Editor’s Note: A few days before the magnificent new film Selma opened in wide release Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, I had the chance to speak with the British actor David Oyelowo who portrays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the film. Born in Oxford, England to Nigerian parents, Oyelowo, 38, was raised in the Baptist church. His Christian faith continues to be a driving force of his life and work. Below is a transcript of our conversation about faith, film,... Read more
Jennifer Grant, my dear friend and co-editor of Disquiet Time: Rants and Reflections on the Good Book by the Skeptical, the Faithful, and a Few Scoundrels, and I are guests on our homesizzle The Rev. Dr. Steve Brown‘s radio show and podcast today. By the by, Steve, who is (among many marvelous things) Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry at Reformed Theological Seminary, also has a marvelous chapter in Disquiet Time, called “A High Tolerance for Ambiguity,” where he writes in... Read more
Stoked to announce that tickets are on sale now for my first MASTERCLASS of 2015! Saturday/Sunday, January 24-25 in Laguna Beach, California. you want to write but you’re not sure where (or how) to start. begin with yourself. what’s YOUR story? i can help you find it. (a masterclass for writers) with me (cathleen falsani aka “god girl”) event on saturday/sunday, january 24-25, 2015 in a gorgeous private residence laguna beach, california + limited to the first NINE (9) people... Read more
“O God, all holy one, you are our Mother and our Father and we are your children. Open our eyes and our hearts so that we may be able to discern your work in the universe. And be able to see Your features in every one of Your children. May we learn that there are many paths but all lead to You. Help us to know that you have created us for family, for togetherness, for peace, for gentleness, for... Read more
O God, make us willing to do your will, come what may. Increase the number of persons of good will and moral sensitivity. Give us renewed confidence in nonviolence and the way of love as taught by Christ. Amen. — the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., excerpted from Thou, Dear God: Prayers That Open Hearts and Spirits (edited by Lewis V. Baldwin, Beacon Press, 2012) Read more
Words fail me upon hearing the news out of Ferguson, Mo., tonite. So I’ll share those from the late Irish poet and mystic, John O’Donohue, and an image from my friends at Sojourners. Beannacht (A Blessing) On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble, may the clay dance to balance you. And when your eyes freeze behind the grey window and the ghost of loss gets in to you, may a flock of colours, indigo,... Read more
Do you remember where you were on Saturday, July 13, 1985? I do. On that day in the summer of my 15th year, I sat in my pajamas all day glued to the television in my parents’ living room in Connecticut, watching the Live Aid concerts broadcast live from London and Philadelphia, determined not to miss a single second of my favorite bands’ performances. While I watched the concerts unfold, something happened to me that, at the time, I could... Read more
UPDATE: With thanks to my Patheos pal, Deacon Greg Kandra, who points out that Patti sang at the Vatican Christmas concert LAST YEAR as well. See her beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night” below, and click here for more details. The Holy See announced this week that The Godmother of Punk Rock — the inimitable Patti Smith — will perform at the Concerto di Natale, the official Vatican Christmas Concert, on December 13 in Rome’s Auditorium Conciliazione not far from St. Peter’s Basilica.... Read more
Top Lindy Hop dancers from around the world compete to live music by Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five during in the International Lindy Hop Championships in Washington, D.C., August 2013. Read more
Earlier today in Rome, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who has perhaps the coolest title at the Vatican — the papal almoner, i.e. the fellow in charge of administering charity on behalf of Pope Francis — announced that public restrooms in St. Peter’s Square soon will include showers where the homeless can bathe. According to Catholic News Service: Several people living on the streets of Rome or in tents say it is not difficult to find a parish or charity that will... Read more
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