Suffering Is Not A Blessing

June 17, 2020 By Alicia T. Crosby

Whether it’s happening to us, is happening to others, or it happened in the past, we need to scream from the rooftops that someone’s #SufferingIsNotABlessing. Read more

Practice vs. Process: Notes on Forgiveness, Repentance, and Grace

October 9, 2019 By Alicia T. Crosby

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The following reflection is one I engaged in after having had a series of online and in-person conversations about forgiveness, repentance, and grace. These things are very much at the forefont of public discourse in a number of communities at present and I hope folks find this brief musing to be helpful. One of the things I’m sitting with this morning is that people need space to consider the differences between forgiveness, repentance, and the extension of grace. I value… Read more

The Wisdom Present in Your Fear

July 18, 2019 By Alicia T. Crosby

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You who’ve become acquainted with fear as the jagged parts of fragile, factured other press up against your person and tear at your security Know there is wisdom in your vigilance Those who abide with you are speaking, sharing from ancestral wells of sacred memory Still yourself to hear them so you can be reminded that you are not alone and they can show you what to do Read more

I Love You Because I Love Me

June 10, 2019 By Alicia T. Crosby

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Lover As I sit here alone with my thoughts I realized something About me, About you, About us It just dawned on me that I could never have readied my arms to accept you if I didn’t first embrace myself You know my story Queer flower child resisting and pushing against the stifling sludge of religiosity that was spread over the divine ground I was planted in. It took me 30 years to break through dogmatic concrete softened by… Read more

Lent, Jesus, Spiritual Violence, and Religious Trauma? Oh My! [Sermon]

March 1, 2019 By Alicia T. Crosby

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There’s a WHOLE lot of life that happened for me between 12 and 30. As a 32-year-old Black American pansexual pastors kid from Queens with a super blended, sorta complex, multicultural, sociopolitically diverse family, there are *stories* I can tell you. Knowing this leaves me wondering what Jesus’ life looked like during this period. All we know is what Luke 2:52 says. “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” Read more

Burial Shoes

January 18, 2019 By Alicia T. Crosby

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I lost my beloved Grandma a little over two months ago. Ever since her passing, I’ve found myself working to a find a new rhythm of life. I wrote “Burial Shoes” in honor of her memory and in acknowledgement of my grief. I cleaned my shoes today Sensible pumps with block heel The comfortable sort that can carry you through long days As I brushed away the bits of Virginian Earth that clung to them I realized this was another… Read more

Writing My Vision and Making It Plain

June 30, 2018 By Alicia T. Crosby

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I have a friend who invites those of us in community with them to articulate our dreams on a semiweekly basis. This exercise has been super helpful because it’s pushed me to think through what I desire for my life and how to go after it. I want to share some of that vision with you then invite you to share your dreams so that we can hold these things together. All l want to do is write, speak, and… Read more

Finding Your Place In The Resistance

May 22, 2018 By Alicia T. Crosby

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Knowing who you are, the realities you navigate, and the resources you have access to, what is your place in the Resistance? Read more

And On The Day Of Pentecost

May 20, 2018 By Alicia T. Crosby

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With that mighty wind And energy like wildfire The Spirit of God burned down partitions of difference Lending presence, Making clear that we are all the children of divinity Making space for our worship in temples, in the wild, and in common places. Making room for us. Read more