For People with Bishop Rob Wright: Recent Episodes
Bishop Rob Wright
For People is a conversation with Bishop Rob Wright, spiritual leader to the more than 50,000 people in the 117 worshipping communities of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. In this podcast, Bishop Wright meets listeners at the crossroads of faith and life to explore the challenges of an ever-changing world. Listen in to find out how he expands on For Faith, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.
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The scariest part of a storm isn’t always the wind and waves, it’s what fear convinces us we’re seeing. When the disciples spot Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14:22–33, they don’t call him their friend. They call him a ghost.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about anxiety, interpretation, and what steady faith looks like when life feels like it never stops testing you. Using the story found in Matthew, they discuss why Jesus says “It is I” before he says “Do not be afraid.” That order matters. Identity comes first, then courage. They connect that to faith and leadership, self-management, and the way fear can become a template we lay over God, other people, and even our own future. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Scarcity is loud. It tells us there's not enough money, not enough compassion, not enough hope, and not enough time to help. In our final Summer Shorts episode, The Rev. Kenya Thompson, Vicar of Church of the Common Ground, offers a different narrative rooted in the miracle of Matthew 14:13–21, where Jesus feeds the 5,000. Miracles, she reminds us, are signs of God's presence breaking into ordinary life, revealing abundance where we assume there's only emptiness.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Kenya about everyday miracles, Jesus' creativity, and what "enough" really looks like. Together, they explore practical ways to show up for our neighbors—especially the most vulnerable—even when we feel our own resources are limited. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Indianapolis, Kenya attended Howard University, graduating in 1992. She later earned a master’s in education from American University in 1996. For over 20 years, she worked in education, including as a high school guidance and college counselor for 15 years. Kenya joined St. George’s Episcopal Church in 1995 and was confirmed that year. After discerning a call to ministry, she earned her M.Div. from Candler School of Theology – Emory University and was ordained in 2018. Her time working in China deeply impacted her spiritually, as she witnessed God’s love through the kindness of strangers, even those not Christian. Since ordination, Kenya has served in various roles, including Vicar at Church of the Common Ground, Associate Rector at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, and Director of Leadership Development at Emmaus House. She is passionate about caring for the forgotten and the unwelcome. She considers being a priest an honor and a blessing and looks forward to future opportunities to love and serve God.
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Pain has a way of making everything feel personal, like the universe is singling you out. Holle Tubbs, diocesan youth missioner for the Diocese of Atlanta, joins us for our Summer Shorts series to talk about a different path: reaching for God without turning faith into a bargain for control.
In this episode, Melissa and Holle explore the relationship between faith, humility, and a kind of grit that isn't defined by winning, but by refusing to give up. They also discuss vulnerability as intimacy, the hard work of depersonalizing pain, and the relief that comes when we can finally say, “This hurts,” without assuming it is punishment. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Holle Tubbs has served in formation ministry leadership since 2003, working in both nondenominational and Episcopal contexts. After spending several years in ministry in the Pacific Northwest, she returned to the South and began serving her hometown parish (St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Columbus, GA) as the Director of Youth Ministry & Media. She joined the Bishop’s Staff of the Diocese of Atlanta in 2021.
In her diocesan role, Holle develops EYCDIOATL programs, supports and mobilizes youth ministers and young people, and partners with the Mikell Board of Governors to oversee the ministry of Mikell Camp & Conference Center in Toccoa, GA. She also leads The Keep/Watch Project, an Atlanta-based suicide prevention ministry offering curriculum and training for individuals, congregations, and faith-based organizations.
Beyond the Diocese, Holle collaborates with ministry leaders across the Church to equip students, strengthen intergenerational ministry, and explore fresh ways to engage Gen Z/Gen Alpha. She is a partner with the Forma Network and serves on the Youth Ministry Council of Advice for The Episcopal Church. A passionate advocate for mental health and leadership development, Holle is committed to helping young people and their leaders thrive.
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You can ruin a garden by being too confident, and you can damage a church the same way. The Rev. Michael White joins us for our Summer Shorts series with a story that starts small, weeding a tidy plot, and lands right in the middle of Matthew 13: sometimes what we label a weed is actually the vine that is meant to grow. That simple mistake opens a bigger conversation about Christian community, belonging, and the temptation to do God’s sorting for God.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Michael about why churches struggle with inclusion even when the sign says “all are welcome.” Michael names an uncomfortable truth: a lot of us don't like feeling awkward, so we drift toward people who look familiar, think like us, and fit our preferred style. But The Episcopal Church at its best is a community where whoever shows up gets to be part of the pilgrimage, and that wide embrace can shape us into richer, more grounded people with a deeper “tapestry” of relationships. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Michael White currently serves as interim rector of St. Luke's Atlanta. Prior to serving at St. Luke's, Michael served as the 41st rector of Christ Church, Savannah. Founded in 1733, Christ Church is the oldest house of worship in the state of Georgia. Michael graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May of 1995 and was ordained that same month. He has a certificate in Non-profit Management from Duke University. He completed the two-year Clergy Leadership Project sponsored by Trinity Wall Street and spent one year as a religious outreach advisor in the U.S. Senate. Michael has also completed a multi-year training offered by the Interim Ministry Network.
Michael is married to The Rev. Helen Slingluff White. They have two sons, Ethan and Jay. Ethan is beginning his third year of study at Virginia Theological Seminary after serving as a youth minister at St. Stephen’s, Richmond and graduating from The University of the South: Sewanee. Jay is a recent graduate of Princeton University and now lives in Chicago pursuing an acting career.
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Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Matt Babcock, The Rev. Michael White, Holle Tubbs, The Rev. Kenya Thompson for Summer Shorts. Each guest will write the For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.
In the first guest episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Matt Babcock, vicar at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, on the parable of the reckless sower. Reflecting on Matthew 13, they call God the “reckless sower” because God keeps sowing hope, compassion, and grace even where no one expects life to grow. They discuss why the gospel isn’t asking us to obsess over outcomes, why the harvest remains a mystery, and how faith and leadership can look like simply dropping seeds and continuing to walk. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Matt Babcock began his ministry with Holy Comforter on August 11, 2025. Matt was raised in central Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2007, earning a BS in Agricultural Business. Following undergraduate studies, he moved to North Carolina, where he was introduced to The Episcopal Church. What began as volunteer service in a food pantry led to a rediscovery of the presence of God through the fruits of a community with a shared vision to live the Gospel. Serving alongside parishioners seeking to restore the dignity of God’s creation eventually led Matt to explore a desire to foster communities of love as he discerned his own call to ordained ministry.
Prior to seminary, Matt had a rewarding career in commodities trading, risk management, finance, and banking. He graduated in 2019 from Yale Divinity School, having earned a Master of Divinity degree; he also earned a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School. Since seminary training, Matt has served in various positions in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, the Diocese of Chicago, and the Diocese of Atlanta. He is a Trinity Leadership Fellow and is currently pursuing a Doctor in Ministry at Candler School of Theology.
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Unconditional love gets talked about like it has no edges, but that kind of “anything goes” love can turn selfish and chaotic fast. Love has a shape. When we pay attention to Jesus’ words and actions, a pattern emerges that you can actually practice in real life, from conflict and apology to courage, sharing, forbearance, and justice.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus’ teaching on love through John 14:15–21 and the Great Commandment. Together, they discuss what Christian maturity looks like when love is understood as a formative way of life rather than a mere sentiment or feeling. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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The loudest voices want you to believe the only way forward is to pick a side and dig in. Jesus shows us another way.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Sarah Fisher, 9th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, about a different kind of strength: the courage to stay centered on Jesus when everything around you begs for distraction. Bishop Sarah shares what it feels like to begin a brand-new bishop with 66 worshipping communities. They get honest about labels, social media noise, and why identity can be both something to honor and something that cannot be the headline. The headline, if we’re reading the bible right, is that Jesus is Lord and the Church is called to witness to good news in the 21st century.
They dig into why church matters right now, when people feel worn down by division, war, and purposelessness, and start looking again for meaning and community. From Flannery O’Connor’s “truth makes you odd” to Walter Brueggemann’s “dangerously odd,” they explore how Christian leadership offers an alternative to the status quo without doing harm. They close with a shared anchor verse, Ephesians 3:20, and the invitation to stay astounded by what God can do “infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” Listen in for the full conversation.
In no particular order, Bishop Fisher loves Jesus, the Church, organization and congregational development, poetry, Holy Scripture, her family in all of its delightful and quirky forms, thrift stores, singing, practicing and teaching yoga, vegetables, laughter, playing in the kitchen and sharpie markers.
She hopes to love, in as much as it is possible, the way that Jesus loves; to serve the Church with fierce compassion and care; to learn as long as it’s possible. She seeks to see and respond to the needs of the world, specifically with an eye to racial injustice; to love those who the world casts to the margins; to use her voice to heal and never harm.
Bishop Fisher is a native of Athens, Georgia and has served parishes in the Diocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Atlanta. She and her spouse and best beloved, Mandy, who is an Episcopal priest, live in New Bern, where they frequently function as human tennis ball dispensers to their two black labs, Bayton and Maggie.
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Jesus does not look at a hurting world and offer merely technical solutions. He sees the deeper wound, speaks to the heart of it, and sends ordinary people to carry hope into ordinary places. In Matthew 9:35–10:8, Jesus shows us three kinds of sheep: the harassed and helpless, the lost, and those sent among wolves. At every intersection of life, this passage asks us to decide who we will be.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus’ image of three kinds of sheep as a way of understanding the spiritual crossroads many of us face. They discuss shepherdless sheep who feel harassed and helpless, and lost sheep who may be surrounded by faith language yet still feel untethered from meaning and the good news. From rising despair to uncertain truth, the conversation lands squarely in the realities many of us know well—especially when life seems to be moving faster than our spiritual resources can keep up. Together, they consider how Jesus meets people at the point of their deepest need and sends ordinary people to carry hope into a weary world.
Then they turn toward the sent sheep. They reflect on what it means to be commissioned under Jesus’ authority, sent like sheep among wolves, and called to public witness that can carry real consequences. Bishop Wright offers a practical image of a “script” that works like jazz: a clear melody for discipleship with faithful improvisation shaped by the moment, your workplace, your family, and your community. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Hunger rarely looks like the stereotype. Sometimes it looks like a parent who works full-time but cannot make childcare and groceries fit in the same month. Sometimes it looks like grandparents raising grandchildren, a family navigating a health crisis, or someone who just lost a job and needs help for a season. Loving like Jesus means serving those who are the most vulnerable in real and tangible ways.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Ashley and Sean Davis about the real faces of food insecurity and why a food pantry can be a lifeline without ever stripping away dignity. Their story starts with a major health issue that forced Ashley to step back from a corporate banking career and ask a hard question: what kind of work actually helps people? This discerning question led them to sell their California home, move to Cartersville, Georgia, and search for a place where they could stop feeling anonymous and start building community. That search led them to The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, where everything “felt right,” and soon after to the Red Door Food Pantry, where Ashley became executive director in 2024.
They dig into the measurable impact and the human impact and how The Red Door Food Pantry grew from a ministry of Ascension into a nonprofit while continuing distributions through the church, and serving thousands of households across Bartow County and beyond. They discuss improving access through technology, mobile pantry plans, and partnerships that bring mental health support, housing resources, health services, and recovery connections right to distribution days. Listen in for the full conversation.
About the Red Door Food Pantry:
For decades, the food pantry was an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, and it distributed the same 8-10 items of food every week to about 30-50 people. Purchasing food at retail prices required the food pantry to use restricted funds to meet budgetary needs. Thus, the food pantry was “in the red,” with only about 10 months of operating expenses to fall back on. However, by joining the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) in 2013, the Red Door Food Pantry was able to buy food for about sixteen cents a pound– thus giving it greater buying power and by helping it attain solvency. In 2022, the Red Door Food Pantry was designated 501(c)(3) status as a public charity. Learn more and give here.
From the archives: Read an article from our diocese about the Red Door Food Pantry and partnerships, including our own Episcopal Community Foundation.
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This episode is Bishop Rob Wright’s sermon from the ordination and consecration of Bishop Sarah Fisher, ninth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, given on May 23.
In his sermon, Bishop Wright answers an important question: what is a bishop for? You’ll hear a clear, memorable vision of Episcopal leadership as itinerant service, scripture-shaped preaching, guarding the faith, and doing “balcony” work that spots patterns and faces the challenges we’d rather avoid. The hat doesn’t make the leader. The work does.
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Togetherness is not a warm slogan, it’s the only way we meet the scale of what’s in front of us. From the start, we press on a simple question: how do you remember the past honestly without letting it turn into bitterness?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Senator Jon Ossoff about faith, leadership, and what it takes to build a better world when the headlines feel like a steady stream of bad news. Ossoff traces his moral education through the legacy of Congressman John Lewis and the civil rights movement in Georgia, including the historic alliance between Black and Jewish communities in the South. He shares the powerful symbolism of being sworn into the US Senate on scripture belonging to Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, the Atlanta rabbi whose temple was bombed in 1958 for supporting Dr. King and the SCLC. They discuss what interfaith coalition building looks like when it’s real, not performative, and why serious faith traditions should pull us alongside each other when the stakes are high. Listen in for the full conversation.
Born and raised in Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff serves as our Senior United States Senator. Since his election, Sen. Ossoff has built bipartisanship in the Senate to achieve meaningful legislative results for Georgia — even in a divided Congress. In his first two years in office, Sen. Ossoff passed into law more standalone bills than any other freshman Senator. Sen. Ossoff’s legislative achievements include laws to protect children online; to strengthen public safety; to tackle the opioid epidemic and prevent fentanyl trafficking across the Southern Border; to investigate unsolved lynchings and Civil Rights murders; to strengthen mental health care services for veterans; and to fight corruption and improve security in U.S. prisons. Mentored by civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis, Sen. Ossoff previously led a small business that produced investigative journalism exposing war crimes, public corruption, human trafficking, and organized crime. Sen. Ossoff lives with his wife, Dr. Alisha Kramer, and two daughters in Atlanta.
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Love sounds simple until you try to practice it with someone who won’t return it, someone who betrays you, or someone whose decisions harm people you care about. That’s where Dorothy Day’s language hits with force: “God is love,” and love doesn’t just soothe fear, it casts fear out.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright use Day’s quote as a doorway into a grounded conversation on Christian love, faith and leadership, and what it means to follow Jesus when the world feels tense, divided, and exhausted. They discuss the uncomfortable gap between sentimental love and what we actually deliver to each other. Bishop Wright names the cost of love that isn’t contingent on someone else’s goodness, gratitude, or agreement and why that kind of love often feels unrequited. They dig into the difference between belief and opinion: belief is rooted in being beloved by God, then living like it. That includes the hard questions, like how to hold dignity and respect for people you deeply disagree with while still working against policies and behaviors that harm others. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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This week, we celebrate 300 episodes of For People! 300 episodes in, we’re still surprised by what happens when you pair a simple setup with a clear purpose: offer people a Jesus-shaped invitation that doesn’t rely on shame, fear, or gatekeeping.
In this milestone episode, Bishop Wright sits down with producer and co-founder Easton Davis to share behind-the-scenes stories from the early days and reflect on how For People grew from a small investment into a podcast with 400,000 downloads, reaching listeners in thousands of cities across 184 countries.
They discuss candidly why digital evangelism matters right now and how online spaces have become the new front door of the church. For many, a short-form video or a podcast is the first step toward faith, especially for those who have only heard harmful theology that says they are not enough. We dig into what it looks like to communicate the gospel with clarity, creativity, and consistency, and why we believe scripture can be shared in ways that respect questions, nuance, and real life. Listen in for the full conversation.
Easton serves as Canon for Communications and Digital Evangelism for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, where he has been a member of the Bishop’s Staff since 2015. Since 2020, in his current role, he has helped shape the diocese’s voice and presence across digital platforms. A passionate storyteller, Easton believes deeply in the power of the visual arts to connect, inspire, and share the Gospel.
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Waiting for people to show up at church can feel polite, safe, and even faithful, but it may be the quickest way to lose real connection.
In this episode, Bishop Rob Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Joseph Yoo, an Episcopal priest and creator known for talking about God with rare plainness, to explore what it looks like to take the Great Commission seriously as “come and see” and “go therefore” instead of “wait and welcome.”
Joseph shares his journey as a Korean immigrant kid raised in a family where ministry is almost a birthright, and how seminary forced him to sort out what belonged to his parents’ expectations versus what belonged to his own call. They get practical: Joseph explains why he started posting on TikTok and Instagram, why he wears a collar out in public to normalize faith, and what mainline churches can learn about speaking to people who are not already insiders. The grounded takeaway is simple and demanding: get local, learn names, show up, and bless someone today by helping them breathe easier, even for a moment. Listen in for the full conversation.
Joseph Yoo currently works as a Church Planter and Episcopalian priest at Mosaic Episcopal Church in Pearland, Texas. He has served as a member of the clergy in multiple states in the US, including Hawaii and California. Born in Korea in 1980, he immigrated to the United States in 1986 and has lived in multiple states throughout his childhood and adult life. He received his BA in Psychology from the University of Hawaii, Manoa in 2003 and his M.Div from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2006. He got his priesthood in 2021 from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He currently lives with his wife and family in Pearland. Learn more about Joseph: https://josephyoo.com/
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Threats to voting rights rarely announce themselves as “suppression.”
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. They discuss the SAVE Act and related proposals that would tighten voter registration. Janai explains why the US already has voter verification systems, why fraud is not the widespread problem it’s sold as, and how new rules can be engineered to shrink the electorate while sounding neutral on paper.
This conversation goes deeper than policy. It wrestles with what it means to be a patriot in a country still learning how to be a multiracial democracy, and why naming white supremacy matters if we’re serious about building something better. Janai offers a framework that sticks with us: reckon with our past, reimagine what this country can be, and refound it by removing the harmful systems that still weigh us down. If the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a kind of “birth certificate” for modern American democracy, then the work of growing up is still unfinished and still possible. Listen in for the full conversation.
Janai Nelson is President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. As the institutional thought-leader, she directs the organization’s programmatic strategy and operations. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in numerous landmark legal cases, shaping the fight for civil rights.
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Easter doesn’t just ask us to believe something happened 2,000 years ago. It challenges the size of our imagination today.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Rob Wright have a conversation about his Easter devotion “Alive". They talk about what it means to live as Easter people who confess, without flinching, that nothing is impossible for God. Together, they unpack how the resurrection is a blueprint for real life and leadership: God’s persistent love that can’t be silenced by soldiers, stones, or collusion with empire. Bishop Wright argues that Jesus isn’t “resurrected” only after the crucifixion, he’s already living a resurrected way before it, restoring dignity, healing old wounds, and telling the kind of truth we often try to deny, soften, or kill. That raises the stakes for how we face fear and mortality, and how we keep pursuing God’s truth even when it costs us. Listen in for the full conversation.
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Serving people in prison isn’t a side project of the Church—it’s at the heart of the gospel. Jesus makes it unmistakably clear: “I was in prison and you visited me.” To step inside those walls is to encounter Christ himself, already present among the forgotten.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Chaplain Susan Bishop, who serves at Lee Arrendale State Prison. They explore what 44 years of prison ministry have taught her, including how Susan got involved in this work. Susan didn’t set out to become a prison chaplain, but what began as a step along the way became a life-altering calling.
Susan also reflects on why this work matters—even when it’s hard, messy, and emotionally demanding. She speaks honestly about crime and harm, while also pointing to God’s capacity to restore what seems beyond repair. In their conversation, Susan names a truth many prison volunteers quickly discover: you think you’re bringing Jesus into prison—then you realize Jesus was already there. Listen in for the full conversation.
Chaplain Susan F. Bishop is an ordained Southern Baptist clergywoman with more than four decades of experience in prison ministry. She currently serves as Director of Chaplaincy Services and Clinical Chaplain at Lee Arrendale State Prison. Over the course of her 44 years of service, she has held a variety of roles, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to spiritual care, pastoral leadership, and the support of incarcerated individuals.
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Good Friday isn’t just a date on the calendar—it’s a truth test. What happens when real integrity shows up in public life and refuses to be bought, bent, or silenced?
In his 1964 meditation Discovery, Howard Thurman suggests that death isn’t the worst outcome. The real tragedy is living without dignity, without conviction—without the integrity of your spirit and soul.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright wrestle with the uncomfortable logic of the cross. If Jesus embodies a truth that heals, feeds, and restores, why do systems react as if that truth is a threat? Maybe it’s because truth—real, lived truth—disrupts what’s convenient. Bishop Wright offers a simple invitation: anchor yourself in God’s goodness, treat every person as a sibling, and live a truth the world can recognize. Listen in to the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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The military chaplain is one of the few people trained to stand close to war without becoming part of the fight, and that tension can change everything.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, about what spiritual care looks like in deployed units, VA health care facilities, and federal prisons, and why chaplains exist to help people stay whole in the middle of experiences most of us will never face.
They get practical about the day-to-day reality: providing Episcopal worship, facilitating religious support for other traditions when no clergy are available, advising commanders on the human needs inside a unit, and showing up for service members and veterans who carry trauma, grief, and moral injury. Bishop Ritonia also shares why Episcopal chaplains are formed as priests first, and how that priestly identity helps them care for all, including people who may be turned away elsewhere. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia served parishes of all sizes for more than 19 years before her election as the eighth bishop suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries of The Episcopal Church. She served 17 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve, holding a range of leadership and executive roles.
Ritonia’s military honors include two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendations, and the Recruit Honor Graduate Award. She served seven years on the Chaplain Selection Committee for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries and provided spiritual direction and pastoral care to chaplains.
Mother to four adults and grandmother to Eva, Adaline, Leo, and Polly, Ritonia and her husband, Mike, live in Ellicott City, Maryland, with their two English bulldogs and golden retriever, Phoebe, Gemma and Louie.
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During the season of Lent, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.
In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fifth reflection: We Confess Nothing is Impossible for God. In Ezekiel 37, dry bones come to life– nothing is impossible for God. Whether you read the dry bones as literal or symbolic, the point is the same: God can revive what looks dead, even what has been desecrated and denied dignity. That raises a practical question for anyone trying to live a faith that matters: what is our role in breathing life over death? Listen in for the full conversation.
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During the season of Lent, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.
In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fourth reflection: We Confess We Do Not See as God Sees. What if the metrics you trust most are blinding you to the best possible choice? In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel’s search for Israel’s next king helps us uncover why patience, humility, and a long memory of God’s ways are essential for real discernment. The story refuses our love of polish and speed: seven strong candidates pass by, and the answer arrives late, smaller, and smelling like pasture. That pause—Have we seen all the sons?—becomes a model for leadership, relationships, and everyday decisions that resist convenience in favor of wisdom. Listen in for the full conversation.
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During the season of Lent, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.
In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the third reflection: We Confess We Forget. Thirst in the desert will test any heart. Using Exodus 17, they trace the tension of freshly freed people, real dehydration, rising panic, and ask why human memory collapses right when we need it most. Their focus lands on confession as a path back to freedom: admitting that we forget and that fear tempts us to outsource our agency to leaders or systems that cannot carry our soul.
Walking through the story, they name the true cost of freedom—responsibility and agency—and sit with Moses in the uncomfortable middle between a grieving crowd and a listening God. Rather than scolding the ancestors, we let their honesty teach us. If you’re standing at the edge of a hard need—health, money, work, or grief—this conversation invites you to carry memory like water and to trust that provision may arrive from an angle you didn’t expect.
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During the season of Lent, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.
In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the second reflection: We Confess God is Our Portion. What if confession started with an inventory of abundance rather than a list of failures? Through the story of Abram and Sarai, they explore how trusting God as our portion reshapes how we understand hardship, delayed timing, and the hidden mercies of “no” and “not yet.” Listen in for the full conversation.
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Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Bishop Wright invites all to a five-week Lenten teaching series, We Confess, with weekly video meditations and study guides that frame Lent as a loving turn toward healing, renewal, and hope through honest confession. You can learn more about the series at episcopalatlanta.org/lent26.
In this week's episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the first reflection: We Confess Our Disobedience to God. Starting with Genesis 2–3 as a living paradigm, they unpack why humans reach for control even when life is abundant, and how that refusal to submit to God’s words and ways leads to guilt, isolation, and disobedience. The aim isn’t to scold; it’s to show a path home. Listen in for the full conversation.
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What if the friends you need for today’s troubles include people from yesterday’s pages? Jesus' transfiguration points to a friendship that bridges time. It unites Jesus with Moses and Elijah to steady him for the hard road ahead. From that mountaintop, we explore how spiritual companions—ancestors in faith and the neighbors at our table—help us move through division, loneliness, and the loud churn of public life without losing our center.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the transfiguration and friendship. From that mountaintop, they explore how spiritual companions—ancestors in faith and the neighbors at our table—help us move through division, loneliness, and the loud churn of public life without losing our center. Listen in for the full conversation.
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What if the most political act in history was God taking on human flesh? In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to explore what it means to follow Jesus in a complex, pluralistic, and politically charged world.
Drawing on the Incarnation, John 14, and decades of global ministry, Welby reflects on human dignity, solidarity with all people, and why an apolitical Jesus is no savior at all. From interfaith neighborliness to immigration, public witness, and the courage required of the church today, this episode invites listeners to imagine a faith rooted in Christ, lived boldly in context, and marked by hope, humility, and love. The claim is simple and bracing: following Jesus means honoring the dignity of every person and showing up where life is fragile, complicated, and real. Listen in for the full conversation.
Justin Welby was Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Anglican Communion from 2013 to 2024. Born in London in 1956, he was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied history and law. For 11 years—five in Paris and six in London—he worked in the oil industry; his booklet, Can Companies Sin?, drew on this corporate experience and evolved from his dissertation at theological college. He was Bishop of Durham, Dean of Liverpool Cathedral, and Canon of Coventry Cathedral, whose international reconciliation work he led for five years. As Archbishop of Canterbury, he set three priorities for his ministry: a renewal of prayer and religious communities across the Church; supporting churches and Christians to be agents of reconciliation and peace-making in places of conflict; and encouraging and inspiring Christians to share their faith.
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In this special release episode, Bishop Rob Wright speaks with Bishop Craig Loya of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota about the immigration crisis unfolding in Minnesota and beyond. Recorded as a resource for clergy and lay leaders, the conversation moves beyond headlines to the lived realities facing immigrant communities.
“On the one hand, we’re seeing a campaign of cruelty and intimidation and violence. On the other hand, we’re seeing the faith community mobilizing for love.” — Bishop Craig Loya
“The central question for followers of Jesus is always the same: What does Christian love require of us now?” — Bishop Rob Wright
Bishop Loya shares how Episcopal congregations are responding with care—delivering food to families afraid to leave their homes, expanding food pantries, caring for children, and standing vigil outside daycares—while also naming the fear and trauma communities are experiencing.
These themes echo a recent letter signed by 154 bishops across The Episcopal Church, including Bishop Wright. Addressed to the American people, the letter calls for accountability, restraint, and renewed commitment to human dignity, asking a simple and urgent question: Whose dignity matters Together, the podcast and the bishops’ letter offer a clear call to prayer, moral courage, and faithful action in a time of fear.
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The story we tell about Jesus often sounds suspiciously like the story we want to tell about ourselves. We pull his words toward our preferences and mistake charisma for character.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what Jesus actually says. They unpack how the “identity theft of Jesus” happens in public life and in our own hearts. Rather than wag a finger at politicians or rivals, start with the mirror: integrity begins by acknowledging the gap between what we say on Sunday and how we live on Monday. Bishop Rob Wright lays out a simple but demanding path back to center—read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John slowly, let Jesus speak for himself, and test every claim by long-term fruit. Listen in for the full conversation.
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Barriers don’t bury the church; they clarify the mission. The Book of Acts reveals a pattern in which every barrier is followed by a fresh witness to Jesus.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Justin Holcomb using Acts as the centerpiece. From language and culture gaps to political pressure and outrage cycles, they discuss how a consecrated voice—rooted in promise, not panic—cuts through the noise and opens doors for real renewal. Their conversation points toward a practical path forward: witness over winning, promise over pressure, and trust that the Holy Spirit will write the next paragraph of the church's story. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb was ordained and consecrated as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida on June 10, 2023. He was elected at a special Diocesan Convention on Jan. 14, 2023.
A native Floridian, the bishop earned his Ph.D. in theological studies from Emory University and has both a Master of Arts in theological studies and a Master of Arts in Christian thought from Reformed Theological Seminary as well as a B.A. in biblical studies from Southeastern University. He also studied at the University of Oxford during the summer of 1996.
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Greatness to God is measured not by a country's advances in buildings and technology but by how those are treated with the least. In Dr. King’s final Sunday sermon at Washington National Cathedral, he addressed a challenge of the day that remains true in the present: if we claim blessing, are we ready for God's accountability? That question us into the bracing clarity of Matthew 25, where Jesus sets the bar with the hungry, the unhoused, and the stranger.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation centered on Dr. King's final Sunday sermon, given four days before his murder. Together, they explore why prophets are often met with resistance. Instead of condemning, true prophetic work loves a nation enough to critique it. Followers of Jesus embedded in institutions can bend systems toward mercy through fair wages, humane services, restorative practices, and transparent accountability. A nation's greatness, then, becomes directional: power constrained by love, budgets aligned with neighbor-care, and policies that honor the image of God in every person. Listen in for the full conversation.
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Ever feel the tug to shrink yourself so others stay comfortable? Pleasing people drains joy, while pleasing God frees us.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the difference between pleasing people and pleasing God, and why living as our truest selves leads to freedom from fear and a deeper peace. Purpose stops being mystical and becomes practical through small, faithful steps that compound into a life of impact. They trace how obedience isn’t about rule-keeping—it’s the doorway to hearing God more clearly, knowing who we are, and unchaining our lives from fear. With God, we can trade our anxiety for a grounded sense of worth, and vague resolutions for purposeful action. Listen in for the full conversation.
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"In the Christmas story, God slips through a birth canal underneath the empire. This star child is born in a borrowed room and takes his first rest in a feeding trough. God chooses vulnerability over visibility and humility over dominance. Christmas helps us to know who God is through God's choices. The child we say we love tonight but are afraid to love too much is born on the underside of history. No status, no security. So if you're looking for God, you can always find God where the world least expects God to be. So if we're only watching the Empire's headlines, we may be missing the holy things that are being born right in front of us. Christmas is God's graceful and gentle refusal of the Empire's terms and methods. In God's Christmas story, domination is overthrown by incarnation and love."
Excerpt from Bishop Wright's Christmas Sermon "Born Beneath the Headlines"
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A life can pivot on a single whispered word. In Matthew 1, Joseph is at a real-world crossroads, balancing righteousness, reputation, and love, until an angelic message reframes his next step. That shift from fear to faithful action changed everything.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the angels we encounter in the real world. God speaks at difficult intersections, often through ordinary messengers like therapists, pastors, songs, and trusted friends, and those messages give courage to walk a hard path. Listen in for the full conversation.
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What if hope isn’t tidy or instant, but slow and stubborn—something that holds you when outcomes don’t? In Matthew 11, John the Baptist asks a big question about Jesus. "Are you the one, or should we wait for another?" John's question is really our question. Is Jesus deserving of our faith, hope, and following?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the ache for a savior who will make it all better, especially amid Christian nationalism and culture-war politics. It’s human to want a rescuer, but it’s risky to confuse charisma with character. The kingdom’s pattern is quieter: reversal at the edges, healing without spectacle, and justice in motion. Advent brings the hard edge of timing. God is not a magician, and the “already and not yet” of the kingdom asks us to live with tension—trusting that change has begun while admitting it is not complete. This is mature faith: patient, honest, and, grounded in the long arc of God’s work. Listen in for the full conversation.
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How do we bring spiritual practices into our everyday working lives? This adaptive challenge requires a new path—one where risk becomes stewardship, attention becomes a sacred resource, and everyday tasks turn into a living conversation with God.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Chip Roper, founder and president of the VOCA Center. Chip’s journey from profit-chasing ambition to seminary and back into the marketplace as an executive coach gives him rare range: he understands performance pressure, pastoral care, and the hard realities of modern organizations. Bishop Wright and Dr. Roper dig into the quiet epidemic of workplace loneliness and the surprising data showing how few professionals tap spiritual resources when the heat is on. From Jesus’ words about doing only what the Father is doing to the easy yoke that lightens our overwork, Chip maps out a way to lead with courage and calm. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. Chip Roper is the Founder and President of the VOCA Center, a faith-based organization driven to equip Christians to approach their daily work with God’s wisdom and power. With an Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University and a Doctorate of Ministry from Missio Seminary, Chip tackles client challenges from 30+ years of P/L leadership responsibility as a small businessman, a pastor, a career coach, and a business consultant. Chip's clients are found at Blackstone, Sunrise Brokers, JP Morgan, Randall-Reilly, Goldman Sachs, Nielson, Knopman Marks, and CNBC.
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What if the kingdom of God becomes visible not in our theories but in our steps? Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology reframes discipleship as embodied obedience—showing up in prisons, sharing real mutuality, and trading religious privilege for humble responsibility.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Dr. Jenny M. McBride, Associate Rector of All Saints' Atlanta and president of the International Bonhoeffer Society. Jenny shares how reading Bonhoeffer at an urban house of hospitality opened a door from evangelical ideas to lived formation. That path led her into prison classrooms where fashion small talk mingled with raw theological questions, and where “helping” gave way to being helped.
They discuss Luke 10’s sentness, why belief grows when we go where Jesus intends to go, and how visiting the incarcerated unmasks our craving for superiority. Responsibility becomes the antidote to Christian nationalism’s power hunger, and repentance becomes a daily practice that forms courage and tenderness. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer M. McBride (Ph.D. University of Virginia)is Associate Rector at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Previously she served as an Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and held the Board of Regents Endowed Chair in Ethics at Wartburg College in Iowa. After a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Religious Practices and Practical Theology at Emory University, McBride directed a theology certificate program for incarcerated women through Emory's Candler School of Theology.
McBride is author of You Shall Not Condemn: A Story of Faith and Advocacy on Death Row (Cascade, 2022), Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel (Fortress, 2017), The Church for the World: A Theology of Public Witness (Oxford University Press, 2011), and is co-editor of Bonhoeffer and King: Their Legacies and Import for Christian Social Thought. In addition to book chapters and scholarly articles, her work has appeared in popular publications like The Christian Century and CNN.com and has been featured in the New York Times.
McBride is the recent past president of the International Bonhoeffer Society – English Language Section, an organization made up of scholars, religious leaders, and readers of German pastor-theologian and Nazi-resister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. She serves as co-editor of the T&T Clark book series, New Studies in Bonhoeffer’s Theology and Ethics.
She is married to Dr. Thomas Fabisiak, who is the co-executive director of the Georgia Coalition for Higher Ed in Prison and Associate Dean at Life University, where he runs a college degree program for women in Georgia prisons.
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Bishop Wright's sermon "An Uncommon Success" given at the 119th Annual Council of the Diocese of Atlanta.
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This week's For People is based off of Bishop Wright's opening worship sermon given on November 7, 2025 at the 119th Annual Council of the Diocese of Atlanta.
What if success isn’t about wins on paper but trust put into practice? Luke 10 teaches us how Jesus sends people out light on gear but heavy on purpose and asks us to measure progress by reliance, integrity, and the peace we carry into real places. The kingdom isn’t far off; it’s near and asking for a public life that heals, feeds, and invites—even when doors close and welcome is thin.
In this episode Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about an uncommon success. They unpack peace as shalom instead of silence: not keeping the powerful comfortable, but seeking wholeness, equity, and purpose that challenges harmful norms. That peace moves toward cities where people should flourish, not just scrape by. From there, they discuss scale. Jesus grows the team from twelve to seventy, and we take the cue: faith and data can be partners. They talk targeting new congregations in the poorest areas, gathering facts on health and education gaps, and budgeting for ministry that brings hope to “fingernail dirty” places. All of it leads back to one audit question: do we trust Jesus more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today? Listen in for the full conversation.
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The heat of Jesus’ public life wasn’t condemnation but redemption that actually changes people and communities! Luke 19:1-10 teaches us that every sinner has a future and every sinner has a past. Zacchaeus’, a corrupt tax collector, turnaround begins when Jesus comes near to him and shares a table. turnaround in Luke 19 as a living case study. The scandal isn’t just that Jesus notices a corrupt tax collector; it’s that he moves toward him, shares a table, and sparks real repair. That grace and mercy extended created a future for Zacchaeus and his community.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about redemption. They name the hard part: communities often resist grace. It’s easier to exile than to accompany, to watch from a distance than to risk relationship. They discuss the tension between telling the truth about harm and still seeing the person as more than their deed, a distinction that keeps justice honest and mercy strong. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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We believe death is not to be feared. We believe that death does not end life, it only changes life. Fear loves the last word, but it doesn’t deserve it, and naming our fears out loud is the first act of courage.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about fear, death, and faith. How shall we live a good life that will result in us dying a good death? Listen in for the full conversation.
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Faith isn't something we own; it's something we steward to others. In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus teaches us about the persistent widow who kept knocking until a weary judge relented. Her courage becomes our template for a faith that endures indifference, resists despair, and stays tender without giving up. We talk about hope as the engine of perseverance, how small acts compound into movements, and why faith gains its richest colors when life runs hot and hard.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about perseverance. Together, they unpack a countercultural claim: perseverance is community property. When your trust is thin, you can borrow mine; when I’m weary, I may need yours. From singing each other back to courage to telling honest stories that spark imagination, we show how public witness—bold yet gentle—invites others in. This conversation reaches into the public square, naming dignity for every person, resisting dehumanization, and calling for peace with justice that allows neighbors to flourish together. Perseverance becomes a daily posture: steady, hopeful, and communal—rooted in love that refuses hate’s heavy load. Listen in for the full conversation.
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A man turns back to say thank you—and discovers a deeper kind of healing. That small pivot in Luke 17:11-19 launches a wide‑open conversation about gratitude as action, the difference between being cured and being made whole, and why a daily practice of thanks can change your chemistry, your relationships, and your resilience.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about gratitude. They discuss starting prayer with thanksgiving, naming three to ten blessings a day, and turning down the noise long enough to notice the quiet mercies that keep us afloat. Listen in for the full conversation.
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Sorrow doesn’t mean you’ve lost faith; it means you’ve loved deeply enough to tell the truth. Naming our losses can be both spiritual and practical. Psalm 137 shows what happens when a community refuses euphemism, resists denial, and chooses to face reality with courage. That choice isn’t about wallowing; it’s about setting the stage for healing, responsibility, and real hope.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what we learn from Psalm 137. They discuss the tension between emotional performance and emotional honesty, and why the psalms offer a vocabulary for the full range of human experience: doubt, trust, anger, and gratitude. They unpack how the power of a single voice can serve the entire community by helping others see afresh. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What does it mean when we have proximity without fellowship? Through Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, we get a glimpse. This parable reveals two men sharing the same address—one living in luxury while the other suffers at his gate—yet separated by an unbridgeable social gulf that continues even after death.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the parable and how the rich man's sin wasn't wealth but indifference to human suffering. Rather than being "Washington-minded and locally neglectful," Wright urges us to start by interrogating our own hearts. Listen in for the full conversation.
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What happens when you discover your family tree has branches on both sides of America's racial divide? Dr. Spenser Simrill Jr.'s journey began with simple curiosity about his family name and evolved into a profound story of reconciliation that's now a CNN documentary premiering September 21, 2025 at 10p.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Spenser Simrill Jr. about his discovery while teaching family history at the University of Georgia. Spenser found an alternate spelling of his surname that unlocked an unexpected connection – in 1871, a Black woman named Harriet Simrill testified against the Ku Klux Klan in a federal Reconstruction trial. Given the distinctive nature of his family name, Spenser realized there must be a connection through enslavement. This suspicion was confirmed when he found a Facebook suggestion for a Black man his age from his father's hometown with the original spelling of their shared surname.
Eleven years later, the two families reunite annually, have produced an Audible podcast called "Once Removed: An American Family Reunion," and are featured in CNN's "A Family in Black and White." Their story challenges the notion that denial is the only way to handle difficult historical truths. Instead, Spenser demonstrates how confronting these realities leads to healing and wholeness. Spenser's work reminds us that we are one human family despite our painful history. By choosing to be storytellers who look unflinchingly at reality, we become "peace warriors" committed to recognizing our fundamental interconnectedness. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. Spenser Simrill Jr, is the creator of the Once Removed podcast and a TEDx speaker on racial healing. His research has informed reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland, Liberia, and across the American South—culminating in the first historical marker in South Carolina to mention the Ku Klux Klan.
His work has appeared on CNN’s The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, Audible Originals, The New York Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and TEDx Asheville.
His students have won multiple international competitions, including two wins and an honorable mention in The New York Times Best Student Podcast Contest. Spenser lives with his family in Arden, North Carolina, and teaches at Christ School.
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What does it really mean to be a sinner? When stripped to its Greek roots, sin simply means "missing the mark."
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about sin and what Jesus' approach. The religious elite's biggest complaint against Jesus? That he dined with and welcomed those who missed the mark. "Now that's my kind of God," Bishop Wright reflects. This divine comfort with imperfect people creates a powerful invitation for all of us to bring our whole selves to faith.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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True freedom emerges not from the world's prescription of unbridled self-indulgence, but through faithful obedience."Truth in advertising" is how Bishop Wright describes Jesus' approach to discipleship. Unlike our romantic relationships, where we rarely calculate what love will cost us before diving in, Jesus takes a refreshingly honest approach. He stands at the threshold and asks us to pause, reflect, and genuinely count the cost before committing to follow him.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that explores this radical invitation found in Luke 14, where Jesus uses hyperbolic language about "hating" family members not as a literal command, but to emphasize a hierarchy of commitments. When we prioritize pleasing others above following God's path, we become trapped in what Bishop Wright calls "the quicksand of people-pleasing," which ultimately diminishes our capacity for authentic discipleship. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What happens when our religious rules collide with human suffering? In Luke 13, Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath despite religious opposition. Jesus' act models the need to push beyond the status quo.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that invites us to examine how our own spiritual boundaries might be limiting our capacity for compassion. "Why don't God's children have housing? Why isn't there equal access to medicine? Why don't God's children have a living wage in a wealthy country?" Bishop Wright's own questions challenge us to move beyond vertical adoration of God toward horizontal service to others. In a world overwhelmed by division and breaking news alerts, he offers a remedy: remembering who we are and whose we are. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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"When we say that we believe, we are saying that we are in the response position." In our latest series, Bishop Wright invites us to consider the profound implications of the declaration "We Believe" that unites Christians across time, denomination, and geography.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it truly means to believe. Far more than intellectual agreement, belief positions us in relationship to a God who exists whether we acknowledge it or not. When we stand and recite ancient creeds, we join a timeless community of faith—standing "spiritually shoulder to shoulder with generations who have gone before and generations yet to come." This connection reminds us that faith is both deeply personal and inherently communal. Listen in for the full conversation.
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How do we respond when the winds of division, uncertainty and despair threaten to blow us off our center? We go deep into what we believe! This episode introduces the new series "We Believe!". Bishop Wright chose this series title because belief defines us, consoles us and guides us no matter the seasons of life.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that shifts the understanding of belief itself - moving beyond intellectual agreement to embrace trust as the foundation of faith. "When we say we believe," Bishop Wright explains, "that word is actually better rendered 'trust.' We are the people who say we trust God." This distinction transforms how we approach our spiritual journey, especially in times of division and anxiety. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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The concept of dignity—the unwavering worth within each human being—lies at the heart of our religious traditions, political systems, and human interactions. But what does it mean to respect someone's dignity, especially when society has trained us to look away?
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Dr. Beth Sarah Wright, author of "DIGNITY: Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Community", centered on James 3:18. They discuss human dignity and how genuine community emerges when we honor each person's inherent value.
"Dignity isn't a moral imperative, nor is it a political imperative—it really is a human imperative," Dr. Wright explains. She unpacks how respect etymologically means "to look again," challenging us to see beyond our initial judgments to recognize the full humanity in others. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright is an Atlanta-based author, dynamic speaker, and strategic thought partner who inspires and drives transformation in communities, institutions, and individual lives—all while centering human dignity.
As Co-Founder and Executive Director of Thrive With Dignity, LLC, Dr. Wright partners with organizations to build authentic, thriving communities. She works with a wide range of institutions—schools and universities, corporations, nonprofits, and faith communities—using her signature DIGNITY Lens©. This powerful framework, grounded in seven strategic pillars, helps organizations interrogate their practices, align with their core values, and embed human dignity into the very structures that shape daily life. More than a framework, the DIGNITY Lens© is both a leadership tool and an integrity compass—empowering communities to increase capacity, make meaningful progress, and change outcomes in sustainable ways.
She is the author of seven influential books, covering topics from organizational integrity and adaptive leadership to depression, healing, and spiritual growth. Her book DIGNITY: Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Community (2020), selected as the 2023 featured book of the year by the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), along with its companion The DIGNITY Lens Workbook, offers a practical and transformative approach to leadership, strategic decision-making, and creative problem-solving. These resources have been used across sectors to conduct integrity audits and enhance alignment with mission and purpose.
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When Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," they recognized how Jesus connected with the Divine. The prayer the disciples asked for wasn’t about polished words. It was about relationship.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir about prayer and its power to transform our spiritual lives. Salmoon shares the story of how his mother instilled prayer as a non-negotiable daily practice in their family life. The conversation reveals how early formation in prayer creates patterns that sustain us through life's complexities.
Prayer emerges not as a performance or obligation but as relationship-building with the divine. "The focus of prayer is to be like Jesus, love like Jesus, pray like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, welcome strangers like Jesus," Salmoon explains. This relational approach dismantles the anxiety many feel about "praying correctly," affirming that from ancient liturgical traditions to simple heartfelt words, there's no wrong way to pray. As Salmoon prepares to pass these prayer traditions to his four-month-old son by reading Psalms at bedtime, we're reminded that prayer forms not just our spiritual lives but the generations that follow. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir serves as the Canon for Liturgy and Ecumenism at the Cathedral of St. Philip. Originally from Pakistan, Salmoon brings over a decade of experience in offering compassionate and thoughtful leadership across multicultural, multi-faith contexts in the United States, Pakistan, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Georgia.
Before ordained ministry, Salmoon worked as a Project Engineer in the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. Responding to a vocational call, he joined the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace in London, serving alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury. He later moved to the Republic of Georgia, where he served as Assistant Pastor in a vibrant, multiethnic, and multidenominational church.
Salmoon's call to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church led him to Atlanta, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree with a Certificate in Episcopal-Anglican Studies and a Chaplaincy concentration from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. In addition to his ministry, Salmoon serves on several academic, religious, and nonprofit boards. He is married to Mari, a fellow graduate of Candler School of Theology, who works with a faith-based nonprofit organization.
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Have you ever considered the difference between being a tourist and being a pilgrim? Justin Strickland discovered this distinction firsthand during his transformative journey to Ghana and the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, the companion diocese of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. His story reveals how true pilgrimage reshapes our understanding of presence, relationship, and spiritual growth.
In this episode, Melissa and Justin have a conversation about Justin's recent pilgrimage and how it mirrors the tension of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 - the challenge of balancing doing with being. While Martha is busy attending to the practical needs of preparing for Jesus, Mary chooses to sit at his feet, listening to his teachings. Through visits to slave trade sites and immersion in Cape Coast's vibrant Anglican worship, Justin discovered the power of stepping away from constant activity to truly listen and connect.
The journey began as historical exploration but blossomed into something far more meaningful - genuine relationships that continue to flourish across oceans. "We're such a doing people that we get so caught up in the doing that we forget when those holy moments to stop doing are," he reflects. His story challenges us all to recognize when we need to be Martha (doing) and when we need to be Mary (being) - finding those sacred moments where stopping to listen transforms not just our experience but our very selves. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Justin Strickland is a lifelong Christian who was raised in the Pentecostal tradition but found his spiritual home in The Episcopal Church. He is an active member of the Cathedral of St. Philip and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the life of the church. Recently, Justin deepened his faith journey by participating in a pilgrimage to Ghana. His life reflects a commitment to justice, community, and faithful witness.
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Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Tricia Templeton, Justin Strickland, The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir, and Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright. Each guest will write that week's For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.
In the first guest episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Tricia Templeton centered on the parable of the Good Samaritan. During Tricia's time serving in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s, she experienced a frightening situation when thieves broke into her Malaysian hotel room while she slept, stealing everything except her passport. Stranded with no money and limited options, she encountered unexpected compassion from a Thai woman prostitute. This stranger provided meals, packed lunch for Tricia's journey, and gave her emergency money—going far beyond basic assistance. The parallels to Jesus' radical parable are striking: help often comes from those we least expect. As Tricia wisely observes, "The most unlikely person might be just the person who has what you need at that moment." Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Tricia Templeton has been rector of St. Dunstan’s for 21 years. She previously served churches in Knoxville and Chattanooga. Before going to seminary she was a newspaper reporter and editor and a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.
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When we've been hurt or rejected, vengeance may be something we desire. Christian maturity helps us build capacities to defer and fend off the need for vengeance.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about vengeance. Using Luke 9:51-62, they unpack Jesus' response when his disciples wanted to "rain fire and brimstone" on a Samaritan village that rejected them. Jesus rebukes their desire for vengeance suggesting that vengeance distracts those who have decided to pursue the kingdom of God. Whether we're discussing global conflicts or personal relationships, the space between being triggered and responding represents our opportunity for growth. "Whatever triggers you is trying to set you free," Bishop Wright notes, suggesting our reactions point to places where healing is needed. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What happens when we strip away centuries of religious interpretation and confront the actual teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? This Jesus isn't the gentle, apolitical figure often presented in modern Christianity, but rather "a holistically spiritual freedom fighter" deeply concerned with poverty, exploitation, and injustice.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., research scholar at Columbia University and former professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. Their conversation reminds us that Jesus as a radical social reformer whose message has been systematically diluted. Dr. Hendricks draws on St. Paul's emphasis on individual spiritual experiences to convey his message. "Paul transformed Jesus' concern for collective social, economic and political deliverance into an obsession with personal piety," Hendricks explains, suggesting that many Christians today understand Jesus primarily through St. Paul's interpretation, which fundamentally altered the trajectory of Jesus' radical message. Listen in for the full conversation.
A lifelong social activist, Obery Hendricks is one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today. Cornel West calls him “one of the last few grand prophetic intellectuals.”
A widely sought lecturer and media spokesperson, Dr. Hendricks’ appearances include CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Fox News, Fox Business News, the Discovery Channel, PBS, BBC, NHK Japan Television and the Bloomberg Network. He has provided running event commentary for National Public Radio, MSNBC, and the al-Jazeera and Aspire international television networks.
Learn more about Dr. Obery Hendricks and subscribe to his substack.
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What happens when we encounter truth we aren't ready for? Jesus' words about the Spirit of Truth were a guide to his disciples who couldn't yet bear everything their teacher had to share. Jesus' teachings on the Spirit of Truth remain a guide for us today too!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about truth and the weigh it carries in our lives. Most of us resist truth because we don't want our failures and frailties exposed. Yet spiritual maturity manifests in precisely this capacity: can we hear unflattering truths about ourselves without crumbling? Can we embrace both our status as sinners and saints? The liberating truth Jesus offers is that we don't need to earn our worth—we're already infinitely valued in God's eyes! Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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"Diversity belongs to God's imagination." With this bold statement, Bishop Rob Wright cuts through the political noise surrounding conversations about human difference. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how the ancient biblical story of Pentecost offers a divine endorsement of human diversity that transcends modern political debates.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Pentecost centered around Acts 2:1-21 where the Holy Spirit descends on a linguistically and ethnically diverse gathering, creating understanding without erasing distinctiveness. This divine affirmation of difference provides a powerful counterpoint to modern anxieties about diversity. As Bishop Wright observes, "We can't see all of God until we see all of us," reminding listeners that our differences reflect God's creative abundance rather than problems to be solved. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Prison takes many shapes and forms. The size of an individuals home or investment portfolio pales in comparison to true spiritual release - a freedom of purpose, clarity, and belonging that transcends physical limitations. This God given release is true freedom!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright delve into Acts 16, reflecting on the story of Paul and Silas. Imprisoned yet singing joyfully after freeing a slave girl from demonic possession, their experience serves as a powerful metaphor. The conversation explores themes of oppression and freedom, highlighting a recurring pattern in human history: the tendency to define freedom as "keeping a foot on someone else's neck."
Bishop Wright contrasts this with the radically different model offered by Jesus—liberation that lifts others rather than subjugates them. He emphasizes that before we can transform societal systems, we must first confront the "prisons" within ourselves: the grudges we cling to, the biases we perpetuate, and the wealth we hoard while others are deprived of life's basic needs. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Words create worlds. From Genesis where God speaks creation into being, to Jesus asking a paralyzed man, "Do you want to be made well?", speech carries the power to transform reality. But what happens when certain topics become unspeakable?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that explores how modern society increasingly avoids difficult conversations. Using Jesus' healing story, Bishop Wright reveals how bringing things into speech opens pathways to healing and resurrection. They also discuss more recent examples including the evolution of Malcolm X's speech as his heart expanded, the way Muhammad Ali voiced what many thought but dared not say about Vietnam, and how Pope Francis's humble question "Who am I to judge?" transformed Catholic discourse. At its core lies a powerful truth: authentic speech flows from the heart's abundance. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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God does some of God's best work in the darkness! These painful periods hold unexpected creative potential—a perspective shared by both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize speech and Jesus in his final hours with his disciples. Dr. King spoke during a time of profound national division. Yet he saw beyond immediate chaos to "a genuine civilization struggling to be born." Similarly, Jesus, facing betrayal and death, used that moment to wash his disciples' feet and establish a new commandment of love that would define his followers for centuries.
Drawing comparisons between Dr. King's words from and Jesus' commandment in John 13, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on how turmoil itself can become the raw material for transformation. What current turmoil in your life might contain creative possibility? Listen in fo the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Being in relationship with God is accompanied by suspense. Even in the bible, John 10: 22-30, Jesus is asked "Are you the Messiah? How long will you keep us in suspense?" Faith in God meets in the tensions of certainty and the suspense of the unknown.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the suspense that accompanies faith. Bishop Wright offers a perspective that transforms how we view life's uncertainties. "The suspense is not if there's God, the suspense is how will God choose to be God and on what timeline." This distinction invites us to shift from demanding answers to embracing relationship. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
We have developed a survey to better understand how Bishop Wright's For People Podcast can continue to inspire, engage, and serve our listeners. Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey here.
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What do we do with our wounds? When betrayal cuts deep, when painful experiences leave scars, we have control of how we move forward - with God's help. Jesus' post-resurrection appearances challenge our conventional responses to hurt. Jesus, freshly risen from death after being betrayed by his closest followers, doesn't seek distance or retribution. Instead, he passes through locked doors to reconnect with the very people who abandoned him. This radical choice reveals what authentic power looks like: not domination or revenge, but the capacity to remain engaged despite deep wounds.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about that first post-resurrection gathering. Bishop Wright unpacks what he calls "God's perpetual Easter pattern" of unlocking, transforming, and redeeming. This divine process takes our wounds seriously without allowing them to become our primary identity. Just as Jesus acknowledged his wounds without making them the focal point, we too can validate our pain while asking the essential question: "Now what?" The answer lies in allowing God to recycle even our most painful experiences into bridges of connection with others. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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This week we celebrate 250 episodes of our Podcast, For People! From its inception until now our purpose has been singular, to talk about God, God’s goodness and how we might respond to this good God made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus far, we have listeners in 142 countries. An immense thank you goes to Easton Davis, our producer, and Melissa Rau, my conversation partner, most weeks. Incredibly affirming and instructive for us in this work is that we have heard from so many telling us about the ways For People has been a blessing, companion and inspiration for them in their life with Christ. Please know that we understand it to be a privilege to make this offering. Psalm 118 helps me say how I really feel about this milestone, "You are my God, and I will thank you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good….” -Bishop Rob Wright
In the 250th episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright take listeners on a journey through some of the most profound moments from past conversations on For People. The four soundbites from podcasts guests include The Rev. Dr. Robert Franklin, Archbishop Hosam Elias Naom, Texas State Representative James Talarico, and Bishop Mariann Budde. These soundbites represent critical intersections of faith and life emphasizing the importance of moral leadership in our world today. Listen in for the full conversation.
In celebrating 250 episodes, we have developed a survey to better understand how Bishop Wright's For People Podcast can continue to inspire, engage, and serve our listeners. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve the content, format, and overall experience of the podcast. Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey here.
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Authority comes in many forms, but as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, he modeled an understanding that may transform how we view our empowerment. While crowds waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" one day and "Crucify him!" shortly after, Jesus remained steadfast. Neither public praise nor rejection sways him from his purpose. This spiritual maturity stands as both a challenge and an invitation to us – can we remain faithful to our calling regardless of external forces?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus' authority using his return to Jerusalem as the backdrop. Bishop Wright distinguishes holding positions of leadership and living into God-given authority. "Jesus never said 'come and sit in a building and hear words wash over you,'" he reminds us. Rather, being authorized by Jesus means joining him in active ministry – what Bishop Wright calls Jesus' "never-ending, ever-unfolding neighborly campaign." This reframing challenges each baptized Christian to recognize they've already been empowered to serve, rather than waiting for ordained leadership to act. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Loss hits hardest when we love deeply. How do we face it without denial or paralysis? In John 12, at a dinner for Jesus after Lazarus' resurrection, his friends respond to impending loss differently—Lazarus with nostalgia, Martha with busyness, and Judas with business. But Mary offers a different way: acknowledging a loss that draws her closer to Jesus.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about loss. They use the dinner party to unpack how people respond to loss. Bishop Wright reminds us that Jesus is equipped to guide us through loss because he understands betrayal, rejecting, and unjust suffering. Jesus' loss offers wisdom for navigating not just death, but all forms of loss—including the losses that accompany change. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 5 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Growing Up in Christ!". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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Empathy is not just about intellect. Empathy is about putting flesh on Christian ideals. It's about compassion enough for everyone. The story of The Prodigal Son is one of Jesus' parables thats reaches beyond the Christian faith. In the story, Jesus stretches empathy wide for everyone involved.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about empathy, focusing on the story of The Prodigal Son. Using the story as inspiration, they discuss how God calls us to make community from the very things that cause divide. In the words of Bishop Wright, this is perhaps the best story Jesus ever told. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 4 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Growing Up in Christ!". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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When Moses noticed a burning bush and decided to investigate rather than ignore it, he unwittingly set in motion events that would liberate an entire people from slavery. What might happen if we approached our faith with similar holy curiosity?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about remaining curious with our faith matters. They discuss how curiosity serves as the gateway to authentic worship and meaningful action. Our willingness to approach the unusual, to ask questions rather than settle for easy answers, often precedes our most profound encounters with God. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 3 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Growing Up in Christ!". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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To grow up in Christ will make you maladjusted to the world. St. Paul was a Roman citizen - the platinum standard for the age. Yet, in Paul's letter to the Philippians, he reminds us that we are citizens of heaven living on earth. What are the costs of this heavenly citizenship? As we grow up in Jesus, we get a glimpse of how we have adjusted ourselves to a world in open opposition to truth, peace, love and justice.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about becoming maladjusted to the world as it is. To become maladjusted, Bishop Wright outlines three essential movements in spiritual formation: the upward reach to God, the inward alignment with God's will, and the outward push toward the world God loves. When we neglect any of these dimensions, our relationship with God becomes deficient. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 2 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Growing Up in Christ!". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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Join us in keeping a Holy Lent! The theme for this year’s Lenten series is Growing Up in Christ! We get to this theme in response to the opportunity and necessity of us all becoming more mature Christians. Our marriages, families, vocations, state, nation and world all will be better when we decide, with new resolve, to Grow up in Christ! Above all, Growing up in Christ is an active friendship with Jesus that changes us and points us toward the world that he loves. For the next five weeks, we’ll offer a video meditation on this theme with a study companion for you to make the meditations as personal and useful as possible.
In today’s episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the Jesus' temptations in the wilderness and how Bishop Wright landed on Settled as the opening meditation to the series. In a time filled with anxiety and external pressures, it's vital to ground ourselves in the truth of who we are as beloved children of God. Are we truly settled in our self-worth? Listen in for the full conversation.
Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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It was Jesus' habit to pray. He had a rhythm of action and reflection. As Christians in a modern world, prioritizing our time to pray, reflect, and be in relationship with God isn't easy.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about time, drawing insights from Jesus' practices and Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s teachings. Are we merely consuming our time, or are we engaging with it in a meaningful way? They explore how embracing a mindful approach to daily routine can lead to transformative experiences. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you.” Those are Jesus’ directives to us who call him lord. What a dangerous oddness! The concept of "dangerous oddness," a unique term by Walter Brueggemann, paints a picture of Jesus' countercultural call.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about redefining society's norm and loving your enemy. They discuss Jesus' guidance, his own response to loving those that curse you, and how we can apply his teachings to our lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Climate change is a real-world problem. Its intricate web connects governance, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Real solutions require moral leadership that reaches far beyond political party and country lines.
In the latest episode of our series on Moral Leadership, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. David Orr, an esteemed environmental scholar, on his journey from international relations to pioneering environmental activism. They discuss the systemic issues surrounding climate change and the ethical responsibilities we all share in safeguarding our planet. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College. and presently Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. He is the author of eight books, including Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward (Yale University Press, 2017), Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse (Oxford, 2009), Design with Nature (Oxford, 2002), Earth in Mind (Island, 2004) and co-editor of four others including Democracy Unchained (The New Press, 2020). He was a regular columnist for Conservation biology for twenty years.
He has also written over 250 articles, reviews, book chapters, and professional publications. He has served as a board member or adviser to eight foundations and on the Boards of many organizations including the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and the Bioneers. Currently, he is a Trustee of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado and Children and Nature Network. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees and a dozen other awards including a Lyndhurst Prize, a National Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation, a “Visionary Leadership Award” from Second Nature, a National Leadership award from the U.S. Green Building Council, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education, the 2018 Leadership Award from the American Renewable Energy Institute, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Green Energy Ohio.
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Join us for Bishop Wright's latest podcast series: The Heart of Moral Leadership. Moral leadership is critical in turbulent political times because it provides a compass for guiding people through uncertainty, promoting justice, and fostering unity. In periods of division, leaders with strong ethical principles inspire trust, encourage empathy, and model behavior that prioritizes the common good over personal gain.
Jesus' leadership, marked by compassion, forgiveness, and a radical commitment to loving one's neighbor, offers a moral framework that transcends political and social boundaries. His teachings focus on humility, service, and advocating for the marginalized—values that resonate throughout history and remain relevant today.
In the series intro, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Dr. Robert Franklin, Senior Advisor to the President of Emory University and the James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair in Moral Leadership. They discuss what defines a moral leader and draw examples from Jesus, Dr. King, and President Jimmy Carter. Dr. Franklin shares the importance of nurturing a collective responsibility, urging us all to embody ethical behaviors and cultivate a moral compass in our daily lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. Franklin is the Senior Advisor to the President of Emory University and holds the James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair in Moral Leadership. Before joining Emory, Franklin was a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Institute and Director of the Interfaith Religion Department at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. An ordained minister, Franklin served as President of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta from 1997 to 2002.
A celebrated author, Franklin has published four books: Moral Leadership: Integrity, Courage, Imagination (2020); Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (2007); Another Day's Journey: Black Churches Confronting the American Crisis (1997); and Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African-American Thought (1990).
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Faith and public policy are at a crossroads, making waves in national headlines. This intersection is deeply political, with Christians divided on all sides of the issue. As followers of Christ, it’s essential to remember that while Jesus’ message is undeniably political, it is never partisan.
In this episode, Bishop Wright sits down with Rebecca Linder Blachly, the Director of the Office of Government Relations for The Episcopal Church. Together, they explore the nation’s most pressing issues and the critical role the Church plays in advocating for humane immigration policies amidst political tension. Rebecca, whose journey took her from studying philosophy to navigating the corridors of the Pentagon, offers her unique perspective on how to maintain hope and stability, all while nurturing existing ministries. Listen in for the full conversation.
Since 2016, Rebecca Blachly has served as The Director of The Office of Government Relations for The Episcopal Church. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Policy Advisor for Africa in the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Her previous positions include Acting Chief of the Strategic Communication Division at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, Special Assistant to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Research Associate in the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She has conducted fieldwork and research throughout Africa and the Middle East and she has published on civil-military relations and information sharing in complex environments. Ms. Blachly received her B.A. in philosophy from Williams College and her M.Div. from Harvard University, and she is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations.
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In our suffering, we often forget that even Jesus suffered. Many have turned away from God due to past wounds, yet some seek healing from the same experiences. By reflecting on Jesus' suffering, we can begin to understand this human condition can be used by God to change lives!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about suffering and how it is a result of human actions and choices. They discuss how community and personal narrative are tools that come out of suffering. Wherever you are on your journey, you are never alone. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Tick-Tock... Not the app some of us spend time on! Tick-tock used to refer to the passing of time marked by a second hand on a watch or clock. When Matthew tells his story of Jesus, he often uses a word that points to the rapid elapse of time, “immediately.” “Immediately,” James and John left their family’s fishing business and joined Jesus in his friend making campaign.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the art of time management against the backdrop of faith and life pressures. They discuss the necessity of balancing active faith with self-care to prevent burnout while reclaiming time for meaningful reflection and spiritual growth. Countercultural practices such as observing a Sabbath emerge as pivotal in this conversation as Bishop Wright encourages listeners to live with intention as a means of spiritual growth. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What if our fixation on political leaders hinders our spiritual and communal growth? As we reflect on the intersection of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president and Dr. King's birthday, we are invited to recognize the potential dangers of idolization and hypercriticism that can lead to societal paralysis.
In this conversation, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about shared purpose and finding middle ground across party lines. They discuss Dr. King's approach - always about the work and never about the politician. As Christians, finding ways to address real problems like poverty and education must always outweigh the distaste for a political party or personality.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What lessons can a former president's legacy teach us about today's political landscape? President Jimmy Carter's inaugural address from 1977, given nearly 50 years ago, remains relevant to the social and political climate in our country and world today.
In this episode Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation focused on President Carter's speech. They point to his courage to openly acknowledge governmental mistakes and how this parallels biblical principles of confession and repentance. They discuss President Carter's leadership and how admitting error demonstrates integrity and builds trust across party aisles. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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New Years is a time of the year we often discuss resolutions and taking on new projects. But what can happen in our lives when we loosen the grip on old ways and thinking? President Jimmy Carter models just that!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about New Years and how releasing old habits and lifeless ties pave the way for new beginnings and spiritual growth. They discuss the concept of "resolution" and its Latin roots meaning "to loosen." They use Jimmy Carter's story as the backdrop pointing to his global humanitarian effort. Listen in for the full conversation.
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What if faith could topple the mighty and elevate the humble? The Magnificat, Mary's timeless song of hope and defiance, holds the key to addressing today's inequities and injustices.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and how Mary's decree inspires us to hold fast to hope even in the world's brokenness. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What if embracing authenticity could lead you to spiritual maturity and a deeper connection with God? John the Baptist's authenticity invites us to step out of societal norms and into a life of repentance and grace.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about John the Baptist through the lens of Luke 3:7-18. Together, they wonder about John's upbringing by Zechariah and Elizabeth, which cultivated his understanding of God's reality. They also talk about John's message and it's relevance in our world today. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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What does it mean repent and embrace change? It is more than acknowledging past mistakes! It includes confronting deep-seated fears and behaviors that prevent us from living fully as God intends.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about John the Baptist and how his radical message of repentance encourages us to use our faith to change the world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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When we think of kings, we often think of power and corruption. We don't think about service, justice, and love. But that is the King that Jesus is to us!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about John 18:33-37 - the passage where Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you a King?". They discuss Jesus' response, and how His kingdom transcends world problems and challenges the status quo of authority. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Bishop Wright's sermon "To Be Witnesses" given at the 118th Annual Council of the Diocese of Atlanta. Read the full Annual Council Recap here.
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Acts 1 shows us how Jesus exemplified the true nature of power—not through dominance but through actions and choices that reflect a true commitment to God and one another. That through the power of Witness, we can change the world.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Acts 1 and bearing witness to the love of God - now more than ever. Bishop Wright unpacks how using faith as a tool for unity and change elevates us above division! Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on an excerpt from Bishop Wright's Sermon "To Be Witnesses" at The 118th Annual Council of The Diocese of Atlanta.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Learn more about the The Carter Center through the lens of CEO Paige Alexander. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter established The Carter Center in 1982. The Center seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Paige about the orgs transformative journey. They discuss faith, leadership, and The Carter's legacy. Paige also shares her own personal story of growing up in a politically active home and how that led her to nonprofit work. Listen in for the full conversation.
Paige Alexander is the CEO of The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter to promote global peace and health. She joined in 2020, guiding the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and enhancing core programs while introducing new initiatives on mental health, political polarization, and climate change.
With over 20 years in global development, Alexander previously held senior roles at USAID, focusing on post-conflict reconstruction and leading the MENA Bureau. She has also worked with IREX and EUCORD. A recognized thought leader, she has published essays in major outlets and delivered a TEDWomen talk on human rights. Alexander serves on several boards dedicated to human rights and international development.
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God made each of us for an abundant life, but that isn't the world we live in. To strive for an abundance of life for all people is to actively take up your faith and civic responsibility!
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They discuss the essential role of unity among Christian denominations and through shared partnership we can amplify our call to seek justice for marginalized voices.
Bishop Eaton also shares personal reflections, insights on maintaining faith amidst setback, and how Lutherans are mobilizing people to vote in the upcoming election. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton was reelected to serve a second six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Eaton is the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop and was first elected at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Eaton’s four emphases for the ELCA are: We are church; We are Lutheran; We are church together; We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is.
Eaton’s husband is the Rev. T. Conrad Selnick, an Episcopal priest. They are parents of two adult children, Rebeckah and Susannah.
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The Book of Job gives us example of how walking alongside God doesn't guarantee a life without suffering. And even amidst suffering, Job finds a deeper understanding of God.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about how faith can be both borrowed and lent on our journeys - that the people we journey with can get us through the periods of real suffering in our lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Why is remaining curious about your own belief systems the key to spiritual and personal growth? Curiosity means listening to other perspectives with an open heart and mind! Deconstructing one's faith or belief systens is not a rebellion but a genuine path to spiritual maturity.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with David Hayward, the Naked Pastor, who bravely transitioned from a Presbyterian pastor to a prominent cartoonist and author. David's story is a testament to the power of embracing authenticity and challenging religious norms. Through his art, he offers a unique lens on spirituality, encouraging us to break down the walls that divide us and to cherish the human connections that bind us together. Listen in for the full conversation.
David Hayward is a pastor turned artist who explores themes of freedom and authenticity through his painting and drawing. With a focus on deconstruction, spiritual journeying, and the pursuit of one's true self, he invites others to join him on his quest for self-discovery.
His moniker, NakedPastor, reflects his commitment to revealing the naked truth, regardless of how vulnerable that may feel. Though he is no longer in the role of pastor, David has spent over a decade creating art and fostering a community centered on the journey toward freedom and self-expression.
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In Mark 10, Jesus shares that marriage is about becoming one flesh. He does this by recentering the law of Moses around divorce. In a moment where the pharisees try to trick Jesus with a question, Jesus makes a boldy names divorce but also what God intends with marriage in becoming one flesh.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright marriage and divorce through the lens of Mark 10. They address modern challenges and the importance of spending quality time. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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How do core values of interdependence and interconnectedness shape our communities?
The final guest in our series on Christian Nationalism Sister Eilis McCulloh. Bishop Wright and Sr. Eilis discuss connectedness, values, and how connection and understanding go hand in hand! Sr. Eilis McCulloh, a Catholic nun with a rich background in law and theology, shares her inspiring journey from her Irish Catholic upbringing in Youngstown, Ohio, to her impactful work in social justice and policy advocacy. Discover how her grandmother's lessons on love and relationships influenced her path and how the Sisters of the Humility of Mary inspired her to embody Catholicism through social justice. Listen in for the full conversation.
Sr. Eilis McCulloh is a Sister of the Humility of Mary currently serving as the Grassroots Education and Organizing Specialist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. She’s also the cohost of Just Politics and regularly writes for Global Sisters Report. Her most recent publication, “I’m a Catholic sister. Project 2025 does not reflect my values” was published by Religion News Service.
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Why is Christian Nationalism on the rise and what does Jesus think about it?
The next guest in our series on Christian Nationalism is Texas State Representative James Talarico. Bishop Wright and Rep. Talarico discuss this question and the history of corruptive power taking us all the way back to biblical times. Rep. Talarico also shares his unique perspective as a former teacher, touching on his battle against bills that mandate the Ten Commandments in public schools and replace trained counselors with religious chaplains. Listen in for the full conversation.
State Rep. James Talarico (Tx) is an American politician and former teacher. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 to represent District 52, which includes the cities of Round Rock, Taylor, Hutto, and Georgetown in Williamson County. Following the 2020 redistricting cycle, Talarico announced his run for a seat in District 50 in 2022, which he won. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His sermon on Christian Nationalism preached in October 2023 but uploaded to YouTube in March 2024 has over 700k views.
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What happens when faith and nationalism collide?
The next guest in our Christian Nationalism series is The Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White, author of The Psychology of Christian Nationalism. Bishop Wright and Dr. Cooper-White explore this question and dissect the rise of Christian Nationalism in America. Dr. Cooper White sheds light on how this movement attempts to reshape the U.S. into a fictional Christian nation. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, Ph.D., is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology and Religion, Emerita, and Dean and Vice President Emerita for Academic Affairs, at Union Theological Seminary, New York, also serving for 8 years as Assisting Priest at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York. Previously, she was Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA and co-director of the Atlanta Theological Association’s ThD program in pastoral counseling. She was the 2013-14 Fulbright-Freud Scholar of Psychoanalysis in Vienna, Austria. An award-winning author, she has published 10 books including Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling (2nd ed. forthcoming 2024) and Old and Dirty Gods: Religion, Antisemitism, and the Origins of Psychoanalysis, as well as over 100 articles and book chapters. Her most recent book, The Psychology of Christian Nationalism, was awarded the INDIE independent publishers’ 2022 gold medal for social and political science. She is a frequent keynote speaker both nationally and internationally.
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Christian Nationalism is an ideology that’s everywhere, masquerades as a theology that has infected our politics and seeks to guide our policies locally and nationally. The problem with Christian Nationalism is that it doesn’t have anything to do with the Jesus of the Bible. Exposing Christian Nationalism, our new series, will discuss this every Friday in September.
Our first guest is Dr. Michael W. Austin, author of American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian. Bishop Wright and Dr. Austin have a conversation about how figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jimmy Carter have harnessed their faith to foster inclusion and the common good, challenging the exclusionary and coercive tendencies of Christian Nationalism. Dr. Austin provides a nuanced examination of how this ideology clashes with core American values and Christian principles, offering a vision for a more harmonious and inclusive form of Christian political engagement. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. Michael W. Austin is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College, and current president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He received a B.A. in political science from Kansas State University, an M.A. in philosophy from Talbot School of Theology, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research is focused on ethics and spiritual formation, especially issues related to the cultivation of character and connections between character and the common good. He’s published 15 books, including Humility and Human Flourishing (Oxford University Press, 2018) and God and Guns in America (Eerdmans, 2020). His latest book is Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ (Eerdmans, 2024). His next book, due out in October, is American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian(Eerdmans).
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What if Labor Day was about more than just barbecues and a day off work? Truly honoring labor means advocating for living wages, healthcare, and quality education for all that labor.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright unpack the deeper meaning of Labor Day through the lens of Mark 7:1-23. Together, they challenge the superficial celebrations and call for tangible, material improvements in the lives of essential workers who keep our society running. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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What does it mean to be a spiritual leader for young adults? The Rev. Dr. Neichelle R. Guidry, the Dean of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College, brings her rich, ecumenical background to the table, sharing how her diverse religious experiences inform her inclusive ministry.
Dr. Guidry and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the expansive love of Jesus Christ and how it goes hand in hand with relational presence and proximity. Dr. Guidry opens up about the challenges she encounters when ministering to young adults and underscores the value of embracing a wide spectrum of spiritual beliefs in an academic setting. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Dr. Neichelle R. Guidry (she/her/hers) is a highly sought-after teacher, preacher, leader and commentator. Dr. Guidry currently serves as the Dean of the Chapel and the Director of the WISDOM Center at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. A womanist homiletician and practitioner, she is the author of Curating a World: Sermonic Words from a Young Woman Who Preaches.
She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University (BA) and Yale Divinity School (M.Div.), where she was the 2010 recipient of the Walcott Prize for Clear and Effective Public and Pulpit Speaking, and the 2019 recipient of the William Sloane Coffin Alumni Award for Peace and Justice. She is also a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, where she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (Liturgical Studies, Homiletics concentration). Her dissertation was entitled, “Towards a Womanist Homiletical Theology for Subverting Rape Culture.” She is a member of the Society for the Study of Black Religion, the MLK Jr. International Chapel Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Learn more about Dr. Guidry at www.revneichelle.com
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All of us have insight. Insight is the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing. From insight comes wisdom. Proverbs 9:1-6 invites us to consider the role of spiritual mentorship and community in cultivating true wisdom.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the intergenerational responsibility and timeless principles presented in Proverbs. Discover how living for God, loving others, and practicing generosity can create a more understanding and cohesive world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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What distinguishes being nice from being kind? Kindness is rooted in truth, boldness, and courage. The definition of nice is agreeable. Big difference.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about real kindness, embodying the teaching of Jesus, and the ripple effect of our actions on those around us. The conversation underscores the importance of living out Jesus's teachings through grace and forgiveness, especially during tumultuous periods like election cycles. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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What role does faith play when you're on the cusp of major life changes? With God, we are able to stand on firm foundation. A foundation that keeps us on solid ground during times of transition and uncertainty.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Kelsey Andries of St. Simon's Conyers. Kelsey is preparing for major change as she heads to college this fall, and she shares her young wisdom of keeping her faith near during this new season. Melissa and Kelsey discuss the importance of building a strong foundation with God and practical ways to stay engaged in your faith during life transition.
Kelsey Andries is a member of St. Simon’s Conyers. She has been involved with the EYCDIOATL Youth Program for the past several years. Kelsey also had the opportunity to lead Happening 79 this past spring. She is excited for everything to come with this next chapter as she starts college at Kennesaw State University in the fall where she will double major in broadcast journalism and environmental science.
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Have you ever wondered how even the smallest acts can ripple out and create significant impacts?
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Marycelis Otero, a candidate for Holy Orders to the Priesthood in The Diocese of Atlanta. Marycelis shares how viewing life through a faith-based lens can transform our seemingly minor contributions into monumental movements. By drawing parallels to the biblical story of the feeding of the 5,000, she reveals how each of us possesses unique gifts that can be harnessed to serve a greater purpose in God's plan. Listen in for the full conversation.
Marycelis Otero is a Candidate for the Holy Orders to the Priesthood in The Diocese of Atlanta. Originally from the Islands of Puerto Rico, Marycelis is in the final year of her Masters in Divinity for the Episcopal and Anglican Studies Program at Emory's Candler School of Theology. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Mass Communications Technologies with a minor in Strategic Communications. In her career, Marycelis has worked as Associate Producer for Day1, a ministry of the Alliance for Christian Media. She has supported the Office of Ethnic Ministries of The Episcopal Church, and she is the translator for the For Faith Devotional. Currently, Marycelis serves as a seminarian at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, where she supports both the English and Spanish-speaking populations. Marycelis enjoys listening to audiobooks, watching movies, and especially investing her time creating experiences with her husband and their sons.
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Ever wonder how to keep your spiritual roots strong amidst life's storms? The balance between spiritual renewal and daily demands can actually be a divine opportunity. What might happen when we slow down daily to open ourselves up to God?
In this episode, Melissa and a conversation with The Rev. Bonnie Underwood, Rector of All Saints Warner Robins. Melissa and Bonnie discuss spiritual practices, what gets in the way, and how sitting with God in the morning sets up to live our faith out in the world. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Bonnie Underwood joined All Saints in 2018. Prior to becoming a priest, Mother Bonnie had a diverse business career including 20+ years as a business executive; experience as a small business owner; and service in the United States Marine Corps, as both an officer and enlisted Marine. Bonnie enjoys reading, movies, and travel with her husband Jess, and especially spending time with their 6 adult children and 5 grandchildren.
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This July, we are featuring special guests from across The Diocese of Atlanta for Summer Shorts!
How can you live fully into the spiritual reality of being "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by God? Join us as we welcome The Rev. Rhett Solomon, Associate Rector at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur, Georgia. to share his inspiring journey from the Baptist Church to The Episcopal Church.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Rhett about Ephesians 1:3-14. They discuss St. Paul's letter offering profound insights on God's enduring covenant and presence, and provide practical guidance on embodying this truth through prayer, faith, and community. This episode isn't just about theology; it's about finding ways to stay deeply connected with God and others, even amidst life's challenges. Listen in for the full conversation.
A native of New Jersey, Rhett Solomon traveled to Atlanta in the fall of 1999 to attend Morehouse College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2003. After graduating Morehouse, he discerned whether to pursue doctoral work in Political Science or a call to ministry. After much prayer and consultation, he pursued active ministry. A licensed and ordained Baptist minister, Rhett served at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, from 2005 – 2008, during which time he was admitted to the MDiv program at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, a program he completed in 2009.
In the summer of 2020, Rhett earned his ThM (Master of Theology) from Candler School of Theology. He was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons on December 19, 2020 and was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on June 26, 2021.
Rhett currently serves as Associate Rector at Holy Trinity Parish, where he oversees Children, Youth, and Adult Formation.
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Can faith like David's still conquer the giants of our modern world? The story of David and Goliath is a story that reminds us of the giants we battle today, such as hate, poverty, and scarcity. These struggles are rooted in spiritual wickedness, and spiritual practices taught by Jesus can help us defeat these modern-day giants.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about systemic evils and how radical inclusion and nonviolent activism can dismantle societal giants. They emphasize the need for bipartisan collaboration to achieve real progress. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Have you ever wondered how asking the right questions can transform your faith journey? In The Episcopal Church, having questions of faith and not always having the answers is a part of common life together.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation inspired by Howard Thurman's Sermons on the Parables and the Collect of the sixth Sunday of Pentecost in The Episcopal Church. Together, they uncover how faith isn't about having all the answers, but about the ongoing process of believing, belonging, and becoming. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Ever wondered how grace can act as the very grit that sustains us through life’s toughest storms? Grace is a tangible force that builds and strengthens communities, encouraging us to live fully in faith. In a world often divided by politics and ideology, how do we extend grace and kindness to those who anger or baffle us?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the grace of God, having a Kingdom perspective, and how grace brings forth resolve in life's hardest seasons. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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What if your family had to choose between paying for groceries or healthcare? For many in the US, this painful dilemma is a harsh reality. In today's episode, we're joined by Kyle Waide, President and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, to unpack the staggering 50 percent increase in demand for food assistance over the past two years. Rising inflation and financial strain have left countless families, even those juggling multiple jobs, struggling to put food on the table.
Bishop Wright and Kyle have a conversation about the broader economic landscape of the US, the unwavering support of volunteers, and the faith based organization that stand alongside the growing work of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Listen in for the full conversation.
Learn more about the Atlanta Community Food Bank here.
As President and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Kyle Waide leads one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the U.S. Working with a network of 700 community-based nonprofit organizations across 29 Georgia counties, Kyle and his team facilitate the distribution of $250 million in food and resources each year to approximately 700,000 neighbors facing food insecurity. During his tenure, Kyle has led the Food Bank through a decade of dramatic growth and expansion, quadrupling its annual output while launching multiple innovative initiatives to expand food access and increase food security.
Prior to joining the Food Bank, Kyle held several management roles at The Home Depot Inc. in disaster relief, corporate responsibility, community affairs and store operations. He also previously served as a founding member of the team that created and launched Charity Navigator, the nation's premier charity evaluation service. Kyle is a graduate of Harvard University and an alumnus of Teach For America. Kyle and his family attend All Saints' Episcopal Church in Atlanta.
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Dismantling racism is holy and life-giving work. It is hard work, especially in a society divided on the issues of racism, power, and privilege. We thank God for The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, a unique and powerful expression of our commitment to becoming Beloved Community.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Greg Warren, Interim Executive Director of The Center for Racial Healing. They discuss Greg's purpose for stepping into his new call, new partnerships, and the work ahead. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Greg Warren most recently served as the Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas, while also being chair of the Board of The Diocese’s Camp Mitchell. He also was part of The Diocesan Executive Committee for four years. Greg serves on the Board of the Seminary of the Southwest.
Prior to ordination, Greg worked many years in corporate settings, developing strategic communications and advertising for some of the largest brands in the US and globally. His work also included work in marketing and diversity and inclusion. Immediately before beginning seminary, he served as Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion for Walmart.
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If we start to see the way God sees, we start to look at how we handle the planet, conversations with others, money, and so many other spaces in life. For many of us, we've come to a settled sense on a lot of these things which limits what we allow in our consciousness. Freedom is deciding not to oppress seeing the world in a new way - this is divine!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Martin L. Smith's address to the House of Bishops in 1997. They discuss spiritual practices, various faith traditions, and how sacred awareness of the world around us leads to freedom.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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We should be losing some arguments with Jesus! If we are losing arguments with Jesus, we are being led by The Spirit.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about St. Paul's letter to the Romans. They discuss Paul's revelation that to follow God is to be led by Spirit, and that all are welcome into a relationship with Christ. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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What kind of offer can we make to the world as Christians? Have you ever considered the ripple effect of a simple invitation?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the power behind extending a hand of faith, inspired by the transformative encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian. In it they discuss offering ourselves to God through sharing our faith with others and Bishop Wright's own story of being a new bishop and extending the invitation of baptism to anyone and everyone! Their discussion ventures beyond the act of invitation to the core of authenticity, examining our own hesitations and encouraging a faithful, courageous approach to sharing Jesus's message. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Lots of things give us a quick and cheap energy hit have adverse side effects. Growing closer to a loving God that welcomes all brings no adverse side effects! Instead of an energy supplement, taking up a spiritual practice revives not only our own self but also how we serve a loving God in our world.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the psalmist's words in Psalm 23:3 “God revives my soul…” They discuss the busy and fast-paced world we all face and what can happen when we rely on God instead of other things for revitalization. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Peace be with you! These are the 4 words Jesus says when he enters the room to see the disciples for the first time since his death and resurrection. Jesus enters the space with grace. He says look. He says touch. And then He breaks bread. He shares peace over a meal.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about this first gathering with Jesus and his disciples after his resurrection. They draw parallels to the peace Jesus brings and how it is the peace we must seek to share with others in our world today. A peace that sees other, strive to touch/understand other, and gathers community - because to take up peace as Jesus did is to be in close proximity to neighbor. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Happy Easter! As we reach the milestone of our 200th episode, we are taking a moment to reflect on the journey that started as an experiment during COVID. And three years later, For People has reached all 50 states, over 100 countries, and 6,000 cities, It has been downloaded 300,000 times. This podcast has become a beacon of insight on following the teachings of Jesus in the real world.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about how Mary Magdalene's story of steadfast faith in the resurrection narrative can inspire our lives. It's about the small but mighty acts of love that can echo through our existence, shaping our approach to challenges and darkness, just as she did outside the tomb. They discuss our own Good Fridays, how God uses evil for good, and steps we can take to grow in our faith during the 50 Days of Easter. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Have we fashioned a Jesus who mirrors our own ideologies, unwittingly reshaping God to endorse our political agendas? On Palm Sunday, the same people that would shout "Hosanna", an exclamation of praise, and the same mob that should shout "crucify him!" a few days later.
In this episode Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Palm Sunday, it's relevancy to our world today, and how it keeps us honests as people of faith. They dissect the story of Palm Sunday, drawing parallels between the fickleness of ancient crowds and today's volatile public opinion. As we peel back the layers of our own convictions, we confront the unsettling reality that true discipleship may be at odds with the allure of making Christ into our own image. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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We all understand our lives as gift, but Jesus tells us to not cower at the fear of death! When this physical form comes to pass, there is an overwhelming reality that will embrace all of us. And that is why we call it faith!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about death, as Good Friday approaches. They discuss Western culture's aversion to death, hoping to unearth a more enriched approach to life's inevitable conclusion. It might just be that modern society's tendency to distance itself from death's reality keeps us from living a fuller life. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 5 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Letting Go". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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God is using God's power to make sure that those of us who fall short, those of us in need of rescue, have a future available to us. God somehow uses all of our missteps to then help us craft a witness, a narrative whereby we can say to other siblings!
John 3:16-17 show all of us that God loves the world without the stain of condemnation. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about our own power in everyday life, how we sometimes use it against people, and that ultimately God's mercy in our lives gives us the ability to practice mercy in our daily encounters. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 4 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Letting Go". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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The most adaptive challenge facing the church is for the organization that bears his name to actually put him first!. What is at the heart of following Jesus in our world today? If Jesus were here today would he recognize the church he founded?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the ways in which the church and her regular practices is perpendicular to the one we are to put first, a table-flipping-over Jesus, and steps to take to bring the church closer to her founder.
This episode is based on part 3 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Letting Go". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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We know God love us and wants us to know life that is not controlled by fear. What would it be like to get let go of some of that burden???
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it means to lay down the desire for control and embrace a life of faith and trust in God. They discuss Peter's control tactics, Jesus's response, and the vulnerability we can experience when we lay it all down before God. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on part 2 of Bishop Wright's 5-part Lenten series "Letting Go". Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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Join us in keeping a Holy Lent! This Lent we invite you towards God, towards your self and towards one another using the theme, “Letting Go.” Since Jesus came to set the “captives free,” “Letting Go”of those things and ways that hold us back is central to the new and risen life in Christ that we celebrate each Easter. For the next five weeks, we’ll offer a video meditation on this theme with a study companion for you to make the meditations as personal and useful as possible.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Lent, this year's Lenten series themed "Letting Go", and the first meditation of the series "Letting Go... of the Familiar". What do you need to let go of this Lent to grow as a Christian and closer to God? Listen in for the full conversation.
Learn more about this year's series, watch the weekly videos, and download the reflection guides here.
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"When we create these wonderful communities, whether in church, in organizations, in institutions, and in schools, all of that is built around human dignity. If we put dignity at the core, we will be surprised how we can maximize the authenticity of our communities and the authenticity of our togetherness and allow for us really to be intentional about seeing each other's dignity." -Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright
In this episode, Bishop Wright is joined by special guest Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright, author and speaker. Beth-Sarah shares her powerful story of battling clinical depression, and how embracing our vulnerabilities can spark deep healing and foster genuine community. They have a conversation about dignity through the lens of the Baptismal Covenant, the acronym behind her book DIGNITY and the strategies used to create authentic community. Listen in for the full conversation.
Atlanta-based author and speaker, Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright writes to make a difference. She writes to develop the courage for transformation and change, in our communities, our institutions, and our lives. Beth-Sarah is the author of seven books. Her most recent book, The DIGNITY Lens Workbook: Implementing the Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Community is a companion to her book DIGNITY: Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Community. DIGNITY is a comprehensive lens through which to view and solve for insidious barriers to authenticity and narrow the gap between who we say we are and who we are in reality.
A former college professor at NYU and Spelman College, she currently serves as the Director of Enrollment Management at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Emory School of Medicine. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies from New York University, an MPhil in Anthropology from Cambridge University and a BA (magna cum laude) from Princeton University in Sociology and Afro-American studies.
Beth-Sarah is originally from Jamaica and has lived and studied worldwide, from Edinburgh, Scotland to San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is married to Bishop Wright, Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and they are parents to 5 children.
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What does God take pleasure in? At some point, we have to move in a direction that says I am in relationship with all that is - meaning we aren't in the driver seat! A huge appetite for control tells us God is not a part of our lives - and we are afraid of something - why not give up some of that?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what God is unimpressed with, and it is our ability to love and have compassion that truly captivates God's admiration. In simple words, "healed people heal people". LIsten in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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As a society and world, we aren't a single idea away from a better world. What would get us there is a global commitment to loving everybody with dignity. If we are honest, there is a lack of will to love our neighbor!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the Bible's profound ancient insights and reflect on how its teachings remain deeply impactful in our modern world - especially when it comes to love! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Obedience - the four letter word of the bible. Sometimes we've got to do what God is inviting us to do out of simple obedience and offer that as worship! The bible gives us an example of disobedience in Jonah. He wanted to give God some advice!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the story of Jonah and obedience to God. They discuss the notion that our lives of faith come with a cost, as symbolized by the cross, while also celebrating the redemptive embrace of God's unending mercy. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Dr. King dared to dream in the greatness of our nation. He defined that greatness in the "I Have a Dream" speech. It has to do with justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. He dared to believe that we are great enough be human family.
In this episode days before Dr. King's birthday, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the profound teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bishop Wright guides us through the depth of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, moving past its renowned finale to unearth the call for systemic change and justice within. King's deep-seated love for his country and unshakable dedication to The Gospel formed the cornerstone of his message, transcending the battle for civil rights to craft a blueprint for a most just world house.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! In Jesus, God manifested God's self in the world! New Years and Epiphany are about new beginnings with God, so what better place to begin again than in the book of Genesis. John Muir can help us: “When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty."
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright about beginning again with God, Epiphany, creation, and John Muir. They discuss creation, how God's creation is medicine, and disrupting our routine to grow closer to God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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"The breaking news of Christmas can turn your heart and your home upside down, not by guilt, not by shame, but by an overwhelming, unimaginable, illogical, mind-boggling, impossible amount of good breaking news. We don't deserve this infant visitor. We couldn't, not even the best of us, and that is the best news of all. You can't earn the love that appears tonight. You can only respond to it. You can only say, as the shepherd said, "Let us go now and see this thing that has taken place." Or as the angelic choir said, "Glory to God in the highest heaven." Or as the psalmist has said, "When I consider the sun, the moon, the planets in their courses, what are human beings?" That God should come among us and be mindful of us. Tonight's breaking news turns the sad question marks of the world into unwavering exclamation marks of God."
Excerpt from Bishop Wright's Christmas Sermon "Breaking News"
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Mary's Magnificat prayed for the day those excluded from societal greatness would have a measure of God's greatness and have a reversal of their societal standing. As a governing body, you don't ban a song unless it encourages the lowly in society to have hope for a reversal!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Mary, The Magnificat, Joseph, and betting big on God in 2024. Mary trusted God, and her big yes was a big bet on God to break into the world as one of us! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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God is the God of reversal! Stick with God and God's promise is that if we gift God our grief sit back and watch God do God's work! Drawing inspiration from Isaiah, Melissa and Bishop Wright navigate the complex emotions that surface during the holiday season, reminding ourselves and our listeners that it's okay if this time isn't filled with unadulterated joy for everyone.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about God's promises and our grief - that the garland we use for wreaths can also be made into a crown. Maybe the Christmas you gift your grief to God as a crown, and see the reversal happen in your own life! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Time is the anvil that God uses to make a faithful soul! Ever wonder if your prayers go higher than your rooftop? One of the great indicators of Christian maturity is understanding it isn't about your time but God's time.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about time, patience, the season of Advent, and trusting God's timing. In the wise words of St. Peter, "Let us not forget a thousand years is but a day to God!" Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Do you ever wonder about the relationship between faith and business? That's exactly what we address with special guest, Jeffrey Small Jr, CEO of MDH Partners. Together, Bishop Wright and Jeff navigate the complexities of economic growth and ethically sound practices. We gain invaluable insights from Jeff’s journey, from his walk with Christ and his business ventures that led him to better serve the world with his unique skill set as an industrial investor. With a focus on industrial properties, we tap into the significance of corporate responsibility while challenging listeners to consider the role of faith in business.
Bishop Wright and Jeff discuss the relationship between wealth, faith, and the immense power of partnership in addressing societal issues. Jeff also brings to light the impact of socially responsible investing by sharing the history of the 1980s divestment movement, which initiated a pivotal shift in the perspective of investment returns. Listen in for the full conversation.
Jeffrey Small is the co-founder and CEO of MDH Partners. His primary responsibilities include leading the strategic direction of the Company, overseeing the pursuit and underwriting of its new acquisitions and developments, and managing its relationships with its investors. Under his guidance, the firm is currently investing Fund II, which comprises $750 million of equity, and expects to close Fund III in late 2023 with over $1 billion in equity. In addition to its fund business, MDH also has separate account asset management joint ventures with two global institutional investors, totaling an additional $1 billion in equity. Previous capital partners included Harvard University’s endowment (HMC), Bain Capital, Wells Fargo, and multiple Blackstone joint ventures.
Jeff graduated with a BA in Political Science with Distinction from Yale University (summa cum laude), with a JD from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude), and he earned a Masters in the Study of Religions from Oxford University in England (Oriel College).
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys writing and has published two award-winning, best-selling novels along with an academic text. Jeff and his wife, Alison, spent over a decade as competitive ballroom dancers, winning the US Amateur Championship in their division and representing the US at the Word Senior Latin Championships. Today, they enjoy more mellow outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. He and Alison live in his hometown of Atlanta, and their daughter Ella is a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas in Austin. Jeff worships at The Cathedral of St. Philip in The Diocese of Atlanta.
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“From the 5th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John and the 6th verse, we hear Jesus pose a life changing question to a man, ‘…would you be made whole.’ This story is one of my favorites,” Bishop Wright said. This story is about a wholeness and healing made of the coming together of word and deed.
“And here he comes, the poet laureate of Nazareth, always the poser of poignant questions. And this morning he lobbed a doozy into our laps. It’s a direct question. All cake, no icing. ‘Would you be made well.’ What a caring question. It seeks to activate agency and commission capacity. I like that question for this man. I like this question for us individually and for our congregations and ministries. I like this question for us as the Episcopal Church in Middle and North Georgia. ‘Would you be made whole?’ Read The General Thanksgiving slowly and you will get a glimpse of wholeness from these familiar words, ‘…and we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives….”An excerpt from Bishop Wright's Sermon given at The 117th Annual Council of The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
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By choosing Jesus, we have some resources available to us today to gain clarity in the grey areas of the world around us. Joshua reminds the people of Israel who God has been to God's people. He reminds them that God has freed God's people from four hundred years of bondage. "...choose today who you serve...".
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the disorienting grey areas of the world we are all experiencing at this very moment. They draw from Bishop's personal experience that points us to the clarity God gives us in disorienting times. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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The recent news of the violence and murder of thousands of people in Palestine and Israel has sent shockwaves around the world. In the midst of conflict lies confusion and finger-pointing. In this very special episode of For People, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Archbishop Hosam E. Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. His jurisdiction covers Palestine, Israel, The Westbank, and other territories and states.
They discuss the current conflict and preserving the dignity of every person - that in this time of war peacebuilding across the table must be the response. They delve into the crucial role the church plays in fostering a lasting, just solution for both Israelis and Palestinians, even in an environment characterized by tension and mistrust. Listen in for the full conversation.
Give to The Diocese of Jerusalem here.
The Most Reverend Hosam Elias Naoum was consecrated as Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in June, 2020, and he was installed as Diocesan and the 15th Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem on May 13, 2021. He was born in Haifa in 1974 and grew up in Shefa’amr in Galilee. Married to his wife Rafa, they have a son and two daughters: Wadie, Laurice, and Krista.
As Diocesan Bishop, Archbishop Hosam is the Chief Pastor of the 28 parishes spread through the five political regions of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. As Bishop, he is also Chairman of the Board of each of more than thirty institutions of education and healthcare spread throughout the five countries of the Diocese, including Gaza. The diocesan schools, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation and vocational training centers provide the best possible services while reaching out to assist those who cannot afford to pay for services and strengthening the Christian presence in this region.
In a multicultural, multi-faith, multi-ethnic diocese spread across five countries, Archbishop Naoum is a strong advocate for peace and reconciliation. A significant member of many ecumenical and interfaith organizations, he works with the Archbishop of Canterbury on Anglican and interfaith issues. One of the thirteen recognized Heads of Churches in Israel, Archbishop Naoum faithfully encourages leaders of the Churches to make every effort to strengthen the Christian presence as a moderate and mediating Body in a region torn by anxiety and unrest.
In May of 2023, Archbishop Hosam also became the Primate over the entire Province of Jerusalem & the Middle East, which includes not only the Diocese of Jerusalem, but also the Diocese of Cyprus & the Gulf and the Diocese of Iran. In January of that same year, he was also elected as Vice Chair of the Anglican Consultative Council at the ACC-18 Meeting in Ghana, a representative body that serves as one of the uniting Instruments of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.
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If we get quiet with ourselves we can ask ourselves "Who Am I?"... God says some wonderful things about who we are. None of us are alone in wondering who we are and if we're enough!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the notion of enoughness. They discuss the traps of striving for the elusive standard of being enough and the truth that only God is enough. Psalm 34 reveals the comfort of presenting our not-so-perfect selves to God, and that God is able to make us whole. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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If we believe God is the author of our lives, and we believe God has better ideas for how we should live our lives, then we must subordinate our understanding to God's understanding. That act is worship!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the worship and doing your own sacrifice audit! What is worship worth in your own life?!? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Is your heart getting broad or is it shrinking? One of the clearest indicators that you're in a relationship with the God of all the worlds and many names is a broadened heart. Do you love those who think differently, love differently, and worship differently than you?
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright about St. Paul and that the new thing that God is doing doesn't mean God is abandoning the old thing. They discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and why we are called to choose love above our differences. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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The 10 commandments were a gift given to people newly into freedom - these tenets will create well-being in community. They are a channel to freedom.
In this episode, Melissa and a conversation around the 10 commandments, challenging traditional views, and a deep dive into an ordered life. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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If we can hold on to the God that suffers with us and transforms our pain, then the God that is with us comes through. Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick of The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i joins For People to share the impact of the recent fires on Maui and how it has brought waves of shock and sorrow throughout the community. Together with Bishop Wright, they the deep impact of the devastations in Maui, navigating through the shock, sorrow, and anger expressed by its people. Bishop Bob offers his unique perspective as a spiritual leader, drawing parallels from the scriptural Lamentations, and shares how the church is fostering a space for open dialogue, healing, and support in these trying times.
They discuss leadership in the face of adversity, scripture that equips us during times of sorrow, and the outpouring of love in the form of resources and letters from the mainland in the wake of the fire. God is with us in the grief! Listen in for the full conversation.
Support the disaster relief efforts in The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i here.
Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick is the fifth Bishop of The Diocese of Hawai‘i. He graduated from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN, and received a Master of Divinity degree from the General Theological Seminary, New York, NY. He also has a Doctor of Ministry degree in homiletics from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL.
He was elected as 5th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi on October 20, 2006 and was ordained as Bishop on March 10, 2007. He also serves as the Bishop-in-Charge of the Episcopal Church in Micronesia.
His wife, Bea, is a registered nurse. He has two adult sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter.
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What if you could truly understand the difference between guilt and conviction? What if you could discover a path to integrate this understanding into living a life of truth and love?
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright about how an abundant life with Jesus leads us to Christian maturity. They discuss the gaps between what we say and how we live. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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How do we heal from our wounds? Why does sitting in our wounds feel normal? The Rev. Becca Stevens, the fiery and passionate soul behind Thistle Farms, wonders with Bishop Wright across the intersections of woundedness, healing, and faith in the latest For People.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Becca about their pilgrimage to Nepal, the work of Thistle Farms, and how wounds and healing can bring forth God's beauty into the world.
Becca's tireless work to create nurturing environments for women survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and addiction will leave you in awe and motivated for action. Hear her share how her personal journey has shaped her mission to live authentically and serve others. Listen in for the full conversation.
Becca Stevens is a speaker, entrepreneur, author, priest, and founder and President of Thistle Farms. She has founded 14 nonprofits and justice enterprises, mentored another 60, and has raised over $75 million to support them. Becca has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change, and holds five honorary doctorates. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.
Learn more: thistlefarms.org
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Ever wondered how faith can transform even the hardest of hearts? God cracked open a rock to deliver water to people in the desert. God can crack open our hardened hearts and deepest wounds, allowing healing to flow forth.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about hope found amidst devastation, exemplifying how Jesus offers hope and comfort even in our darkest hours. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Faith has the power to transform our lives as we pursue an active God!
In this episode, Bishop Wright had a conversation with Bishop Frank Logue, Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. They have a conversation about life, as we see it, not being about measuring up, but realizing as Christians Jesus has assured us we are enough and our call is to use our faith for God's goodness.
Bishop Logue shares personal stories of his own faith both past and present and how it continues to lead him on his path with Christ. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rt. Rev. Frank S. Logue began his ministry as the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia on May 30, 2020. At that time he had already served two decades in the Diocese first as a church planter and then as the assistant to the 10th bishop.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, where he lived for 6 years, Frank Logue grew up in Marietta, Georgia. A 1984 graduate of Georgia Southern University, he worked as a photographer for two small daily newspapers in Georgia— the Warner Robins Daily Sun and the Rome News-Tribune. Frank married Victoria Steele in 1985. The Logues hiked the entire 2,150-mile Appalachian Trail in a single six-month long hike in 1988. Three years later, after he worked as an Art Director for a non-profit, Frank and Victoria went full-time as freelance writer-photographers, writing books, and magazine articles. Their daughter, Griffin Logue, born in 1991 added great joy and wonder to their lives.
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Can the essence of power and its impact be truly understood without discussing forgiveness? Joseph, the second most powerful person in Egypt, chooses to forgive his brothers who threw him into a pit and slavery. To Joseph, it was settled.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Joseph, what it takes to address tough issues, and that every individual person has the power to forgive and restore in our world and in our lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
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Have you ever been in the midst of an all-consuming pursuit, determined to mold the world around you, only to realize that you're not the potter, but the clay?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about his illuminating journey to Nepal, where he experienced the impermanence of life firsthand and reflected on the importance of graciousness and giving in our everyday environments. They discuss being stewards of our own lives, overcoming our ego-driven tendencies, and the turnaround God finds pleasure in if we lay it all aside to pursue God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In Exodus, God's response to hate and violence is love. In the story, Pharaoh wants every baby murdered to prevent an eventual overthrow of his empire. God uses a woman and a baby child to eventually overthrow an empire with love. That baby turned faith leader is Moses.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Moses, how God can use a tragedy to bring forth goodness, and that our faith is knowing nothing withstands the power of love.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The Canaanite woman comes to Jesus asking for the healing of her daughter. The disciples and Jesus dismiss her, but she persists. And Jesus heals her daughter because of her great faith. Jesus became a better Messiah that day.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation of the Canaanite woman and her faith, what made Jesus a better Messiah that day, and how unideal circumstances can lead to a breakthrough with God.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Family is tough. The Bible is 66 books of family strife! It was a father's favoritism that caused Joseph's brother to throw him in a pit. That poor choice was used for God's goodness as Joseph chose the path of healing and forgiveness.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about family, the patterns all of us experience, and how our walk with God starts at home. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Mountaintops in scripture are made for low valleys. We use them to go down into the world to live a changed life, build community, and be a catalyst for transformation.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus' transfiguration, the response from the disciples, and what we can do with a glimpse of a mountaintop experience. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Jesus tells the disciples the kingdom of heaven is like the smallest mustard seed that grows into a magnificent tree. When we step back from the notion that God only works through big miracles, we experience God's Kingdom through the smallest acts of faith. Through kindness to a stranger. Through serving alongside neighbor.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Luke Netto, Chair of the Commission on Youth Ministry and member of St. David's Roswell. They discuss God's Kingdom, bringing heaven closer to earth, and where they see God in the world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Luke Netto is a rising senior at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia, and a parishioner at St. David’s Episcopal in Roswell. He is the incoming Chair of the Diocesan Youth Commission for the ’23-’24 school year and will help lead the diocesan youth ministries in various capacities. Luke plans to attend college after high school majoring in Political Science and/or International Relations with minors in Music and Religio. He also hopes to go to law school and enter a career in public service.
There is a Black spiritual "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" referring to a dream Jacob had about a ladder with angels ascending and descending. The ladder represented a connection from God's heaven to our earthly place. The Black spiritual noted the faith of Black slaves: that they would also climb the ladder for their spiritual and physical blessing and freedom.
In this episode, Melissa and The Very Rev. Dr. Horace Griffin have a conversation about freedom. They discuss freedom, its nuances in our country, and what Jesus says about treating others as ourselves. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
A graduate of Morehouse College, Boston University, and Vanderbilt in theological studies, Horace came to St. Luke's in July 2017 after a 27 year vocation as a college and seminary professor and hospital chaplain. He has served on a part-time basis at a number of parishes. Currently, he has oversight for the pastoral care ministry at St. Luke's.
An award-winning author of the groundbreaking, Their Own Receive Them Not: African American Lesbians and Gays in the Black Church, he was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in 2005 and has passionately devoted his parish ministry to social justice, racial reconciliation and LBGTQ equality in the Church.
His fundamental belief that we are called to love God and treat all humans with love and equal justice is at the heart of his ministry. When he is not working on making the world a better place, he enjoys music, concerts, and film. He is interested in reading books on religion, African American and Gay history, and First Ladies.
God's word does not return empty or void. God's word is the creative force that brought the world and life into being! Just as God's word holds power so do ours. Are we speaking words of life?
In this episode, Melissa and Sally have a conversation about God's word, what God's word teaches us about the power of our own words, and how we use our words to bring the kingdom a bit closer to earth. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Sally Ulrey is moving into the role of Canon for Congregational Vitality and Ministry Development on the Bishop’s Staff, where she’s served in the Office of Congregational Vitality since 2018. Prior to joining the Bishop’s staff, Sally spent almost 20 years working in parishes in the Diocese of Atlanta in Christian formation and youth ministry. Sally is passionate about helping people discover a transforming relationship with Jesus and the adventure of following Christ, and helping congregations to be healthy and faithful places where that can happen.
This July, we are featuring special guests from across The Diocese of Atlanta. Our first guest is The Rev. Laura Masterson, Priest in Charge at St. Mary and Martha in Buford, Ga.
Kids see our world differently. They don't tolerate simply tolerate others; they accept others. They tap into the divine diversity of God.
In this episode, Melissa and Laura have a conversation about diversity in our world, where kids hit the mark that adults might miss, and how we move towards embracing God's diversity in the world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Laura began her ministry at St. Mary and St. Martha in August of 2021. Having experience in education in her past vocation, she recognizes the value of every interaction in community. Laura has a passion for mobilizing the body of Christ. Laura emphasizes the need for formation and energy of the laity and has a heart for care and mission...and belly laughing.
God is free! That means we should be free. Throughout time, humans have taken that up as energy and agency to overthrow regimes.
In this episode, Melissa and BIshop Wright have a conversation freedom and Walter Brueggemann's book The Prophetic Imagination. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
It's easy to wave off the people that can't stand you, but the person that grew up loving you that says you're missing the mark is the one you take seriously. And that is Jeremiah in the bible! He saw his culture going the wrong direction, and he knew mature love demands that we love enough to see things as they are and give voice to those things as the redemptive love of God.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jeremiah, his kind candor, his integrity, and how his message is so relevant to the world we live in today.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In America, the average age of people who attend church skews older. In fact, the average age of the average member of The Episcopal Church is 66! Yet, God has done some of God's best work with faithful people older in age. Abram was 100 when his son Isaac was born. His wife Sarah struggled to believe that God could do something new with their very old, physical, deeply personal disappointment. But God posed a question to them both, “Is there anything too wonderful for the Lord?”.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about becoming old, growing in our capacity to listen no matter the age, and what we can learn from people of all ages.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In life, we learn that I am MINE. A person learns they are the captain of their own ship. Yet as people of faith, we are the stewards of the message that there is no better life than the one that God gives us!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation around Abram's faithfulness to say yes to God and to pick up and leave and GO. They discuss what it means to be sent and how it is counter-cultural to Americans. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray was an American civil rights activist, advocate, legal activist, legal scholar, author, and Episcopal priest. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Rosita Stevens-Holsey, the niece of Pauli Murray. They discuss Murray's life, ministry, and the monumental contributions Murray made in advancing policy to bring justice to marginalized people. Listen in for the full conversation.
Rosita Stevens-Holsey is a dynamic educator, author, activist, community engager and budding family historian focused on sharing stories of historical and pioneering voices for children and adults to be inspired by. Rosita Stevens-Holsey is president of Preserving Pauli Murray, LLC, which she founded to enhance the legacy of her aunt, The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray.
Ms. Stevens-Holsey is co-author of Pauli Murray - The Life of a Pioneering Feminist & Civil Rights Activist, with Terry Catasús Jennings. Pauli Murray was a thorn in the side of white America demanding justice and equal treatment for all. Murray conceptualized the arguments that would win Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and in 1964, the arguments that won women equality in the workplace. Throughout her life, Murray fought for the oppressed, not only through changing laws, but by using her powerful prose to influence those who could affect change. Murray’s achievements as a writer, activist, attorney, and an Episcopal priest are now being uncovered, rendering her life and legacy stronger and more relevant.
You can find Rosita's book on the life of Pauli Murray here. Watch the new documentary on Pauli Murray here.
What is uncertain in your life? Not the anxieties like if your team is going to win the big game, but the real uncertainty like worthiness, finances, and health. We can take them to our friend Jesus and he can give us the clarity that we need.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about uncertainty and anxiety. They discuss how Jesus moves the disciples into growing up to more uncertainty, and how that directs our own walk as Christians.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Always be ready to give an accounting of your hope - St. Peter. Optimism fades but hope is eternal.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about hope. They discuss as Christians the reason we hope, why some people fail to have hope, and ways that we see hope in our world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What does it take to learn to be brave? And how do we then use our own courage and bravery for the Kingdom of God? Especially when we have to work hard to be brave!
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. They discuss her favorite bible stories, her experiences serving as Bishop in the nation's capital, and why she wrote her new book How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith.
Mariann Edgar Budde serves as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. A passionate believer in the gospel of Jesus and The Episcopal Church’s particular witness, Bishop Budde is committed to the spiritual and numerical growth of congregations and developing new expressions of Christian community. In her latest book, How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, Bishop Budde shares stories exploring how having the courage to begin a journey creates new possibilities for those who come after us. How We Learn to Be Brave will be available beginning May 23, 2023.
Bishop Wright is in Ghana with 15 pilgrims of the Diocese of Atlanta with their companion diocese, The Diocese of Cape Coast. Over the next two weeks, we will share the space of For People with special guests.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Doug Scharf of The Diocese of Southwest Florida. They discuss how he sees the resurrection, what is emerging in Christianity, and what might be emerging with the faithful in the diocese Bishop Scharf serves.
We are 150 episodes into For People! A faithful experiment of The Diocese of Atlanta sharing the love and leadership of Jesus.
In 150 episodes, For People has been downloaded 200,000x in 5,000 cities, 100 countries, and all 50 states. It is in the top 10% of all Buzzsprout podcasts, our hosting site.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright, have a conversation about the journey and what is to come with For People.
Jesus was lynched on a tree outside the city walls in front of his closest friends and mother. But there is no Easter Resurrection without Good Friday.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Good Friday and our own Good Fridays. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. He didn’t have to make this trip, he could have remained rural royalty, a potentate among the peasants. But, this donkey ride was the logical progression of his faith.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus' ride into Jerusalem days before his murder. They share how we make progress as people of faith and the progress they see God making in our world today. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Lent is a season where we try to get our minds and behinds in line with God. It's a chance to grow closer to God and let God do some work in us.
This Lent, Bishop Wright is offering a 5-part video series themed Jesus Makes the Difference. This 5-part series is based on the Sunday lectionary of Lent and includes a reflection guide.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fifth installment, Jesus is the Difference Between Life and Death.
Learn more about the series here.
Lent is a season where we try to get our minds and behinds in line with God. It's a chance to grow closer to God and let God do some work in us.
This Lent, Bishop Wright is offering a 5-part video series themed Jesus Makes the Difference. This 5-part series is based on the Sunday lectionary of Lent and includes a reflection guide.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fourth installment, Seeing Like Jesus Makes the Difference.
Learn more about the series here.
Lent is a season where we try to get our minds and behinds in line with God. It's a chance to grow closer to God and let God do some work in us.
This Lent, Bishop Wright is offering a 5-part video series themed Jesus Makes the Difference. This 5-part series is based on the Sunday lectionary of Lent and includes a reflection guide.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the third installment, Jesus and the Different Water.
Learn more about the series here.
Lent is a season where we try to get our minds and behinds in line with God. It's a chance to grow closer to God and let God do some work in us.
This Lent, Bishop Wright is offering a 5-part video series themed Jesus Makes the Difference. This 5-part series is based on the Sunday lectionary of Lent and includs a reflection guide.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the second installment, Jesus and the Different Kingdom.
Learn more about the series here.
As Black History Month closes, we wanted to take some time to discuss the life of Absalom Jones, the first Black Episcopal priest in The Episcopal Church. Absalom's story is one of loving God and loving all people. One of starting something brand new with and for God!
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Canon Martini Shaw, 17th Rector of The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, the congregation founded by Absalom Jones. They discuss Absalom's story that led to the founding of St. Thomas and how his legacy is lived out today. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Very Rev. Canon Martini Shaw is a native of Detroit, Michigan. In 1982 he earned two undergraduate degrees from Wayne State University, one in Psychology and the other in Biology.
In 1988, Fr. Shaw earned a Masters of Divinity Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Hyde Park (Chicago). Never one to shy away from rigorous challenges, Fr. Shaw also earned a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois the same year. In 2008, Fr. Shaw earned the Doctorate of Ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation, with completed coursework at the University of Oxford, (Oxford, England.)
In 2003, Fr. Shaw became the 17th Rector of the Historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia, Pa. The church was founded in 1792 as the first Black Church in the Episcopal Church, U.S.A. It is also the oldest African American Church in the City of Philadelphia. Fr. Shaw proudly now serves as a successor to the Rev. Absalom Jones, the first Black Priest of the Episcopal Church, and first Rector of St. Thomas Church.
Lent is a season where we try to get our minds and behinds in line with God. It's a chance to grow closer to God and let God do some work in us.
This Lent, Bishop Wright is offering a 5-part video series themed Jesus Makes the Difference. This 5-part series is based on the Sunday lectionary of Lent and includs a reflection guide.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Lent, the series, and the first installment The Difference Between Jesus and the Devil.
Learn more about the series here.
God rescues of from darkness. But coming into the light and seeing comes with a cost. It is a choice to shift our attention towards neighbor and God.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it takes to shift our attention - an active choice to follow God and to love our neighbor. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What makes a good sermon? For the preacher, it is knowing oneself, knowing the biblical text and context, knowing the people, and knowing what The Holy Spirit is speaking directly to them. It is also leaving the people hearing the sermon with some good holy questioning of their own walk with Christ and with neighbor in the world.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Teresa Fry Brown PhD. They share of who God is, preaching, and their understanding of The Holy Spirit. Listen in for the full conversation.
Christian maturity is understood as having a vibrant relationship with God as Lord and friend, and a proficiency with the practices and tools of the faith. Tools like service, giving, prayer, silence and worship. Christian maturity is understood as: actively bringing our lives, lips, hopes, and conflict resolution approaches under submission to the teachings and example of Jesus. If we are honest, we all have work to do in maturing as a Christian.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Christian maturity, what gets in the way, and some practical next steps to take. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Dr. King was born in Atlanta and was murdered in Memphis. And though we’ve seen change since then, there are still unarmed Black and Brown people dying in senseless violence. Just this past week, police murdered Tyre Nichols in Memphis. As our country reckons with another act of police brutality, we bring you an episode with two Black Bishops, our own Bishop Wright and Bishop Phoebe Roaf of West Tennessee - the diocese that includes the city of Memphis.
In the episode, they have a real conversation focused on how we as Christians find hope in times that some find none. They take up where the church has a responsibility to respond to community tragedy and name steps to make sure we don't push comfort over change. Listen in for the full conversation.
God prefers us. We are God's people. All of us. And yet, it is a defiant posture to believe God's blessings are for all of us. Just take a look around and we see disparity and an unequal balance of power.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on who is blessed by God and what Jesus says about a God for all and a God that stands directly on the side of the poor and oppressed. God is for all, but God does have a particular interest in those left behind. Listen in for the full conversation.
Spiritual growth and maturity is knowing and walking alongside your neighbor that views the world differently. Dr. King speaks of becoming a World House. If we are to be a World House we are to know every religion and every human as a part of the human family. These famous words still ring true today as antisemitism is on the rise.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple, the oldest Jewish worshiping community in Atlanta. They discuss the history of Jews and Christians walking alongside one another in Atlanta, antisemitism and disinformation, and where we go from here. Listen in to the full conversation.
Peter Berg became the fifth senior rabbi of The Temple since 1895 in July of 2008. He is thrilled to serve this diverse and multi-generational congregation as a spiritual leader. Rabbi Berg is passionate about Jewish learning and meaningful worship, and he is an advocate for social change.
Prior to coming to The Temple, he served as rabbi of Temple Beth Or in Washington Township, New Jersey and as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Emanuel-El in Dallas, Texas. Additionally, he served Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, New York as a rabbinic intern and at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, as its Youth Director.
Over the years, Rabbi Berg has spent a great deal of time working with advocacy groups on issues including but not limited to: poverty & homelessness, criminal justice reform, preventing the human trafficking of minors, civil rights, religious freedom, ending mass incarceration, gun safety, hate crimes, the environment, combatting antisemitism, and strengthening the U.S.- Israel relationship.
Rabbi Berg lives in Atlanta with his wife Karen, a teacher and tutor, and their three children.
Why hope? Dr. King speaks directly to why we should have hope. In this week's For Faith, Bishop Wright points to 5 quotes from Dr. King that embody hope. Dr. King's 5 quotes led Bishop Wright to the 5 following reasons why we have hope:
1) God is sovereign.
2) The Holy Spirit causes growth and alignment in us.
3) Exemplary Christian living changes lives.
4) We are a human family.
5) Love will have the last word.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright break down the quotes and these reasons to hope. Listen in for the full conversation.
Darkness is a place that God can use. God uses darkness. God's Light cannot be overcome by darkness. That is the heart of Epiphany. That God is able. That God is near.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Epiphany, it's meaning, and where we go from here in the new year. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Whenever God shows up, it is a disruption! Because God is mighty and love and truth and the opposite of those things; oppression, shame, fear, hate... are put out of place when God shows up. This is the miracle of Christmas! That out of darkness comes the light of God in the world through a child.
In this conversation, Melissa and Bishop Wright continue the conversation of Christmas through the lens of an intervening God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
This is a special episode featuring Bishop Wright's Imagine Christmas sermon "Christmas Crossroads". Merry Christmas! Emmanuel! God with us!
“…It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time. On this platform of peace, we can create a language, To translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other. At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ Into the great religions of the world. We jubilate the precious advent of trust. We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope. All the earth’s tribes loosen their voices, To celebrate the promise of Peace. We, Angels and Mortal’s, Believers and Non-Believers, Look heavenward and speak the word aloud. Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud. Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves, And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.
Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.”
― Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem, Maya Angelou (2005)
Mary's faith was BIG. Gabriel told her she was favored. And she had questions, but she chose the crossroads of believing in a BIG God and in her favor. She knew a faithful God and she would sing a song about God's faithfulness.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Mary's faith, her favor, and what it means in modern times. Listen in for the full conversation.
How can the nearness of God change us? It's easy to take John the Baptist's words of the need to repent as guilt or obligation, but what John is really pointing to is that when we draw near to God, our lives change in ways we can't even imagine.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Advent, John the Baptist, and how a nearness to God directs our lives in new ways. Listen in for the full conversation.
Join us for Imagine Worship on December 6:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/imagine-worship-st-barts-atl-tickets-469176859617
This is a special episode of Bishop Wright's sermon at The 116th Annual Council of The Diocese of Atlanta.
"The followers of Jesus over the last two thousand years have made progress in faith by doing something unusual with their allotted minutes of life. They/we, make our way with God and life by “remembering forward and hoping backward.” The logic is simple, if God did it then, God can do it again. Even more to the point, the logic is, if God can work through flawed people like our ancestors in their time, then God can work through our sins, fears, stubbornness and inattention in this moment. That is the essence of hope-if God is not dead, then we have every good reason to hope! And while God could run the universe without us, God has chosen to involve us in God’s enterprise. So to each generation the invitation goes out not to simply pass time, kill time or consume moments but to attune ourselves to what God is doing in the moment and then join God with all that we are and all that we have.
Excerpt from Bishop Wright's sermon
Isaiah 43:1-20
God is doing a new thing! This year's theme for the Diocese of Atlanta's annual gathering is "I'm about to do a new thing". In Isaiah, he writes about God "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." The "I" refers to God because God is always doing new things. In this instance, not us, but God.
In this episode, Bishop Wright and Melissa have a conversation about the new thing God is doing now with the church and in the lives of her people. It comes as The Diocese of Atlanta gets ready to gather 500 of her people for dialogue, worship, and learning. Listen in for the full conversation.
A few weeks ago, we celebrated 10 years of Bishop Wright as the Bishop of The Diocese of Atlanta. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the learnings, the experiments, and what's to come. Listen in for the full conversation.
God has faith in people. God knows to get the best results is to free us of our selfishness. And yet we cling to our ways. Why?
In this conversation, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright about why now more than ever, it is difficult to keep our own center with God. Listen in for the full conversation.
To walk with God is to believe what God says about you on your best day and your worst day. In the bible, Jesus shares a story of two men. One man that had done very well goes into God's house and puts himself in the center. And the other man brings his sin and shame to God calling himself unworthy. Jesus says the sinner is justified.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Bishop Wright about what it takes to follow God. That we are beloved and that living out belovedness is what we are call to do if we really want to follow Jesus of Nazareth. They discuss self-centeredness and other-centeredness. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
We wonder why the universe is organized the way it is. We wonder where God is. We wonder why God doesn't show up. In life, these are some of the ways we wrestle with God. Jacob wrestled with God. He ended up getting a broken hip, a cool new name, and a better understanding of who God is in him and in the world.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about wrestling with God. And that wrestling with God from time to time is a good thing. Because we learn something about ourselves and something about God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Hispanic ministry is a big part of The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. There are 11 Hispanic Congregations in the diocese. It is essential Bishop Wright has a Hispanic Missioner as a partner on his staff that can resource those congregations and serve as a bridge builder for our Anglo and Hispanic congregations.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Mimi Guerra, Missioner for Hispanic Ministries in The Diocese of Atlanta. Mimi shares some of her personal story, the struggles of COVID with our Hispanic congregations, and the need for truly bi-lingual services weekly. Listen in for the full conversation.
El ministerio hispano es una gran parte de la Diócesis Episcopal de Atlanta. Tenemos 11 congregaciones hispanas en la diócesis. Es esencial que el obispo Wright tenga un misionero hispano como socio en su personal que pueda brindar recursos a esas congregaciones y servir como enlace y conexión entre nuestras comunidades anglosajonas e hispanas.
En este episodio, el obispo Wright tiene una conversación con la reverenda Mimi Guerra, misionera de Ministerios Hispanos en la Diócesis de Atlanta. Mimi comparte parte de su historia personal, las luchas de COVID con nuestras congregaciones hispanas y la necesidad de misas verdaderamente bilingües. Escuche la conversación completa.
An evening in April 2022, Bishop Wright gathered with over 50 men from across the city of Atlanta at St. Luke's Atlanta for a conversation on Sex Trafficking - specifically young people that are victims of sex trafficking.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Jonathan Tonge, a lawyer present that evening in May. Jonathan is based out of Atlanta and is dedicated to the justice work of human trafficking and representing survivors. They discuss sexual trafficking in Atlanta, the hard truth of what happens in our state, and where we go from here. Listen in for the full conversation.
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, but it's rarely discussed in a productive and open way. This episode of For People introduces Keep/Watch, a new suicide prevention workbook and training from the Diocese of Atlanta that equips churches to combat this crisis and become safer spaces for people who are considering suicide.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with authors Holle Tubbs and Dr. Mary Chase Mize and explores suicide causes, prevention methods, and ways that Scripture and tradition invite us to "keep watch" with people who are hurting.
This resource will be available for order soon. Click the link below to sign up for an email notification. https://www.tfaforms.com/5017310
Holle Tubbs (she/her) is a ministry leader, writer, and speaker who currently serves as Youth Missioner to the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. After two decades of ministry, Holle remains passionate about spiritual formation, leadership development, and expansive faith spaces. Her experiences with mental illness and suicide inform her work with young people in the Church. A native of North Carolina, Holle lives in Atlanta with a dog, a cat, a community she loves, and a short drive up to the mountains and whitewater of Appalachia.
Dr. Mary Chase Mize (she/her), PhD, LPC, NCC is a counselor and master-level Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) trainer. She is a postdoctoral research associate at Georgia State University, where she serves as the assistant director of the HOPE lab and co-primary investigator of a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services. The primary focus of her research is community-based suicide intervention among older adults through equipping nutrition services and aging network providers with life-saving suicide intervention skills. In addition to her work at GSU, Mary Chase is a part-time clinician with Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta. A native of Tennessee, she currently resides in Atlanta with her husband and son, where they attend the Cathedral of St. Philip.
In Amos, we know that God is angry with us. No one likes an angry God. But when anger of God is a result of knowing we can love one another as God intends and we don't, is it surprising?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk about Amos and his love and how all he really wanted people to know is that God's anger is justified when we hurt one another. And also, that Amos's love is the love of God - meaning Amos simply wanted to care for neighbor. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
"The opposite of faith isn't doubt - it's absolute certainty" - Bishop Deon Johnson
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Deon Johnson, 11th Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. They talk about dignity and share stories of grandmothers and Bishop Deon's favorite life lesson.Bishop Deon also shares his good news of being a gay Black man in the highest level of leadership in The Episcopal Church. He speaks with kind candor to what he reads in the bible including its history and context.
Bishop Deon Kevin Johnson was elected on November 23, 2019 as the eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. He was born in Saint Philip Parish in Barbados. He spent his Sundays with family in church. His family instilled a strong sense of cultural heritage and pride which he still cherishes to this day. He has remained close to his family, and attends family reunions every two to three years. Deon’s love of religion stems from his grandmother who was engaged in theology.
Deon and his brother decided to move to the United States when Deon was 14 years old. They moved in with their father in New York City until their mother came to the United States two years after their arrival. Upon arriving in the U.S., he had to adjust to the different cultures that he was introduced to. He quickly rose to the top of his class and was enrolled in AP and honor courses in high school. He credits his education in Barbados for his academic achievements in the U.S.
Deon has been with his partner for over ten years, and they have been happily married since 2018. They have two kids, a twelve-year-old and a ten-year-old and one godson who is nine years old. He loves spending time with his family and enjoys the fact that his mother is currently living with him and his family.
Deon’s dream for the church is that the church is where there are no outcasts. He wants people to know that they can gather and not feel uncomfortable. The church is a place that reflects God’s vision of the world, but he also realizes that the church often gets it wrong. He offers an apology to his LGBTQ siblings on behalf of the church. He wants to get it right and actively works toward bringing people to Christ on a daily basis.
Choirs have and will always be an essential part of worship.
"You can look at a choir and find you in it" - Jason McGee
"There is a power communicated in a diverse choir that spans everything" - Bishop Wright
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Jason McGee, Choir Director of Maverick City Music. In it, they discuss the origin of choirs, the diversity choirs represent, and why Jason said yes to being a part of Imagine Worship in NYC on Oct 3 with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Listen in for the full conversation.
Jason McGee & The Choir, established in 2015, have become affectionately known as “the choir for hire." They’ve worked with music icons Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Raphael Sadiq, Logic, and David Foster, just to name a few. They’ve recorded songs for Usher, Gospel superstar Erica Campbell, UK rock band The 1975, Christian artist Matthew Redman, and The Fray’s lead singer Joe King. They can be heard on the movie soundtrack for Birth of a Nation and seen on television shows such as David Tutera’s CELEBrations, CBS’ Pure Genius, and Hallmark’s Home & Family.
In 2016, Jason McGee & The Choir signed with legendary producer Warryn Campbell and his record label MyBlock Inc. They’ve since released hit singles like “Promises,” which was named by Billboard as one of the top added Gospel songs to radio in 2018, along with "Never Let You Go," and "It's Not Over."
Jason McGee & The Choir continue to spread their message of God’s love through music, fashion, and performance. They seek out any opportunity to take that message far beyond the church walls and have become leaders in Gospel and trend setters among choirs. They are grateful for any and all opportunities and have purposed to be "medicine to the spiritually sick."
What is the bible and how do we hold it? A serious question. In The Episcopal Church, widely we believe that all are beloved children of God. That you are perfectly made as you are! A beautiful thing!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright respond to two recent questions from our listeners. The first is from Scott from The Diocese of Virginia. His question: Why is the notion of literalism so important in some branches of Christianity while in other religious spaces wisdom is viewed differently? The second question is from John Brown from Virginia. In what ways might someone know the will of God outside of reading scripture? Listen in for the full conversation.
To be southern is to love the south. The good and bad. All that she is. Chuck Reece LOVES the South. But he didn't always. Before Salvation South, Chuck founded The Bitter Southener. No longer bitter, he wanted to show the world the gentler and hopeful South that he experiences.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Chuck Reece about the South, her stories of diversity, her goodness, and one of her greatest creations - gumbo. A dish that came together because of the influences of immigrants in the south. A dish that displays diversity both in history and flavor. Listen in for the full conversation.
A word from Chuck about Salvation South.
My name is Chuck Reece. You might remember me as the founding editor-in-chief of a publication called The Bitter Southerner. But I’m not bitter anymore.What I am is hopeful. Some might say to be hopeful is to be nuts, in these times when it seems everybody has picked one side or another, locked themselves in, and just want to yell at each other. But I know a lot of people who would rather do something different: They want to talk. And these people — the ones who want to have conversations that might bring a little more peace into this world — need a place of their own.
My talented wife Stacy and I created Salvation South for that kind of people.
Salvation South is inspired by hope and healing and — most importantly — the desire to create a place on the web and a community of people where civil conversation can happen.
Read Salvation South: https://www.salvationsouth.com/
On the heels of The Lambeth Conference, Bishop Wright has a conversation with the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach. The episode lays bare the differences between The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in North America in an honest dialogue of the major differences of the denominations. But in today’s all-or-nothing world where differences usually result in anger, recrimination, and withdrawal, Beach and Wright show Christian maturity in discussing the ordination of women and our LGTQB+ siblings.
The Most Reverend Dr. Foley Beach was elected Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) on June 22, 2014. A former Episcopal priest, Beach once was the youth minister at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. After leaving the Episcopal Church, Beach planted and led Holy Cross Anglican Church in Loganville, Georgia. Bishop Wright asked Beach to be on this episode of For Faith to honor the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu's peace-making ministry.
Register for Imagine Church | Be Not Afraid: www.imaginechurch.online
These are summer shorts! In the middle of summer, shorts just feel right. And as responses to the questions of our faithful listeners.
Our fifth and final question is from our own host, Melissa Rau. Her question: Do you have any existential questions you actively ponder? Listen in for Bishop Wright's response.
These are summer shorts! In the middle of summer, shorts just feel right. And as responses to the questions of our faithful listeners.
Our fourth question is from Laura of Georgia. Her question: How do we listen well? Listen in for Melissa and Bishop Wright's response.
These are summer shorts! In the middle of summer, shorts just feel right. And as responses to the questions of our faithful listeners.
Our third question is from Stacey of Georgia. Her question: In light of Roe vs Wade being overturned, how do we remain empathetic towards others? Listen in for Melissa and Bishop Wright's response.
These are summer shorts! In the middle of summer, shorts just feel right. And as responses to the questions of our faithful listeners.
Our second question is from Christian of Georgia. His question: How can we work for lessening income inequality and pushing for universal healthcare as a church? Listen in for Melissa and Bishop Wright's response.
Welcome to Summer Shorts! In the middle of summer, shorts just feels right. And these shorts are meant to be real short - under six-minute short. And as responses from the questions of our faithful listeners. For the next five weeks, enjoy some thoughtful questions and reflections.
Our first question is from Cindy in Colorado. Her question: How do you find a church if like-minded people? Listen in for Melissa and Bishop Wright's response.
We live in a great country. No doubt she is great. And yet as we celebrate this year's Independence Day, pride in America is at an all-time low. So where do we go from here?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about our country, the great experiment of democracy she is, and that at the heart of patriotism is a person that can hold in tension both the things we need to lament about and the things we hope for. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In the words of The Rev. Raphael Warnock, "as Christians, our democratic vote is a prayer for a more just and loving world". Amen!
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest US Senator Raphael Warnock. As two Black men that grew up in public housing, in families of faith, and first-generation college graduates, they share how they've been formed as spiritual and moral leaders. They discuss our American democracy, Jesus as a non-partisan spiritual leader, gun violence, and the power of love that organizes. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Honorable Reverend Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock serves as the Senior Pastor of the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and the junior United States Senator from Georgia. The son of two Pentecostal pastors, Dr. Warnock responded to the call of ministry at a very early age, and at age 35, became the fifth and the youngest person ever called to the senior pastorate of Ebenezer Baptist Church, founded in 1886.
Senator Warnock released his personal memoir, A Way out of No Way, in June of 2022. Senator Warnock is the proud father of one daughter, Chloé, and one son, Caleb.
It delights God that we smell like love! That we smell like generosity. And knowing this we must stand before our loving God and explain our hatefulness!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Pride Month and Juneteenth and how both of these holidays call us to know every beautiful human being as beloved. Every ism gets in the way of knowing that we are all made in God's image and are one human family. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
"Holy Spirit break-in!", says Pentecost! The Spirit breaks through ethnic and language barriers and celebrates the beautiful diversity of God's beloved.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Bishop's time with the ELCA Southeastern Synod as the preacher of their Revival. They discuss what can happen when we experience revival and a renewed closeness to God. That testimony leads us to share God's love in the world. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
How many people in America live on less than $2 a day? Something many of us don't think about but a reality for those living in poverty in the United States.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Luke Schaefer Ph.D. A University of Michigan Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy and Associate Dean for Research and Policy Engagement. They discuss the gaps in society and what we can do about them. Professor Schaefer also shares his own experience of poverty and what he's learned from his research on extreme poverty.
Shaefer’s research on poverty and social welfare policy in the United States has been published in top peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of public policy, social work, public health, health services research, and history, and his work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and U.S. Census Bureau among other sources. He has presented his research at the White House and before numerous federal agencies, has testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and has advised a number of the nation’s largest human service providers.
His work has been cited in media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, The Economist, The Atlantic, and Los Angeles Times, and he has been featured on such programs as Marketplace and CNBC’s Nightly Business Report. His book with Kathryn Edin, “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,” was named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2015 by the New York Times Book Review, and won the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism among other awards. He was recently named to an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.
Arabella Brown, a young person from St. James Episcopal Church in Marietta GA, gave a powerful sermon to the graduating seniors of The Diocese of Atlanta on May 22. She speaks of leaving familiar places, that it will be hard along the way, and that God will always be with us.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about young people and their capacities, their offerings, and what adults must do to create spaces for them to lead. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read Arabella's full sermon: https://episcopalatlanta.org/news/2022-graduation-celebration/
"...Dr. Catherine Meeks is the most courageous person I know...". That's from your producer, Easton Davis.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Meeks. She shares her own story of personal memoir, purpose, the work of racial healing, and her recent award: The President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award medal. Specifically to the work of racial healing, they talk of how The Gospel points us in the direction of this important work and beloved community.
Dr. Meeks will be preaching and teaching at the National Cathedral, this Sunday and Monday, May 22-23.
Watch her preach this Sunday at The National Cathedral: https://cathedral.org/
Read about her award: https://episcopalatlanta.org/news/presaward/
Learn more about the Center for Racial Healing: https://www.centerforracialhealing.org/
This episode is in response to the recent hate crime and killing of ten black people in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York that took place on May 14, 2022.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright reflect on a speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Cornell College in Iowa on October 15, 1962. A lecture in which Dr. King addresses the hate we have for one another. A hate because of fear. A fear because we don't know one another. Not knowing one another because we fail to communicate. Failing to communicate because we are separated. These are tough conversations, and we invite you to both listen, share, and be in conversation with people about these very things. Because these are hard but holy conversations.
We can all agree across party lines that we ought to care deeply for our children. Yet, many children are left in the margins. Jesus says to let the children come to me and not to hinder them. There isn't an argument that certain populations and demographics of children in our country are hindered in many ways!
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). A nonprofit that envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish. In their conversation, they discuss the history of CDF, freedom schools, a movement of young people to address systemic racism, and the steps we must take to bring the justice of Jesus to life in our everyday lives.
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and CDF Action Council. CDF envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. Wilson is board chair for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE).
From 2011 through 2020, Rev. Wilson was president & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, a faith-based philanthropy for child well-being and racial justice in St. Louis. From 2008 through 2018, Dr. Wilson also pastored Saint John’s Church (The Beloved Community), a multiracial congregation in the city. Under his leadership, the foundation constructed and established the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, a community action tank engaging thousands of citizens annually. After the police killing of Michael Brown, Jr., the church hosted the #BlackLivesMatter Freedom Ride to and other mobilizations.
Wilson was appointed co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, which released the ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity’ Report, calling for sweeping changes in policing, the courts, child well-being and economic mobility in 2015. He currently serves boards for Duke Divinity School, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Duke University. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Starsky is married to Dr. LaToya Smith Wilson, a dentist and child advocate. They are raising four children.
Follow Dr. Wilson’s activism, philanthropy, and ministry at @RevDrStarsky and @ChildDefender.
Join us in celebrating the 100th episode of For People! Over the past two years, we've released an episode almost weekly, and we thank God and you for the inspiration to forge forward.
Last week, we heard six soundbites from For People special guests. This week, we unpack some of Bishop Wright's best excerpts with Melissa, Easton, and special guest and For People listener, The Rev. Winston Arthur. A priest and rector in The Diocese of Atlanta.
This is THE episode to share with a friend. We firmly believe For People is unique in challenging people to think of just how BIG God is in loving the hell out of the world.
Some For People stats to celebrate: We've been heard in 102 countries, 4,600 cities, and have an all-time download of 120k. We average 1,100 downloads per episode.
Join us in celebrating the 100th episode of For People! Over the past two years, we've released an episode almost weekly, and we thank God and you for the inspiration to forge forward. This episode starts with Melissa, Bishop Wright, and producer Easton Davis sharing the journey, the innovation, and the Good News they've witnessed along the way.
The heart of the episode includes six of our favorite soundbites from special guests including The Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, Diana Butler Bass, Sheffield Hale, Dr. Gregory Ellison II, The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice, and Bishop Will Willimon. After each soundbite, Melissa and Bishop Wright share their insights and how these conversations have grounded For People as a podcast of story sharing.
This is THE episode to share with a friend. We firmly believe For People is unique in challenging people to think of just how BIG God is in loving the hell out of the world.
Some For People stats to celebrate: We've been heard in 102 countries, 4,600 cities, and have an all-time download of 120k. We average 1,100 downloads per episode.
More Easter. More joy. More face-to-face smiles. This is what Easter felt like after two years of more challenging Easter celebrations.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright reflect on Easter and what it meant to them after these past 2 years. They reflect on three soundbites from members of The Diocese of Atlanta. Marycelis Otero, The Rev. Juan Sandavol, and Dr. Mary Hooper all share their insights of what Easter meant to them and the joy they witnessed. Christ is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What is the table on Maundy Thursday is the real intent of Holy Week? And that Good Friday is the moment that Rome decides it is going to destroy the table? So, Rome introduces the cross to stop the feast from going any further than that upper room.
In this episode, Bishop Wright and Diana Butler Bass continue their conversation on freeing Jesus through a discussion of the triduum, the three days before Easter, and the argument that Maundy Thursday, the day before the triduum, and the day of The Last Supper, might very well be the most important day of them all. Listen in for the full conversation.
Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality.
Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world—a passion that ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual wisdom and smart theology, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their place in history, and God differently.
She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eleven books. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Spirituality and Health, Reader's Digest, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented on religion, politics, and culture in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and in multiple global news outlets. In the 1990s, she wrote a weekly column on religion and culture for the Santa Barbara News-Press, which was distributed nationally by the New York Times Syndicate.
She and her husband live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their dog and their sometimes-successful backyard garden.
Jesus lives beyond the narrow confines of the world. Yet, many people try to put him in a box. And how can we as believers get him out of that box into the world? That is our call.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Diana Butler Bass. They discuss her calling to free Jesus into the world and how we can do this through personal memoir. They discuss the power of sharing our own stories and how it brings Jesus into people's lives in new and refreshing ways. If the stories of Jesus are to thrive in our current culture, we must share our own stories of struggles and faith. Listen in for the full conversation.
Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality.
Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world—a passion that ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual wisdom and smart theology, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their place in history, and God differently.
She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eleven books. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Spirituality and Health, Reader's Digest, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented on religion, politics, and culture in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and in multiple global news outlets. In the 1990s, she wrote a weekly column on religion and culture for the Santa Barbara News-Press, which was distributed nationally by the New York Times Syndicate.
She and her husband live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their dog and their sometimes-successful backyard garden.
The prodigal son is a favorite parable of many. Partly, because if we are honest, we've at one point or another been the foolish young son, the loving father, or the resenting older brother. It is also because family strife is real, hard, and we all go through it at times in our lives.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about all three of the family members in this story, and when it comes to love there is something more at stake than right and wrong. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on Intimacy, the fourth of a 5-part Lenten video series from Bishop Rob Wright. Each Wednesday in Lent, from March 9-April 6, a new video and reflection guide is available. Invite a friend and join us in keeping a Holy Lent. Learn more at episcopalatlanta.org.lent-2022.
Before Moses becomes a deliverer of his people, he's a felon in the wilderness. Intimacy with God is what changes him from a rogue to a reformer. God says "I am" and this exchange of names is the beginning of knowing and being known.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about practical ways to grow closer in intimacy with God and what gets in the way; not only in our relationship with but in our relationship with neighbor and family.
This episode is based on Intimacy, the third of a 5-part Lenten video series from Bishop Rob Wright. Each Wednesday in Lent, from March 9-April 6, a new video and reflection guide is available. Invite a friend and join us in keeping a Holy Lent. Learn more at episcopalatlanta.org.lent-2022.
We are heavenly citizens living out our lives on earth. We are in this world, but striving to be not of this world. That's hard.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation of what it means to be heavenly citizens of many races, geographies, genders, and orientations. Listen in for the full conversation.
This episode is based on Order, the second of a 5-part Lenten video series from Bishop Rob Wright. Each Wednesday in Lent, from March 9-April 6, a new video and reflection guide is available. Invite a friend and join us in keeping a Holy Lent. Learn more at episcopalatlanta.org.lent-2022.
Lent has begun! And we are excited to share Lent with you over these next weeks.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus in the wilderness, His fasting of 40 days, and what happens out in the desert. Jesus is tempted by the devil. Not the devil that we might think of, but the Hebraic devil that comes to test Jesus with his knowledge of scripture; of God's very word.
This episode is based on Clearer, the first of a 5-part Lenten video series from Bishop Rob Wright. Each Wednesday in Lent, from March 9-April 6, a new video and reflection guide is available. Invite a friend and join us in keeping a Holy Lent. Learn more at episcopalatlanta.org.lent-2022.
What happens when we are called by God to live out the Gospel message in the world? Big questions don't always require big answers. It's about loving people; all people.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis. They discuss the calling to serve Jesus by serving one another, the notion of radical love, and Bishop Jennifer's own conversion story. spoiler alert, she wasn't baptized as a baby
Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, a native of New York City, holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture with a minor in urban studies from Smith College, an M.A. in historic preservation planning from Cornell University, and an M.Div. degree from Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in 1997. Before being elected bishop in 2016, she served in the Dioceses of Newark, Central New York and Chicago. She is the first black woman to be elected a diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church.
“What the poor need is not charity but capital, not caseworkers but coworkers. And what the rich need is a wise, honorable and just way of divesting themselves of their overabundance.” -Clarence Jordan
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford. They discuss how Jonathan's life of faith and his corporate background prepared him to lead Habitat for Humanity, a massive global nonprofit that partners with families around the world to build better lives. Habitat is a ministry that believes partnership is the center of service. That relationship, community building, and dignity must be present. Bishop Wright and Jonathan touch on these very things, and when we follow Jesus with our best selves we walk shoulder to shoulder with the entire human family, especially those impacted disproportionately.
Jonathan T.M. Reckford is chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, a global Christian housing organization that has helped more than 39 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve their homes.
Since 2005, when he took the top leadership position, local Habitat organizations in all 50 states and in more than 70 countries have grown from serving 125,000 individuals each year to helping more than 4.2 million people last year build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Learn more about Habitat.
We continue to struggle to speak of and learn from our history. Think about Joseph and his brothers. Joseph shows up, asks them to come closer, and forgives them for selling him into slavery. Talk about forgiveness over history.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the truths we fail to share. They talk about how vulnerability and confession go hand in hand in our faith lives and that together they can bring us closer to God than ever before. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
During the break, we featured The Hunger Walk Run 2022 happening in Atlanta on March 6. This event supports many partners of the Atlanta Community Foodbank including The Episcopal Community Foundation of The Diocese of Atlanta. Learn more and register to walk or run at ecfimpact.org/hwr.
At some point in a faithful life with Jesus, you have to lose some arguments. That means you turn it over and trust Jesus and his words in your own humility. That day in Gennesaret, Jesus gives clear direction to go out deeper and cast their nets. Simon does this and so many fish are caught the nets start to break and they call over to the other boat to come help.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss why we often turn to our own selves and devices instead of to God when we struggle to find the right way. But then when we do trust in Jesus and give ourselves over in humility, the Spirit shows up. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
This month, prayerfully consider giving to Path to Shine. An organization working towards freedom in the lives of children through mentoring and education. Learn more.
Freedom looks good on you, and a free God made us for freedom! Even so, many of us are a slave to something in our lives.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about freedom, neighborliness, and the richness in our lives we experience when we give up materialism for neighbor. Listen in for the full conversation.
Bishop listening, read For Faith.
This month, prayerfully consider giving to Path to Shine. An organization working towards freedom in the lives of children through mentoring and education. Learn more.
Love is patient, love is kind, and love tells us to grow up! Bet you forgot that part, didn't you? This favorite piece of scripture used at weddings is the wise words of St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. What Paul writes about love is that it is the yeast in which a community will grow, heal a marriage, and if we choose not to use that love, what is the point?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation of grown-up love, what it costs, and we sometimes fail to. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In a divided world, what can being church mean? St. Paul gives us the word body. A word and image to understand how we ought to live with one another, not as a means of denying our brokenness but as healing medicine for us.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it means to be the Body of Christ. The hard stuff. The parts where we deny what is really going on. And the giftedness we can experience as a community when we look into the community for the people willing to ask the hard questions and have the harder conversations. Listen in for the full episode.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Want to join us for Imagine Church this Sunday? Worship with us online at 7pm ET on the Imagine Church website, YouTube Channel, or Facebook page.
On Monday, January 17th, 2022, we celebrate the 93rd birthday of The Preacher King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What made Dr. King who he is as a preacher? What are some insights on who Dr. King is as a prophet?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Dr. Richard Lischer, author of The Preacher King. They discuss the legacy of Dr. King, how he mobilized people to address tough problems, his preachings, and important moments in his life as a prophet. Listen in for the full conversation.
Dr. Richard Lischer is professor emeritus at Duke Divinity School, where he has spent his entire teaching career. Before coming to Duke, he served as pastor of Lutheran churches in Illinois and Virginia. He is the author or editor of fifteen books and has contributed chapters in many others. His reviews and essays appear regularly in The Christian Century.
Although an academic and a preacher, his work in memoir has received public attention—including Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery (Doubleday) and Stations of the Heart: Parting with a Son (Knopf).
OUP has recently released the new, updated edition of his prize-winning book, The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America.
Happy Epiphany! A starry night led the 3 curious travelers to baby Jesus. But it was the question "where is the child?" that started their journey. Epiphany is an invitation to God to realize God is in everything all around us just as 3 curious travels laid eyes on Jesus and knew he was indeed the Son of God.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Epiphany and what it means to recognize that God is everywhere. They talk of what happens when we choose to not pay attention to the simple ways in which God reveals God's self. Where is the child and how can we better care for the children of the world? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The Children's Defense Fund is an organization doing the hard work of caring for our children. Learn more here.
Mary and Elizabeth were cousins and pregnant at the same time. Elizabeth carrying Jesus's cousin John and Mary carrying Jesus. Imagine their bellies bumping as they embrace.
Mary embodies girl power. She trusts God. She believes in her own agency. She understands and tells the world that it starts inside of us.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Mary and Elizabeth. They discuss the faithful visit they shared that day in Judea. They discuss their faithfulness to God, their joyful songs, the Magnificat, and what this means to us as we prepare for the birth of Jesus. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What is the church? There was an age in North America where the church was simply a part of everyday life. In current times, the church is counter-cultural. But what does that even mean?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Bishop Will Willimon on these questions. They share their beliefs of what the church is and their understanding of how a diverse community of people called the church can live out the Gospel by serving people they've never met. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Reverend Dr. William H. Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at the Divinity School, Duke University. He served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led the 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. For twenty years prior to the episcopacy, he was Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
He is the author of roughly one hundred books. His Worship as Pastoral Care was selected as one of the ten most useful books for pastors in 1979 by the Academy of Parish Clergy. Over a million copies of his books have been sold. In 1996, an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-speaking world.
Willimon’s articles have appeared in many publications including The Christian Ministry, Quarterly Review, Plough, Liturgy, Worship and Christianity Today. For many years he is Editor-at-Large for The Christian Century. He has written church curriculum materials and video for youth, young adults, and adults. His Pulpit Resource is used each week by thousands of pastors in the USA, Canada, and Australia. A 2005 study by the Pulpit and Pew Research Center found that Bishop Willimon is the second most widely read author by mainline Protestant pastors.
"You brood of vipers!", John the Baptist proclaimed that day down by the river. He was getting at people who talk the talk but don't always walk the walk. He's getting at believing and worshiping God is only part of the work. The other part is what is received from the act that leads us into serving one another and God as a choice.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss John and his baby cousin Jesus and that John saw beyond himself. He pointed to his belief that God is doing something and is alive and effective. Because in a few weeks we celebrate the birth of Jesus and that as Christians we believe that it is more than welcoming a baby but rearranging our lives to serve God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The death penalty does not align with the message of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus calls us to work to gain justice for people who can't do it for themselves.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Sister Prejean shares her conversion experience of understanding the Gospel and how it led her to be a spiritual adviser for men on death row. Sister Prejean also shares her experience of working with families of victims and how they are able to heal without further killing.
Bishop Wright and Sister Prejean also discuss the history of the death penalty, how courageous people of faith have stood against it, and the church's role in preserving the lives of those who are guilty just as we do those who are innocent. Listen in for the full conversation.
Sister Prejean is most well known for her best-selling book, Dead Man Walking (1993), based on her experiences with two convicts on death row for whom she served as spiritual adviser before their executions. In her book, she explored the effects of the death penalty on everyone involved. The book was adapted as an award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.
Prejean founded the group SURVIVE to help families of victims of murder and related crimes. She served as the National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995. She helped establish The Moratorium Campaign, seeking an end to executions and conducting education on the death penalty.
For more about Sister Prejean's work visit sisterhelen.org
Freedom! Jesus Christ working in us and through us is freedom. It is freedom from self-centeredness, fear, hate, and isolation. Freedom looks good on you!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about freedom and what it looks like in our lives as followers of Jesus. They share what the balance of personal freedoms and the freedom of Jesus looks like in their own lives. What about yours?
Before listening, read For Faith.
When we make God our first love, God directs that love to the horizontal dimension. To people. Any vertical expression of love for God can be judged by the quality of our horizontal expression of love. That is why Dorothy Day said, “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” Because of Jesus’ vertical relationship to God, his horizontal relationship with humanity bears this out. This is not an enshrining of condescension but an enfleshing of Jesus’ comprehension of the human condition. Jesus’, high up-ness is only matched by his go low ness… down into our lives and our lostness. Down into our arrogance and ignorance. Covid with all of its harm and hurt has also helped us. Helped us to see that there are people in our midst who need what Jesus has shared with us. “If you love me, feed my sheep,” Jesus said. His request couldn’t be any clearer. We grow churches in the horizontal and vertical dimensions because Jesus told us to. Because there are hungry people all around us. Even us. People with their backs against the wall.
An excerpt from Bishop Wright's Sermon at The Diocese of Atlanta's 115th Annual Council
How do you worship God in your undoing? What a question to consider in our lives. Opening ourselves up to God and God's purposes is on this path.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss this big question, what happens when we don't pay attention to God in our undoing, and the personal side.
Before listening, read For Faith.
No one questions the challenges of the last 18+ months. Much has changed. And in change, there is also new goodness of God and new Good News to Share.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Bishop Victor Atta-Baffoe, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast. The Diocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Cape Coast are companion dioceses, meaning they share in ministry together through partnership both on a diocesan level and in the local congregation. In their conversation, they discuss the challenges of COVID, where they have seen the newness of God at work, and that despite a global pandemic the good work of following Jesus continues. Together.
Bishop Victor Atta-Baffoe is an Anglican Bishop and scholar of Ghana. Bishop Victor is the current Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast. The Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast ad the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta are companion dioceses.
Job is a hard-to-read book in the Bible. In it, we see a faithful person that has much taken away. Job's health, family, and wealth to name a few. But through the story, we learn that Job never loses faith and has it all restored.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on the faith of Job. They discuss God-given wisdom and how if we remain honest with ourselves we may know the wonder of God while not claiming to know it all.
Before listening, read For Faith.
We lament. We grumble. For the loss of life, livelihood, and normalcy. COVID has been tough. Real tough. Still, where would we be without Jesus? In this disease, and in this dis-ease, God will bring ease and well-being.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop discuss how authentic partnership with God has and will continue to guide us through these difficult times.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Moses's mother didn't give him up willingly but because she was forced to as an oppressed person under a brutal regime. Moses was entrusted to the basket. Entrusted to the water.
Many correlate adoption with abandonment what what of the entrustment in God? With Moses, God was the basket, the river, the mother, and the new home.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss what it means to be entrusted and Bishop Wright shares his personal story of adoption and how his story leads him to a feeling of entrustment; not abandonment. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Some pray to be placed on higher ground while others pray to be spared from a descent. Both have their place. But what about the level ground in our life with God? This place is one of understanding we are loved by God and accepting of who we are in that love.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss this level ground in our lives as people of faith and how Jesus walks with everyone no matter what ground they stand on. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Esther is a great story in the bible. In the story, it is clear God wants to see human agency taken up because God has decided to want us. God wants people to join God in God's work!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss these questions, taking up agency, and growing in our capacity to serve God. What purpose of God can we take up instead of asking God to take up our will? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What do fidelity and faithfulness mean to you? And how does your faithfulness to God intersect with not giving up on neighbor?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II on the movements of faithfulness and neighborliness in our lives as people of faith. They speak to Howard Thurman, his teachings, and Dr. Ellison even gives his own definition of a mystic. Want to hear it? Listen in for the full conversation.
An Atlanta native, Dr. Ellison is associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory, and holds M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees in pastoral theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. Ellison is author of Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice and Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men and founder of GE II & Associates and Fearless Dialogues.
Why do we struggle as people of faith to talk of human sexuality? Something that is good and is a gift from God! Grab your popcorn and check out the Song of Solomon. This biblical song takes the idea of love and enfleshes it in two young playful lovers.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss why they believe this is such a difficult subject and some steps to take to reclaim this space with your spouses. Listen in for the full conversation.
Real harm can come from the tongue. Jesus' half-brother James' argues that the tongue cannot be tamed, and it can even set things ablaze. So, how do we as people of faith deal with one another for the benefit of all of us? Because the truth of the matter is we all have a whole lot of work to do.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss their own struggles of practicing wholeness in our lives and work with all people. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
God wants us to be wealthy! Not wealthy in material things but the wealth we life riches we receive when we live close to God. In Proverbs is says " A good name is better than great riches, God's favor is better than silver and gold". But how do we get a good name?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it means to have a good name and how letting God to the driving will get you there. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read Bishop Wright's For Faith.
In this special guest episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice on their journeys to belonging and self-love. Both bi-racial, both black in America, and both abandoned by their mothers, they share their stories of trauma, forgiveness, healing, and love. What a beautiful thing when brokenness becomes ministry. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice is a mother, a wife, an ordained minister, inspirational speaker, life coach and attorney. She serves as the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of Habitat for Humanity. In addition, Natosha also serves as the Minister of Public life at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
Natosha is passionate about providing a voice to the voiceless and opportunities to communities that have been historically disadvantaged. She is a frequent speaker and facilitator for community/civic organizations, churches, colleges and corporate events on topics such as the intersection of faith and justice, race and gender justice, leadership development, and community empowerment. She has been actively involved in efforts to pass legislation and policy to protect victims of human sex trafficking in Georgia and provide for a fair workplace for women.
Natosha received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. in Government with honors from Harvard/Radcliffe College where she was a Harvard/Radcliffe Class Marshall and awarded the Captain Jonathan Fay Prize (Radcliffe’s Highest Honor) and the E.P. Saltonstall Prize. Natosha lives in Atlanta with her husband Corey Rice and their children, Kayla, Malachi and Caleb.
It can be hard to tell someone how we are feeling. Naturally, most respond "fine" when asked. This just doesn't cut it on most days.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the rawness and emotional honestness of the Psalms and that a real prayer life ought to be the most honest place in your life. So, how are you doing today? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What fills you up on God? St. Paul reminds us to not be foolish in looking for answers or healing in the wrong places, but to be filled up on God and to do this by singing! To make melodies to the Lord in our hearts.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the music that fills them and how a composer might even speak to a person's heart more than the best preacher. What is your favorite song to God? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Peter was an eyewitness to the majesty of God, and it changed him. Another word for majesty is major-ness.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation of God's majorn-ness; its display in nature, peace beyond understanding, and how a big God makes big Faith. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Redemption is an important theme in the Bible and in the world. It teaches us that people can come out of tough situations and that Good News can prevail. It can make brokenness new.
In this episode, Bishop Wright continues a conversation with special guest Lawrence Bell, who served 30 years and 1 day in prison. In it, they discuss how Lawrence found and kept his faith in prison, his supporters that stood alongside him as they fought for his release, and what his life looks like now as a redeemed man of faith standing for truth and justice in a world in desperate need. Listen in for the full conversation.
Arrested at 14 years old and sentenced to life plus 50 years with a 55-year parole disqualifier, Lawrence Bell won his release in June 2020, after having served 30 years in prison. He graduated, Summa Cum Laude, Rutger’s Newark with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Studies in December 2020. He works as an Honorarium for Swarthmore College and the Lang Center for Human Values, lecturing on African religions in the Antebellum South as well as the History of American Penological System. In addition, he is a frequent contributor and guest lecturer for Critical Conversations – a Princeton University run social awareness forum. Lawrence is an active member of the Transformative Justice Initiative, based out of Camden, New Jersey, and a member of The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice’s RACE Counsel for Change. He is committed to criminal justice reform, particularly as it relates to Adult Charged Juvenile Offenders and community empowerment.
Redemption is an important theme in the Bible and in the world. It teaches us that people can come out of tough situations and that Good News can prevail. It can make brokenness new.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Lawrence Bell, who served 30 years and 1 day in prison. He began his sentence at the age of 14. They discuss Lawrence's life from his young years until his arrest. His is a story of neglect, darkness, and pain. What we know is that Jesus is there and is always a road from darkness into light; where brokenness is made new. Listen in for the full conversation.
Arrested at 14 years old and sentenced to life plus 50 years with a 55-year parole disqualifier, Lawrence Bell won his release in June 2020, after having served 30 years in prison. He graduated, Summa Cum Laude, Rutger’s Newark with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Studies in December 2020. He works as an Honorarium for Swarthmore College and the Lang Center for Human Values, lecturing on African religions in the Antebellum South as well as the History of American Penological System. In addition, he is a frequent contributor and guest lecturer for Critical Conversations – a Princeton University run social awareness forum. Lawrence is an active member of the Transformative Justice Initiative, based out of Camden, New Jersey, and a member of The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice’s RACE Counsel for Change. He is committed to criminal justice reform, particularly as it relates to Adult Charged Juvenile Offenders and community empowerment.
There is no argument that the work of justice is hard, important, and meaningful. But how do lawyers and judges improve laws, and justice?
In this episode, Bishop Wright talks with newly installed Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice David E. Nahmias. Chief Justice Nahmias shares his faith story, the connections between his legal service and faith, and his personal call to serve young people by doing what is necessary to ensure their future.
On the importance of how we treat children in our juvenile justice system, Chief Justice Nahmias says, “we live in a world with enormous division, but the world can agree that we must take care of the lives of our children.” Listen in for the full conversation.
Chief Justice Nahmias has served on the Georgia Supreme Court since August 2009. He was installed as Chief Justice of the Court on July 1. Before becoming a justice, he was a federal prosecutor for almost 15 years, including as a line prosecutor and as the United States Attorney in Atlanta, where he prosecuted and supervised many high-profile cases. Nahmias was also a senior Justice Department official in Washington, where he oversaw terrorism cases for three years after the 9/11 attacks. Chief Justice Nahmias is a graduate of Briarcliff High School in DeKalb County, where he was the state’s STAR Student in 1982; Duke University, where he finished second in his class; and Harvard Law School, where he served on the Law Review with former President Barack Obama. He was a law clerk for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Justice Nahmias has received numerous local, state, and national awards and honors for his public service, and he serves on several committees and boards that work to improve the legal system and the community. His late wife Catherine and he have two sons.
There is a lot of power in consenting to God. It is about authority and using our agency to make the choice to follow God do God's work in our lives.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss what it means to give consent to God, the maturity it takes in this choice, and what it can mean in our lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
This week's For People is based on a prayer by Howard Thurman.
“The concern which I lay bare before You today is:
Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me—I would seek the root or cause of such disaffection, and with the illumination of Your mind, O God, to understand it. I give myself to Your scrutiny that, whatever there may be in me that is responsible for what has happened, I will acknowledge. Where I have wronged or given offense deliberately or without intention, I seek a face-to-face forgiveness. What I can undo I am willing to try; what I cannot undo, with that I seek to make my peace. How to do these things, what techniques to use, with what spirit—for these I need and seek Your wisdom and strength, O God. Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me, I lay bare before You.”
Prayers for Today by Howard Thurman
This week's For People is based on the below excerpt from Bishop Wright's sermon for the Preaching Excellence Program.
Many preachers are scared of John the Baptist so they dither about with what he ate or what he wore rather than what he did. What he did was to co-create moments with God so hearts could change. What he did was refuse to placate people or reduce to pablum the notion of true repentance. What he did was model the freedom that comes uniquely by the Spirit. John scared the clergy then and he scares the clergy now. It is easier to mock him as a zealot than be transformed by his zeal. John was Jesus’ big cousin. Their mothers had been pregnant together. Their mothers bumped bellies in a doorway long ago and sang songs to each other of God’s fidelity. John and Jesus had been in dialogue since before birth. It was John who was Jesus’ revival preacher. John preached with power, but he also lived that power. Even Herod was afraid of his power. John had moral clarity and because of that he had moral authority and that produces courage of conviction.
Jesus But Not Jesus Clubs are groups of people that have used Jesus' name with little allegiance to his Name. This might look like churches or Christian associations that bear little resemblance to the founder of the movement but on the outside look very much like that of Jesus.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss this notion of JBNJC's, how we mature as Christians in identifying the gap of what we say and how we live, and why the Church is more than a building. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Have you enjoyed God in these past 15 months of exhaustion, livelihood, and knocking out the daily to-do? It can feel never-ending! When you think about it, when is the last time you slowed down to simply enjoy God?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the ways they enjoy God including nature, music, and the learnings of the pandemic of isolation that if we think about it have shown us new ways to enjoy God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The bible names the Holy Spirit as many things: life-giver, helper, fire, teacher, wisdom, counsel, might, knowledge, power, freedom, truth, hope, belonging, fellowship increaser, healer, reconciler, forever friend, renewer, proclaimer, boldness maker, anointer, love refiner, maker of faithfulness, the resuscitator of dead things just to name a few.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, and what the Holy Spirit is to them in their lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Blessed! A word we hear often both in the church and in the world. But what does blessed mean? It isn't a magical state. It is about walking a particular path and it guides us clear from some things and towards some things.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the psalms and what blessed means and what it doesn't mean. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What does faith look like for a person working in politics? And what about tough issues that divide people?
In this episode, Bishop Wright and Ga State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver discuss these very questions and other relevant topics. It is a tall order in doing the tough work of reaching across the aisle to those we disagree with while remaining faithful to the higher call in serving the one we call Jesus. Listen in for the full conversation.
Mary Margaret Oliver is a parishioner at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Atlanta. She is a lifelong resident of District 82 in DeKalb County and has served in the Georgia General Assembly in both the House of Representatives (1987-1992) and 2002 - present, and the Senate (1993 -1998). Her past legislative accomplishments have included authoring and passing significant legislation for the protection of children and consumers, including Georgia's anti-stalking law, along with legislation to protect neighborhood activists from intimidation. Prior to her elections, she practiced law, was an administrative law judge and an Associate Magistrate Judge.
Breaking news: Jesus speaks life from the garden. That would be the headline if the Gospel read like the New York Times or the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sometimes Rabbi, sometimes wonder-worker, Jesus of Nazareth convenes a small gathering of day laborers and poor people to share God’s plan for the human family.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about fruitfulness, Jesus as the source of life, and what it means to read the bible slow and how people read the bible wrong. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Easter isn't over. And though we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection in our own lives, Easter isn't the absence of the valleys. By definition, valleys are "depressed areas of land-scoured and washed out by the conspiring forces of gravity, water, and ice."
America feels like a valley. As Black, Brown, and poor people continue to be killed by the police, the valley of America is too deep and too high to even count.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the valley of America. They discuss the pain and suffering and where there is hope and love. This episode was recorded just a day before the guilty verdict of police officer Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd and just 10 days after the murder of Daunte Wright at the hands of another police officer. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, an Episcopalian in the diocese and member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens, GA. They discuss being a person of faith as a public servant, how Georgia has responded to the pandemic of COVID-19, and the new voting legislation passed in Georgia just recently and the impact it will have on elections to come.
Brian Kemp is a husband, father, businessman, and public servant. On November 6, 2018, he was elected as 83rd Governor of Georgia.
What is the opposite of love?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry, Primate of the Episcopal Church, about the opposite of love, where the church has thrived and been challenged in the pandemics and what has been hard on Presiding Bishop Curry and steps to take to nourish body, mind, and spirit. Presiding Bishop said it best when he says to "go for a walk"! This is part 2 of a 2-part special release. Listen in for the full conversation.
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. He is the Chief Pastor and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, and as Chair of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.
Presiding Bishop Curry was installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church on November 1, 2015. He was elected to a nine-year term and confirmed at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, UT, on June 27, 2015.
What's Easter and how does it work in the real world?
In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry, Primate of the Episcopal Church, about the Triduum. From the suffering of Good Friday, to the silence of Holy Saturday, to Resurrection Sunday, what does it all mean as followers of Jesus and people of a world more divided than ever before? As said best by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, "even at the worst, God is still God".
This is part 1 of a 2-part special release. Part-2 will premiere on April 16th.
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. He is the Chief Pastor and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, and as Chair of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.
Presiding Bishop Curry was installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church on November 1, 2015. He was elected to a nine-year term and confirmed at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, UT, on June 27, 2015.
You have to have a Good Friday, and the silence of Holy Saturday, before you can have an Easter Sunday. We are Easter people - resurrection people, that must also remember the suffering of Good Friday. The darkness. On that day and in how we choose to live our lives today, Jesus' love makes a lonely walk in front of us. A love as people shamed him, spat on him, and lynched him.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about why Jesus' crucifixion is relevant today, why it is easy to forget about the cross, and what Good Friday tells us to do as people of faith. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Welcome to a breaking news special edition of For People with Bishop Rob Wright.
In this episode, Bishop Wright talks with Georgia State Senator Kim Jackson, who is an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Atlanta. Their conversation focuses on recently passed state legislation that made big changes to Georgia’s voting laws. Changes that drew applause from some and anger from others.
Given the age of information overload and fake news we live in, they search for what is really at the heart of these new laws. Their discussion includes a controversial provision prohibiting water and food being handed out to voters - something people of faith struggle with given the biblical significance of giving people water in Jesus’ name being a Godly act.
Bishop Wright and Senator Jackson also discuss other aspects of Georgia’s new election law and how they impact access to voting in this special edition of For People. Listen in for the full conversation.
Links to learn more shared by Senator Kim Jackson during the episode.
- Fair Fight - Democracy works best when we put in place the guardrails that ensure every American has an equal opportunity to make their voice heard and be fairly represented.
- Read the new election law discussed in the podcast.
If happiness is lavender, then joy has to be purple. Why purple? Because you make purple out of red and blue. Love and sorrow. Joy lives at that intersection of heartbreak and ecstasy. Joy doesn’t live alone, she has four roommates, faith, hope, wonder and gratitude. They need one another. Each leads to the other. Scripture tells us joy is: a gift, an incentive, a companion, a response, and a reward. So joy is in us, for us, with us and will come through us. As we make our way to joy, joy is making its way toward us.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about joy, her roommates, and where she can be found in life. This is question 5 of a 5 part series.
5 Lenten Questions is a video series produced by the Diocese of Atlanta. The series is the writings of Bishop Wright and is produced by team members of his staff. The series also includes a Reflection Guide for each question.
Discover more about 5 Lenten Questions at episcopalatlanta.org/lent-2021
How we stand for truth has everything to do with the truth we stand for. For us, the most true thing in the universe is God! With the most true thing about God being that "God is love." We know that it’s impossible to actually love God without loving neighbor. These two ideas are inseparable and irrefutable. Our living out of these two truths is not contingent on the behavior of others. The love Jesus modeled is inconvenient and as we attempt to live it out we’ll often feel maladjusted for the world we live in. That was true for Jesus and it's true for us. We understand that living God’s truths can leave us feeling lonely sometimes but we’re not alone. There’s a cloud of people who have stood for truth when it was their turn all around us. We are co-laborers in the victory of good over evil, of truth over falsehood and love over hatred. So, "...having done everything to stand, keep standing."
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about ways in which we stand for truth including the bravery, fears, and cost. This is question 4 of a 5-part series.
5 Lenten Questions is a video series produced by the Diocese of Atlanta. The series is the writings of Bishop Wright and is produced by team members of his staff. The series also includes a Reflection Guide for each question.
Discover more about 5 Lenten Questions at episcopalatlanta.org/lent-2021
Putting Jesus at the center of your life is learning how to love as God loves, which involves a willingness to sacrifice our preferred ways and outcomes in favor of Jesus’ way and his preferred outcomes. Spiritually, we haven’t grown up until we want God’s way more than we want our way! Life and relationships are so hard often because the love we have been taught and practice is fearful, thin, and fragile. No wonder it disintegrates when faced with resistance or enemies.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on the love of God and the hate seen in the world for neighbor and steps to take to love more and hate less. This is question 3 of a 5-part series.
5 Lenten Questions is a video series produced by the Diocese of Atlanta. The series is the writings of Bishop Wright and is produced by team members of his staff. The series also includes a Reflection Guide for each question.
Discover more about 5 Lenten Questions at episcopalatlanta.org/lent-2021
What to do when God is silent, goes the question. But maybe what is really being said here is, ‘God is not speaking to me in a fashion that is convenient or dramatic enough to address my anxieties and hardships.’ Being the anxious creatures that we are, we might be conflating the idea of God’s silence with God’s abandonment or God’s non-existence. But, as we get to know God we learn that silence is really a language for God. A means of communication. And if that is true, then, a mature relationship with God invites us to learn a new language!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on the silence of God and what that means to us as people of faith in different seasons of life. This is question 2 of a 5-part series.
5 Lenten Questions is a video series produced by the Diocese of Atlanta. The series is the writings of Bishop Wright and is produced by team members of his staff. The series also includes a Reflection Guide for each question.
Discover more about 5 Lenten Questions at episcopalatlanta.org/lent-2021
Self-examination means we pause and check-in with our soul. And we ask our soul two questions: What are my patterns? And, do they increase well-being? Ultimately the practice of self-examination is a gift because it moves us from blindness to gaining new sight.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a full conversation on self-examination, practicing it in our lives, and its importance during the journey of Lent in growing closer to God. This is question 1 of a 5-part series.
5 Lenten Questions is a video series produced by the Diocese of Atlanta. The series is the writings of Bishop Wright and is produced by team members of his staff. The series also includes a Reflection Guide for each question.
Discover more about 5 Lenten Questions at episcopalatlanta.org/lent-2021
It is hard to believe that Lent was just underway at the beginning of the pandemic this time a year ago. And we said "this is the lentiest lent we have ever lented". And a year later, meet lenty lent 2.0.
So, here is a Lenten question. How has God drawn near to you? The church dedicates this season to examining our relationship with God and working on how we draw near to God. God is God. God is not the box we try to fix God into. God chooses who God is!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about drawing close to God and how God is near to us, especially in this season of Lent. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Are we convinced that love is the way? And if so, what is love's cost to me right now? These questions are at the heart of this week's devotional based on St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. And what St. Paul really writes is that love is of spiritual grown-ups. Those that have put away their childish ways and put love first.
Spiritual grown-up love has a suffering component, and it isn't a two-way street. This love is not contingent on what you believe or what you want to do in response to me loving you. It is unconditional! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
A simple question: Have you met God more than once? In thinking about our lives, people might notice they have met God in multiples locations, settings of life, and when it was least expected. These rendezvous with God happen in our failing strength, fraying faith, and God's understanding and power. This is where God breathes and turns weariness into everlasting-ness.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright discuss the crossroads of life, where we see the pain in our world, and meeting God in the midst of it. In a year that has challenged us more than ever, how can we be a small blessing in this season of large events? Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Some people hear the words "demonic activity' and they call BS. But Jesus himself walk through darkness. He met darkness - the darkness of our hearts!
Bishop Wright wrote this latest For Faith in the wake of the insurrection at the US Capitol. During the day, there were people wielding Christian flags and signs with Christian scripture. How do we get from the Jesus of Nazareth of the Gospels to the Jesus of Nazareth supporting a public lynching of Mike Pence? In this very moment, we might very well see demonic spirits at work in our society. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
“Hello Darling
Today I find myself a long way from you and the children. I am at the State Prison in Reidsville which is about 230 miles from Atlanta. They picked me up from the DeKalb jail about 4 ’0 clock this morning. I know this whole experience is very difficult for you to adjust to, especially in your condition of pregnancy, but as I said to you yesterday this is the cross that we must bear for the freedom of our people. So I urge you to be strong in faith, and this will in turn strengthen me. I can assure you that it is extremely difficult for me to think of being away from you and my Yoki and Marty for four months, but I am asking God hourly to give me the power of endurance. I have the faith to believe that this excessive suffering that is now coming to our family will in some little way serve to make Atlanta a better city, Georgia a better state, and America a better country. Just how I do not yet know, but I have faith to believe it will. If I am correct then our suffering is not in vain.”
An excerpt from a letter from Dr. King to Coretta King
October 26, 1960
Dr. King is a person. A person with gifts and talents that offers them. He is a husband and a dad. Dr. King is most useful when we think of him in this way. When you read this letter to his darling Coretta, can't you feel in the words the husband, father, and person?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright speak to this letter, and why Dr. King said yes to what had to be done for his children and for all black and brown children to experience a better America than he experienced. Happy birthday, Dr, King.
2020 was tough, and guess what? We aren't out of the woods yet!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the journey ahead and the journey of the wise men as they followed a star looking for Jesus. What can we learn from these wise men? What is your star in this new year? What is your journey?
In the Epiphany of Jesus, there were and still are questions. What is/are your questions for this year ahead? The wise man took a long journey following a star and it wasn't until the last leg that gave them their heart's desire. We can't stop short of our Epiphany! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Mary has a thing or 2 to say about God in her song/poem/rap the Magnificat. In it, Mary talks of a God that topples over conceit and pride. A God that elevates the meek. A God that says the hungry will feast and those that normally feast will learn what it means to be hungry. To some then and now these are dangerous words!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation with Bishop Andy Doyle about Mary's words and share their own thoughts on the darkness that surrounds us this year and all years as we approach Christmas. The candles of Advent wreaths around signify much more than a lit candle. They represent a light in the darkness of each of us in our own context and in ways that connect us as a human family. What does this season look like for you with your family? Are you gathering as always or will it look different?
Bishop Andy Doyle, ninth Bishop of Texas, describes his six-word autobiography as: “Met Jesus on pilgrimage, still walking.” Bishop Doyle received his M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary after receiving a fine arts degree from the University of North Texas. Previous to his election in 2008, Bishop Doyle served for five years as Canon to the Ordinary. He also served churches in Temple and College Station, as well as being elected deputy to several General Conventions.
Bishop Doyle’s focus for ministry is service, evangelism and reconciliation, planting 15 new churches and more than 50 new “missional communities” in the next five years. An avid reader and fly fisherman, Bishop Doyle has written several books, often mixing references from pop culture's music and movies with the latest in secular leadership trends in order to reach the broadest spectrum of readers and challenge Episcopalians to move into their communities with the Gospel in word and action. His writings include: Unabashedly Episcopalian: The Good News of the Episcopal Church, 2012; Orgullosamente Episcopal, 2015; Church: A Generous Community Amplified for the Future, 2015; A Generous Community: Being Church In A New Missionary Age, 2015; Small Batch: Local, Organic, and Sustainable Church, 2016; The Jesus Heist, 2017.
Before listening, read Bishop Rob Wright's For Faith.
We live in a society that gives a gold star for the right answer, but what about good questions? John the Baptist and Jesus were both master question askers. And when we wrestle with tough questions, we gain clarity in living out our lives as followers of Jesus. Can you imagine the questions God asked of John the Baptist that gave him the clarity to go ask questions like "would you be baptized?" and "do you repent?".
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk about the hard questions that we wrestle with in order to increase our capacity to love and serve God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, readd For Faith.
No one wants to be labeled a fool or foolish. Who likes the feeling of being duped? But what about being a fool for Jesus? What this means is we can really only know real life if we are willing to give our lives to God. And that you can only possess if you share. Foolish, right!?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on foolishness through the lens of John the Baptist. John was considered a radical and a fool, but understood that God was to come before all else! Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Why do many people want to talk about spirituality but not God? In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation on this question and others generated from an excerpt, see below, of Rob Bell's book Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell.
“The form, the teaching, the truth moves you beyond the form. Like there’s an arc, or a movement, or a trajectory in the words. If you take them seriously, they take you somewhere. The forms aren’t the goal, the goal is an experience of Spirit. I began to see that you can have every form imaginable but without Spirit, without that animating, propulsive energy doing something in it, it’s just a form. Just a prayer, just a set of beliefs, just a religion, just words. We’re surrounded by forms, forms are what make the world. The invitation is to allow Spirit to transform all these forms, so that they become everything they can be, guiding us into a fuller experience of the depths of life. Aren’t we all mystics?”
Bishop Wright released these steps to take action in healing our nation on 11.9.20. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright unpack these steps.
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Pray for the nation; pray for President Trump and for President-elect Biden.
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Be kind in speech and actions especially with those with whom you disagree.
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Grant Jesus’ request to “ pray for enemies and bless those that curse you.”
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Use your social media platforms only for positive, non- aggressive, encouraging and constructive purposes.
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Refuse to pass along information as truth that does not bear the marks of good scholarship and fairness.
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Reflect on and relinquish your need to feel and behave as superior to other members of the American family.
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Schedule a conversation with a family member or co-worker who sees the world differently and be curious rather than defensive or combative.
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Accept responsibility for making the country and the world better, kinder, healthier, safer, cleaner and more just.
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Commit for three years to an organization whose purpose is to bring equity to the American family.
What is it about being a follower of Jesus that lends some to study the bible for their own agenda and others to imagine multiple frameworks? If you really think about it, we use our imagination when we read the bible. We transport ourselves in a time machine and enter into an ancient world full of stories written by people with imagination!
"The only way to understand scripture is to exercise imagination. You have to enter into an alternate universe. You have to embrace metaphor, poetry, and symbolical language and recognize the only way we are going to get at God is to use our imagination." - Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams - author of Holy Imagination: A Literary Theological Introduction to the Whole Bible.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright sit down with Dr. Judy Fentress Williams and talk about imagination in the bible and the wonder we encounter when we open ourselves up to imagining the bible in a non-linear fashion. What happens when we don't use our imagination to read the bible and in owe put God into something small that fits our beliefs? God is larger than what we can comprehend and imagine!
The Rev. Judy Fentress-Williams, Ph.D., is Professor of Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary since 2002. Her areas of expertise include Hebrew Bible, dialogic interpretation, religious studies, Afro-American studies, and literary criticism. Dr. Fentress-Williams received her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Yale University in 1999. Her dissertation entitled, “What Has Happened to the Son of Kish? A Dialogic Reading of Saul in I Samuel” reflects her interest in a literary approach that celebrates the multiple voices and inter-textuality of scripture. Judy is married to Kevin Williams, M.D. and they have two children, Samantha and Jacob.
Halloween is here, so what better thing to talk about than zombies. Webster's dictionary refers to a zombie as, "someone who appears to be lifeless and unresponsive to their surroundings." Strangely enough, you don't have to look far to see people claiming their love for Jesus in one breath speak malice towards other loudly in the next. Just look at how the cross shows up in public forums and events where people talk in terms that Jesus clearly condemned! The Christian Zombie Apocalypse is when we make Jesus a white, English speaking, political party member. It is happening before our very eyes!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the damage we have done to one another, understanding when we have a Zombie moment, and choosing the teachings of Jesus in loving neighbor. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Following, proclaiming, and loving like Jesus has always evoked opposition. And especially from fellow followers of Jesus! St. Paul makes it abundantly clear in his letter to the Thessalonians. St. Paul reminds his readers that the very first thing that causes opposition is speaking in a fashion of pleasing God above pleasing people. This takes real-world practice and plenty of courage.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright share about speaking as Christians and putting Jesus before their own worldly views and their own experience where they have met opposition and the importance of gentleness as a response. Listen in for the full conversation.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Before listening, read Bishop Rob Wright's For Faith.
God is incredibly flexible. God is never limited in God's range of motion! And God has given us great motions for us to improve our own range of motion. These motions are compassion, generosity, and kindness. But what happens if we don't use the exercises given to us like prayer? We can lose our own range of motion as Christians.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk about what it takes to keep our range of motions as followers of Jesus and what some of those exercises look like for them in their own lives. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Atheists is an uncomfortable word for followers of Jesus to hear. In goes against the very belief in the one, we call God that we love and loves us without limitation!
But what happens when the church chooses sides in political partnership over the love of God? Christians functionally become atheists. The Church was founded to put trust in God and not in politicians and political systems. And yet, as this country heads towards an election, what side to we stand on? The side of God or the side of a candidate's party and belief system?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright wrestle with the tough conversation of where we are as people of faith in choosing Jesus over everything else knowing that we often fall short of voting Jesus. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Some of us have got some pretty impressive resumes: schools, organizations, companies, and boards. St. Paul had a pretty impressive resume too: right family, right location, right kind of spiritual practice. He clearly commends for the Christian is a second page for our resumes - a page 2.
This page is the list of things we have lost or sacrificed solely because we choose to follow Jesus. On this page is the list of things that we thought were golden but now know are garbage in comparison to a life for God. What is on your page 2?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk about this idea of a page 2, including their own, and what we might give up to live a life for and closer to God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
If most Christians are honest, we fail to put God in the center of our lives. In many cases, people choose to themselves at the center of narratives. The old joke that God made us in God's image and we turned around and made God in our image stands true!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk about centering God and when we do that we are the most human we will ever be. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
What is the image of God we see in our minds and how do we encounter God in this new world we are living in? If we are honest, we might find that we often fit God into a box that works with the way we view the world.
"What if people were invited to come tell what they already know of God instead of to learn what they are supposed to believe? What if they were blessed for what they are doing in the world instead of chastened for not doing more at church? What if church felt more like a way station than a destination? What if the church’s job were to move people out the door instead of trying to keep them in, by convincing them that God needed them more in the world than in the church?” - Barbara Brown Taylor
In part 2 of this 2-part discussion, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk with Barbara Brown Taylor about the Church can learn during the pandemics we face and what a new church might look like. They share their dreams for church and discuss God in the darkness we often experience in life.
Before listening, read Bishop Rob Wright's For Faith.
Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church, won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association in 2006. Her next two books, An Altar in the World (2010) and Learning to Walk in the Dark (2015), earned places on the New York Times bestseller list. She has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People; in 2015 she was named Georgia Woman of the Year; in 2016 she received the President’s Medal at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Her fourteenth book, Holy Envy, was released by HarperOne in March 2019.
What is the image of God we see in our minds and how do we encounter God in this new world we are living in? If we are honest, we might find that we often fit God into a box that works with the way we view the world.
"The problem is many of the people in need of saving are in churches and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do." - Barbara Brown Taylor
In part 1 of this 2-part discussion, Melissa and Bishop Wright talk with Barbara Brown Taylor about the changing ways we encounter and see God in the world. Part 2 will be available next week. Listen in for the full conversation.
Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church, won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association in 2006. Her next two books, An Altar in the World (2010) and Learning to Walk in the Dark (2015), earned places on the New York Times bestseller list. She has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People; in 2015 she was named Georgia Woman of the Year; in 2016 she received the President’s Medal at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Her fourteenth book, Holy Envy, was released by HarperOne in March 2019.
Sometimes as people of faith, we talk more about our own lives than God. Why is that? Our humanity wants to put us and our experiences first. What would it be like if the 3 points made by every pastor when preaching was of who God is and what God wants us to do? God can do anything we if choose to say yes!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what we can learn when we think of God first. We love the notion of God being with us, but the other part that we often fail to live into is that God can't be controlled, isn't domesticated, and is in favor of the poor, oppressed, the immigrant, and the imprisoned. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
The story of Moses, the great deliverer, really begins with his delivery from faithful women. As the Pharaoh set forth a plan to murder firstborn male children, it was Moses' mother, Jochebed, and his sister Miriam that masterminded a plan to float Moses in a basket to the house of the Pharaoh and his daughter. God's great intervention began with the defiant, genius, faith of a few women.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation of the faithful women of this bible story and the sin of treating women less than. In a patriarchal western society, let's remember the power, strength, and fierceness of women of the past and today. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his siblings! His own blood! And he finds it in himself to forgive, heal, and love the ones that hurt him the most.
Throughout history, there are people that and do remember that we belong to one another - that we are siblings to and in the world. Do you live today like every person you meet is your sibling? If we are honest with ourselves and God, we don't!
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about being siblings in the world and the common threads that connect us all as children of God. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Peter's fear sank him that long-ago morning. When he took his eyes and heart off of Jesus, it started. Fear can make faith sink. It can swallow you up. More and more we might all be feeling like that battered boat doing our best to keep the faith and make it through the night.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the fear people are experiencing these days and how it impacts our walk with Jesus. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Charity is great, but it is a patch. Charity is what we are doing now while we are working for a more just society where everyone has enough. The overarching goal is for all of us to be filled. A society where the un-mattered matter as much as the powerful and mighty. What did Jesus teach about this? And what is the church's role?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about these questions and take a deeper look into the church's role as justice maker to the un-mattered. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Leadership is a set of behaviors available to anyone at any time to choose and use. Of course, this means there are no leaders but people that exert leadership behaviors. The leadership of Jesus is laid out perfectly for us in the Gospels. Leadership is not a crown but the cross.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the leadership of Jesus and how The Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John R. Lewis embodied these leadership behaviors in their lives. They share the stories in our country and culture of firstness and that Jesus tells us we are enough. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Visit the diocesan page dedicated to The Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John R. Lewis.
Monuments and symbols are currently a point of discussion. A person may bring up why or why they shouldn't be removed and it quickly gets branded political. Many believe them a part of heritage. As Sheffield says in this episode, "heritage is history with all the bad parts left out". We stand at an inflection point where society is waking up and wanting to right its wrongs in many ways. But does that mean we simply take them all down?
In this episode, Melissa leads a conversation with Bishop Wright and Sheffield Hale on the history of monuments, understanding the context of the time they were put up, and what are the next steps forward we can take to be supportive as mature Christians.
Sheffield Hale is President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center. Prior to joining the Atlanta History Center in 2012 he served as Chief Counsel of the American Cancer Society, Inc. and was a Partner practicing corporate law in the firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.
Mr. Hale serves as a Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fox Theatre, Inc., Buckhead Coalition, Midtown Alliance, and Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is a Past Chair of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the Atlanta History Center, St. Jude’s Recovery Center, Inc., and the State of Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission.
Where do we find health if the soul of the nation is unwell? It only makes it more challenging in the midst of 2 pandemics. One being COVID-19 and the other racism.
In this episode of For People, Melissa leads a conversation with Bishop Wright and special guest Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine and host of Soul of the Nation, exploring the narratives of 2 pandemics, COVID-19 and racism, and how fear and rage lead to hate and violence. They discuss the current state of the country and how we can use guilt, shame, and despair to turn towards a new middle – a middle where non-partisanship, conviction, and faithfulness can lead to people of faith to take up the work of difference-maker in the world lived in today. Listen in to the full conversation.
Jim Wallis is a globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate who believes the gospel of Jesus must be transformed from its cultural and political captivities. He is a New York Times bestselling author, widely recognized public theologian, renowned speaker, and regular international commentator on ethics and public life. He is the Founder, President, and Editor-In-Chief of Sojourners, and is the author of 12 books, with his latest being Christ In Crisis. He served on President Obama's White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and has taught faith and public life courses at Harvard and Georgetown University. “Coach Jim” also served for 22 seasons as a Little League coach for his two baseball playing sons.
For more about Christ in Crisis: https://book.sojo.net/
Are those that have too much willing to sacrifice for those that don't have enough? In a country focused on individualism, how do we come together to support those in need? We see churches on so many corners, yet they struggle in many contexts to work together because of fear of giving up primacy. What can we give up to be better followers of Jesus? What can we sacrifice?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about sacrifice, what we let go of to follow Jesus, and even a look into some of what Bishop Wright has sacrificed in his life. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
All lives mattered is well-intentioned, but aspirational. Native, female, brown, black, immigrant, incarcerated, and gay lives at present do not equally matter according to our systems. And when we think of Jesus, didn't he all over Galilee matter people? Do his words and example continue to save us from the status quo? Love like Jesus is something we say, but do we mean it?
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about patriotism, why people are offended by Black Lives Matter, the deferred maintenance of the church in this work, and what allyship means moving forward. For responses to these questions and more, listen in.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Hi listeners,
You'll notice some changes to For People in this episode. Matt has accepted a call to serve as the Director of Youth Ministry and Programming for the Diocese of Southwest Florida. We are thankful for Matt and everything he did to get us off the ground.
This is Melissa Rau's first episode, the new host of For People. Melissa is from the Diocese of Pennsylvania and currently works with ECF as the Director for Partnership and New Initiatives.
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright sit down with Bishop Brian Prior, the 9th Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Minnesota, to talk about the recent events in Minneapolis, Jesus, and his politics. Jesus was often political yet he is non-partisan. Jesus stands with those marginalized. Jesus chooses love - always love.
What we see going on in the US right now points to change needed in the current systems. It points to the privilege of some, racism of others, and the inequity of people of color. It shows that now more than ever the church must remember she has a voice, and she must use that voice to proclaim the love of Jesus in a political way that he rejoices in. Listen in to hear more.
Before listening, read For Faith.
As people of faith, we often talk of the way we treat neighbor. In fact, the Episcopal tradition confesses before God and one another in Sunday morning worship that "we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves". Why is neighborliness a challenge? What gets in the way?
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright take a look deeper look into what Jesus says about loving neighbor and the hard truth of division we feel today that is only complicated by politics, media, and the same narratives that have hurt our country this her birth. To hear the full conversation, listen in.
Before listening, read For Faith.
How do we ask better questions of ourselves? In a polarizing world, what does that really mean? Jesus asks the best questions that require us to dig deep into our faith and think of how we can live into our call to serve Christ and neighbor.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright take a look deeper look into themselves and an invitation for people to think about what tough questions they need to ask of themselves. This isn't a 1 size fits all model for the questions we need to be asking ourselves. It takes intentionality of ourselves. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Algebra is not a word we often associate with God. For some of us, it is a word that only brings back the pain of high school. Algebra actually means the reunion and balancing of broken parts. In this pandemic, knowing God is there if we linger long enough, we can find hope. On those zero days of algebra, we can find God's new algebra.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright take a look deeper look into the brokenness we experience on our zero-days, and how we can remember the hope of God on those days. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
It sure sounds nice thinking of Jesus as our North Star, but how do we do it? St. Peter has some ideas. St. Peter's checklist includes being eager to do what is right though it might cause you trouble. Set him apart. Make him your North Star. In the face of a pandemic, trusting in God for guidance and doing what we know is right is challenging.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright take a look at what's in the recipe for making Christ your North Star. What does it mean to do good? When we dig deep into our egos, troubles, and obsessions, we find what good we can do when we set those things aside for the one who came for us to celebrate. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
How often do we think about the people that serve us? Yes, family, friends, and faith communities quickly come to mind, but what about the retail worker, the delivery driver, the teacher, the first responder, and even the person that made your clothes? Dr. King once preached of a vision for a world house. This idea is that we are all connected as siblings in the world living in different rooms of the same house.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright dive deeper into what it would like for us to live into the dream of a world house. Why don't more people choose it? It has taken a pandemic for some people to realize that WuHan and Milan, and London and Lawrenceville Georgia are just different rooms in the same house. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
On April 27, 2020, Bishop Wright joined with spiritual leaders from across Georgia at the State Capitol to pray for the state, country, and world. Prayer is necessary for a life of faith. For people of faith, we know it isn't magic but it is the preparation for partnership with God.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the importance of prayer in our lives. They discuss the current state of the pandemic and why gathering faith leaders can lead to hope, courage, and change. Listen in for the full conversation.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Music has the ability to touch down deep in our faith like nothing else. No one ever leaves church humming a sermon, but many leave with the hymns and songs playing in their heads. What is music speaking to you? What is the soundtrack of your faith life?
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the importance of music in our spiritual lives. They speak to varieties of music and particularly to the song Lean on Me by the late Bill Withers and how its message of Beloved Community. For this and more, listen in and be encouraged.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Christ has Risen! Alleluia! Yes, this is true, but now what? Times are uncertain, and in some ways, we might feel that there are more similarities to Easter now and the first Easter over 2,000 years ago. Given current times, what makes faith harder than ever during this season of Easter? A season that marks our standing ground as people of faith.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright have a conversation of his Easter Sermon including illustrations of trust, the simplicity of God, and living as people of the resurrection. Listen in to hear more.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Good Friday for many of us is the start of the 3 most sacred days of the Christian life. But what makes Good Friday good? As Christians, we know that the fear, betrayal, and cruelty Jesus endured marks the beginning of the greatest story ever told. We know that Jesus died so that we can live as people of the resurrection.
In this episode, Matt and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. During these difficult times our world faces, where do we see resurrection in the midst of sadness and death? For responses to these questions and more, listen in and be encouraged.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Faith, fear, trust, and retreat is the intersection where we currently stand. A good life is one that has meaning and is generative. It is one that has to do with making principle stands. In the church, we call that Faith. It is trusting in a God that is For People and is good.
In this episode, Matt has a conversation with Bishop Wright about trusting in God. When we stand at difficult intersections, how do we talk to God? What does that trust look like? Listen to hear responses to tough questions like these that speak to our hearts, and be encouraged.
Before listening, read For Faith.
Welcome to For People with Bishop Rob Wright. This podcast will focus on conversations with Bishop Wright and an in-depth look at his weekly devotional For Faith.
God is For People. We are for people. But what does that really mean? In this episode, Bishop Wright, along with host Matt Bowers, discusses this question and what is going on in our world today with COVID-19 including how we as a church are leaning in and adapting.
Before listening, read For Faith.