The Open Table KC

Jonathan Foster offers responses to the question, “Why faith?” They may not be sensible responses, but you may find them compelling.

Christian attitudes towards creation have led to many forms of violence over the years. Listen as Peter Francis discusses how indigenous perspectives and oral traditions approach relationships with the land and each other. We'll also look at the book of Genesis and compare attitudes toward creation as it relates to violence and war.

Racism is an act of war against BIPOC bodies; It is America's original sin, and the struggle for economic justice continues even today. Listen as Dr. Joshua Bartholomew offers perspectives on how the biblical concept of jubilee has been applied and can be applied today to achieve equity in our communities.

Jesus's life, ministry, and execution occurred under the occupation and power of the Roman Empire who falsely proclaimed peace and prosperity. Listen as Rev. Jessica Willams explores the false narratives proclaimed by the Roman Empire and the counter-narratives of the movement Jesus built as we reflect on the false moral narratives of our day.

Throughout history, Christianity has been used both to justify and resist countless acts of violence and widespread war. How can the Christian wisdom tradition be a conversation partner for the questions we have today about violence and nonviolence? Listen as Rev. Tyler Heston explores four stories about Jesus from the Gospels and how they've inspired people to think about violence, non violence, and faithful resistance.

Each of us carries the divine feminine within us. The desire to nurture our loved ones, humanity, and the earth - to curate safe space, to be a prophetic voice, and to leave our communities and home better than we found it. Listen as Rev. Dr. Letiah Fraser, Pakou Her, and Stephenie Godfroy celebrate our maternal instincts.

Theologians have long debated which is more crucial - action or contemplation. Thankfully, we also have examples of action and contemplation happening simultaneously. Listen as Rev Eric Garbison discusses ways we can be people of both action and contemplation.

Mysticism is something to be practiced, experienced, or embodied. Listen as Kevin Kelley walks us through various contemplative practices that can create the environment necessary for intimate encounters with the Divine.

It is easy to operate in binaries: sacred vs secular, black vs white, good vs bad. Listen as Dr. Susangeline Patrick invites us to think about how physical material and spirituality intersect with each other, breaking down these binaries. She discusses how the material world can embody the mystery and beauty of life that draws us close to God in a suffering world.

Mysticism offers some very grounded ways to address trauma so that we can avoid its pitfalls and receive the gifts the mystic life offers. One such gift of mysticism is that it expands our language for God and helps us get rid of language that no longer suits the ways in which we relate to the Divine in and around us. Listen as Fr. Turbo Qualls of St Mary of Egypt Orthodox Christian Church explores God as Mystery.

Mystics are not just people who are religious hermits or people who live in monasteries. Mysticism can be cultivated by all in our everyday lives. Listen as we hear from Glenn Young, Assoc. Professor of Theology and Religious Studies. He will explore the history of mysticism through the voices of ancient mystics and give an overview of some of the principles of mysticism.

What if utopia isn't about a place of absolute perfection but is about what queer theorist Jose Munoz calls "an insistence on something else, something better, something dawning"? Listen as Rev. Tyler Heston leads a discussion exploring how queer thinkers and theologians say we can can insist on and practice "utopia" in our day-to-day lives in a way and how liberation theology is about more about orthopraxy (right practice) than it is orthodoxy (right belief).

The media often focuses on individual acts of violence, but seldom focus on the institutions that cause the vast majority of violence in our society. We recently welcomed Trinidad Raj Molina, board member of AIRR, and Samantha M. for a discussion about the liberation theology principle of calling out and addressing institutional violence.

Both religious and political structures are quick to blame the poor for their poverty, but the systems that produce poverty are seldom held accountable for wreaking havoc on millions. Listen in as Deth Im facilitates a discussion on structural sin, one of the core tenets of liberation theology.

Across the Americas in the 20th century, priests and theologians looked at Scripture through the eyes of the oppressed, and they rediscovered a gospel of liberation throughout the pages. Listen as Rev Letiah Fraser and Nick Pickrell lead a conversation about the tenets of liberation theology.

Healing and liberation are what social movements have been fighting for both in the past and the present. Listen in as we welcome Rev Dr Delesslyn Kennebrew, JD MDiv for a conversation about the intersection of healing, liberation, and spiritual communities.

Disabled people come from a rich history of people who have had to be innovators, language curators and activists in an ableist world that pushes us to the margins. Disability theology is also part of our story. Join us on an accessible journey through our history and explore how hope for a more inclusive and accessible world can be realized in the present as we become acquainted with The God who became Disabled. Listen in as Rev. Hank Jenkins, Co-chair of the Association of Ministers with Disabilities shared with us on June 27th.

What does authentic hope look like in the midst of all the angst and fear that marks our current social dynamics? Is hope even a possibility now? What's the responsibility of people of faith and moral courage? Perhaps the prophet Ezekiel offers a perspective. Listen in from our conversation on May 23rd as Rev. Deth Im shares in conversation with us- If you squint, you can see it.

Is it possible to make a stranger into a neighbor? The journey toward kinship with someone who looks, thinks, votes, believes differently than you begins with the mutual sharing of our stories, and interacting and working together in community — putting our faith in action. Listen now to our conversation from 4/25 as we continue our series Hope Here and Now with Rev. David Fraccaro, Executive Director of FaithAction International House, and Chi Nguyen, a member of the Leadership Team at The Open Table and Board Member from FaithAction International House.

We began the Lenten season grounding ourselves in the reality that we are dust and are a part of the ecosystem of mother earth to which we will return. Listen in as we reflect on Palm Sunday through to Easter. The events from this sacred week remind us that political theatre and uprisings, caring for the earth as a project of survival, and planting seeds that will sustain the movement for justice began with Jesus, was carried forward by our ancestors, and will be carried forward by us until our ancestors' dreams of a resurrection city comes to life on earth.

As winter recedes, we explore the life and work of Assata Shakur and Fannie Lou Hamer as saints guiding us toward a new world. Listen as we welcome Kimmothy Cole as they facilitate an embodied ritual experience for leaving behind the season of waiting and moving into the rooting and opening of spring.

God uses all of the material of our lives for the healing of the world. Listen as we welcome Rev. Dionne Boyice (she/her/hers) who will explore the life of an unlikely saint, St. Julian the Hospitaller.

Won't you be my neighbor? And listen in as Rev. Letiah Fraser explores the life and wisdom of Rev. Fred Rogers. The life and work of Mr. Rogers invites us to wrestle with life's essential questions through song, learn how to embrace our days with intention, approach learning with curiosity, embrace the hard realities of life with imagination and play, practice positive regard for self and others and develop a habit of gratitude.

What are the boundaries for “true” Christianity? Jane Schaberg was a feminist Biblical scholar who was willing to challenge Christian orthodoxy, and her study of Mary Magdalene led her to something she called “Magdalene Christianity,” a liberating alternative to the patriarchal tradition that has prevailed throughout the history of Christianity. Listen as Rev. Tyler Heston shares how Jane Schaberg is a saint to him and how her legacy can inspire us to conjure up new ideas of what Christianity might be.

Many saints are known by their interior spiritual practices, but often times the radical work they've done in the world gets whitewashed. Listen as we welcome Rev. Jeya So, co-pastor of Anchor City Church, a third culture church in San Diego, CA. She discusses the life and witness of Saint Yu Gwansun, a Korean freedom fighter and martyr from the Japanese Occupation of Korea, and invites us to reflect on how her story of fighting against colonialism and oppression can inform our own stories of moving towards God's love and justice.

The Advent season is the time when the whole community anticipates when justice and peace finally reign on earth. Listen to this interactive Christmas Eve service where we look at the communal implications of hope, peace, love, and joy. This gathering is co-facilitated by Rev. Letiah Fraser, Madi Parker, and Nick Pickrell.

What does ancestral lineage have to teach us about Sainthood? How might those of our own family line model the life of Jesus for us? Our Saint Series continues as we explore ancestral and family ties as a model of modern day saints in service and in love. Listen as Rev. Dr. Delesslyn Kennebrew, J.D., M.Div shares with us her own familial saints-- her paternal and maternal grandmother, Saint Theresa and Saint Mary.

What do the lives of various modern and ancient saints teach us about how to respond to the injustices we face today? How can their lives, and the life of Jesus, impact the ways we do hospitality and justice work in our current context? Join us on 11/22 from 6-7:30 online as Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen shares with us the life and work of author and activist Alice Walker, particularly looking at her text, The Gospel According to Shug.

Our society is constructed around the white supremacy characteristics of power hoarding and paternalism. This causes many to believe the myth of scarcity. Remember the rush for toilet paper and hand sanitizer? This causes those with influence and positions to hoard power and resources. These false narratives foster white saviorism and creates an atmosphere where power dynamics can remain unchecked and unchanged. Listen in as Victoria Litardo and Jeremy Ruzich facilitate a discussion about sharing power and creating practices that help debunk the myths of scarcity and control.

In our next to last gathering in our Antiracist Spirituality series, we will explore The Written Word and how white supremacy culture upholds the written standard of certain languages and credentials in our society. How can poetry and other verbal art forms take us out of our expectations and bring us an embodied way of connecting and communicating? How might we analyze our standards of being and expectation in the world to allow for more nuance and fluidity, honoring of more cultures? Listen in as poets Nika Renee and Madison Mae Parker share their own journey.

White Supremacy culture has an unattainable, always moving target in which to measure perfection. It has infused every structure of society from the family unit to the corporation. The clothing, make-up, health food industry bank on our desire for perfection. The trauma and shame this endless quest produces does harm to our bodies, minds and souls. Practices that cultivate radical self-acceptance, build resilience, healing and self-compassion help us challenge this toxic value of white supremacy culture. Listen to the conversation with Garrett Brown and Abhishek Dutt.

We have been conditioned by our educational, political and religious systems to believe that there is only one way to be “right” and that those who think and act differently than “us” are wrong. Our social media platforms and news outlets have taught us how to “unfriend” and argue with people whose voices don't sound like those in our echo chambers. Dismantling white supremacy culture means actively resisting the fundamentalism that happens on the left and on the right and practicing embracing that many paths exist.

One of the ways white supremacy culture functions is by generalizing and universalizing the experience of the white individual. At the same time, individualism allows people to distance themselves from their racial identity group, with statements like "I'm not racist" serving as a way to avoid taking responsibility for the systemic ways the legacy of racism continues to wreak havoc on Black and brown bodies. Join Dachia Busch and Emily Bartlett for a conversation on Rugged Individualism and how Christian mysticism can serve as an antidote for white supremacy culture.

We live in a culture and a society that often values progress over people, time over relationships, and quantity over quality. This cultural norm is rooted in white supremacy. How do we allow stillness, embodiment, and rest to be antidotes to a production driven society that does not see the value of people? Join us in the continued conversation of An Antiracist Spirituality as we dive into Rhythm Over Time with Stephanie Briggs and Sarah Dunne Pickrell.

Our conversation with An Antiracist Spirituality series continues as we explore the ways white supremacy manifests itself through white defensiveness and the fear of open conflict. How might we hold space for tension while simultaneously unpacking where this defensiveness comes from? How can Christian mysticism guide us towards a non-defensive posture? Join us for a conversation with Angela Martellaro and Megan Black.

Join us for the start of our new series as we explore An Antiracist Spirituality. With the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many more– calls for an end to racist policing and other forms of systemic racism have reverberated across the globe. As the movements to end white supremacy and racism grow, it is important to reflect on how racism has been internalized by each of us. Using Christian Mysticism as the guiding antidote, we will explore how rituals and embodiment practices help us dismantle white supremacy in our bodies and dismantle racism in our communities and systems. Cecilia Belser-Patton and Nick Pickrell will be leading us in this important conversation.

We are closing out our Sacred Earth series by exploring the indigenous perspective on caring for ourselves, our bodies, and all of earth's creatures, using the stories and myths of our ancestors and traditions as guides. Kelly Daniels, founder and director of Blue River Forest Experience, leads us in a conversation about the healing power of connecting to nature.

Our series on Sacred Earth continues with poet and environmental advocate, Mary Silwance, as we discuss what earth care looks like on a local level. Our city is home to many ecosystems from prairie to wetland to forest. How can we begin to consider our local landscape and responsibly care for this land that gives to us so graciously? How can caring for these natural spaces become an integral spiritual practice?

It's no secret that COVID-19 has further exposed the underbelly of the beast in our nation— systemic racism. The ripple effects of this pandemic are layers deep, yet our nation's response further perpetuates white supremacy culture. The Open Table Antiracism Trainings hosted a Facebook LIVE discussion on racial inequity amidst COVID-19 & the church's role in addressing injustice during a humanitarian crisis.

April 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a day meant to remind us of the many gifts earth brings as we advocate for conscious environmental justice and protection. We will explore the intersections of earth care, self care, spirituality and the interconnectedness of all creation. What does the Buddhist tradition have to teach us about the interconnectedness of self and earth? Listen in as Sergio Moreno invites us into deep spiritual practices of caring for the world around us.

As we begin our Lenten series, Breaking the Cycle of Violence, we are starting with a conversation about what Jesus' death on the cross meant 2,000 years ago. Was Jesus' death really necessary to appease an angry God, or did it mean something else entirely? Join us as we welcome Dr. David May, professor of New Testament studies at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, who will lead a discussion on what Jesus' death has meant to people experiencing oppression.

Every quarter at The Open Table we like to slow down, take a deep breath and recenter ourselves. Join us as we finish up our series, Embracing our Whole Selves, with a refreshing, contemplative gathering in the spirit of the Taizé community. In order to adapt to the new realities given the COVID-19 pandemic, this gathering is offered online. Check out this blog post for a self-guided, contemplative liturgy. Also, we are including a guided meditation by Sarah Pickrell for you to participate in.

Grief manifests in more ways than just as a response to death. Our lives are made up of many moments of ambiguous, unnamable loss. In a culture where emotions are expected to be contained to certain events or locations, how do we allow ourselves to feel and move through this grief? How does it live in our bodies and communities? Listen in as we discuss the varying forms of grief and spiritual practices for grounding within it.

Art can be used as a tool of empowerment and identity formation. Join us as we explore art as community, identity and empowerment through the lens of developmental disabilities. Imagine That!– a local art studio that serves creative individuals with developmental disabilities– shares how they provide artists with the space and tools to define themselves.

Advent is a season of awaiting change: awaiting the birth of Jesus into a world of oppressive power; awaiting the birth of a renewed spirit & hope. The queer story is not unlike the story of Advent. To be queer is to be something outside of the world's norms— to await a changed world that reflects the peace and power found in the Divine, through us. Tune in for our Christmas gathering!

Hope is inauthentic when we fail to acknowledge the oppression and trauma that exists in the world. Listen as we discuss how to embody a more grounded and authentic hope this holiday season.

Visual storytelling has been utilized throughout social movements as a means of documenting reality and disrupting systems. Stories invite us towards empathy, which has the power to shift narratives and change communities. It reminds us of our shared humanity, and calls us into deeper work together. Join us as we hear from KC Tenants the important role visual storytelling has played in their work of building a multiracial tenant-led movement.

Public art plays a significant role in our world. It is an invitation for community involvement— where one is encouraged to question and discover. In light of our current immigration crisis, we have seen art used as a form of protest in public parks, urban spaces, and even along the US/Mexico border. What may seem like a paradox of hope & despair, actually engages us in reimagining another narrative where human dignity can be restored. Join us for a conversation with artists Israel Alejandro Garcia Garcia and Enrique Javier Chi as they share how their art reflects the immigrant experience and the fight for justice.

The world is rapidly changing and disappearing at the hands of humans. Our easy consumption driven lifestyle has resulted in communities, such as those in the Amazon, being destroyed and ravaged. In the face of fast production and convenience, how can humanity participate in healing mother earth and one another? Join us as we hear from local poet & activist, Mary Silwance. She will be sharing the power behind lament as a means of activism– the work of grieving & healing our planet.

Throughout history, art has been used to tell stories, disrupt reality, celebrate identity, and invite us into a new consciousness. Art has become a sacred expression of liberation and freedom in social justice movements, which has inspired a paradigm shift in how we reclaim narratives today. It reminds us we're not alone and that there is more to be seen and healed. All it requires is for humanity to be willing to connect and communicate more deeply. Listen as we kick-off a new series on Art as Activism. We will be exploring various mediums in which artists tell change-making stories that speaks truth to power and calls us to action towards the mending of our world. We will be hearing from various local artists who will share why the intersection of justice & art matters now more than ever.

Our current political climate has become a breeding grounds of fear & hate towards immigrants and refugees. In the face of xenophobia, we must ask ourselves if our country's history ever reflected a welcoming spirit to our immigrant neighbors. Listen to the second installment of a two-part series as we hear from local organization, IJAM on ways we can effectively disrupt & respond to the current crisis on the border.