Weekly News
January 18, 2026
Rev. Rebecca’s Note - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Being a Transformed Nonconformist
As a community organizer at Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) here in St. Louis, I spent much of the last week at the Gamaliel Organizer Retreat, a time of reignition of the passion that keeps us in the work of organizing, and of recommitment to the values, practices, and disciplines that fuel our work in organizing. It is not hyperbole to say that there has never been a more critical time in our lives for us to organize. As a faith community we must do our part to fight the fascism that would force us to live outside of our faith and our values rooted in that faith.
As we celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tomorrow, with the above things in mind, I’m reminded of his sermon “Transformed Nonconformist,” when he says:
“There are those who have high and noble ideals, but they never reveal them because they are afraid of being non-conformist. I have seen many white people who sincerely oppose segregation and discrimination, but they never took a real stand against it because of fear of standing alone. I have seen many young people and older people alike develop undesirable habits not because they wanted to do it in the beginning, not even because they enjoyed it, but because they were ashamed of saying ‘no’ when the rest of the group was saying ‘yes’. Even the Christian church has often been afraid to stand up for what is right because the majority didn’t sanction it. The church has too often been an institution serving to crystalize and conserve the patterns of the crowd. The mere fact that slavery, segregation, war, and economic exploitation have been sanctioned by the church is a fit testimony to the fact that the church has too often conformed to the authority of the world rather than conforming to the authority of God.”
MLK continues to this day to be all-too-right in his assessment of society, whiteness, and the church’s role in society. While church in society is at its best in society as the conscience of the state, it too often has been its thermometer - reflecting the temperature, rather than being the thermostat - setting the temperature. Too often those of us in faith community (I am also speaking to myself) have “gone along to get along,” rather than taking Godly, faithful stances that may be unpopular by society’s standards. ICE’s recent occupations of cities and other fascist steps taken by the Trump administration are frightening, unnecessary, and wholly at odds with God’s justice as we have encountered in the Bible, and we must resist this fascism to live out God’s love in public.
Faith-based community organizing is a very important way to be “creatively maladjusted” (as MLK puts it) to the ungodly circumstances in our society and communities that separate us from God’s love, a highly effective corrective to this fascism, and is a means of living out our values in the public sphere and doing our part to build God’s kindom. At its most basic it is a full repudiation of the increasingly isolated, alienated world that fascism would force upon us. It calls us to be in right relationship with those around us, and to work with those who share our values to build and maintain the common good. And the last and most important main point of community organizing is that those of us who enter into community organizing efforts are not doing this holy work alone: by doing so, we become part of a community dedicated and motivated to building and empowering a highly relational world in which we can live out God’s love.
There are many ways for us to do this, but our primary way of doing this is through being a congregational member of Metropolitan Congregations United, the local organization that gives us a justice community in which to live out these values. I invite and implore you, if you can, to attend MCU’s annual meeting, which is online tomorrow - Monday, January 19 - at 6:30pm. Come - whether you’re ready and excited or scared and unsure about where you fit into MCU, because when we work together, we can build and participate in the beloved community of which MLK calls us to be a part.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, “Transformed Nonconformist,” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, November 1954, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/transformed-nonconformist.
- Rev. Rebecca
The Board’s Note - Next Online Group
The Winter Online Spiritual Group, Learning to Be, will go on until Lent. You are welcome to join us anytime, for one or for all seven. They will have a brief spiritual practice, a video of the author reflecting on an idea for us to discuss and reflect upon together. Friday's group will view the video described last week and Sunday will start off a new week.
| Join us on Sunday Nights at 6 pm or Fridays at noonFor the Online Spiritual Group aboutLearning to Be Sign Up Here for the Link! |
In this session, Juanita reflects on how she was Loved Into Living. She challenges the rigid, rule-based perceptions of God that many of us hold, revealing instead a God who desires for us to live fully and freely. By sharing her journey from judgment to joy, she encourages viewers to embrace a life that is rich with love, adventure, and authenticity. This session emphasizes that the purpose of life is not to earn God’s approval, but to live in the fullness of Divine love. See you online!
What’s Next
| Jan 18-24 | Daily Bible Reading Leviticus 15-16 - 27 |
| Sun, Jan 18, 6pmOnline - sign up HERE | TPA Online Spiritual Group: Learning to BeJ oin us on this into a deeper understanding of what it means to live authentically, love fully, and embrace our true selves. |
| Mon, Jan 19, 6:30-8pm OnlineREGISTER | MCU Annual Membership Meeting As a MCU member congregation let’s be a part of determining what MCU does in 2026! |
| Fri, Jan 23, noon Online - sign up HERE | TPA Online Spiritual Group: Learning to Be Join us on this into a deeper understanding of what it means to live authentically, love fully, and embrace our true selves. |
| Sat, Jan 24, 12:30pm Think+Pray+Act 2723 S Jefferson Ave, StL, 63118 | T+P+A Gathering lunch, worship, activity in community |
| Sun, Jan 25, 5-6:30pm Amen House 4111 Connecticut St,StL 63116 | South City Youth Group meeting Middle schoolers and high schoolers are invited to come enjoy fun activities and pizza |
| Sun, Jan 25, 6pm Online - sign up HERE | TPA Online Spiritual Group: Learning to Be Join us on this into a deeper understanding of what it means to live authentically, love fully, and embrace our true selves. |
| Fri, Jan 30, noon Online - sign up HERE | TPA Online Spiritual Group: Learning to Be Join us on this into a deeper understanding of what it means to live authentically, love fully, and embrace our true selves. |
South City Youth Group Meeting
Do you know that Think+Pray+Act is part of the South City Youth Group with Compton Heights Christian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and Oak Hill Presbyterian Church? The youth group’s next meeting is on January 25 from 5-6:30pm at Amen House at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church, 4111 Connecticut Ave, StL!
MCU Annual Membership Meeting
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s rough out there right now. Institutions and public services and benefits we’ve grown up with and may have taken for granted have been simply decimated. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and while we can’t do everything, we can do something - especially at the local level.
And by being a member congregation of MCU, we are doing something - we are part of a network of 30+ congregations who are working together to build people power for justice in the St. Louis area.
As a member congregation of Metropolitan Congregations United, we have the opportunity and responsibility to attend their Annual Membership Meeting, which will be held on January 19 at 6:30pm - MLK Day - to organize for change in 2026! Hope you can make it - if you can, please register HERE
Think+Pray+Act in Space and Times
As we continue to get settled into our new space at 2723 S Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118, we appreciate your continued prayers. We’ve been getting required inspections done, putting books on the shelves and getting the rest of the space in order, and learning more about the Benton Park, Benton Park West, and other surrounding neighborhoods, and listening for their needs.
Please stop by and visit during our open hours and join us for our 2nd and 4th Saturday 12:30pm gatherings:
Mon - Thurs: 2-6pm
Fri: 2-4:30pm
2nd and 4th Saturdays: noon-3pm
Welcome to Think+Pray+Act! We are an open and affirming faith community that strives to maintain open and free theological learning as an act toward justice. We welcome all spirit seekers into full participation in the life and membership of the community. We actively and faithfully accept as they are people of every race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, relationship status, physical and mental ability, family type, and economic background.
We believe God calls us to do justice and love kindness, giving assistance and healing to others and the planet by following the teachings of Jesus. We promise to love our neighbors, respect differences, and build authentic relationships by learning who we are, taking just action, and breaking bread together. In our actions, God’s love moves and shines.
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2723 S Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118
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