthusiasm for singing as a vital means of praising God and strengthening the community of believers. In the spirit of promoting practices of wonder, she then led the group in a hymn! Luther’s fervent advocacy of singing as an activity for all people, not just a “talented” few, reminds us that the Lord invites all of us, whatever our strengths and regardless of our struggles, into wonder in our everyday activities through ordinary practices like raising our voices to Him.
In this transitional time from summer to fall, this day in D.C. exemplifies the encouraging accessibility of wonder even in what often feels like a whirlwind of work, school, family, and other continual responsibilities. Amidst the full days, God provides refreshing ways to reap wonder through practices as simple as walking, singing, and pondering. The words of Brother Lawrence provide an apt conclusion to catalyze this everyday wonder: “Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.”
If reflecting on these saints of the past with people seeking to embrace their wisdom today interests you, please join friends at the Bishop’s Garden in D.C. this Sunday, September 29 from 1:30-3:30 PM for a wonder-filled fall gathering!
Below, please enjoy some photos that captured the joy of our afternoon in Falls Church.
Interested in joining a SOTC gathering in NYC, DC/No Va, Charlottesville, Richmond or Atlanta? Or, perhaps you’re interested in starting one in your home? Click below to learn more.
Thanks to Vintage Lunch Sponsors, Mark & Terry Metcalf!
This fall, we’re asking our community to consider sponsoring a Vintage Lunch. Each lunch is catered by a local Charlottesville eatery and helps feed 20-30 students who come hungry for food and community and spiritual nourishment.
Mark Metcalf is a UVa professor in the school of Commerce and he and his wife Terry are sponsoring a Vintage Lunch this September. Learn more about their partnership with us below:
Why did you choose to sponsor a Vintage lunch? How are you connected with Theological Horizons?
Like many other churches in C'ville, our congregation - Christ Episcopal - has an active UVA student ministry. But Terry & I also realize that campus ministries like Theological Horizons provide unique opportunities for fellowship and spiritual growth. So we're happy to help support organizations like Theological Horizons as we are able. And since food and fellowship are perfect partners, when told about the opportunity to sponsor a Vintage Lunch, we didn't give it a second thought!
What blessing, quote, or advice would you like to share with a UVa student?
"Be a student, not a disciple.". Anna Shields, my MA advisor.