I was sitting at my table, doing the lunchtime scroll when I saw the news: Cecilia Gentili was gone. The shout of grief was immediate, loud enough to disturb my wife upstairs, but this loss still seems impossible. She had just turned 52 on January 31st, and her Instagram shows that she had a fabulous…
Room for All mourns the death of the Rev. Dr. Norman Kansfield on January 27, 2024. It was Norm’s courage that ultimately brought Room for All into existence. In fact, our organization’s original name was “friends of Norm.” And indeed, we remain friends of Norm. He was a theological giant, and a man of incredible…
When I hopped on a Zoom call with some of our dedicated Board Members this week, there was a good chuckle that Christmas decorations have already appeared behind me in my office. I can’t help it! My mom will tell you that since I was a kid, the wheels have started turning in my head…
With college students back on campuses and a new school year on the other side of the weekend, September is here! Once we settle back into that familiar rhythm, fall becomes a perfect time to begin gathering and learning more. Room for All is excited to announce a whole host of opportunities to do just…
May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT*). Started in 1990 and adapted to advocate for protection of the larger community over the years, this is a day that calls LGBTQIA+ people and their allies to action. Commit some time today to learning about the issues facing the community where you are,…
When I was assigned to write the response to the John 11:25-26 passage, I didn’t know that the day before Easter we’d be burying my grandmother. Reading the words that Rev. Katherine Lee Baker shared with us yesterday brings forth such a mixture of feelings, both peaceful and painful. “What better news to receive than…
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”‘ John 11:25-26 The beautiful theme of this ridiculously complex and nearly inconceivable passage in John’s gospel is that…
When I was growing up I went to a Christian sleep-away camp that I still hold very fond memories of. Every summer was not complete without my week long stay of bunk beds, camp fires, and endless singing. One of the more popular songs was “Blind Man”. The chorus would repeat “I am the way,…
I love the “I am” statements of Jesus not only because of the metaphors we get for God, but also those we get for ourselves. We are the branches of Jesus. Connected to one another through the ultimate source of love, we offer shade, support, and nourishment. Rooted in a secure foundation, we reach up…
At one of the churches my mother served, when I would visit, I used to wander and look at all the portrayals of Jesus that were displayed in various spaces. When I think of the good shepherd, these images come to mind: Jesus holding (often cuddling) a lamb in a pastoral scene of reunion with…