Every once in a while, usually in a news story or an obituary, memories of a past time arise. Thomas Ogletree, a former Dean of Yale Divinity School, died this past week at the age of 89. A native of Alabama, he saw the evils of racism first-hand, went off to seminary, and met James Cone, a leading voice in Black liberation theology.
After pastoring and teaching, he became Dean at YDS in 1990 and encouraged a new diversity at my old school. Many of us welcomed the fact that he brought on people of color and LGBTQ+ into leadership roles.
A Methodist, he worked for inclusion within his denomination, resulting in a resolution that permitted clergy to officiate at same-sex weddings. He used his infectious laugh and sense of humor to deflect hate and bigotry. It is true that, as Dean Sterling said in his remembrance, the world does not have enough Tom Ogletrees.
Prayer for the Day
Memories of past lives flood within us, O God,
As we remember your servants who were faithful to your call;
At such times we pray for an outpouring of new servants,
And ask how we can encourage their development.
May the departed not drift from our memory, O Gracious One,
But serve as models for how we should act and live.
In the name of the One who shapes our lives,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
I could not with any integrity refuse the request to preside at my son’s wedding… it is in keeping with my ordination vows “to seek peace, justice and freedom for all people” and with Methodism’ historic commitment to inclusive ministry embodied in its slogan “open hearts, open minds, open doors.”
- Thomas Ogletree in 2013
We do not have thousands of years to unlearn the wrong patterns that were established over thousands of years. …we have to learn new patterns and put them into practice on a global scale within the next generation.
- Rosemary Radford Ruether, theologian (1936-2022)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing.
Jesus in the Gospel of John 15: 12-15