Posts with the category “devotions”

Delores S. Williams, Womanist TheologianJohn 10:10 | Hebrews 2:10–18 Delores S. Williams (1937–2022) was a groundbreaking womanist theologian whose work reshaped the theological landscape by lifting u...  Read More

Howard Thurman, Mystic and TheologianMatthew 5:14-16 | Psalm 31:9-16 Howard Thurman (1899–1981) was a mystic, theologian, pastor, and mentor to a generation of civil rights leaders—including Martin Lu...  Read More

John, the Beloved and DiscipleJohn 13:23 | Luke 18:31-34 John the Beloved, the disciple whom Jesus loved, offers us a vision of deep intimacy with Christ. Among the Twelve, he is portrayed as the one ...  Read More

Augustine of Hippo, Theologian and BishopIsaiah 53:3-7 | Judges 9:7-15 Augustine of Hippo (354–430) is one of the most influential theologians in the history of Christianity. Born in North Africa to a...  Read More

Chiara Lubich, Laywoman and UnifierEphesians 4:1-6 | Hebrews 10:19-25 Chiara Lubich (1920–2008) was an Italian Catholic laywoman and founder of the Focolare Movement, a worldwide community rooted in u...  Read More

Bayard Rustin, Pacifist and Civil Rights LeaderJohn 13:1-17 | Psalm 126  Bayard Rustin (1912–1987) was a Black, gay Quaker, pacifist, and one of the most brilliant strategic minds behind the U.S. Civi...  Read More

Takashi Nagai, Physician and SurvivorRomans 5:3-5 | John 11:45-57Takashi Nagai (1908–1951) was a Japanese physician, radiologist, Catholic convert, and survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Born...  Read More

Jarena Lee, Preacher and WriterActs 2:17-18 | Isaiah 43:8-15  Jarena Lee (1783–1855) was the first authorized female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and one of the earliest pu...  Read More

Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Theologian and ActivistLuke 19:28-40 | Isaiah 43:1-7Ada María Isasi-Díaz (1943–2012) was a Cuban-American theologian, activist, Roman Catholic scholar, and the founder of Mujeris...  Read More

Lydia, Businesswoman and Seeker of GodActs 16:13-15 | 2 Kings 4:1-7 Lydia is a remarkable figure in the early church: a businesswoman, a seeker of God, and the first documented convert to Christianity...  Read More

The Ethiopian Eunuch, Devout and DistancedActs 8:26-40 | Revelation 19:9-10 The Ethiopian eunuch is one of the most compelling figures in the New Testament—a person of power and prestige, yet also som...  Read More

Sophie Scholl, Student and LeaderProverbs 31:8-9 | Psalm 53:1-3  Sophie Scholl (1921–1943) was only 21 years old when she was executed by the Nazi regime for her role in the White Rose resistance move...  Read More

Kaitlin Curtice, Mystic and PoetGenesis 1:26-31 | 2 Corinthians 5:16-21Kaitlin Curtice is a Potawatomi author, Christian mystic, poet, and public speaker whose work centers on the intersection of spir...  Read More

Mpho Andrea Tutu van Furth, Priest and ActivistEphesians 2:14-22 | Luke 15:1-10Rev. Mpho Andrea Tutu van Furth is a South African priest, writer, and activist who carries on the legacy of her father, ...  Read More

Kateri Tekakwitha, Indigenous SaintPsalm 42 | Joshua 4:14-24Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680) was the first Indigenous woman of North America to be canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church. Born to an ...  Read More

Macrina the Younger, Monastic Leader and Teacher1 John 4:7-12 | Psalm 32Macrina the Younger (c. 327–379) was a monastic leader, theologian, and teacher whose wisdom shaped some of the most influential...  Read More

Desmond Tutu, Bishop and Human Rights ActivistIsaiah 58:6-12 | Luke 13:18-21Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021) was a South African Anglican bishop, theologian, and human rights activist who became on...  Read More

John Wesley, Priest and TheologianPhilippians 2:12-13 | Ezekiel 17:1-10John Wesley (1703–1791) was an Anglican priest, theologian, and the founder of Methodism, a movement that emphasized a holistic, ...  Read More

Sara Miles, Writer and BakerJohn 6:35-40 | Psalm 39Sara Miles is a writer, activist, and former journalist whose unexpected conversion to Christianity led to a radical reimagining of faith and service...  Read More

James Cone, Theologian and Scholar Exodus 3:7-12 | Isaiah 55:1-9Dr. James Cone (1938–2018) was a theologian, scholar, and prophet who revolutionized Christian thought by centering the Gospel in the li...  Read More

Pádraig Ó Tuama, Poet and Theologian Psalm 139 | Isaiah 5:1-7Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and peacemaker whose work explores the power of language, faith, and belonging. Born and raised in I...  Read More

Pauli Murray, Lawyer and PriestGalatians 3:28 | Revelation 3:1-6Pauli Murray (1910–1985) was a lawyer, civil rights activist, poet, and priest whose life and work exemplified the radical inclusivity o...  Read More

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Theologian and WriterLuke 9:23-24 | Revelation 2:8-11Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident whose legacy continues to ch...  Read More

Bartolomé de las Casas, Historian and MissionaryJeremiah 22:3 | 2 Chronicles 20:1-22Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484–1566) was a Spanish historian and Dominican missionary who became a passionate advocate...  Read More

Phoebe, Early Church LeaderRomans 16:1-2 | 1 Corinthians 10:1-13Phoebe is one of the few women in the New Testament who is named and commended for her leadership in the early church. In Romans 16:1-2,...  Read More

Shūsaku Endō, WriterMatthew 26:69075 | Psalm 105Shūsaku Endō was one of Japan’s most profound Christian writers, exploring faith, doubt, and suffering in ways that continue to challenge and inspire be...  Read More

Julian of Norwich, Mystic and TheologianRomans 8:38-39 | Luke 13:31-35Julian of Norwich was a medieval mystic and theologian whose visions of Christ’s love continue to inspire and challenge people tod...  Read More

William Barber II, Theologian and ActivistLuke 4:16-21 | Matthew 23:37-39Rev. Dr. William Barber II is a modern-day prophet, calling the church and the nation to return to the biblical mandate of just...  Read More

Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights ActivistPsalm 34:18 | Philippians 3:17-20Fannie Lou Hamer was a woman who understood the power of bearing witness. Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi, she wa...  Read More

Francis of Assisi, Carer of CreationMatthew 6:25-34 | Psalm 27Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved saints in Christian history, known for his radical simplicity, deep love for creation, and co...  Read More

Martha of Bethany, Hostess and ProclaimerJohn 11 | Job 1Martha of Bethany is often remembered as the woman who busied herself with hospitality while her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet. But in John 11,...  Read More

Óscar Romero, Saint and AdvocateMicah 6:8 | Psalm 17Óscar Romero was a Salvadoran archbishop who became the voice of the oppressed in a time of great violence and injustice. Born in 1917 in Ciudad Bar...  Read More

Henri Nouwen, Writer and TheologianMark 9:24 | 1 John 2:1-6Rachel Held Evans was a writer, thinker, and advocate for a more inclusive and expansive faith. Raised in a conservative evangelical househol...  Read More

Henri Nouwen, Writer and TheologianMatthew 25:34-40 | Romans 10:8-13Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest, writer, and theologian, devoted his life to exploring the depths of God’s love and the call to radi...  Read More

Perpetua and Felicity, Early Church Martyrs2 Timothy 4:6-8 | Ecclesiastes 3:1-8Perpetua and Felicity were two courageous women who gave their lives for Christ in the early 3rd century. Perpetua, a nob...  Read More

Apostle Paul, Writer and Early Church PlanterActs 9:1-19 | Psalm 91:9-16Few stories in Scripture capture the power of transformation as vividly as Paul’s conversion. Before he was Paul, he was Saul—an...  Read More

The work of justice often means standing in the tension between hope and heartbreak, trusting that God hears the cries of the oppressed and calls us to keep moving forward....  Read More