hope - Beach Theology

Mirror, Mirror

Mirrors are helpful most of the time. We benefit from being able to make sure that we look “presentable” before going into public spaces. Sometimes, though, the mirror reveals unpleasant truths. I’m not talking about the distortions I see in the mirror; I know these are false. I’m referring more to the metaphoric mirror, the kind of mirror Nathan held up to David. The one that shows our character flaws and reflects our sins clearly. This kind of mirror is a rare and true gift, if we are brave enough to gaze into it.

Rest and Renewal: An Issue of Justice

by Rachael Keefe

Just because Jesus and the disciples seldom achieved time alone for rest and renewal, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t heed Jesus’ direction. My intention is to take better care of my whole self and not wait until my body protests with extreme fatigue before finding rest. Imagine how the church and the world might change if we made rest and renewal priorities for ourselves and all those around us. If we paid a living wage for all jobs so people could take paid time off… If we had universal healthcare so everyone could have their physical and mental health needs met… If we made social security and disability payments above poverty…

Timbrels at the Ready

by Rachael Keefe

They moved from enslavement to liberation
through a parted sea
across a wilderness
and a river.
Miram played her timbrel then.

They packed up what they could carry
while the blood of lambs dried on lintels
and God passed over.
Miram placed her timbrel then.

Reaching for Healing

by Rachael Keefe

Healing stories are fascinating, let alone the raising from the dead stories. Our 21st Century minds try to rationalize and minimize the power of such accounts. I know I spent years wishing I could touch Jesus garment and be healed from sickness.

Observations from Ancient Words

by Rachael Keefe

The failure to recognize the obvious
always catches me by surprise.
Long, long ago Samuel told the people of God
that no good could come from the rule of kings.
They insisted on being like all other nations.
And along came the kings
who took their children for soldiers and servants,
their goods and grains for self-serving purposes.
Still, they did not learn.

Unbreakable Bonds

by Rachael Keefe

Pentecost is a fabulous story. It has all the marks of a story well-told, complete with special effects. In fact, it is not hard to picture the disciples gathered together in a room, possibly the same upper room of the Last Supper. They gather, huddled together, trying to sort out what’s next. When, all of a sudden, the entire house is filled with the sound of rushing wind.

Mental Health Sunday: Toward a New Understanding

by Rachael Keefe

In the United Church of Christ, this Sunday is Mental Health Sunday… Church can be helpful or harmful, and our history indicates that we have harmed more than we’ve helped when it comes to mental health.

Silence is Compliance

by Rachael Keefe

It’s been quite a week here in the Twin Cities, and in my life. The verdict of guilty on all three charges in the Chauvin trial shifted the mood considerably. There is now hope where there was none. However, this hope is mitigated by the killing of Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and Ma’Khia Bryant.

In Preparation for Mental Health Awareness Month

by Rachael Keefe

This selection of verses from Psalm 139 underscores the need for congregations to engage in conversation around mental health and mental illness. The psalmist clearly states that there is no place we can go where God is not already there

White Supremacy, a Trial, and the Possibility of Resurrection

by Rachael Keefe

I love the story of Thomas. He wasn’t going to believe what he had not seen with his own eyes or touched with his own hands. History has labeled him “Doubting Thomas.” It’s a bit of a misnomer.

Mirror, Mirror

Timbrels at the Ready

Reaching for Healing

Observations from Ancient Words

Unbreakable Bonds

Mental Health Sunday: Toward a New Understanding

Silence is Compliance

In Preparation for Mental Health Awareness Month

White Supremacy, a Trial, and the Possibility of Resurrection

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