Ministering to Persons who Have Depression or Anxiety

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), depression and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses diagnosed in the United States. With almost a third of adults experiencing symptoms related to one or both of these illnesses, chances are you will have folks with these struggles in your congregation. In my setting, a […]

Barbie: A Goddess Travels to the Underworld and the Necessity of Divine Paradox

Venus figurines are among the oldest pieces of art humans have created. Through them we can see that there is an ancient relationship between figurines and the elevation of some kind of ideal on behalf of a community or culture. Venuses in their many forms have represented the ideal feminine or feminine power throughout the […]

Pastoral Care with People with Thought Disorders

For most church pastors, it can be intimidating to consider giving pastoral care to someone with a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, or someone who is paranoid. People who face a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder make up approximately 1% of the adult population in the United States. The vast majority of people with such […]

New YCWI Board Recruitment Structure – Nominating Committee

Dear YCWI Community,  As we move forward in our work to ensure the diversity of our membership is reflected in our Board, we are creating an independent Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee will be composed of 5 members of the organization and 1 current board member. This group will work to recruit and identify the […]

Consider the Plants, Week 8: Grass

Prayer of the Day God of abundance, You provide all that we need. Thank you for your gifts of bread and fish, grass and grain, care and rest. Give us eyes to recognize all that you have given us, and turn us into a generous people, willing to share what we have with joy and […]

When Our Voices Aren’t Heard

On Thursday, May 23, 2023, Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina signed into law the “Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act.” In fact, Governor McMaster called a special legislative session just for this bill. This is significant because a near-total abortion ban was defeated three times in the South Carolina Senate during the 2022-2023 […]

Consider the Plants, Week 7: The Mustard Seed

Prayer of the Day God of all growth, you nurture the seeds of our love and joy and make us co-workers in your kingdom. Give us strength to open and grow in your abundant love, that we might contribute to a world where all are fed, sheltered, and nurtured. In the name of Jesus, who […]

Love and Limits: Pastoral Care for Persons with Borderline Personality

In seminary, one of my mentors said, “Beware the first person to introduce themselves to you in a new congregation—they’re probably borderline.” I’ve heard similar refrains in clergy circles ever since: “They will take all your time and energy if you let them.” “Every church has got one.”  “Beware the borderlines!” Stereotypes and horror stories […]

Consider the Plants, Week 6: Weeds Among the Wheat

Prayer of the Day O God of all beings, open our hearts to the beauty of your creation. Where we are called to grow, nourish us. Where we are tempted to judge, chasten our impulses. Give us courage, strength, and wisdom to support the flourishing of all beings whom you have created and called good. […]

The Heroine’s Journey, Part Nine: Heroine Heals the Wounded Masculine Within

This devotional is the ninth installment in what will be a series of ten exploring the kinship between the Heroine’s Journey as established by Maureen Murdock, my lived experience of ministry as a female clergy person, and a few familiar fictional characters. Each devotional ends with a blessing for the Heroine at that stage. In […]