Category: Audio Archives

“Christmas is Everyday”

Rev. NaDine Rawls is a native of Louisiana. She is the daughter of the late John Q. Rawls and Bernice Rawls.

Rev. Rawls graduated from Plain Dealing High School and continued her education at then Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, Louisiana and graduated with an Associates Degree in Law Enforcement. During her time at NLU, she became a member of NLU’s Interdenominational Gospel Ensemble and served as its choir director for 2 years.

Rev. Rawls begin ministry at Harvest MCC in Denton, Texas. In 1995, Rev. Rawls founded Unity Fellowship Church of North Texas. In 1996 Rev. Rawls located to Washington, DC where she served on staff at Inner Light Unity Fellowship Church. She later served as Assistant Pastor of Baltimore Unity Fellowship church and later Co-Pastor of North Capitol Unity Fellowship Church of Washington, DC. .

In 2006, Rev. Rawls became a member of Lincoln Congregational Church United Church of Christ. During her time there, Rev. Rawls served as Chair of the Diaconate. In 2009, Rev. Rawls relocated to Atlanta, GA and became of a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ.

For the past 25 years, Rev. Rawls has been a spiritual leader within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered community. God has allowed her to touch many lives and encourage individuals to follow the call God has placed on their lives and to live fully the person God created them to be. Her motto “One’s sexuality is not a prerequisite for the Love of Jesus.”

Rev. Rawls currently resides in Atlanta, GA. She is an active member of First Congregational Church United Church of Christ in Atlanta, GA.

• Facilitator: M. Charlene Ball
• Musician: Aviva and the Flying Penguins

“Existentialism and Holidays: Creating Personal Meaning”

Dr. Jean Heinrich, passionate human being, licensed clinical psychologist, musician, is nourished by existential philosophy in these times. Believing her knowledge of existentialism and the human psyche/mind/body/spirit make her a better musician and her music makes her a better clinician, and, both her knowledge and music make her a healthier/more vital human being, she invites you to join us as she speaks on: “Existentialism and Holidays: Creating Personal Meaning”.

• Facilitator: Rev. Marsha Mitchiner
• Musician: Mick Kinney

“We Hold these Truths: Human Rights, Blacks, and the Continued Struggle for Equality”

Anthony Knight is the Founder, President & CEO of The Baton Foundation—a Georgia
nonprofit organization that serves the emotional, intellectual and cultural needs of Black boys ages 10-17. Before founding the Foundation, Mr. Knight worked for twenty-two years as a museum educator and consultant. Mr. Knight has extensive experience with and interest in African American history and culture, public and living history, informal education and Black youth. Mr. Knight’s work with The Baton Foundation reflects his ongoing interest in the issues and practices related to the collecting, preservation and interpretation of information about and material culture from the African Diaspora. Mr. Knight’s undergraduate work was in Spanish and English (Ohio Wesleyan University), and his graduate work was in museum education (The George Washington University). Mr. Knight also holds a degree in Spanish-to-English translation from the Núcleo de Estudios Lingüísticos y Sociales, Caracas, Venezuela. Mr. Knight is a New York City native.

• Facilitator: Robert Stewart
• Musician: William Chelton

“The Things that Open You”

Angela Denise Davis, M.Div., M.S., is a ukulele instructor, workshop facilitator, ordained minister, and public speaker. Her work as a minister focuses on how the fusion of art and spirituality can enlarge the ground beneath our feet and enrich the ways we move in personal and social spaces. In addition, she is also the creator, host, and producer of the ZAMI NOBLA Podcast. She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University where she earned a B.A. in Art. She also holds a master of divinity from Vanderbilt University Divinity School, and a master of science in rehabilitation counseling from Georgia State University.

• Facilitator: Libby Ware
• Musician: Susan Ottzen

“Considering Gratitude for Things that don’t Make us ‘Feel’ Grateful”

Rev. Chris Glaser, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, is a weekly blogger of “Progressive Christian Reflections” at http://chrisglaser.blogspot.com. He is the author of a dozen books, many of which deal with challenging spiritual communities to welcome LGBTQ people and offering spiritual guidance to LGBTQ people. For more information, please visit http://chrisglaser.com.

• Facilitator: D. Patton White
• Musician: Charli Vogt

“Existentialism and Mistakes, Enemies,
Suffering, and Gratitude”

Dr. Jean Heinrich, passionate human being, licensed clinical psychologist, musician, is nourished by existential philosophy in these times. Believing her knowledge of existentialism and the human psyche/mind/body/spirit make her a better musician and her music makes her a better clinician, and, both her knowledge and music make her a healthier/more vital human being, she invites you to join us as she speaks on: “Existentialism and Mistakes, Enemies, Suffering and Gratitude”.

• Facilitator: Jan Lister
• Musician: Mick Kinney

“Free Speech and its Discontents”

Robert Baker teaches history at Georgia State University. He is the author of Prigg v. Pennsylvania: Slavery, the Supreme Court, and the Ambivalent Constitution and The Rescue of Joshua Glover: A Fugitive Slave, the Constitution, and the Coming of the Civil War.

• Facilitator: Robert Stewart
• Musician: William Chelton

“Bring Us Your Tired, Your Poor”

This program will be a reflection on a core tenet of Jewish teachings– the idea of welcoming the stranger.   We will hear about the life, times,and legacy of trailblazing Jewish- American poet and activist Emma Lazurus, who penned the words on the base of the Statue of Liberty as a prophetic rebuke to fear, Xenophobia and anti-immigrant isolationism. What was the basis for her moral commitment– and ours as well?  PS: There is a Unitarian Transcendentalist thread in her story

Rev. Marti Keller recently finished a justice ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation that spanned two decades. Prior to this she had been a communications director, legislative advocate and executive director for several women and family policy groups, including a dozen years with Planned Parenthood. She is still serving as consulting parish minister in Auburn Alabama

• Facilitator: Robert Stewart
• Musician: Dr. Jean Heinrich

“Looking for Liam: Notes on Privilege,
Interdependence, and Compassion”

Angela Denise Davis, M.Div., M.S., is a ukulele instructor, workshop facilitator, ordained minister, and public speaker. Her work as a minister focuses on how the fusion of art and spirituality can enlarge
the ground beneath our feet and enrich the ways we move in personal and social spaces. In addition, she is also the creator, host, and producer of the ZAMI NOBLA Podcast.

• Facilitator: Lorraine Fontana
• Musician: Susan Ottzen