New Year and the Melting of Shame

This is a new year for me as a second year YAV in New Orleans! I am serving as the new Mission YAV for the Presbytery of South Louisiana (PSL). My title is the new Hunger Action Enabler (HAE) for the PSL where I will be developing a hunger action network among church representatives, churches, and clusters. I will work to strengthen the ties between the hunger ministries and the presbytery, while also striving to kickstart new food justice programs. Throughout the year, I plan to help host presbytery-wide hunger mission days. Encouraging congregations to participate in hunger programs and purchasing fair trade products are also goals for this new year.

I also have new housemates! There are 3 men and 3 other women, totaling our house to 7 people! So far, we are having a blast together. We are naturally hanging out together, throwing spontaneous dance parties and sing-a-longs, exploring the city together, and taking turns each week cooking dinner for the house. I am eager to continue to laugh, love, and learn from them.

This past week at the needs-based outreach Program of Hope, where I served my first YAV year, I was spontaneously asked to preach the short sermonette before opening the stations. I talked about the Prodigal Son, shame, and the love of God. Vulnerability and shame researcher Brene Brown has profoundly impacted my life and my perspective. Here is a snippet:

What I love about the Prodigal Son story is that the father's love is louder than the son's shame. This is a lesson that is really hard for me remember, but it's comforting to be able to bring my shame and fear to the cross, especially through prayer. This song is a prayer when I am soaked in shame and can't see a way out. It's called "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran.

May you know that God's affection for you is stronger than your shame, that through the work of the Spirit your shame will be melted down to experience empathy and compassion to its fullness.