The Roofless Church

Category: Diversity and Inclusion

  • Eye of the Be Holder

    Eye of the Be Holder

    Have you ever seen a cygnet? A cygnet is a baby swan. And they are super cute. And yet, when we talk of people who blossom into a more physically beautiful being than one may have imagined, we say that they were an “ugly duckling”, based on the tale by that name created by Hans…

  • Communicating to Death (or some better title)

    Communicating to Death (or some better title)

    “Urkel is dead and I can’t breathe.” Those were the words Oprah spoke to the interviewer when they asked her about one of the most recent casualties of a senseless shooting. I couldn’t breathe either. How could Urkel be gone? He held the hopes of so many of us. He had achieved the dream and…

  • Speaking of Difference

    Speaking of Difference

    Recently I did an interview on a local radio show that highlights experiences of being a person of color in Boulder County. The show is called PoCo in BoCo and is co-hosted by Tracey Jones and Nikhil Mankekar also of Boulder County. In the show we talk about what people must consider when entering in…

  • “LieVersity” and “In-True-Sion”: What People Aren’t Saying About Why Diversity Programs Fail

    I am a minister now largely because working as a consultant on a “Diversity Recruiting” Program for a large multi-national company frustrated me so deeply that I enrolled into seminary just to see if I could learn what it would take for a person or organization to have a true conversion experience. Most people who…

  • If You Don’t Bear Your Cross, Someone Else Will Have To

    On July 17, 2016, I preached a sermon entitled “Broken For You”. The idea behind the sermon came down to the idea that if people took 100% responsibility for their lives the whole world would be transformed in an instant. The spark for the sermon came from Jesus’ teaching that those who desire to follow…

  • The Reality of Diversity and Illusion

    Have you ever wondered why–in almost every environment–conversations and programs around diversity and inclusion are so difficult?  Why is it that despite efforts to make organizations more diverse, there seems to be little to no substantial development where it really counts?  Well, if you watched the above video, you know what my take is.  I…

  • Reflection on the Body of Christ and God’s Mysterious Ways

    Ever since returning from China I have been reflecting on the Pauline metaphor of the Body of Christ.  Meeting Christians in China was an amazing experience.  I felt love, the Presence of the Holy Spirit, and the most sincere desire of the people to spread the love of Christ among their people and the world. …

  • Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus

    When I was a kid I used to walk through woods on my way home from school reading my New Testament and be laughing to myself.  I’d be like, “Jesus, you so crazy,” when I would read things like him telling some Pharisees and scribes that they were, “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat…

  • Give Us Us Free!

    Give Us Us Free!

    Let me begin this post by declaring that contrary to some beliefs, one person cannot speak for their entire race, group, or culture.  As we all know there are innumerable diversities at work in every individual and my comments with regard to the subject of race, religion, culture, or any other category under which one…

  • The Business of Being Equal

    One of my passions is Diversity and Inclusion.  Of all the work available in the world, at this point in my life, I feel like this space is one where I can serve best . My story sounds like something out of a diversity handbook.  Born to a multi-cultural family, very early on I dealt with issues that tend to separate…