Worth Fighting For: A Word from the Desens House
Standing in the midst of that house in chaos felt like a refection on the chaos of my soul over the past few years. After being very active in our church, I had hit a season of exhaustion and burnout.
Jesus, Justice, and the Suffering of the Marginalized
Yet, where we see suffering, we often see Jesus. Jesus’ arrival in the Gerasenes shows us how he breaks into the marginalized areas of our societies where those who are suffering have been left to languish.
My Breast Cancer Revealed a Mothering God
Now that I am in the post treatment phase punctuated by periodic check-ups, the everydayness of cancer has receded. In its wake, however, I am left with an indelible mark. A mark that has made all of the difference.
Why I Left and Why I Stayed
I wish though I could go back to that young girl, sitting in that big arena with all its grandeur. I wish I could invite her to a quiet, less intense space, and tell her she may leave the church, but it will never mean she left the faith.
Changing the Way I Approach Abortion
I'm ready to leave behind the language and baggage of the pro-life movement to explore a politically unattached whole-life ethic.
Christian Patriarchy Is Just Patriarchy
Christian patriarchy does not remain confined within the walls of our homes. It does not stay behind our pulpits. It cannot be peeled off suit coats like a name tag as evangelical men move from denying women’s leadership at church to accepting the authority of women at work or women in the classroom.
Identifying Spiritual Abuse
Today, it is darkly comedic, the irony of this moment. At the time, it was crushing. Who was I to propose such a thing? Had I witnessed any of what I thought I’d witnessed?
Jesus Invited Women to Take Their Place
Throughout history, women overwhelmingly have been silenced when they’ve had a truth to tell, so much so that it felt detrimental to speak up. A waste of words. Yet Jesus, who came to make all things right, who came to overthrow power structures that demean and oppress, gave women a voice when others didn’t.
Silence: The Facilitator of Clergy Abuse
The epidemic of clergy misconduct is not only the abuse itself, but the Silence that enables the abuse to continue to exponentially harm people. While perpetrators will always exist, the damage they do can be diminished and halted with a way to break through the Silence that protects power.
What is In Your House?
“First and Only” is a leadership resource for Black women who have found themselves in the position of being the first or the only. Unlike most leadership books, my work speaks to the unique challenges that Black women face and posits that a spiritual practice is a key to liberation and sustainability.