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** Befriending Our Anger
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One of the areas of character I am certain that God is shaping (and patiently re-shaping), forming (and unforming, and hopefully re-forming?) in this cultural moment is that of our collective anger, in particular as a response to systemic injustice and oppressive evil in our midst. How do we live in fidelity and holiness as Christ-followers within an empire that in action and words, is received as the sharp end of an unjust, oppressive spear coming for the most vulnerable within our midst? Anger boils under the surface, a dashboard light of our souls blinking bright red, screaming “Pay attention! Something is deeply wrong within!”
My immediate response is to admit, in ironic frustration, that I don’t know what to do with my anger. Even this confession is an admission of privilege, as my anger can remain compartmentalized, separate from functioning as a guardian and protector for those who need it to serve as such. Or, my anger can become far too easily misplaced, directed at individuals without power, not at the unjust systems that we live within that must be reconstituted for all.
I’m not sure what to do, but I know I can’t remain in stasis. As Cole Arthur Riley so beautifully urges us, “We befriend our anger as if the liberation of the world depends on it (Black Liturgies, p. 116). Deep within my soul, I sigh. Yes, Lord. Riley speaks the truth, plainly. Let me do so as well.
Towards wholeness and beauty for all,
Chris Kamalski, Editorial Director
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Missio Alliance is proud to be a sponsor for the Deeply Formed Life Conference:Until Christ is Formed in You ([link removed]) this June 5-6, 2025 at New Life Fellowship in Queens, NYC.
Join an unhurried space to worship, connect, and receive teaching around urgent areas of spiritual formation. There will be times of worship and moments of guided practices of prayer and self-examination. The speaker lineup includes: Rich Villodas ([link removed]) , Faith Eury Cho ([link removed]) and Tyler Staton ([link removed]) .
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** Missio Alliance x Iwa Collaborative: Spirituality of Weakness
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We’re excited to partner with our friends at Iwa Collaborative for their upcoming Learning Hui: Spirituality of Weakness, launching May 8. This unique gathering will explore what it means to embody both the humility and power of Jesus in leadership—especially in a time when the Church is wrestling with power, purpose, and presence.
Register Today ([link removed])
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Awakenings 2025 Conference Bundle ([link removed]) | $49.99 ($5 off) through May 12th
Our 5th Biennial National Gathering, held in Washington DC in early March 2025, is now available for download. The Awakenings 2025 Conference Bundle includes video of 3 plenaries, 2 panel conversations, and our opening session, all casting vision for “Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church.” Audio of all 17 workshops is included.
Purchase Today ([link removed])
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Tools for Faith-Based Activism: Truth-Telling, Restoration, and Peace-Making (2023 Webinar) ([link removed]) | FREE ($4.99 off) through May 12th
What are the pragmatic tools available to begin practicing faith-based activism where you live? Join Michelle Warren, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, and David Swanson in a robust dialogue on truth-telling, restoration, and peacemaking, and the tools that allow for each to flourish. Hosted by National Director Lisa Rodriguez-Watson, our aim is to identify tangible practices that you can contextualize and implement in this cultural moment to begin to see transformation take place.
Purchase Today ([link removed])
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The Mothering Love of God: Our Unacknowledged Longing ([link removed]) | Amber H. Jones
"I realized, with a jolt, that I was looking into the face of the mothering love of God and I was all at once undone with longing. My realization echoed that of Julian of Norwich when she declared, 'As surely as God is our Father, so truly God is our mother.'" Read More ([link removed])
I Set Out to End Racism and Failed ([link removed]) | Oneya Okuwobi
"An inaccurate understanding of systemic racial inequality matters because ignorance about racial realities erodes the will and ability to improve them." Read More ([link removed])
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An Unwasted Witness: Depression, Tears, and the Kingdom of God ([link removed]) | Katelyn J. Dixon
"What if my depression is not a ministry roadblock, but rather a just-as-effective (though admittedly less appealing) witness with its own story to tell? Might my depression bear active, truthful witness in ways my joy does not? What story are my tears telling?" Read More ([link removed])
I Thirst ([link removed]) | Julius Shumpert
"On the cross, Jesus utters some of his final words: 'I thirst.' They reveal not only his humanity, but illuminate the heart of his sacrifice." Read More ([link removed])
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** Anger is a Guardian
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“Awake, awake, oh sleeper. Be reminded that the world deserves so much more than
apathy in the presence of injustice. Go with anger, not as enemy but as guardian. A
sacred protector in a world of so much hatred, reminding us we deserve to be protected. We breathe, we feel. And we befriend our anger as if the liberation of the world depends on it. May it be so.”
Inhale: I will not grow numb.
Exhale: There is beauty in anger.
Inhale: My truth-telling is a gift.
Exhale: I am free to say so
Excerpted from “Rage,” written by Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human ([link removed]) , pp. 115 – 116.
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