@ycwi.bsky.social
Collaboration. Embodiment. Solidarity. YCWI is a professional membership organization by and for Christian clergy women under age 40, creating holy and authentic community. https://youngclergywomen.org/link-in-bio/
From Scarcity to Sanctuary
For hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth, Trinity Place embodies “a wild belief that with God and one another we can make a difference.”
The Blessings of Neurodiversity: A Review of The Sacred Spark by Katharine L. Steele
Steele suggests that viewing ADHD as a "disorder"—as its clinical name suggests—limits our ability to recognize and appreciate the spiritual gift of ADHD. As we are all created in God's image, so the traits of…
Ordination
Our theme for this month’s Fidelia issue is “Ordination.” Whether you are recently ordained and remember the day well, or it feels like ages ago, I hope that these pieces draw you back into the mystery, wonder, and celebration that comes with the beautiful experience of ordination.
And Then They Came for Me
Aligning with evil does not protect you from evil. Aligning with power does not guarantee you will be given power.
Baptismal Covenant: Get Your Affairs in Order
It is surprising that clergy have to be told to get our affairs in order when we are in a profession that often deals with death. I think about death a lot. How can I not when funerals, both of clergy and parishioners, are a regular on my calendar. I…
This event will feature a presentation by Alina and a Q&A with the author, along with a time to share your stories and experiences.
YCWI members! You’re invited to join us for a book launch celebration for Beyond the Stained Glass Ceiling with author Rev. Dr. Alina Gayeuski next week, on March 2nd. See your emails for a registration link.
Ashes to Apples
Before we are ash, we are ember: amber blocks of carbon glowing in the fading light; the glory of a campfire at the end of the evening.
“Remember Your Death:” A Timely and Timeless Lenten Devotional
Every human being, regardless of tradition or culture, will die. We cannot begin to understand the meanings of our lives without acknowledging that those lives are finite, fleeting, and ephemeral.
Concerning True Love… And Stuffed Unicorns
Maybe instead of making Valentine’s Day all about ‘who’ we love, we can try making it about ‘how’ God loves.
Book Review: Grace Poured Out
Let’s go a different way this Lent, towards a well that is overflowing with abundant grace.
Lent
This month, Fidelia, is journeying into Lent, holding space for expressions of anguish and longing.
Celebrating Lunar New Year with Churches in Hong Kong
Celebrating Lunar New Year within the Christian context is an excellent way to bring the church together as one family in Christ.
Hallmarks of the Remnant Church
We, as leaders, have the privilege of being surrounded by wonders every day that we work.
The Strange Call
“That’s me. They are looking for me.” This was my immediate response to reading their profile for the first time – and this notion that they were looking for me scared the living daylights out of me.
Using Star Words in Epiphany Worship
The ritual of the star word is simple: on Epiphany, the day the church remembers the Magi who appeared in Bethlehem and were guided by a star, congregations distribute words—often printed on stars—to each of their members. This word is to be a guiding word for…
New Year, Same Stars
It is one thing to wish on a star; quite another to follow it.
The Point of a Star Word
Maybe the point of a star word is not that suddenly our lives become marked by the word, and everything changes to revolve around it. Maybe the point of a star word is not that we become different or better people because of the word. Maybe all of the ways I’d been…
Pastoring in the Time of King Herod
May we be the magi. May we be like the angels. May we be like the Egyptians.
“I Shall See the Lord”: A Blue Christmas Sermon on Psalm 27
But I don’t want you to think that because you are waiting, that God has neglected you or rejected you. No, in fact, it means the opposite: you are waiting because God has already claimed you as God’s own, made commitments to care for…
He Still Speaks: A Review of Calvin for the World
Calvin wasn’t perfect, but he was far more generous and wide-ranging in his thought than many of his modern champions would like to believe.
Friendly, But Not Tame- Like God Made Me
We are made in the image of a friendly but not tame God.
Sweeping out the Demons: Keeping My Spiritual House in Order
I went into the move aware of the financial risk, and knowing it would cause me anxiety. What I didn’t expect was for life in the new house to reveal my inner demons, lurking within memories of a troubled childhood and fears about the…
Reading Dystopian Literature for Advent
Instead of looking away from what frightens us, we do what the Gospel writers want us to do: we sit with these possibilities. We imagine. We consider what is eternal and what is not.
Joyful Justice: The Timeless Magnificat
Alongside the joyful tone with the coming of Jesus, Advent is perhaps the season that addresses the need for justice the most. Mary’s song about the dethroning of kings, dispersal of wealth, feeding the hungry, and uplifting the lowly is a divine message for…
No Crowns: A Biblical and Historical Review
Jesus was a king without a crown. He never asked for a crown; he never wanted a crown– whether it was made of thorns, a laurel wreath, or gold and silver. And why would Jesus want a crown, anyways? Crowns represent the opposite of Jesus’ Gospel.
Alternatives to Preaching for Thanksgiving Eve
Help! My congregation has a tradition of doing a Thanksgiving Eve service. I have so many things on my to-do list. What can I do instead?
A Communion Liturgy in Celebration of Living Love
Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners like us. He taught us that we must embrace the poor and the outcast, and align ourselves with the tormented and troublemakers of history. Jesus noticed the ones who did not quite fit, and…
