The Psalmists Speak
Psalm 84: 1-2: How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to...
Psalm 84: 1-2: How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to...
Years ago after someone indicated that he thought he was worth more to the community and his company than others were, a staff member at United Ministries said, “Imagine that all the CEOs in...
God Who Is Present in the Darkness, let me feel your presence when I shut my eyes. If that cannot happen at this moment, send someone to me; give me words in a book,...
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 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 (Part 6 of a 6-Part series) One other group of people whose voices are hidden are those who deal with severe mental illness and addiction issues. We’d like for people with mental...
One way I identify hidden voices is from the comments I receive through my work with Our Eyes Were Opened, Inc. I’ve been told: If they’d stop having children and were responsible for the...
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...
Creator of the World, help Mr. Trump find ways to listen to the tweets of real birds, beyond the interiors of buildings, endless meetings, and incessant voices. Amen
Gentrifying: House is purchased for income building Gentle-fying: House is purchased for neighborhood building Gentrifying: Security is based on locks, gates, and systems Gentle-fying: Security is based on friendships and watching out for each...
Holy God, you have said that we shall have no other gods before us. Are you talking about the gods that all people worship, no matter what name they use for you? Gods such...
The Stuff of Spring Cleaning I’ve been motivated to clean out closets, drawers, and even a bit of the basement. The reasons why are: Spring flowers are blooming One daughter-in-law is on a personal...
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,...
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...
The 2016 federal poverty level for a family of 4 in South Carolina is $24,300 and is $11,880 for one individual. The area median income in 2014 is $45,238 (SC) and $44,783 (Greenville-Mauldin-Easley)....
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...
Have you ever thought deeply about compassion? It is a word I use a lot. In fact my mission statement says that I work to enlarge understanding in order to decrease judgment and increase...
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...
“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...
According to the Self Sufficiency Standard, the hourly wage for one adult with one preschooler in Greenville, SC, is $15.67. This breaks down to $750 rent, $567 childcare, $362 food, $271 transportation, $405 healthcare,...