Blog Archive
Contemplating the messiness of Christian life
The Messy Jesus Business Blog is an ecumenical Christian gathering of musings about what it means to live the Gospel today. A variety of contributors offer prayer, poetry, book reviews, creative nonfiction and prose about what it means to live a life of faith in our complex, modern times.
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All Creation Sings to God
Tony is a man of melody. He sang in the choir of Emmanuel Baptist Church many years ago, often sings to plants and my one-year-old son and dreams of one day hosting a radio program. He even sang a rendition of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” on stage at the Durham Performing Arts Center for a
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Bridget Alexander: Solutions Steeped in Community
In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Waking the Village co-foundress Bridget Alexander about building a non-profit centered on building community, the issue of youth homelessness and the mess of social justice work.
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Spiritual Accompaniment that Surprises
When people meet me and learn that I am a Catholic Sister, some respond with surprise, excitement or intrigue. Others, I notice, shift uncomfortably as if realigning their filter to “only things I can say in front of a nun” mode. Although I have no formal theology background, many assume my place in the world
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Activist Kathy Kelly: We are all Part of One Another
In this powerful episode of Messy Jesus Business, Sister Julia Walsh talks with author and activist Kathy Kelly about her journey as a peace activist, how militarism doesn’t offer true security and how to ground ourselves in the fight for peace when we feel overwhelmed.
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Prayer of Mixed Emotions after the Conviction of Derek Chauvin
Lord of Mixed Emotions, thank you for knowing. Thank you for knowing where we hurt, what we fear, what we dread, and what makes us sing. It’s a strange day, Lord, the day after many of your children sighed deep sighs of relief, and cried out to you with gratitude — thank you for being
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Sister Emily TeKolste: Called to the Work of Justice
In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Sister Emily TeKolste about justice: what it is, and why systemic change is so complicated. They talk about the work of justice, which we are all called to do, how our liberation is bound together, and how we can go about achieving…
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When Lent gives you lemons, make a curd
We bought a lemon tree a couple of years ago. Bonnie Sue Ellis came home with what appeared to be a scrawny seedling from friends at our neighborhood garden store. Bonnie is a strong, passionate, observant, prayerful, exuberant pillar of our community life. She is also the unchallenged maker of our sweat teas and salad
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Olga M. Segura: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church
Sister Julia Walsh talks with author Olga M. Segura about her journey into writing about the Black Lives Matter movement and how the experiences of 2020 gave her courage.
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Burial Gardens: Life and Death in Lent
Last year, during the Lent that still hasn’t ended, I took my children on a walk to the local cemetery. The grounds were beautiful and included a small pond accessible only by a simple wooden bridge on one side and a more ornate stone bridge on the other. The cemetery was nearly as old as
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Listening as a Radical Act
Years ago, I sat before my friend after a particularly hard week and said, “I don’t know if I can take this anymore.” I was thinking that I didn’t deserve to live anymore. He looked at me and didn’t try to talk away the pain. He listened. And all he said in reply was, “I
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Lisa Deam: We Are All Pilgrims
Sister Julia Walsh and author Lisa Deam talk about pilgrimage as a spiritual practice and discipleship as a journey. They discuss the paradoxes of faith and being a contemplative, where we are called to be in the moment, while also moving toward God. And they share how loving history and being part of the Church…
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Harden Not Your Hearts: Hearing the Call for Repentance
I know well enough that the time to address racial inequity was centuries ago. It is also now. And while it is a national sin, it is my work as much as anybody else.
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