Send us a text Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Tricia Templeton, Justin Strickland, The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir, and Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright. Each guest will write that week's For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights. In the first guest episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Tricia Templeton cen...
Jul 11, 2025•14 min•Ep. 260
Send us a text When we've been hurt or rejected, vengeance may be something we desire. Christian maturity helps us build capacities to defer and fend off the need for vengeance. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about vengeance. Using Luke 9:51-62, they unpack Jesus' response when his disciples wanted to "rain fire and brimstone" on a Samaritan village that rejected them. Jesus rebukes their desire for vengeance suggesting that vengeance distracts those who have deci...
Jun 27, 2025•20 min•Ep. 259
Send us a text What happens when we strip away centuries of religious interpretation and confront the actual teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? This Jesus isn't the gentle, apolitical figure often presented in modern Christianity, but rather "a holistically spiritual freedom fighter" deeply concerned with poverty, exploitation, and injustice. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., research scholar at Columbia University and former professor at Princeton ...
Jun 20, 2025•29 min•Ep. 258
Send us a text What happens when we encounter truth we aren't ready for? Jesus' words about the Spirit of Truth were a guide to his disciples who couldn't yet bear everything their teacher had to share. Jesus' teachings on the Spirit of Truth remain a guide for us today too! In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about truth and the weigh it carries in our lives. Most of us resist truth because we don't want our failures and frailties exposed. Yet spiritual maturity manif...
Jun 13, 2025•20 min•Ep. 257
Send us a text "Diversity belongs to God's imagination." With this bold statement, Bishop Rob Wright cuts through the political noise surrounding conversations about human difference. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how the ancient biblical story of Pentecost offers a divine endorsement of human diversity that transcends modern political debates. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Pentecost centered around Acts 2:1-21 where the Holy Spirit descends...
Jun 06, 2025•20 min•Ep. 256
Send us a text Prison takes many shapes and forms. The size of an individuals home or investment portfolio pales in comparison to true spiritual release - a freedom of purpose, clarity, and belonging that transcends physical limitations. This God given release is true freedom! In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright delve into Acts 16, reflecting on the story of Paul and Silas. Imprisoned yet singing joyfully after freeing a slave girl from demonic possession, their experience serves as a pow...
May 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 255
Send us a text Words create worlds. From Genesis where God speaks creation into being, to Jesus asking a paralyzed man, "Do you want to be made well?", speech carries the power to transform reality. But what happens when certain topics become unspeakable? In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that explores how modern society increasingly avoids difficult conversations. Using Jesus' healing story, Bishop Wright reveals how bringing things into speech opens pathways to hea...
May 23, 2025•20 min•Ep. 254
Send us a text God does some of God's best work in the darkness! These painful periods hold unexpected creative potential—a perspective shared by both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize speech and Jesus in his final hours with his disciples. Dr. King spoke during a time of profound national division. Yet he saw beyond immediate chaos to "a genuine civilization struggling to be born." Similarly, Jesus, facing betrayal and death, used that moment to wash his disciples' feet a...
May 16, 2025•23 min•Ep. 253
Send us a text Being in relationship with God is accompanied by suspense. Even in the bible, John 10: 22-30, Jesus is asked "Are you the Messiah? How long will you keep us in suspense?" Faith in God meets in the tensions of certainty and the suspense of the unknown. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the suspense that accompanies faith. Bishop Wright offers a perspective that transforms how we view life's uncertainties. "The suspense is not if there's God, the s...
May 09, 2025•20 min•Ep. 252
Send us a text What do we do with our wounds? When betrayal cuts deep, when painful experiences leave scars, we have control of how we move forward - with God's help. Jesus' post-resurrection appearances challenge our conventional responses to hurt. Jesus, freshly risen from death after being betrayed by his closest followers, doesn't seek distance or retribution. Instead, he passes through locked doors to reconnect with the very people who abandoned him. This radical choice reveals what authent...
May 02, 2025•21 min•Ep. 251
Send us a text This week we celebrate 250 episodes of our Podcast, For People! From its inception until now our purpose has been singular, to talk about God, God’s goodness and how we might respond to this good God made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus far, we have listeners in 142 countries. An immense thank you goes to Easton Davis, our producer, and Melissa Rau, my conversation partner, most weeks. Incredibly affirming and instructive for us in this work is that we have heard f...
Apr 25, 2025•30 min•Ep. 250
Send us a text Authority comes in many forms, but as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, he modeled an understanding that may transform how we view our empowerment. While crowds waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" one day and "Crucify him!" shortly after, Jesus remained steadfast. Neither public praise nor rejection sways him from his purpose. This spiritual maturity stands as both a challenge and an invitation to us – can we remain faithful to our calling regardless of exter...
Apr 11, 2025•24 min•Ep. 249
Send us a text Loss hits hardest when we love deeply. How do we face it without denial or paralysis? In John 12, at a dinner for Jesus after Lazarus' resurrection, his friends respond to impending loss differently—Lazarus with nostalgia, Martha with busyness, and Judas with business. But Mary offers a different way: acknowledging a loss that draws her closer to Jesus. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about loss. They use the dinner party to unpack how people respond...
Apr 04, 2025•18 min•Ep. 248
Send us a text Empathy is not just about intellect. Empathy is about putting flesh on Christian ideals. It's about compassion enough for everyone. The story of The Prodigal Son is one of Jesus' parables thats reaches beyond the Christian faith. In the story, Jesus stretches empathy wide for everyone involved. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about empathy, focusing on the story of The Prodigal Son. Using the story as inspiration, they discuss how God calls us to mak...
Mar 28, 2025•21 min•Ep. 247
Send us a text When Moses noticed a burning bush and decided to investigate rather than ignore it, he unwittingly set in motion events that would liberate an entire people from slavery. What might happen if we approached our faith with similar holy curiosity? In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about remaining curious with our faith matters. They discuss how curiosity serves as the gateway to authentic worship and meaningful action. Our willingness to approach the unus...
Mar 21, 2025•23 min•Ep. 246
Send us a text To grow up in Christ will make you maladjusted to the world. St. Paul was a Roman citizen - the platinum standard for the age. Yet, in Paul's letter to the Philippians, he reminds us that we are citizens of heaven living on earth. What are the costs of this heavenly citizenship? As we grow up in Jesus, we get a glimpse of how we have adjusted ourselves to a world in open opposition to truth, peace, love and justice. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation ab...
Mar 14, 2025•21 min•Ep. 245
Send us a text Join us in keeping a Holy Lent! The theme for this year’s Lenten series is Growing Up in Christ! We get to this theme in response to the opportunity and necessity of us all becoming more mature Christians. Our marriages, families, vocations, state, nation and world all will be better when we decide, with new resolve, to Grow up in Christ! Above all, Growing up in Christ is an active friendship with Jesus that changes us and points us toward the world that he loves. For the next fi...
Mar 07, 2025•20 min•Ep. 244
Send us a text It was Jesus' habit to pray. He had a rhythm of action and reflection. As Christians in a modern world, prioritizing our time to pray, reflect, and be in relationship with God isn't easy. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about time, drawing insights from Jesus' practices and Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s teachings. Are we merely consuming our time, or are we engaging with it in a meaningful way? They explore how embracing a mindful approach to daily routine...
Feb 28, 2025•20 min•Ep. 243
Send us a text “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you.” Those are Jesus’ directives to us who call him lord. What a dangerous oddness! The concept of "dangerous oddness," a unique term by Walter Brueggemann, paints a picture of Jesus' countercultural call. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about redefining society's norm and loving your enemy. They discuss Jesus' guidance, his own response to lovi...
Feb 21, 2025•20 min•Ep. 242
Send us a text Climate change is a real-world problem. Its intricate web connects governance, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Real solutions require moral leadership that reaches far beyond political party and country lines. In the latest episode of our series on Moral Leadership, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. David Orr, an esteemed environmental scholar, on his journey from international relations to pioneering environmental activism. They discuss the systemic issues ...
Feb 14, 2025•31 min•Ep. 241
Send us a text Join us for Bishop Wright's latest podcast series: The Heart of Moral Leadership. Moral leadership is critical in turbulent political times because it provides a compass for guiding people through uncertainty, promoting justice, and fostering unity. In periods of division, leaders with strong ethical principles inspire trust, encourage empathy, and model behavior that prioritizes the common good over personal gain. Jesus' leadership, marked by compassion, forgiveness, and a radica...
Feb 07, 2025•26 min•Ep. 240
Send us a text Faith and public policy are at a crossroads, making waves in national headlines. This intersection is deeply political, with Christians divided on all sides of the issue. As followers of Christ, it’s essential to remember that while Jesus’ message is undeniably political, it is never partisan. In this episode, Bishop Wright sits down with Rebecca Linder Blachly, the Director of the Office of Government Relations for The Episcopal Church. Together, they explore the nation’s most pr...
Feb 05, 2025•21 min•Ep. 239
Send us a text In our suffering, we often forget that even Jesus suffered. Many have turned away from God due to past wounds, yet some seek healing from the same experiences. By reflecting on Jesus' suffering, we can begin to understand this human condition can be used by God to change lives! In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about suffering and how it is a result of human actions and choices. They discuss how community and personal narrative are tools that come out ...
Jan 31, 2025•27 min•Ep. 238
Send us a text Tick-Tock... Not the app some of us spend time on! Tick-tock used to refer to the passing of time marked by a second hand on a watch or clock. When Matthew tells his story of Jesus, he often uses a word that points to the rapid elapse of time, “immediately.” “Immediately,” James and John left their family’s fishing business and joined Jesus in his friend making campaign. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the art of time management against the bac...
Jan 24, 2025•20 min•Ep. 237
Send us a text What if our fixation on political leaders hinders our spiritual and communal growth? As we reflect on the intersection of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president and Dr. King's birthday, we are invited to recognize the potential dangers of idolization and hypercriticism that can lead to societal paralysis. In this conversation, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about shared purpose and finding middle ground across party lines. They discuss Dr. King's approach...
Jan 17, 2025•21 min•Ep. 236
Send us a text What lessons can a former president's legacy teach us about today's political landscape? President Jimmy Carter's inaugural address from 1977, given nearly 50 years ago, remains relevant to the social and political climate in our country and world today. In this episode Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation focused on President Carter's speech. They point to his courage to openly acknowledge governmental mistakes and how this parallels biblical principles of confession and...
Jan 10, 2025•21 min•Ep. 235
Send us a text New Years is a time of the year we often discuss resolutions and taking on new projects. But what can happen in our lives when we loosen the grip on old ways and thinking? President Jimmy Carter models just that! In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about New Years and how releasing old habits and lifeless ties pave the way for new beginnings and spiritual growth. They discuss the concept of "resolution" and its Latin roots meaning "to loosen." They use J...
Jan 03, 2025•24 min•Ep. 234
Send us a text What if faith could topple the mighty and elevate the humble? The Magnificat, Mary's timeless song of hope and defiance, holds the key to addressing today's inequities and injustices. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and how Mary's decree inspires us to hold fast to hope even in the world's brokenness. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith , the companion devotional. Support the show Follow us on IG and FB...
Dec 20, 2024•24 min•Ep. 233
Send us a text What if embracing authenticity could lead you to spiritual maturity and a deeper connection with God? John the Baptist's authenticity invites us to step out of societal norms and into a life of repentance and grace. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about John the Baptist through the lens of Luke 3:7-18. Together, they wonder about John's upbringing by Zechariah and Elizabeth, which cultivated his understanding of God's reality. They also talk about Jo...
Dec 13, 2024•24 min•Ep. 232
Send us a text What does it mean repent and embrace change? It is more than acknowledging past mistakes! It includes confronting deep-seated fears and behaviors that prevent us from living fully as God intends. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about John the Baptist and how his radical message of repentance encourages us to use our faith to change the world. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith , the companion devotional. Support the show Follow us on...
Dec 06, 2024•22 min•Ep. 231
