This is pure and unvarnished evil.

Honorary assistants, parish life coordinator, and yours truly.

My patrilineal kin are all from Scotland and Ireland. I have enormous respect for Highland culture and a very loose grasp on gender, but I’m wearing a kilt and kilt hose for the first time right now and I’ll be darned if I don’t look like an overgrown Catholic school girl.

Did I mention that large portions of MN’s population are in hiding right now? Kids are missing school. Adults can’t go out to work. People aren’t able to buy food or pay rent, and mutual aid is all keeping everyone going. We keep us safe, on our own, and people are being shot in the street for it

We’re all stressed out, being kept up all night by helicopters, watching our neighbors get abducted while working our asses off trying to stop it from happening, and trying to parent and do our jobs while under siege. Please give your friends and colleagues in MN some grace right now. It’s a lot.

For everyone who guessed this about how things are going down in MN, it’s actually true. From a Lutheran pastor’s FB post: “Armies of Lutheran grandmothers are coordinating complex systems of financial support, clothing drives, and meal preparation.”

This calm courage and determination is so powerful. So thankful to have her as a rep.

More ICE activity today-leaving minors unaccompanied and smoke bombing a preschool, among others. We’re tired in MN, y’all. It’s worse than what you hear. But we’re used to living in freezing weather for half of the year. We’re tough and creative. Keep rooting for us. We need you. #mn #ice

One day, all these new followers are going to be surprised at what I usually talk about

Minneapolis' "playbook" is not the Viet Cong's; it's the organizational skills you develop as an active Lutheran.

The people of Minnesota have executed one of the most impressive civil resistance campaigns I can remember: - Organized a city wide general strike - Maintained nonviolent discipline amidst violence - Mobilized 10,000s in subzero temps to protest and watch ICE - Flipped public opinion against ICE

The kind of parishioner a priest dreams of having. Really and truly I’ve been almost overwhelmed by the support my parishioners have shown me lately as we all try to figure out this occupation together. 🕯️

Important words from the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, where I served as a priest before moving to Texas. ⚓️

me: I give up mpls: we are going to flood our frozen city with candlelight

We had close to 250 people at our interfaith vigil which is about 100 more than we can comfortably fit. Folks were packed into pews, standing in the narthex, listening on in the parish hall, and sitting on folded chairs in the aisles. It was beautiful, but I’m still so upset we had need to gather. 🕯️

A murder in Minneapolis and an abduction here in Northfield. It seem to never end. We’ll gather in sorrow and light candles and recommit ourselves to fighting fascism.

Minneapolis’s emergency manager compares ICE’s invasion to what she saw in Yemen, Haiti, Iraq, and Syria.

Yet again the video footage is so clear. The government is lying to its people.

Another legal observer murdered by ICE in Minneapolis about 15 minutes ago. God damn this country.* ——— * I fully mean this in the technical and theological sense.

I’ll have more to say later, but for now, I just want to say that I’m actually feeling hopeful for the first time in…a long time. It may dissipate, but for now it’s mine and I’m so grateful for it. Minnesota, we did good today. And we do well today. ❤️

Tens of thousands of Minnesotans came out to protest and march in -12°F weather, on a weekday. There is no doubt anymore that we are going to win.

It's -20 degrees in Minneapolis & my friends are getting ready to join faith leaders in putting their bodies on the line at an outdoors protest this morning. If you're a praying person, please say a prayer for their safety, their resolve, and that their prayers will be answered.

I’ve spent the evening quietly preparing for Friday’s day of prayer, fasting, and action. Let me tell you…the spiritual and moral clarity that I’m feeling right now is really invigorating. 🕯️

Incredibly emotional to hear my poem has been turned into a song of resistance and is being sung in Minneapolis right now. Please do not give up.

Minnesotans leveraging water balloons and ice against ICE like they’re Nordic skiers taking out Nazi munitions plants

The energy I’m bringing into sermon writing today

Hundreds of high schoolers in Northfield walked out of school and to our town square in support of our immigrant neighbors and against the ICE occupation of our state. I’m so unspeakably proud of them (especially of the head organizer who is one of the teens from my parish.) 🕯️

Minnesota is essentially under occupation by the federal government, but at least the sky had the decency to give us a glorious sunrise this morning.

Was so distracted by Everything™️ this evening that I took my morning medicine (a stimulant!) at bedtime (~three hours ago…). RIP to me, I guess.

On the ground here in Minnesota, it’s hard to reconcile the immense bonds of community that have been built in a week with the fact that we live in a country whose government appropriated billions of dollars to an unaccountable paramilitary force whose sole purpose is ethnic cleansing.

Props to the lady giving an interview in her pink UFFDA hat and saying, "well, gosh, I've never had tear gas and flashbangs shot at me, but I'm happy to take it so my neighbors are safe."

You can tell this true and not at all a load of crap because they managed to work in a dig at Joe Biden in it.

I Love North Minneapolis.

Wisdom from my friend Talique! 🕯️

My partner @jasoncapsaicin.bsky.social made a step by step guide on how to break up ice in your neighborhood in Minnesota. Enjoy!

Let me tell you where you stick your day of reckoning and retribution, Mr. President.

Check in on your MN friends. Ask how they're doing. If they say: "Pretty good, you?" They're probably ok. "Just fine, howryou?" They're struggling, exhausted, hanging on but close to the edge. "Oh, doin ok" Send help. The situation is desperate.

This is a word! 🕯️

I’ve been feeling deep pride and abiding love for my neighbors today. We will win against these goons

Into paradise may the angels lead you, Renee, At your coming may the martyrs receive you, and bring you into the holy city. 🕯️

One of the basic ways to thwart tyrants, bullies, and thugs is this: Do not let them steal your joy.

We cannot be more clear. Leave us the fuck alone.

i love my country of minneapolis

ICE murders again. And they will murder again in the future. Abolish ICE. ICE is antichrist.

Eternal rest and light perpetual. The federal government murdered a woman in the streets of Minneapolis today and our president is openly and maliciously lying about it.

I am currently fighting for my life* _______ * arguing with the IKEA customer service chat bot

My former college student assistant (who now lives in California) got engaged to her girlfriend last week and came back to All Saints to have their engagement blessed. I baptized her now fiancé two years ago at Easter. This is best part of being a priest, y’all! Pray for Caroline and Ally! 🕯️

As is my custom, I’m keeping a holy hour until midnight and will then ring in the new year with the church bell and a hearty sung Te Deum. Give us peace, O Lord, and in your compassion, make all wars and violence to cease. Happy new year, folks! 🕯️