All posts by Candace Chellew

Glasses resting on Bible

This Is Not Your Father’s Kingdom

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30  Take these shoes Click clacking down some dead end street Take these shoes, And make them fit Take this shirt, Polyester white trash made

Hands making heart shape

Fatten My Spirit, O God

As I prepare to enter my mid-40s, my waist seems to have a mind of its own. I eat just like I’ve always eaten, yet my waist seems to grow at a faster pace than it did in my 30s. When asked what I wanted

Glasses resting on Bible

God: The Original Party Animal

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 25:1-10, Matthew 22:1-14 Here in this place, new light is streaming now is the darkness vanished away, see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings, brought here

Glasses resting on Bible

Size Matters

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost: Philippians 1:27-30, Matthew 20:1-16 Excuse me sir what did you say When you shout so loud it’s hard to tell You say that I must change my ways For

Man worrying with furrowed brow

Consider the Lilies

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is

Man writing

An Open Letter to Sean Hannity

If the Left succeeds in gaining and retaining more power, the well-being of future generations will be at greater peril. I fear (our children) will inherit a nation that is less free and less secure than the nation we inherited from the last generation. It

Glasses resting on Bible

When You’re Out, You’re In

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 56:1-8, Matthew 15:21-28 Got my faith baby in the Lord, Got my faith baby In the Lord, Lord, Lord And I know He’ll make everything alright No matter

Glasses resting on Bible

Some Good Weed

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Mother, father please explain to me Why a world so full of mystery A place so bitter and still so sweet So beautiful and yet

Dandelion blowing in the wind

The Paradox of Freedom

“Love God and do as you please.” – St. Augustine “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up

LOVE Scrabble letters on bible

Stop Arguing About the Bible and Homosexuality

“Nothing in regard to controversial matters ha(s) ever been settled by the Bible.” –William Lloyd Garrison Gays and lesbians will never “win” the argument over what the Bible says or does not say about homosexuality. The good news is: we don’t have to. It will