A can’t-miss conversation with Bishop Mariann Budde

View this email in your browser You may remember the moment. Standing in the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral, Bishop Mariann Budde looked toward President Trump and offered a clear, pastoral plea: “I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” It was a moment of moral courage that reached far beyond one sanctuary, one sermon, or one political moment. It reminded many of us what faithful public witness can look like: grounded, compassionate, truthful, and brave. At a time when fear is being weaponized, vulnerable communities are being targeted, and many people are wondering how to respond without losing hope, Bishop Budde’s witness still speaks. And on Wednesday, August 12 at 1 pm ET, she will join Sojourners for a live conversation on what it means for all of us to learn to be brave. Save Your Seat: Register Now Hosted by Sojourners President Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, this free webinar will feature Bishop Budde, author of We Can Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, for a timely conversation about courage, faith, and the moments that call us to speak and act. This is not only a conversation for clergy or public leaders. It is for anyone trying to live faithfully in this moment. It is for those who are asking: How do I speak truth without losing compassion? How do I remain grounded when public life feels overwhelming? How do I practice courage in my family, congregation, workplace, neighborhood, or community? How do we build a more loving and just world when so much around us feels fractured? Bishop Budde’s witness reminds us that bravery does not always mean speaking loudly. Sometimes bravery means refusing cruelty. Sometimes it means telling the truth with a steady voice. Sometimes it means choosing mercy when contempt is easier. And sometimes it means believing that another future is still possible — and acting like it. Event Details What: Learning to Be Brave: Speaking Truth to Power in the Public Square When: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | 1pm ET Where: Online via live stream Cost: Free; registration required This is a can’t-miss conversation for anyone longing for a more courageous, compassionate, and faithful public witness. Can’t attend live? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording afterward. Register for this free webinar today In hope and resistance, Your friends at Sojourners Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. 611 Pennsylvania Ave SE #342, Washington, DC 20003 Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

SojoMail - Project 2025 and abuses of power

This week: Comparing Project 2025 and the Beloved Community, Mennonites face arrest to protest Israel’s genocide, and queer faith representation in YA fiction. How Does Project 2025 Compare to the Beloved Community? In this week’s SojoMail, Adam Russell Taylor writes that Jesus confronted abuses of power — but the Heritage Foundation’s proposals would enable them: If you’ve been following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, you’ve likely heard of Project 2025. The project, created by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, rose to the top of the headlines once again this week when it was reported that the director of the project, Paul Dans, was stepping down and that the project wouldn’t be drafting any new policy ideas. This news arrived after former President Donald Trump and his campaign repeatedly tried to distance themselves from the project in increasingly aggressive ways. But what is this project in the first place? First unveiled in April 2023, and endorsed by more than 100 conservative organizations, Project 2025 is a 922-page document that serves as a to-do list for the next conservative president to accomplish. Activists, journalists, and many religious leaders have been warning the public for months about what they see as some of Project 2025’s more extreme policy proposals and the ways in which the blueprint would push our nation toward autocracy and Christian nationalism. Read the full article Advertisement Our Latest Stories Mennonites March and Face Arrest to Protest Israel’s Genocide in Gaza (by Bekah McNeel) A group of Mennonites took part in a 141-mile trek into Washington, D.C., where they countered Christians United for Israel and protested Israel’s actions in Gaza. Read more The Reconstruct: The Author Writing Young Adult Fiction Full of Queer Faith Stories (by Jenna Barnett) Kelly Quindlen on being on banned-books lists, writing affirming Catholic parents, and why young adult fiction isn’t just for young adults. Read more How a Week with Benedictine Sisters Made Me a Better Radical (by Hannah Keziah Agustin) Amid news of wildfires, landslides, and war, I learned that God finishes the good work of justice. Read more From the Magazine: Liberation Needs a Soundtrack (by José Humphreys III) With our music and liturgy, the church can help create a sense of unity and healing. Read more Advertisements The Urgent Need for Justice-Oriented Churches in the United States: Embracing Sankofa At the Margins “Justice-oriented churches actively seek to address systemic injustices and serve marginalized communities. The biblical command to ‘act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God’ (Micah 6:8) guides these churches. By prioritizing justice, they embody the teachings of Jesus, who consistently uplifted the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized.” Read more of the latest sponsored article on sojo.net. 100 sermons on sexual and domestic violence Scripture is not silent on abuse, but these stories are often missing in our Sunday morning teachings. You can change this! Visit our 100 Sermons on Sexual and Domestic Violence collection and be equipped to tackle these biblical accounts and speak out on sexual and domestic violence. Donate Subscribe

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Sojourners - A different kind of animal sacrifice

How My Faith Radically Changed What I Eat In this week’s SojoMail, Adam Russell Taylor writes that lately, his body — and the Holy Spirit — were inviting him to better care for his own health and for the planet: Starting this Lent, I’m giving up red meat … forever. Typically, Christians have honored the 40-day season of reflection, repentance, and renewal before Easter by giving something up — like alcohol, sweets, or social media — or adding in a new spiritual discipline that helps us “slow down, to tend to our roots, and to re-ground ourselves in God,” as Jeania Ree V. Moore writes. And usually, that fast ends at Easter, when we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. But this year I felt that my body — and the Holy Spirit — were inviting me to something more permanent, both for my own health and for the health of this beautiful planet God has entrusted to our care. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Our Latest Is a Christianity Without Boundaries Still Christian? (by Mitchell Atencio) Theologian David Congdon wishes we’d all stop asking who’s “truly” a Christian. ‘Hell Is a World Without You’ Is a Vortex of 2000s Youth Group Emotions (by Tyler Huckabee) Jason Kirk’s new novel captures the faith and doubt and ego and shame and loneliness and horniness that came with growing up in post-9/11 evangelicalism. Our Favorite Oscar-Nominated Films — And Where to Watch Them (by Jenna Barnett) Do you guys ever watch movies about dying?? Should Christians Heed the Pope’s Call to Ban Surrogacy? (by Bekah McNeel) As laws and technology evolve to support assisted reproduction, more aspiring parents are left navigating religious traditions and teachings while trying to build their family.

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From the Magazine What Change Would You Make? (by Raj Nadella) February reflections on scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary (Cycle B).

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MCC is hiring for a Representative for Nicaragua and Honduras This senior management position will provide leadership and programmatic direction to MCC’s work in both countries within MCC Latin America/Caribbean regional parameters. This position also maintains relationships with MCC partners in the countries and represents MCC to churches, agencies, community groups and leaders, and the governments of Honduras and Nicaragua. Courage to Preach Program at Boston College Starting this summer, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry will offer a post-master’s certificate program called Courage to Preach. Courage to Preach will teach methods for preaching and teaching diverse audiences, with a focus on integrating faith resources with contemporary issues such as racial, economic, and environmental justice.  Sojourners Fellowship Program Do you know a recent college grad or someone seeking a meaningful career who is interested in faith and social justice? Sojourners’ year-long fellowship program offers an entry-level position at Sojourners’ offices in Washington, D.C., combined with community living for mutual support and personal growth. Apply by March 8 for the next cohort which starts in August 2024. Calling All Faith Leaders: Defend Voters in 2024 Election! Are you interested in training opportunities for civic engagement as a member of the faith community? Empower yourself, safeguard democracy, and begin the journey to become a poll chaplain for the upcoming election!

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SojoMail - Making room for teen parents

A Christian Camp Where Everyone Has Their Own Stroller In this week’s SojoMail, we’ve included a reported piece from the new issue of the magazine. Texas-based journalist Bekah McNeel covers the work of Christian ministries and partner organizations that help teen parents carve out space to be “fully mom and fully teenager.” Five years ago, Madelynn Meads was pregnant and stuck between worlds. Her high school in Leander, Texas, was a new school, and it had never been known to have a teen mom. Her church, where she’d been active in the youth group, suddenly couldn’t find a place for her. She didn’t fit in with the youth group anymore, but the church wouldn’t include her in its ministries for moms either. She’d lost the privilege of a relatively carefree youth without gaining the respect and spiritual investment often offered to young adults and new moms. As a pregnant 16-year-old, Meads said it felt as if the consistent message was, “You’re not a real adult or a real mom.” Meads, like other teen moms, had fallen into a hole in the social fabric. She didn’t have the support available to teenagers carrying the hopes and dreams of their parents, or to new moms carrying the hopes and dreams of the next generation. Instead, she became part of a statistic, one that schools, government, and nonprofits are working to shrink. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Our Latest Christian Activists Respond to Ohio’s New Abortion Rights (by Bekah McNeel) “This election affirmed what we’ve always known to be true: People have faith in abortion seekers,” Elaina Ramsey of Faith Choice Ohio said after voters approved an amendment to protect abortion access in the state constitution. By Eliminating Cash Bail, Illinois Is ‘Setting the Captives Free’ (by Colton Bernasol) Jails and prisons reduce the depth of human life, and in the U.S. hundreds of thousands of people suffer because they cannot afford bail. When the Institutional Church Dies, What Comes Next? (by Josiah R. Daniels) Pamela R. Lightsey, a United Methodist minister and womanist theologian, is imagining something new for the church. ‘Catholics Say Ceasefire Now’ at White House Pray-in (by Haajrah Gilani, Juliann Ventura) Christian peace activists conducted a pray-in outside the White House to dispute President Joe Biden’s claim that he and Pope Francis were “on the same page” regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza.

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From the Magazine Jesus Had Adverse Childhood Experiences, Too (by Adam Russell Taylor) “It is profoundly significant that Jesus was born not in a secure, two-income household but to an unwed teenage mother.”

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Earn a DSL (Social Leadership) or PhD (Social Research, Religion/Society) Lead constructive social change by earning your Doctor of Social Leadership or PhD in Social Research (Religion and Society Studies) degree. Omega Graduate School: accredited, affordable, faith-based. Sliding Scale Tuition. Small group British tutorial-style Instruction with opportunities to study at the Library of Congress and University of Oxford. Apply today! Diverse Journalism Matters  The editors are seeking applicants for the new Sojourners Journalism Cohort, a remote program which provides AAPI, Black, Indigenous, Latine, and/or persons of color training and mentorship as they build experience as freelance writers. Participants will concentrate on either news reporting or opinion writing, with an emphasis on religion and social justice. The application deadline is Monday, Nov. 27.  Subscribe to Sojourners magazine and receive a free copy of Preparing for Christmas by Richard Rohr Read “All Is Calm” in the Sojourners December issue to uncover the nativity story’s surprising lessons on radical rest. Plus, receive Richard Rohr’s devotional Preparing for Christmas: Reflections for Advent. This beautiful book is perfect for preparing for Christmas, providing daily reflections, along with daily readings and questions for reflection.

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SojoMail - Does the Enneagram actually matter?

Can the Enneagram Make Us Better Christians? In 2011 — long before you could buy books about the Enneagram at Target — I took a course at my Christian college about the now-very-popular personality type system that has roots in 4th century Christian contemplatives. Although I was only 21 years old, I was already a hardened personality test veteran. I could tell you my DiSC style and my Meyers-Briggs type. I never found the results to be very flattering or illuminating, but my friends would pour over the findings and then, in a rather accusatory tone, remark, “Totally you.” For many people, the Enneagram and its system of nine personality types promises a tantalizing peek into one of life’s ultimate questions: Why am I the way that I am? Yet these days, “know thyself” feels less like a thought-provoking aphorism and more like a cultural imperative lauded by the self-help industrial complex, worker productivity, and Buzzfeed quizzes. The question that has nagged me since that college course is whether the Enneagram is just another example of this self-help trend, or as I write in the latest issue of Sojourners: “Does the inner work that the Enneagram encourages manifest itself in the outer world through justice work, or is the Enneagram primarily a tool meant to encourage people to focus on individual healing, career, and spirituality?” —Josiah R. Daniels READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Our Latest New Moms Die More Often in the Bible Belt. Pastors Want to Fix That (by Bekah McNeel) Faith leaders in the South say it is “unjust and unholy” that lifesaving treatments are too expensive for many to attain. The Trinity Delights In My Unique Trans, Nonbinary Identity (by Mick Atencio) My gender does not define me first; rather, I am first a human and a beloved child of God. In ‘Ted Lasso’ as in the Gospel: Forgiveness Is Frustrating (by Joe George) I mean, who doesn’t want Nate to get his due for ripping the “BELIEVE” sign in half? Christians Should Denounce Anti-Trans Laws, Not Write Them (by Adam Russell Taylor) Let’s show trans kids that there are Christians who believe in the inclusive love of Jesus.

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From the Magazine Apocalypse Stories Reveal How to Create a World Worth Saving (by JR. Forasteros) From Revelation to The Last of Us, our end-time imaginings can show us who we are — and who we could be.

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La Verne Church of the Brethren seeks Copastor The La Verne Church of the Brethren, a progressive, Anabaptist, historic peace church in Southern California seeks a copastor. Candidates must be comfortable in a collaborative team ministry, skilled in worship, and embrace an inclusive theology that champions social justice. Contact Kara Evans kevans234@gmail.com and Jack Meek jwmeek@me.com for information. Progressive, Vibrant, Creative, Justice-Minded Church Seeking Lead Pastor Seeking a full-time pastor to provide engaging pastoral and prophetic preaching, compassionate pastoral care, strong leadership in our community service and social justice efforts, guidance for staff, and a great sense of humor! Apply by sending your resume/profile, statement of faith, and cover letter to searchcallcucc@gmail.com. Sojourners community subscriptions now available!   Explore current issues of faith, social justice, politics, and culture with your community. Sojourners offers commentary and feature articles that are sure to spark great conversation. Sojourners magazine is great for Bible studies or small groups and is the perfect way to introduce your congregation to social justice issues.

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