brian shivers

I must apologize. I must apologize for the way in which I have perpetuated and benefited from the systems that are designed to leave people out, let people down, cast people aside. Systems that subjugate and neglect. Systems that block access and deny personhood. This apology is not enough if it is qualified in any way in order to salvage my pride or prove my personal righteousness. This apology is not enough if it is only for the sake of placating those who have been crying out for action and equality. If this apology is going to mean anything at all, it must be accompanied by repentance - a changing of my ways, a turning away from old patterns of behavior. This repentance must then lead to a commitment to speaking out and standing up against the systems that maintain privilege for a few. This repentance must then lead to action alongside those who are most deeply affected by the unjust systems. For far too long, the cries of those who have felt the boot of the oppressor on th...

Now is the time to be quiet. Now is the time to sit in grief together. Now is the time to join our hearts, our souls with those who have suffered deep loss and unimaginable violence. There are no words. There are no words. Do not confuse this silence with inaction. This is the most important and most difficult work any of us can do right now. And then may our words "my thoughts and prayers are with . . ." be evidenced in the passion of our heart, the ache in our back, the sweat on our brow, the callouses on our hands, the worn out soles on our shoes, and the fatigue in our bones. Our pious words must be met with action verbs that sweep us off our knees onto our feet, into our streets, into our statehouses, into our neighborhoods, into our places of worship, into the world, and back onto our knees. May it be so for me. In your mercy,

Today, I will commit myself to... stand with the oppressed; speak alongside not for those who have had their voices silenced; work toward justice for those who struggle daily for their human rights; demand equality and equity for all; seek to understand life experiences that are not like mine; listen to the perspectives of others; treat everyone with respect; see all people as fully human; honor the dignity of every person. I will not do this perfectly. I ask for your forgiveness in advance for when I will fail. Please tell me when I have fallen short if I am not aware of the shortcoming. I commit myself to doing this today. Tomorrow, I will try again.

Ready or not, here we go. The calendar has flipped, and we find ourselves standing exposed at the beginning of the unknown; standing unsure before something new; standing vulnerable in uncharted territory. There is so much to worry about. There are so many uncertainties. There are so many what ifs. Faith, Hope, Love Feel threatened. But here and now today and tomorrow for the new year I declare my resolve... to believe the best about those around me; to stand up for the rights of all; to seek justice for the oppressed; to own my privilege; to understand my preconceptions and prejudices; to work against systems that perpetuate them all; to call out hatred; to hold my beliefs with confidence in open hands; to listen to all perspectives; to honor the humanity of everyone; to see beauty in the world; to learn more about that which feels threatening; to fight for those who are othered because of      their gender identity,      ...

In the noise and vitriol of the last year, it seems as though we have forgotten that unity and uniformity are two different pursuits.  Our goal as a people should be to seek harmony in the midst of our differences (unity) and not to stay the "same at all times, in all places, or for all parts or members" (uniformity from Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Unity is the noble quest to remain together no matter what for the good of the whole. Uniformity is the search for an unrealistic sameness in thought and behavior for the protection of those in the position of power. The first represents the dream of a healthy and diverse democracy. The second exposes the anxieties and fears of difference and change. As we approach the end of months of posturing, finger pointing, name calling, and heated angry discourse may we remind ourselves and one another that unity is up to us. We are not beyond it. All hope is not lost.  However, unity can only be found in re-dedicating ourselves to the diff...

Tonight I saw a political commercial that disturbed me in a way that I seldom have been disturbed. It was an ad in Indiana against someone who is running for United States Representative. The ad consisted of blurry images of Daesh terrorists across the screen (also referred to as ISIL. I have been told by some of my Muslim friends that the word "Daesh" is preferred by many when referring to this group.). These horrible images were accompanied by a photo of the candidate and claims that she would somehow singlehandedly make the United States more vulnerable to, and I quote, "Islamic terrorists." When the barbarism and destruction of Daesh is equated in any way with Islam the entire religion is discredited, and the Muslims who are devoted to their faith are personally defamed. Let this be as clear as it can be. Islam is not a religion of hatred and war. Islam is a religion of love and peace. And as bad as this ad and its corresponding rhetoric are, here is the real ...

Remember Veggie Tales, the popular Christian videos produced by Big Idea featuring the likes of Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, Junior the Asparagus, Silly Songs, and Bible stories acted out by anthropomorphic vegetables? These characters and their antics were everywhere for well over a decade. For a while they were even featured during the Saturday morning cartoon slot on NBC. Phil Vischer, the co-creator of Veggie Tales and former "top tomato" at Big Idea Productions, has his own podcast. A couple of years ago he discussed the book A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian. During the episode the following exchange took place between Vischer and his co-host, Skye Jethani. Vischer: Here’s what I want to do. I want to encourage parents and Christian educators to teach critical thinking skills… do you know why we don’t do that? Jethani: ‘Cause it’s hard. Vischer: ‘Cause we’re afraid our kids will actually use them. Jethani: And they might come to a differen...

Sunday, April 24, 2016 8:15 Sunday Morning Acts 11:1-18 (NRSV) "Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, 'Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?' Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 'I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everyt...

We look for saints in all the wrong places. We expect to see them venerated in paintings or memorialized in stone. We want them to stay placidly commemorated and confined to such spaces. They are much more sanitary that way. However, what we need are saints dressed in street clothes living next door. Saints who live beautifully messy ordinary lives buying groceries, paying bills, supporting neighbors, traveling to and from work, celebrating victories, grieving loss, believing, and doubting. These saints are the normal people who experience and reveal the presence of the divine in the everyday. Ruth Baldwin is one of those saints. I don't know how often Ruth celebrated mass, and I have no idea if she regularly prayed her rosary. What I do know is that she had more than enough love for all of her children as well as the dozens and dozens who spent hot summer afternoons on her screened in porch eating homemade fruit juice popsicles. Ruth understood what it meant to offer compa...

A doctrine of fear is void of substance. One can hear its folly in the voices of those who damn others to hell in order to justify themselves; one can see its madness in the red faces of its prophets and preachers whose volume betrays their uncertainty; one can feel its absurdity in the violence contained in their message and their ways. These ministers of mayhem know that fear sells and motivates people. The missive is ravenously purchased as if it were a scarce precious resource no one can live without. And it seems as though the world is being consumed by it. As a result, fear becomes a way of life and spawns hatred.   However, whether it is hidden behind a mask, a sheet, a saber, a hood, or a bullhorn the message of fear is destined to fail. There is another way: a better way. It is the way of hope; of grace; of mercy; of peace; of love. This way of truth is spoken from pulpits in mosques, churches, synagogues, and cathedrals around the world. You can he...

It seems as though we are bombarded with bad news. There is always something pulling us toward feeling as though we are caught in a death spiral - another wreck, another shooting, another person violated, another system taking advantage of others, another leader caught, another church closing, another member leaving, and the list goes on. It is overwhelming. All of this mess can dominate our minds and lead us to forget that we are called to be Easter people even in the presence of death, dying, and dis-ease. Easter people are not people who possess a Pollyanna faith where the world is just right especially when you close your eyes and imagine it to be so. We are not called to live in a world that doesn't exist with a sanitized faith full of hollow promises and unrealistic expectations. Rather, we are called to live into a world of pain and suffering and disconnect as Easter people - people who know that death and death-dealing ways do not have the last word; peop...

Activity : When was the last time you felt alone? This is the day.  Scripture : Matthew 27:57-66 57  When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.   58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.   59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth   60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.   61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.  62  The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate  63 and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.”  64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and s...

The Seventh Word of Jesus from the Cross (Friday, April 18, 2014 at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana) -  "It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last." Luke 23:44-46 Across the United States tonight in small hamlets, rural farming communities, and bustling cities, young girls and boys will lie down on their beds getting ready to go to sleep. Before their mom, their dad, their grandparent or their guardian departs their room leaving them to enter their slumber these words will be recited in many of the homes, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray The Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray The Lord my soul to take." For over 200 years, this simple prayer from the New England P...

Good Friday Activity: Silence Scripture: Psalm 31 1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. 3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 6 You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have taken heed of my adversities, 8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. 9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails be...

Photo credit: Matt Elmore Activity: Take...eat. Take...drink. Do this in remembrance... Scripture: Mark 14:12-25   [12] On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” [13] So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, [14] and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ [15] He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” [16] So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. [17] When it was evening, he came with the twelve. [18] And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will...

Activity: Names are a powerful thing. Take a moment to consider your own name.  Why were you given that name?  What does your name mean to you? Scripture: Psalm 147:1-11 [1]   Praise the Lord!              How good it is to sing praises to our God;              for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.    [2]   The Lord builds up Jerusalem;              he gathers the outcasts of Israel.    [3]   He heals the brokenhearted,              and binds up their wounds.    [4]   He determines the number of the stars;              he gives to all of them their names.    [5]   Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;              his understanding is beyond measure.    [6] ...

Photo credit: Tc Morgan Activity: Where do you find peace? Pursue it. Where can you create peace? Pursue it. Scripture: Psalm 34 [1]   I will bless the LORD at all times;           his praise shall continually be in my mouth. [2]   My soul makes its boast in the LORD;           let the humble hear and be glad. [3]   O magnify the LORD with me,           and let us exalt his name together. [4]   I sought the LORD, and he answered me,           and delivered me from all my fears. [5]   Look to him, and be radiant;           so your faces shall never be ashamed. [6]   This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,           and was saved from every trouble. [7]   The angel of the LORD encamps           around those who fear him, and delivers them. [8]...

Activity : On this Monday of Holy Week, take a moment to consider the events of this week as a whole.  Where did your mind stop?  What is it that draws your attention? Linger there for a moment. Scripture : Psalm 145 [1]   I will extol you, my God and King,             and bless your name forever and ever.    [2]   Every day I will bless you,             and praise your name forever and ever.    [3]   Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;             his greatness is unsearchable. [4]   One generation shall laud your works to another,             and shall declare your mighty acts.    [5]   On the glorious splendor of your majesty,         ...

Activity : Look around you. What do you see? Look again.  Now what do you see? Scripture : Mark 10:46-52 [46]They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were  leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. [47]When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" [48]Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [49]Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." [50]So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. [51]Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." [52]Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed h...

Activity : What are the things in your life that you would count as treasure? How might you give of that treasure into the lives of others? Scripture : 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 [5]For we do not proclaim  ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for  Jesus' sake. [6]For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness",  who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of  God in the face of Jesus Christ.   [7]But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. [8]We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9]persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10]always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. [11]For while we live, we are always being given up to de...