“Daring Discipleship”
June 21, 2026
Rev. Rebecca Migliore
My father’s first book, “Called to Freedom” (what he always referred to as his “little book”) was his conversation with the beginnings of liberation theology—in Latin and South America. In the 1960s, there was a revolution, another reformation, in the Christian Church. It wasn’t started from on high. It was a grassroots movement. It didn’t focus on priests. It focused on everyday people, what the church often calls the laity. It echoed the idea of Martin Luther that there was a priesthood of all believers (and, of course Luther and other reformers had based this emphasis on biblical verses—like the one from 1 Peter talking about “living stones,” or the text of Revelation which says that in Christ believers are made into “kings and priests to our God.”)
What was happening that was so radical? It was like a banner I saw years ago in Montclair saying “Jesus has left the building.” People were meeting somewhere other than church. We sometimes call them house churches—but they were actually called Comunidades Iglesias de Base (churches in the community). People met together, with no priests, no hierarchy, and read the Bible, discussed what they had read, thought about how that connected (or didn’t connect) to their lives. It sparked a desire for a closer relationship with God. It sparked a deeper reading of the Scriptures. It sparked groups that would become unions and political parties in a time when some were living under dictatorships.
It was a daring thing to do. They didn’t plan on creating a subset of theology—but the idea that we need to read Scripture through our own lens, in our own communities, struck a chord beyond Latin and South America.
And today, feminist theology, womanist theology, queer theology, Black theology, Hispanic/Latino theology, and others all consider themselves part of what is called Liberation Theology. It gives voice to those who have felt voiceless. It tries to be honest about how our own circumstances influence how we hear certain things. It calls us all to be in conversation with each other. It is being true to what Christians have been doing for millennia—trying to be faithful, trying to follow Jesus, trying to put their faith into action.
So, I’m not going to apologize that I am not going to give you a polished interpretation, my reading, of our gospel lesson this week. I want us to talk to each other about what we hear our reading saying to us today. It is a long passage, and your group can choose to talk about whatever verses you want. If you want a suggestion from me, I suggest verses 29-31.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Here are a few ground rules:
1) Make sure everyone gets a chance to talk
2) Speak from your own experience
3) Listen to the experience of others
4) What do you hear God saying to you today? (10 minutes)
Jesus, we trust in you. We are constantly amazed (as was the psalmist) that God should take notice of us, that God should value us. That we are beloved. Help us to believe it is true. Help us to see others as beloved as well. Help us to see our world as God’s beloved creation. Help us to continually worship you. Amen.