Dear 12 Community, If my memory is correct, we’ve been together about seven years. That’s a long a time together. That’s enough time to know

We are the remnants of violence. We are the survivors. It’s the years after the horror of the gunshot that people don’t talk about. Those

It was the first day of my fifth grade year and I was already excited about becoming a member of the safety patrol squad. That’s

Governor Cuomo assembled an inter-religious advisory council of faith leaders in the last year to advise him and his staff. My understanding is that he

With poise and grace she walked toward me as if we were about to enter a dance. She was the lead and I was to

Honor Dr. King by honoring black women. That’s what I decided to do last year and continue to do so this year. The best way

Did you see the Supermoon this week? It’s the brightest and largest full moon we will see all year. On my facebook timeline people posted

I had hoped for a beautiful and lengthy post reflecting on the gravitas of Christmas, but alas, I don’t have that. I, like many pastors,

This morning Time Magazine released the news that their Person of the Year are the Silence Breakers, women who have come forth in a chorus

by Jes Kast My colleagues here on The Twelve are sharing excellent reasons why you should give and financially support The Twelve and Perspectives Journal.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;     before the “gods” I will sing your praise. – Psalm 138:1   My mother is famous for writing thank

For I am convinced that death…will not be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans

Why was it so hard to post that on my Facebook this week? Have I internalized what shouldn’t be normal as normal? Have I learned

“The world feels high lonesome and heartbroken to me right now. We’ve sorted ourselves into fractions based on our politics and ideology. We’ve turned away

I (Jes Kast) am so happy to welcome back Marcy Rudins this week! Growing up near Chicago, it always seemed like we had to go,

A Word from Jes…Sometimes I enjoy highlighting other women who you may, or may not, know in our reformed life who I believe are saying

Micah 6:8 is a championed verse among progressive, social justice minded ministers of the Gospel. We love the prophet’s heralding of believers to do justice

In just a few days I will be indulging in the remaining days of summer on Lake Michigan with loved ones. My thoughts are held

It’s been about a year and half since I began my yoga practice. Like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love I would wear my mala

When I was five years old I would line up my stuffed animals into pews. I would grab bread and juice from the kitchen and

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up

 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some

It was when I was twelve years old that I first read through the Bible in an entire year. My Pastor said that someone had

 Let us not enter Holy Week with reserved minds intellectualizing our faith, but let us be full of emotion with the audacity to break into

One of the pleasures I have is that I travel as a public theologian to different conferences and preach and teach. This weekend I was

Last week I wondered why my clergy friends were talking about the Women at the Well (John 4) a week before I was preaching it.

“There’s nothing as dangerous as a woman who knows herself. There’s nothing as powerful as woman who knows herself.” – Rachel Kurtz (My sister in

  In 2013 Eminem wrote the song “The Monster.” Together, with Rihanna, this song skyrocketed to the top of the charts. It’s a catchy pop

I believe that maturity is not an outgrowing, but a growing up: that an adult is not a dead child, but a child who survived.

God, Our Creator and Sustainer, It is a gift to be able to even pray to you today. We thank you that we woke up

  For a week after the election I had a conversation almost everyday with someone who voted differently than me. I move into research mode

  Lament is a practice I regularly take up. It’s one of the most faithful practices of Christian hope. The petitioner offers her complaint to

I love my family. Like many families we don’t all agree. On most social issues we see things differently. It didn’t always use to be that

In the last year 558 people have been killed by the police in just 2016 alone. That’s more than one person a day. That feels

How often to you let your mind wander in imagination? Do you let yourself daydream? As I ride the subway back and forth from Brooklyn

Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside

The Reverend Annie Reilly is filling in for The Reverend Jes Kast-Keat for the month of May. Let us welcome her guest column today. Right

Jes Kast-Keat has asked Reverend Annie Reilly to write today. We welcome Rev. Reilly. Yesterday, the report from the Special Council was released. For those of

As I prepare to be a delegate on the much talked about council on human sexuality with the RCA this weekend I want to offer three pieces

We welcome Reverend Annie Reilly while Reverend Jes Kast-Keat is away. I began my full-time ministry on Epiphany 2012, when I was ordained as a

Where does a prayer go that has lost its light? As I walked around the Cathedral of Notre Dame I noticed all the different candle

A Note from Jes: I asked Jonathan Vanderbeck and The Reverend Denise Kingdom Greer to write today. I have been following their faithful Gospel work

Next week I’ll be in Houston, speaking and preaching at a conference that is for young adults in the seminary discernment process. The students will

The last couple weeks I was in Paris and Rome. It was my first time there and I fell in love with these cities. I

Rev. Jes Kast-Keat is on holiday this week and asked Rev. Annie Reilly to guest blog. Annie is the pastor of a small Presbyterian Church

  Voice of God – The baptism of Jesus is the Scripture text many churches are looking at this Sunday on Epiphany 1. Luke 3:15-22

If you were to ask me “Jes, tell me about a life-changing experience you have had?,” one of the first stories that comes to my

Reverend Jes Kast-Keat is away today and invited Reverend Annie Reilly to write in her place. Reverend Reilly is the minister at State Street Presbyterian

I’ve written about the weekly Soup Kitchen Church that I lead multiple times on The Twelve. It’s both the most demanding and the greatest joy

Last night at the New York Classis meeting I was voted in as Vice President starting January 1. What’s even more exciting is that I

  My barber swung the cape around me as I sat in her chair. She looked at me, arms covered in tattoos with scissors in

Since the end of August I have been traveling each week to speak at conferences or attend various meetings. It has been a thrilling and

A couple weeks ago I was one of the speakers at Why Christian?, a conference curated by Rachel Held Evans and Nadia Bolz-Weber. Eleven women that Nadia

John Calvin’s natural theology reminds us that we can find God in the created world around us. Still feeling our vacation in his bones, my spouse,

Have you lived by the ocean tide, the coming and the going of the power of the sea? Have you lived by the sun, rising

[The Rev. Jes Kast-Keat is on vacation this week. Beth Carroll, filling in for her, is not. Beth is finishing her M.Div at Western Theological Seminary

[8/5/15 While the Rev. Jes Kast-Keat is on vacation, the Rev. Marla Rotman is filling in. Marla shares the position of lead pastor with her

I’ve been a minister to the feeding program I lead at West End Collegiate Church for about three years now. We serve 100-200 meals every

This fall I’m speaking at a conference called Why Christian? Christian blogger/author Rachel Held Evans and Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber are hosting and headlining this

I’m excited to welcome Reverend Abby Norton-Levering (Ministries Coordinator at the Regional Synod of Albany) and Reverend Marla Rotman (Pastor at Peace Church in Eagan, Minnesota)

I’m flying to Chicago tomorrow and heading to the RCA General Synod. I am a delegate from the NY Classis. Thanks to Reverend Tim TenClay

I never really understood why my church had flowers on the chancel growing up. Each week a name, or a family, was listed in the

A word from Jes: I am traveling today and invited The Reverend Stacey Midge, Associate Minister at First Reformed Church of Schenectady, New York, to

Nepal, Baltimore, Chile, and Bali. There is much pain in the news these days. In regards to Baltimore, I know many people of good conscience

This Easter season I find myself reflecting on the tension of two realities: The hope of the resurrection and the killing of unarmed black men

I find it usually happens if I wait too long to eat lunch. Sometimes it happens when I come home late from work and there

by Gregory Anderson Love From one angle, the news of the gospels is simply bad. Throughout his life and then ministry, Jesus, the truly human

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all

Did you know that only 10% of the senior level Christian pulpits in America are led by women? In the Reformed Church in America, of our

Ash Wednesday is one of my favorite days. I welcome Ash Wednesday every year because it feels like a deep breath of solemn honesty. This

We’ve recently started a writing group at the soup kitchen I lead. More accurately, two people who attend the soup kitchen have begun a writing

In my Twittersphere there has been a lot of talk about reclaiming Dr. King as the prophetic preacher that he was. There is a fear

Epiphany has become incredibly meaningful for me in the last two years and perhaps more meaningful than Christmas. While that might be somewhat provocative to

I haven’t been able to stop thinking of Mary this Advent. What is my relationship to Mary? That is what I keep wondering about. When

The contemporary worship song Breathe has been on repeat in my speakers this week. Do you know the song? It goes like this “This is the air

Last night I went to First Corinthian Baptist Church in Central Harlem for an interfaith prayer service that served as a call to remembrance of

There are two writers that have caught my attention this Fall. One is recapturing my attention and the other I was recently introduced to through

   I’m very happy to introduce to you The Reverend Michael Bos who is my colleague at West End Collegiate Church. He has recently written

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,    the world, and those who live in it. Psalm 24:1   Last week, like many others

I am on the upper age of being a digital native. Technology is essential in my life. What’s a digital native? Glad you a asked.

I just wrote an entire blog. Hit the save button. My internet went out. The entire piece is now missing. This is how I feel:

Yesterday at 2:00 PM it hit me that I am no longer on vacation; I wanted my afternoon nap. It was my first day back

Jes Kast-Keat is currently on holiday and has invited Daniel José Camacho to write today. Daniel is currently a Masters of Divinity student at Duke

I know it’s not Ash Wednesday. It’s not even Lent: a  time in our church calendar where we are given space to mourn, lament, and

Feminism, like faith, is not monolithic.  Over the last few weeks a group of feminist on Twitter found each other and began dreaming. We are

Inside the Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanThe spiritual energy of a specific location I can sense pretty quickly.  Do you ever sit in a park

Summer is beginning in New York City. In my world, in Manhattan, I see parishioners traveling to their beach homes in the Hamptons, Connecticut, or

Friday the 13th of June, in the year of our Lord 2014, when the moon will be full, I will be entering a new decade.

I firmly believe that our salvation depends on the poor. – Dorothy Day “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty

I don’t fully get prayer. I’m not sure exactly what happens. Am I changing God’s “mind” (forgive me for the anthropomorphic description of God)? Is my mind

Seminary It was the first day of the new semester in seminary. First days are about introductions and setting the expectations. Important, but I always

I have another topic I want to write about today, but honestly, I want to keep Holy Week holy and welcome you into a few

I thirst for the living God. Where shall I go?   I love learning. I love the process of reading, studying, conversing, and wrestling with

Dr. Christena Cleveland is someone I met on Twitter a year ago and have been following her closely since. She writes about faith and justice

Sacred Heart Parish in Farmington, New Mexico A month ago I wrote about a pilgrimage I was going on. Yes, it was part vacation that

While the Rev. Jes Kast-Keat is enjoying vacation, she invites the Rev. John Russell Stanger to write for The Twelve. John Russell is Minister for

Shiprock, New Mexico I was adopted by my maternal grandparents at a very young age. They have been incredible parents to me. My brith-parents died

When Beyoncé dropped her surprise album on December 13th, without any public relations preparation, her fans went wild. I was one of those fans. It was

I am not interested in just thinking about theology. I am interested in living theology. The first time someone captured my attention about this idea

A guest post by my partner and fellow minister, Jim Kast-Keat. A poem he wrote reflecting on the gravity of Immanuel – God with us. 

NYC The snow was falling in New York City as the hungry people gathered around the church doorsteps at West End Collegiate Church. About 75

It has been a full and demanding week for me. I was at my office until 9 PM and was up this morning at 5

On a long commute home on the A train, I recently finished Marilyn Chandler McEntyre’s book Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. Have you

What art captivates your attention? I remember the first time I walked through the Museum of Modern Art, I felt like I was Alice who

Have you seen the video of Banksy selling art in Central Park yet? Or even better, did you see the art stand in Central Park?

I can’t remember how I first heard of the Reverend Nadia Bolz-Weber but like a hipster in Brooklyn saying they liked a band before it

The day I was ordained by the Holland Classis to the office of Minister of Word and Sacrament was one of the most incredible days

Confession: I love social media. I am tired of people berating social media and proclaiming that it is the downfall of personal interaction. I just

Jes is away on vacation for the month of August and is happy to introduce to you Mandy Meisenheimer, Director of Children and Youth Ministries

Jes is away on vacation for the month of August and is happy to introduce to you Grace Miguel Cipriano. I first met Grace through

In New York City space equals money. Let me offer two examples that surprised this Midwestern transplant. I am a frequent coffee shop attender. In

“What do we progressive Christians use for devotional resources?” Welcome to a little insider pastoral conversation in my office. This question lit me up! I

11:45PM 6/25 I’m sitting on edge watching the Texas senate showdown. There are 15 minutes left and Senator Davis has been filibustering for over 12

Yesterday, as I was in the air, flying from New York City to Michigan, the new Vampire Weekend song was on repeat. Have you heard

A large part of my religious upbringing I was Roman Catholic. Ornate stained glass windows, votive candles flickering, and intricate artifacts surrounded me on Sunday

Are you sick of posts about graduation? I hope not because I am going to add one more. Except this time it is from the

I was 18 when I got my first tattoo. I was sitting in my small Christian college dorm room and I knew that I was

Once upon a time a blog began. Twelve different people would write about what it means to be Reformed, daily. Little did the writers know

I remember when I first chose feminism. Or to put it in a more Calvinist light, I remember when feminism chose me. My Conversion It

    I often look to honor the words of women in my personal prayers and within my congregational prayers. Too often women’s words are

The recent conversations in our household, and among my group of friends, have surrounded around the Subverting the Norm conference. Have any of you heard

One of my favorite parts of my workweek takes place on Tuesday nights 4:00-5:30. It’s a time when we swing wide open the sanctuary doors

 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. (Luke 9:34) Photo by Jim

Image from University of Cambridge Recently I was in a Scriptural Reasoning (SR) group lead by Dr. Peter Ochs who developed SR some twenty years

The call to love is not for Pansies — It’s the hardest job I do.Lady Justice held back by the Lady of Mercy by Glynn

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. The warm sanctuary was quieter than normal. The dimly lit church was peppered

That’s the title that the rising spoken word artist, Suli Breaks, gave his piece of art. It has gone viral since he posted it on

Dr. Tricia Sheffield (minister at Middle Collegiate Church), Dr. Cornel West, and me – Rev. JKK (minister at West End Collegiate Church) Last night was

  Midland Beach, Staten Island It’s a wild ride to experience a hurricane. It’s also confusing to accept the reality that the part of the

Not gonna lie, I may have started my morning off with this song. Which many of my 30-something year old, non-religious, cosmopoltin friends would say

2001I was driving back from Ferris State University beaming with pride on a September morning. I was taking my first college class as a senior

I am always looking for jams to flow through my ear buds when I’m out running. This new beat has been on repeat as my

I was in DC this past week for some meetings with a few national faith leaders. One of the leaders we met with is Pastor Gordon

I’m wired to care about politics. Growing up, my parents taught us how to talk about religion and politics. My parents modeled how to thoughtfully

Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress

A couple evenings ago Jay Bakker, Peter Rollins, two friends from Michigan (one of whom happens to be Jay’s co-writer and Peter’s editor), my spouse

I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you Which shall be the darkness of God… So the darkness shall

It is my pleasure to introduce to you my friend and colleague, Rev. Angie Mabry-Nauta, who is making a guest appearance on my post today.

Not a day goes by when I don’t see an image bearer of God begging on the New York streets. Some of the street peeps

Confession I feel a bit awkward in writing this post. It is probably because I feel insufficient to be the one writing on this topic.

Love has been on my mind a lot lately. It’s kind of the thing that theologically progressive Christian pastors hang their hat on when interpreting

“and your very flesh shall be a great poem” – Walt Whitman Musical Roots Along with playing pastor as a little girl I would also

Soup Kitchen I crave Tuesdays. I extend my hand to the man whose skin is colder than mine and dirtier than mine. His hands rough;

Enneagram I love personality tests. They provide me the tools to know more about me, those around me, and help us understand why we do

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the other JKK, my partner in crime and my partner in this life, Jim Kast-Keat. For

I recently saw this photo floating around the facebook world and have been meditating on it all week. I am constantly thinking about ways Sunday

I’m in awe of the scholarly and thoughtful work by my colleagues Theresa Latini and Debra Rienstra.  I feel grateful for the vibrant conversation that many of you

Theresa Latini’s recent blog post on vocation has sparked a lot of energy in me. (I think she has sparked a lot of energy for

The incarnation – This is the heart of my theology. The flesh: body, feelings, thinking, desire, touching, fighting colds, crying because of joy, butterflies in

Throughout the season of Advent the church is invited to reflect on hope, peace, joy, and love. The third week of Advent – joy –

 Shame  (noun) a. A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. b. A great disappointment.  What do you regard as most

I’ve got a confession: I love Halloween Halloween invites us to imagine who we want to be and dress up as whatever we envision. This