The inquirer we met with today has already shown clear evidence of call through faithful service, pastoral presence, and deep care for community.

When those sitting at the table come from similar backgrounds and hold similar assumptions, we risk falling back into old patterns.

One of the most pivotal turns in my religious life didn’t come from a priest. It came from a section in our AP European History textbook, taught by an atheist, Darlene Pang.

My ancestors were told that their gods, their rituals, their ways of relating to the land were evil—and they were punished for honoring them.