{"id":48270,"date":"2025-06-04T13:56:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T17:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.presbyterianfoundation.org\/?p=48270"},"modified":"2025-06-10T14:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T18:26:21","slug":"the-rev-dr-bruce-grady-of-the-presbytery-of-new-hope-rounds-out-the-season-for-leading-theologically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/resources\/news\/the-rev-dr-bruce-grady-of-the-presbytery-of-new-hope-rounds-out-the-season-for-leading-theologically\/","title":{"rendered":"\uc0c8 \uc18c\ub9dd \ub178\ud68c\uc758 \ube0c\ub8e8\uc2a4 \uadf8\ub798\ub514 \ubaa9\uc0ac\uac00 '\uc2e0\ud559\uc801\uc73c\ub85c \uc120\ub3c4\ud558\uae30' \uc2dc\uc98c\uc744 \ub9c8\ubb34\ub9ac\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4."},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cLeading Theologically\u201d concludes its season with a new half-hour conversation between host the\u00a0Rev. Bill Davis<\/a> of the\u00a0Presbyterian Foundation<\/a> and the Rev. Dr. Bruce Grady, executive presbyter of the\u00a0Presbytery of New Hope<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During their talk, which can be heard here<\/a>, Davis reviewed the themes that stood out for him during the past six months\u2019 worth of episodes. Davis, who\u2019s been speaking with faith leaders about reconciliation, repair and reparations, asked Grady to comment on what he\u2019d heard from those conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a whole lot of truth-telling\u201d during those broadcasts, Davis told Grady. \u201cWhat are some things congregations can be pulling from this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say local congregations can extract some practical insights on how our collective histories and our particular histories shape our understanding of our world, ourselves and our relationship to our world,\u201d Grady said, noting that one guest discussed how reparations can be \u201cboth a theological and a pastoral activity. When we talk about reparations, sometimes people frame it as some sort of transaction,\u201d a \u201ccheck written for all the injustices of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

But \u201cit\u2019s more of a radical transformational process,\u201d Grady said. When we understand that, \u201cwe become aware \u2014 as members, as leaders, as lay people \u2014 that this work of reparations requires a radical commitment to God, to our neighbors and to self, a commitment that goes much deeper than the notion that one can be paid for the harms that have happened over time. That changes our view of our work.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the faith communities of the Presbytery of New Hope, \u201cyou will find not only a diversity of theological stripes, but political stripes,\u201d Grady said. Churches \u201cfind there\u2019s got to be a way to navigate these differences and to enter into what God\u2019s vision of community is,\u201d including reparations and \u201ca radical shift, a commitment on all sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

The church, \u201cthe covenant community of faith in Christ Jesus, exists for the community and for the world,\u201d Grady said. \u201cWhen we look into our [faith] communities, there is a complex set of stories, of personal experiences and personalities. At the same time, we share in struggle, in pain and in a set of human experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens, I believe, is as a congregation or an individual matures in understanding what it means to be in relationship with others beyond their four walls, one becomes challenged in a mindset,\u201d he said. \u201cIf all the concerns about repair are focused only on the self\u00a0\u2014 what my congregation or my individual family can gain \u2014 eventually you realize there is a loss of potential of the impact of this ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grady relayed the story of a ministry of impact that occurred during the Covid pandemic in rural Johnston County, North Carolina, where students forced to learn online had varying access to the internet. When they returned for in-person instruction, it became clear to teachers which students had struggled with their internet access. The community decided \u201cwe\u2019re going to have to come together for the purpose of making sure these kids can be educated in a way that will fulfill their potential,\u201d Grady said. Congregations, the local NAACP chapter and school officials decided \u201cto claim these children as their own children,\u201d addressing repair together, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much at risk. We risk losing a generation,\u201d Grady said. \u201cThis is a generation of young people with gifts, talents and abilities \u2014 all kinds of hopes and dreams to make a better world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is something transformative that happens when we empty out our ego and we say, \u2018I cannot become all that I am supposed to be and witness the debt load of my neighbor,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cThe only way for that to happen is to engage in those relationships, which allows that transformation to take place, a transformation of our mindset and of our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Rev. Bill Davis<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

When we enter into the process of reparation, \u201cwe give up a sense of power and a sense of individuality and we say, \u2018I am willing to put that aside so that I might be an agent of repair.\u2019 There is a joy and a beauty in that form of surrender,\u201d Grady said. \u201cThere is a beauty that we miss when we are unwilling to enter into that process.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Davis asked his usual final question \u2014 \u201cWhat is the best thing you have heard lately?\u201d \u2014 Grady said it \u201chas to do with people coming together for the purpose of being in song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gospel choir groups \u201cjust show up and invite all who love the music to join along,\u201d Grady said. \u201cThey don\u2019t necessarily know each other, but they have this common music that they share. Strangers show up anticipating they will make something beautiful together,\u201d and \u201call that is necessary to do that is in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grady called that \u201ca beautiful metaphor for this process of repair. Everything we need to do the work has been provided. God has given each of us a unique voice in this song, and every voice comes together in such a way that makes this rich, rewarding and transformative masterpiece. You\u2019re right,\u201d he told Davis. \u201cThere is joy and beauty, and there are challenges and pain in this. But when we witness the final production of these gatherings, we\u2019ll say it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

New episodes of \u201cLeading Theologically\u201d return in the fall.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cLeading Theologically\u201d concludes its season with a new half-hour conversation between host the\u00a0Rev. Bill Davis of the\u00a0Presbyterian Foundation and the Rev. Dr. Bruce Grady, executive presbyter of the\u00a0Presbytery of New […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":48271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48270"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48287,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48270\/revisions\/48287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presbyterianfoundation.louderstaging.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}