Servant Leadership
I heard a fascinating interview with someone whose name I did not catch as he talked about analyzing marketing materials for political candidates. He said that in this age of technological media, candidates’ pundits...
Colorblindness
I used to feel enlightened regarding racism when I could proudly say I was colorblind. I enjoyed interacting with people of different color or ethnicity. I felt comfortable. I felt nonjudgmental. That was until...
Bootstraps, Really???
Some years ago, the local paper ran an article about a young man who decided to hop a train from Raleigh, NC to Charleston, SC with $25 in his pocket. Within six months, he...
Social Isolation
Our movements are restricted because of social isolation. With this comes all kinds of positive and negative feelings. Some of us finally have the time to do that house and/or yard work we’ve been...
Prayer
Loving God, Holy One of our lives, we come to you with our heads bowed in shame. We have brothers and sisters who have no place to call home, who walk these very streets....
What Does Gentrifying Mean?
As I take people on a tour through Greenville, I use the term gentrifying. I often need to explain what that means. I’m challenged because gentrifying has both good news and bad news about...
Myth Busters
Myth Busters Compiled by Beth Templeton, 3.30.18 Based on Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, Mariner Books, imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 Not...
Hidden Voices
We will not, do not, or cannot hear the voices that are hidden in our community. We will not…hear hidden voices We stay within the confines of people more or less like us. We...
Donald Trump Prayer Project 5.22.17
God of the Whirling Planets, grandiose gestures on the part of us humans must seem pretty silly sometimes. Be with President Trump so that his decisions reflect the grandeur of your universe. Amen 5.22.17
Donald Trump Prayer Project 4.16.17
God of the Universe, our world is filled with people who call you by different names, who worship you in various ways, and who seek to follow you within their own culture and way of...
Donald Trump Prayer Project 4.3.17
God of gods, the presidential oath ends with the words, “So help me God.” Instill these words into the recesses of Mr. Trump’s heart, mind, and soul so they become his earnest prayer. Amen ...
Donald Trump Project Update
God of Glory, King of Kings, the psalmist sings that you set the prisoners free, open the eyes of the blind, lift up those who are bowed down, love the righteous, watch over strangers,...
Let’s Get Some Perspective…Please
Such huge dollar amounts are being thrown around these days: $14 billion for a wall between the United States and Mexico or $1.5 million for one condominium on a site where a small mom...
Donald Trump Project
Background of the Project: As I was thinking about the massive changes occurring in our country with even more to come, I thought about what I could do. I’ve received notices about getting involved...
A Labor Day Exercise
Purpose: We rarely realize how dependent we are on all kinds of people. This exercise helps us see that our lives are enriched by many other people in ways we often do not think...
Good News / Bad News
As I ride around downtown Greenville, I admit that I’m happy that I live in such a vibrant community. Seeing the sidewalk restaurants and the groups of people walking to museums, theaters, events in...
Not the Usual Group
When I facilitate the poverty simulation, participants are usually people who have resources who want to learn a bit about what it feels like to live in poverty. They willingly submit themselves to a...
Prophetic Ministry: Not me…or Me
“The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” — From Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination...
Where Do You Fit In?
People ask me, “What can I do to help people who live in poverty?” and that’s always a hard question for me to answer. Each one of us has a particular passion or interest...
Budget Scenario
Based on very conservative spending assumptions Wages: $11.00 an hour job, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Net take home: $8.25 /hour or $1430 a month. Housing: ...