I’ve spent the first few months of my service with the Worthy Now prison ministry amidst large stacks of paper. My desktop is continually piled high with pen pal applications and sheet upon sheet of responses to our faith formation courses. In this way I’ve been getting to know the incarcerated members of the CLF. I’ve been struck by the profound power of the simple medium of words on paper. Through your words I’ve caught glimpses of your hearts and spirits, your curiosity and wisdom, your courage and resilience.

As a kid I always had my nose in a book. I loved how words on paper could take me to distant places and long ago times. I loved that I could get to know characters, real and imagined, far outside the borders of my small town. Words on paper are powerful.

As I got older, I came to realize that words on paper are indeed powerful, but that their power can be used both for good and for evil. Across history, humans have invested words on paper with the power to delight and to denigrate; to confer rights and to deny them; to emancipate and to incarcerate. In the US, arbiters of power continue to abuse words on paper to institutionalize racism and enforce white supremacy. While visionary writers, especially queer and BIPOC movement leaders, are using words to map pathways to healing and justice.

As we re-imagine Quest, the signature publication of the Church of the Larger Fellowship, we want to be ever mindful that words can both heal and harm. We want to ensure that the words we put on this paper are in the service of Love and Liberation.

To that end, we would like to hear from you. What kind of words would you like to read in these pages? Whose words would you like to encounter here? What words would be supportive of your emotional, intellectual, and spiritual journeys? What type of words will help us to build faithful community together? In order to successfully re-imagine Quest, we need your perspective.

We look forward to your words.

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Rev. Jennifer Johnson

Learning Fellow at Church of the Larger Fellowship

As a Learning Fellow for Church of the Larger Fellowship, I spent my first year focused on worship and small group ministry. Now in my second year, I am eager to support the vital ministries of Worthy Now—connecting incarcerated members to the progressive values, inquiring spirit, and universal love at the heart of Unitarian Universalism. I was fortunate to discover this faith as a young adult, and it transformed my life. I believe everyone deserves access to the spiritual resources that promote healing and transformation. I’m honored to serve Worthy Now in building the Unitarian Universalist community with our beloved incarcerated siblings in faith.

Latest posts by Rev. Jennifer Johnson (see all)

• A Farewell Note from Rev. Jennifer - June 1, 2021
• Why Pray? - April 1, 2021
• Remembering John - March 1, 2021