We have failed to incorporate the whole body into God’s mission.

I just impulsively wrote my first ever Substack post. It felt good to write again. And it feels exposing and scary to write publicly again.

Only those who aim not for influence can handle influence/power handed to them in self-emptying ways. Beware of seeking influence!

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Restoration almost always take longer than we hope. But we can be confident that the arc will be completed – that the worst in us won't have the last word.

If you're looking for a place to donate at year-end, please consider giving toward relief for displaced Gazan children at @UNICEF. They're successfully transporting supplies en masse. Read this page for details. unicefusa.org/stories/gaza-r…

10 years ago, I gave my first talk at a youth lock-in at 21 y/o. I just listened to it again and am grateful that it aged well and still feels pertinent to what I'm facing today. soundcloud.com/meg-baatz/kee… This year, I gave my first (and second) ever Sunday sermon. I'm grateful.

I was challenged by this article. There are bad leaders, but also ways to follow poorly. How we examine potential leaders before following them also matters, especially when leadership hypocrisy runs rampant. What about you – what do you think? commongoodmag.com/how-to-fol…

This man's name is Rick Rescorla. 22 years ago today, Rick disobeyed orders, and saved 2700 lives. Rick was the head of security for Morgan Stanley in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He warned that the Towers' basements were vulnerable to attack. His warnings fell on deaf ears. Then the 1993 attack happened, and people started listening to him. After that attack, Rick implemented regular evacuation drills, using his megaphone to direct the thousands of employees out of their offices, down the stairwells, and out of the building to safety. Born in Cornwall, Rick would sing Welsh and Cornish songs from his megaphone, as he directed the employees out of the building. He would routinely tell all of the employees: in an emergency, no matter what chaos is happening around you, no matter what anyone tells you, leave your offices, go down the stairwells, and leave the building. Rick told his wife Susan that he suspected another attack on the World Trade Center would happen, this time by air. And 22 years ago today, on September 11, 2001, that attack happened. When the first plane hit the North Tower, the Port Authority announced over the South Tower's speaker system "Please do not leave the building. This area is secure." Rick ignored them. "The dumb sons of b------s told me not to evacuate," he said to his best friend Dan. "They said it's just Building One. I told them I'm getting my people the f--k out of here." And so Rick picked up his megaphone as he had done so many times before, told his employees not to listen to the orders, and directed them out of the building. His Cornish songs helped keep their nerves calm as they evacuated, even after the second plane hit their Tower. Once he had successfully evacuated his employees, Rick went back to look for survivors. But first, he called his wife Susan. "Stop crying. I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I've never been happier. You made my life." Rick rushed back to the South Tower. That was the last time anyone saw him alive. All but 6 of the more than 2700 Morgan Stanley employees survived. Had they obeyed the Port Authority, they would all be dead. Thankfully, they listened to Rick instead. Rest in Peace, Rick. Thank you for your service.

The older I get, the more I aspire to live a quiet life. And the more I believe that is what will make the kind of “impact” anyways.

Podcasters, audio engineers, sound editors: What is the best AI audio editor you've found out there that has saved you lots of time?

Hey Twitter, are you (or someone you know) an Executive Director in the U.S. looking for help with grant writing? I have a friend who is accepting clients and would love to share her info. DM me!

Our natural impulse is not toward growth, but toward avoidance of pain. When we name the latter and commit to the former, we can learn and grow anywhere – especially in the presence of our "enemies." Perhaps this is the table the Good Shepherd is setting before us.

You know what would save me so much time? An extended clipboard on iPhone. Android remembers multiple things you copy to clipboard, and iPhone only remembers one. I forgot this and lost an important note because of it. @Apple #iphonefeaturerequest

WOW! This is the view from the The George Washington bridge running from Manhattan, New York to New Jersey. - This is all stemming from Central Canada, where wildfires are burning in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. - In total there are 211 reported wildfires burning in these two provinces, with 145 of them considered "out of control". - These fires started because of unseasonable hot and dry conditions, and have already forced 10,000 residents to evacuate their homes in Quebec. I think what this shows us is how fragile and interconnected the entire world really is environmentally. An event that takes place in another country can have major impacts and implications on our own. We are all in this thing together. Let's get along and work together to figure things out. The environment is a great place to start.

Lower Manhattan via @EarthCam as we approach 2:00pm. Speechless.

My favorite new podcast that I discovered over the past year is Unsuitable with MaryB. Safrit. Check out this recent episode with @MegBaatz on "Becoming an Ally to the LGBTQ Community". open.spotify.com/episode/5UY… #PrideMonth #FaithfullyLGBTQ #PrideMonth2023 #Pride2023

HILLSONG WAS EXTRAORDINARY. That’s the problem. This piece by @amyjuliabecker is making the rounds. religionnews.com/2023/06/02/…

I don't know who needs this, but... What elephant in the room do you need to address in that important relationship today?

For pride month, any new queer-related books to read that you would recommend?