Braid Mission

We have much to learn from the story of Elijah's ascent and how he takes a healthy departure from someone he has mentored.

This week we found great relief in hearing Jesus's parable of the sower and being reminded that the good news can only take root on ground that is ready to receive it.

Though the woman in this story is unnamed, Jesus lifts her up as an example of the type of love that is born out of our own healing.  More information about the CEB Women's Bible.

Having the important relationships in our lives restored and healed might be the greatest miracle we could ask for.

In work with foster youth, as in most acts of healing and teaching, we may not ever see the miraculous taking place in front of our eyes. But if, like the centurion in this week's story, we believe in the possibility and the authority of healing, we will see the results. 

  The Apostle Paul believed in a deep hope that transcends what we know in this world, a hope that was held in community. We have found that same hope reflected and shared in our Cards of Hope program to send birthday and holiday cards to youth in group homes.

We have learned at Braid that "family" is much more than biology, and often the relationships we choose have the most to teach us about what it means to be family.

How can the church offer a standing invitation to wholeness in a world that tells us we have to ask for help? Read Ethan's post on the Braid blog.

How do we answer Jesus's invitation to healing that isdeeperthan all we desire?

As we hear the story of Peter encountering the Holy Spirit where he least expected it, we wonder which comes first: the Spirit's presence, or our invocation of it?

In the story of "Doubting Thomas," the evidence of Jesus's trauma makes him recognizable to one of his closest followers and friends after the resurrection. What does this mean for those of us who represent the body of Christ? With special guest Charlotte Wilson 

We all experience cycles of death and resurrection over and over in our earthly journeys. In our Easter podcast, we reflect on the communities of love and support that help us emerge from the tombs of difficulty and trauma into new life.

As the church begins its remembrance of Jesus's last days before his death, we wonder how fully celebrating the joyful and triumphant moments of life inspires and enables us to walk into darker and more challenging moments as well.

As we reflect on Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, we explore what it might look like if the roles were reversed, as they often are for foster youth who are reunited with their parents.

With God's encouragement, Moses found his voice, his sense of identity, and capabilities he never dreamed of. We reflect on the work of our friends at California Youth Connection and all the ways we empower each other in community. 

On this St. Valentine's Day, we offer a re-broadcast of our show from February last year, "Remember Your Belovedness," in which we honored the memory of one of our first friends in San Francisco and what she taught us about claiming God's love for us.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gives us all permission and courage to step into the presence of God and be transformed.

We remember one of Rebecca's heroes in ministry and the challenges of following Saint Paul's prescription for unconditional love.

Especially in light of this week celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, we reflect on Paul's words to the Corinthians about the interconnectedness of all members of our community and the essential contribution of every part of the body.

In our first podcast of the new year, we reflect on the story of Jesus turning water into wine and the role we all have to play in God's work of transformation and healing.

As we hear the Christmas story this year, we reflect on the shepherds who respond to the angels' message and show up just to befriend and adore the most important child in the world, and we give thanks for all the shepherds who are part of Braid's ministry.

We reflect on the labyrinth as a helpful metaphor for our work at Braid in helping each other find the center in a world that is full of twists and turns.

For many people – including most foster youth – holidays are times of grief and loneliness. We reflect on how difficult it is to anticipate Christmas when it is not the joyful and hopeful season our culture and our church say it should be.

What if we imagined Jesus' second coming like the approach of San Francisco's famous fog (fondly known as Karl)? And what if we were agents of that right now?

We consider what it means to hear Jesus' warnings about the destruction that will usher in a new age from a city that has been defined by natural disasters. 

We wrestle with the notion of sacrifice in scripture, especially in light of a special event we held in Grace Cathedral two weeks ago. You can read more about that event on our blog: https://braidmission.org/story-of-grace/

As we hear the story of the healing of Bartimaeus, we reflect on how we can model Jesus's compassion by truly seeing others, especially those who have lost most of their connections in this world.

This week we had the honor of participating in the weekly forum at Grace Cathedral, which was a conversation with two former foster youth who contributed to the Foster Youth Museum.  Latrenda Leslie serves as a Kinship Navigator at Lincoln Child Center and hopes to become a nurse. During her free time, she enjoys playing with her daughter, writing and dancing. Valentino Luna survived the streets of Hollywood as a homeless runaway and commercially sexually exploited youth. He currently lives in Phoenix, is happily married, and he and his partner plan to foster youth in the next two years. Valentino is currently writing his memoir about his experiences in Hollywood. Grace Cathedral's new dean, The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Young, hosted this rich conversation. - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/cathedral-life/the-forum/detail.php?fid=409#sthash.RdJbaXWv.dpuf

We reflect on Jesus' challenging words about how we use our wealth in light of our visit to the SOCAP conference this week.

As we anticipate the upcoming exhibit of the Foster Youth Museum at Grace Cathedral, we reflect on the real stories of foster youth as a modern depiction of the story of Job.    

We wrestle with instructions about prayer in the book of James, based on our own experiences of needing prayers of healing for ourselves and loved ones.

This week we reflect on what our own nomadic lifestyle at Braid has taught us about how we think in new ways about where the spirit of God dwells.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro.

This week we wonder how we disciples might do a better job of sending one another out into the world with authority.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we reflect on circles of healing – how we heal each other, and even how we heal God.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro.

This week we reflect on one of the most difficult aspects of discipleship: living in God's time rather than our own.Learn more about Aung San Suu Kyi. The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we reflect on Jesus's relationship with his own family of origin and what it means for all of us to adopt one other into the great Holy Family.Listen to Krista Tippett's interview with Fr. Greg Boyle on On Being (either the produced episode or the longer unedited interview).The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we hear Paul's words to the Romans in light of our own family stories and what we have learned about family through the stories of many foster youth.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we wonder what it was like for Jesus to awaken into new life and what it means for the Spirit to call us all into new life.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we read the Acts of the Apostles from a church planter's perspective and consider what it took to be one of the "startup" disciples.The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we ponder commandments and conditions: sometimes they're restraining, but they also provide structure for personal, professional, and divine relationships to flourish. The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week we reflect on how we hear Jesus' words about the importance of healthy vines bearing fruit in light of our ministry at Braid. The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

This week, we celebrate the launch of our mentoring program and how the Braid community is beginning to form, in ways similar to the early church after Jesus' resurrection. The music you hear in our podcast is "Braid," written and performed by John Tirro. You can find his music in iTunes.

As we celebrate an Easter that is very different for both of us, we reflect on a few of the angels we have encountered who proclaim new life and resurrection in their ministry to youth in foster care.

As we walk into Holy Week, we reflect on what the letter to the Hebrews tells us about Jesus' example of obedience and emptying of himself.

This week we reflect on hearing one of the co-founders of Pixar speak last week and how that influenced how we hear the letter to the Ephesians. Learn about Moore's Law. Listen to Alvy Ray Smith's talk at Grace Cathedral (scroll down for the audio recording). Br. Mark Brown's sermon "Time to Pray" from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. Just for fun: the trailer for the new Pixar movie.

This week we reflect on the Ten Commandments in light of what we have learned about the experience of being in foster care.

This week we reflect on our experience at Yoga on the Labyrinth at Grace Cathedral and the theme from their practice this week: those crazy innovators who believe they can change the world.

This week we honor the memory of one of our first friends in San Francisco and what she taught us about claiming God's love for us.

This week we're back home, reflecting on old prophets, the Transfiguration, and how we bless each other in relationship.

This week we visited with youth in a maximum security prison in south Texas, where we witnessed the tremendous power of healing in relationship.