ToddCena
@toddcena.bsky.social
He/Him
Author, Theologian, Gamer, Husband, Father.
Deconstructing the faith of my youth and growing into a kinder, more affirming, more loving human.
Author, Theologian, Gamer, Husband, Father.
Deconstructing the faith of my youth and growing into a kinder, more affirming, more loving human.
"I wonder how many of us are also exhausted from the constant wrestling. Whether it's politics made personal, illness, or something else private, how many of us are exhausted from begging for relief?"
My sermon from today:
My sermon from today:
The Prayer We Walk
A Sermon
open.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 5:14 PM
"I wonder how many of us are also exhausted from the constant wrestling. Whether it's politics made personal, illness, or something else private, how many of us are exhausted from begging for relief?"
My sermon from today:
My sermon from today:
Death Will Not Conquer Love: An Easter Reflection for 2025 open.substack.com/pub/toddcena...
Death Will Not Conquer Love
An Easter Reflection for 2025
open.substack.com
April 23, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Death Will Not Conquer Love: An Easter Reflection for 2025 open.substack.com/pub/toddcena...
Death tried to seize him, but he turned and destroyed it; He descended into Hell and took captivity captive; Death tasted his flesh and cried out in fear. [...]
April 20, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Death tried to seize him, but he turned and destroyed it; He descended into Hell and took captivity captive; Death tasted his flesh and cried out in fear. [...]
If Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was only about what happens after I die, then I want no part of it. If, however, it is about transforming my life and the world around me in the here and now, then I'm all about it.
April 16, 2025 at 4:44 AM
If Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was only about what happens after I die, then I want no part of it. If, however, it is about transforming my life and the world around me in the here and now, then I'm all about it.
Those possessed by whiteness must recognize the power it holds over them and then look for and act toward a better way. The world is not ours to conquer, it is ours to steward. We are servants above all else.
Drawn from the book How to Have an Enemy by Melissa Florer-Baxter.
Drawn from the book How to Have an Enemy by Melissa Florer-Baxter.
March 3, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Those possessed by whiteness must recognize the power it holds over them and then look for and act toward a better way. The world is not ours to conquer, it is ours to steward. We are servants above all else.
Drawn from the book How to Have an Enemy by Melissa Florer-Baxter.
Drawn from the book How to Have an Enemy by Melissa Florer-Baxter.
Reposted by ToddCena
There is no easy alliance between the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God, and all attempts to create an easy alliance between these two kingdoms are misguided and doomed to failure. The kingdom of the world is founded on greed and war—Mammon and Mars.
February 15, 2025 at 7:23 PM
There is no easy alliance between the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God, and all attempts to create an easy alliance between these two kingdoms are misguided and doomed to failure. The kingdom of the world is founded on greed and war—Mammon and Mars.
Macklemore's new song goes hard. Anthems like this, of people raising their voices and using their power to join with the oppressed, will see us through and be a part of raising every valley and tearing down mountains.
MACKLEMORE - fucked up (official video)
YouTube video by Macklemore
youtu.be
February 12, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Macklemore's new song goes hard. Anthems like this, of people raising their voices and using their power to join with the oppressed, will see us through and be a part of raising every valley and tearing down mountains.
"The Psalms that call for God's intervention are written as a reminder if the enormity of human suffering within systemic and sustained forms of violence that cannot always be rectified by good work, good intentions, or reasonable dialogue."
-Melissa Florer Baxter in How to Have an Enemy
-Melissa Florer Baxter in How to Have an Enemy
February 11, 2025 at 5:59 AM
"The Psalms that call for God's intervention are written as a reminder if the enormity of human suffering within systemic and sustained forms of violence that cannot always be rectified by good work, good intentions, or reasonable dialogue."
-Melissa Florer Baxter in How to Have an Enemy
-Melissa Florer Baxter in How to Have an Enemy
Reposted by ToddCena
My Jesus does not need a task-force.
He needs us to:
make sure children are fed and not gunned down in schools
ensure immigrants are welcomed and aid is given to the poor
have empathy for our neighbors and courage to speak truth to power.
#unitedstatesofamerica
He needs us to:
make sure children are fed and not gunned down in schools
ensure immigrants are welcomed and aid is given to the poor
have empathy for our neighbors and courage to speak truth to power.
#unitedstatesofamerica
February 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
My Jesus does not need a task-force.
He needs us to:
make sure children are fed and not gunned down in schools
ensure immigrants are welcomed and aid is given to the poor
have empathy for our neighbors and courage to speak truth to power.
#unitedstatesofamerica
He needs us to:
make sure children are fed and not gunned down in schools
ensure immigrants are welcomed and aid is given to the poor
have empathy for our neighbors and courage to speak truth to power.
#unitedstatesofamerica
When we, the white mob, celebrate the actions of police that leave a person of color dead without the benefit of due process, we participate with the mob in Jerusalem on Good Friday as we cry, "Crucify Him!" 🧵
February 2, 2025 at 7:08 AM
When we, the white mob, celebrate the actions of police that leave a person of color dead without the benefit of due process, we participate with the mob in Jerusalem on Good Friday as we cry, "Crucify Him!" 🧵
The President indicated that DEI hires at the FAA may have played a factor in the crash? I'm not sure where to begin to enumerate how awful that take is. It's ignorance at best and at worst: badly veiled racism. 🧵
January 30, 2025 at 7:23 PM
The President indicated that DEI hires at the FAA may have played a factor in the crash? I'm not sure where to begin to enumerate how awful that take is. It's ignorance at best and at worst: badly veiled racism. 🧵
Those who have power never have power enough. And those with power are loathe to lose it.
There's a reason Jesus talked about service as the model for life. Power corrupts us, service heals.
There's a reason Jesus talked about service as the model for life. Power corrupts us, service heals.
January 30, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Those who have power never have power enough. And those with power are loathe to lose it.
There's a reason Jesus talked about service as the model for life. Power corrupts us, service heals.
There's a reason Jesus talked about service as the model for life. Power corrupts us, service heals.
"Just as Middle-earth could not be saved, only enslaved, by the Ring of Power, so Christianity cannot save the world by political power; it can only be corrupted by it."
--Brian Zahnd in The Wood Between the Worlds.
This chapter is potent in it's critiques and powerful in it's hope.
--Brian Zahnd in The Wood Between the Worlds.
This chapter is potent in it's critiques and powerful in it's hope.
January 29, 2025 at 6:23 PM
"Just as Middle-earth could not be saved, only enslaved, by the Ring of Power, so Christianity cannot save the world by political power; it can only be corrupted by it."
--Brian Zahnd in The Wood Between the Worlds.
This chapter is potent in it's critiques and powerful in it's hope.
--Brian Zahnd in The Wood Between the Worlds.
This chapter is potent in it's critiques and powerful in it's hope.
Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but the US isn't going to change if Dems take back Congress in 2 years. I'm not sure they have much desire to check anything that MAGA does because doing so will deprive them of issues to run on.
A short thread: 🧵
A short thread: 🧵
January 28, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but the US isn't going to change if Dems take back Congress in 2 years. I'm not sure they have much desire to check anything that MAGA does because doing so will deprive them of issues to run on.
A short thread: 🧵
A short thread: 🧵
Someone needs to Venmo the Refs on behalf of the Commanders at halftime. These penalties are ticky-tacky af, all going against the Commanders.
January 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Someone needs to Venmo the Refs on behalf of the Commanders at halftime. These penalties are ticky-tacky af, all going against the Commanders.
Reposted by ToddCena
OK, I get being a responsible adult… but, every day? Every single day? That seems a bit excessive.
January 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
OK, I get being a responsible adult… but, every day? Every single day? That seems a bit excessive.
This is why we hold that Jesus was Fully God and Fully Human. The Incarnation empowers divine empathy in a way that we will never fully understand.
It is impossible to have more empathy and compassion than God.
Christian, when you think you are at your most compassionate, you are not yet close to a drop in the vast ocean of God's compassion. All our empathy doesn't hold a candle to the God who became God-With-Us.
Christian, when you think you are at your most compassionate, you are not yet close to a drop in the vast ocean of God's compassion. All our empathy doesn't hold a candle to the God who became God-With-Us.
January 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM
This is why we hold that Jesus was Fully God and Fully Human. The Incarnation empowers divine empathy in a way that we will never fully understand.
In a system that seems designed to exterminate all that is good, Love, Hope, and Joy are little acts of rebellion. Where have you found them this week?
January 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM
In a system that seems designed to exterminate all that is good, Love, Hope, and Joy are little acts of rebellion. Where have you found them this week?
For those of you who teach Scripture, I wrote up a resource that I hope is helpful for you. I welcome your thoughts:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
A Simple Hermeneutic
I’d like to share with you a hermeneutic, or way of reading and interpreting Scripture, that I developed a few years ago, when I was teaching high school Sunday School. I had roughly 20-30 students a...
docs.google.com
January 24, 2025 at 3:38 AM
For those of you who teach Scripture, I wrote up a resource that I hope is helpful for you. I welcome your thoughts:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Violence is a tool of the State meant to silence that which cannot be killed.
Nonviolence is a tool of the people meant to amplify that which must not be silenced.
^a thought I had as I'm thinking about faithful living in the coming years. Idk if I agree or don't. I would love your thoughts.
Nonviolence is a tool of the people meant to amplify that which must not be silenced.
^a thought I had as I'm thinking about faithful living in the coming years. Idk if I agree or don't. I would love your thoughts.
January 23, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Violence is a tool of the State meant to silence that which cannot be killed.
Nonviolence is a tool of the people meant to amplify that which must not be silenced.
^a thought I had as I'm thinking about faithful living in the coming years. Idk if I agree or don't. I would love your thoughts.
Nonviolence is a tool of the people meant to amplify that which must not be silenced.
^a thought I had as I'm thinking about faithful living in the coming years. Idk if I agree or don't. I would love your thoughts.
Reposted by ToddCena
In fairness, “you can make millions of individual molecules but there are 13 that you need but can’t make so let’s outsource their production to plants. Also, it’s actually 12…you can make one of the vitamins…as long as the sun’s rays touch your skin like you yourself are a plant” does sound fake.
I’m sorry but vitamins sound fake
January 23, 2025 at 5:16 PM
In fairness, “you can make millions of individual molecules but there are 13 that you need but can’t make so let’s outsource their production to plants. Also, it’s actually 12…you can make one of the vitamins…as long as the sun’s rays touch your skin like you yourself are a plant” does sound fake.
Reposted by ToddCena
A Litany for Divided Times - Inspired by Bishop Budde's homily on 1/21/25🧵
In a world that seems to get angrier by the day, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
That we might recognize our common humanity amidst our disparate opinions, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
In a world that seems to get angrier by the day, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
That we might recognize our common humanity amidst our disparate opinions, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
January 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
A Litany for Divided Times - Inspired by Bishop Budde's homily on 1/21/25🧵
In a world that seems to get angrier by the day, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
That we might recognize our common humanity amidst our disparate opinions, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
In a world that seems to get angrier by the day, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
That we might recognize our common humanity amidst our disparate opinions, we pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
The whole sermon is a manifesto on Christian Ethics. Please watch it, and remember.
It's worth listening to the entire sermon, not just the last few minutes that the news stories are circulating.
Not that added context changes the meaning of what Bishop Budde said -- far from it. But because the whole sermon is just worth listening to.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=91NN...
Not that added context changes the meaning of what Bishop Budde said -- far from it. But because the whole sermon is just worth listening to.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=91NN...
Washington National Cathedral full prayer service (January 21, 2025)
YouTube video by WFAA
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2025 at 6:43 PM
The whole sermon is a manifesto on Christian Ethics. Please watch it, and remember.