Written by: United Theological Seminary September 27, 2018

“Beloved is Where We Begin”: Sermon by Claire Curran

Beloved is Where We Begin

Claire Curran

Judson Baptist Church, July 23rd, 2017

Perhaps like many of you, I grew up in a small church where I routinely heard, God loves you. And if I’m being honest, I thought, that’s nice. I don’t really know what that means for my life. And I wouldn’t really until this past year, when I went to seminary.

The shift was very subtle. Just two letters actually. B and e, added to loved. Beloved. A lot of my work is writing and communicating the stories of the climate movement. I love words, their shape, sound, and meaning. And there is just something about beloved that gets right to my core, far more than love or loved ever had.

I’ve been trying to sort out why that is. And something about it is that love seemed to be something that happened to you. Where as beloved, is both the truth of who we are, and a way of being. Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest writes in his book Life of the Beloved that “from the moment we claim the truth of being the beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are. Becoming the beloved is the great spiritual journey we have to make.”¹

So all at once, beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become. It’s not just that God loves us, it is that we are the beloved. But belovedness isn’t a credential on a resume, not a certification course you can take and then check off the list. As Nouwen says, belovedness is the very core of who we are, and we are called to live every more deeply into that belovedness.

You might be thinking: loved, beloved what’s the difference? And why does any of this matter? Especially as justice seeking people, what does this mean for the world we seek?

First, what is inherent in being God’s beloved is that all of God’s creation is beloved. I can’t name my own belovedness, without in turn naming yours. I am not beloved because of any special things I did. Belovedness is grace, given freely to us all. I am because we are, and we are beloved.

Embracing the truth of our belovedness isn’t a flowery, feel good gesture, it is a radical act. The Beguine women knew this well. The Beguines were a lay religious group in late 12th-mid 14th centuries in Northern Europe.² The theology they developed was rooted in their identity as God’s beloved which allowed them to “trust the truth of their own experience and engage in public theological discourse.”³ They saw themselves primarily as God’s beloved, with God’s love and being coursing through their veins, a part of their very being. In naming their belovedness, they named their power and asserted their self determination against the hegemonic powers of their day.

Naming our belovedness tells a new story that directly subverts the story of the domination and oppression. Belovedness is the birthright and truth of every being, of all of creation. This is especially powerful for those of us with oppressed identities. Black Lives Matter. Yes, and more than that, Black Lives are Beloved, worthy, beautiful, infused with the image of God. Queer Lives are Beloved. Indigenous Lives are Beloved. Differently Abled Lives are Beloved. You, dear one, are beloved.

Affirming our belovedness makes social transformation possible. When we know ourselves as beloved, we know ourselves as the loving, justice-making creatures God intends us. That realization calls us into the holy work of social transformation. We cannot work for wholeness and justice in the world when we deny our own belovedness. It’s damaging to our very souls, and cuts us off from our source, our connection to the divine and all of creation.

If we think we can deny the truth of truth of our belovedness, just listen to our psalmist, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Our belovedness comes from being creatures of God. As the psalmist asks “where can I go from your spirit?” They find no answers. Everywhere we can go, every corner of creation is suffused with the spirit of God. All of creation is God’s and is beloved. We cannot flee from God. Just as God is in creation God is also within each of us.

The psalmist goes on “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place; when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.”

There’s so much here. First, these two references to God forming us, knitting us in our mother’s womb, in the depths of the earth. For me this reinforces the notion that as much as we are of God, we are also of the earth, and that the earth is beloved. God’s belovedness can be found throughout creation, and in and through creation we are formed, beloved.

Second, we praise God because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Belovedness is wonderful, pure, and true. For me it’s often also frightening. I am beloved, I am a child of God put on this beloved creation at this distinct moment in time in human history, when we face a crisis like none ever before, poised on the brink of inhabitability for the human species. What then does it mean for me to be who God made me to be, how do I fully live into my belovedness? What is uniquely and urgently mine to do on this earth?

As I hope you can hear, the fear in that is also the wonder and the joy. What does it mean for me to be alive at this time? What does it mean for you to be you, utterly beloved, full of promise and skills and gifts that only you, truly only you can give to this world? The fear is only in that we will not have the strength or courage to answer. And yet again, beloved is where we begin, it is our very being, and our source for the sacred work that is ours to do.

When we source our work for social transformation from an abiding sense of our own belovedness, we are able to fully honor the belovedness of others, and together birth ourselves and the world anew.

You’ve probably heard this quote before, from author Marianne Williamson, who says “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” What’s really interesting is that for many people, maybe it’s true for you, is that it’s easier to accept that other people are beloved, than to accept that we ourselves are beloved. Perhaps too we are afraid of our own belovedness means for our lives. It might seem easier to hide from the truth of who we are but as our psalmist, and poet Jan Richardson remind us, insistent voices continue to whisper the truth of who we are: beloved.

We are called to be and become, ever more deeply, the beloved. When we do, we don’t stay curled up in our homes, in comfort, resting assured. No belovedness does the very opposite, it sends us out into the world to reclaim and renew the belovedness of all beings. Theologian Cynthia Moe-Lobeda writes, “It seems that the love to which Jesus calls us emerges from a way of perceiving the world and of being in it, as well as a way of acting and feeling in response to it. It is the perception that the neighbor bears infinite worth and is irrevocably beloved by God; she or he is, before all else, a creature beloved by God.”⁴

So my challenge for you today is to see yourself and every being you encounter as God’s beloved. One of my spiritual practices is to see each person as a landscape, because when I look out at the ocean or a mountain or a forest I not only see the richness and beauty of God’s creation I am overwhelmed with a knowing that the world is beloved. And so in the morning I do my best to remind myself: Everyone I meet today is a landscape, within each of them lives a universe of experience, joy, and struggle. They are crevices and canyons and folds, where living waters flow and forests are born. God, help me to see and honor the wholeness of who they are, and who you are in and through them.

Beloved is where we begin. It is who we are, it is who we are called to be in the world. May you slow down to hear the voices of God swirling around you whispering, you dear one, you are my beloved. May you find the strength and courage to bring the truth of your belovedness fully to the world. Amen

Citations:

1. Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen, 2002.

2. Theologian Cynthia Moe-Lobeda discuss the Beguines in her book, Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological-Economic Vocation, 2013.

3. From the Beguine women, quote by Cynthia Moe-Lobeda

4. Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological-Economic Vocation, by Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, 2013.

Claire Curran is Communications and Outreach Manager at Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Claire received her BA from Gustavus Adolphus College where she studied Religion and Peace Studies. She is also a dancer and company member at One Dance Company in St. Paul. Claire is pursuing her M.Div. with a concentration in Social Transformation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

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June 5, 2026

Academics Announcements Arts Faculty theology and the arts

Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis to Be Appointed Inaugural Occupant of the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, June 5, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is elated to announce that Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis will be appointed as the first-ever occupant of the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. Until now, he has served faithfully as the McVay Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation, as well as Director of the Social Transformation Program. Before joining United, Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis served as a congregational minister in Boston, Honolulu, and San Francisco, and was Director of Leadership Development for Metropolitan Community Churches, after which he joined the United Church of Christ (UCC). Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ ministry includes community organizing and advocacy. He has served as managing director at the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS) as well as communications director for the Hawai’i Equal Rights Marriage Project, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. He received his PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Graduate Theological Union in 2017, his DMin from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2003, and his MDiv from Harvard Divinity School in 1990. His teaching experience spans courses at the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Iliff School of Theology, and Pacific School of Religion. As an eminent academic and theologian, Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ scholarship has deepened the study of the intersection of art and LGBTQ+ religious identity. He recently completed writing Queer Spirituality, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity in Contemporary Visual Art, to be released later this year by Bloomsbury Academic. Dr. Sabia-Tanis also wrote the groundbreaking book Transgendered Ministry, Theology and Communities of Faith (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2003; Wipf & Stock, 2018) and authored a chapter in Transbiblical: New Approaches to Interpretation and Embodiment in Scripture (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2025). In 2024, he gave a lecture in the art gallery of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, MN, on the life and art of Keith Haring. Dr. Sabia-Tanis is himself an artist, and he hones and cultivates the creative expression of the artist-theologians enrolled in his courses. In his announcement of the news to United students, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—connected Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ education and qualifications to the field of theology and the arts. “Dr. Sabia-Tanis appreciates and champions the legacy of Dr. Yates and the leadership of United in the area of arts and theology,” Dr. Roberts asserted. “He also advocates for the intersection of the arts with movements for social justice and will bring to his teaching and leadership a synergy of theology and arts, along with his contributions to the education of social transformation at United.” Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, commended the news for this esteemed member of the faculty. “The wide-ranging scholarship of Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis will elevate this position as the arts serve as a medium for social transformation.” Established in 2025 by generous gifts from friends, alums, and former United faculty, the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts is an endowed faculty position named after Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates, President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Society, and the Arts. Yates joined United’s faculty in 1967, became Dean in 1988, and was made President in 1996. He retired from the seminary in 2005, having led and innovated in theology and the arts, deepened scholarship, and integrated the subject as a pillar of United’s academic programs. Rev. Dr. Yates celebrated the news and is eager to see Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis installed into the chair. He reflects, “I am very excited about Justin’s selection for this role. His studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley will provide an important background to this work. Justin brings a solid understanding of the relationship to the arts in theology, the church, and everyday life. It is not incidental that he is also a practicing artist.” On his appointment to the chair, Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis shares, “United has valued and integrated the arts since our founding. They are critical to how our students are formed, and in the ministries and projects they will lead when they graduate. I am so honored to move into this important role at United and continue the incredible legacy of Wilson Yates. And I'm looking forward to the ways this program will evolve and grow in the coming years.” The installation of Dr. Sabia-Tanis into the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts will be formally celebrated at Fall Convocation on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Details will be announced in the coming months. About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

The Barnabas Society: Transformative Legacies Lead to Transformed Lives

Since its inception in 1962, United has been sustained by faithful supporters who believe in transformative theological education. This support—from one-time gifts, to recurring contributions, to stock designations—makes the seminary’s work possible. One group of dedicated donors, members of United’s Barnabas Society, views their commitment to progressive seminary education as extending for a lifetime and beyond. The Barnabas Society recognizes those who have included United in their estate plans. This group of donors is named after Barnabas, an apostle introduced in Acts 14, who provided financial support to his fellow apostles with proceeds from the sale of his land. These gifts typically reflect donors’ values— principles that are aligned with the seminary’s mission, vision, and values. Legacy gifts ensure these precepts are practiced in the classroom and realized beyond the institution’s walls. Gifts can include income-return gifts and beneficiary designations—financial support that expresses the donor’s philanthropic intent while providing long-term stability for United’s mission—and the legacies of their generosity live on in endowed scholarships, faculty chairs, lectureships, and seminary programming. Now in its 35th year, the Susan Draper White Lecture is a beloved annual event that draws leading feminist theologians to the seminary. It was named after the grandmother of United alum Rev. Cil (Priscilla) Braun† (’83), who, with other donors, endowed the lectureship series. Cil and her husband, Jack, the Barnabas Society through a legacy gift that helped support the newly established Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. Cil’s legacy has spanned decades, and her generosity has informed, inspired, and continued to support United students. In 2021, United celebrated the creation of a tenure-track faculty position. Rev. Dr. Andrea Johnson (’17, ’23) and David Fry committed $1.75 million to endow the Johnson-Fry Chair in World Religions and Intercultural Studies, held by Dr. Munjed M. Murad. As an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, Andrea sought to strengthen the seminary’s commitment to Interreligious Engagement, saying, “While we are grounded in our Christian heritage, more and more we are educating leaders in religions other than Christianity. And we need all our religious leaders to be deeply responsive to the realities of religious and spiritual diversity.” An alum and trustee, Andrea knows how United impacts its students and their communities, sharing, “I was transformed by the education I received at United, and [I] am passionate about supporting its future.” At Fall Convocation in September 2024, Dr. Demian Wheeler, director of Advanced Studies, was formally installed into the newly endowed Sophia Chair in Religious and Theological Studies. Former trustees Keith Bednarowski and Dr. Mary Farrell Bednarowski, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies (1976–2004), who funded the Chair, have been part of the United community for nearly 50 years. In an interview for the Winter 2024 Issue of VOICES, Mary reaffirmed her commitment to United, saying, “I have a very deep faith that this full-of-life seminary will persist and flourish for many, many years. Keith and I want to be part of that flourishing.” The Barnabas Society is growing. In 2026, trustee Therese Pautz and her husband, David Graham, committed to a legacy gift. Reflecting on their decision, she writes, “We support United because it equips spiritual leaders and community healers.” She continues, “Those vocations are essential to every civil society, especially in times of conflict.” Therese and David will be formally welcomed into the Barnabas Society later this year. These are just a few shining examples of the cadre of faithful supporters who have made legacy gifts and transformative commitments. Their support for the sustained life of the seminary reflects their values and belief in the importance of United’s mission in our ever-evolving world. To discuss a legacy plan, contact Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Vice President for Advancement, by email at cbjohnson@unitedseminary.edu or by phone at 651.255.6137.

United Receives Grant from Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2026. In the wake of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) occupation of the Twin Cities metro region since early 2026, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (United) has secured a $30,000 grant to help, as the grant proposal states, “process our experiences of this time, both the blessings and the trauma, so that we can remain effective and compassionate educators and draw on our experiences in a way that expands student knowledge.” The grant, awarded April 2, will fund a two-year project titled “Teaching and Learning in the Midst of Government-Sponsored Violence.” Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation, supported by the McVay Endowment, and Director of United’s Social Transformation program, envisioned, proposed, and will lead the project in collaboration with staff. “We wish to explore,” Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis articulated in the grant proposal, “which practices of support are effective for faculty, and other school personnel, that equip us to engage with our students in healthy, meaningful, and productive ways during this time of crisis. Drawing on what we learn, we seek to create a model of care for our seminary that can be of use to other educators who may face unprecedented and protracted times of crisis and violence.” Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis identified these goals: Offer effective support to seminary faculty and staff who have been impacted by Operation Metro Surge, both for the well-being of our educators and to consider how best to support students who have been traumatized by the political situation. Draw upon our experiences as practitioners in justice and peace efforts in the Twin Cities to provide meaningful learning opportunities for our students preparing for ministry and community service. Collect and preserve primary sources related to street activism and chaplaincy, and the life and teachings of faith communities as a resource for teaching about theology, worship, arts, and social movements. Make these materials accessible to a wide audience of educators, with a focus on theological educators and faith leaders. Citing United’s long history of educators acting as public theologians—60+ years of teachers who were also protesters, activists, justice-practitioners, and thought leaders—Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis noted that “this moment offers us the opportunity to live our faith and to transparently share that with our students.” Explaining further, he continued, “The religious imperative to act with compassion and to champion justice, especially for those who are vulnerable, is not simply an academic conversation but an authentic expression of our beliefs and convictions. Loving your enemy and welcoming the stranger are not theoretical questions but ones that demand our concrete and immediate responses daily.” In her grant award letter, Dr. Nancy Lynne Westfield, director of the Wabash Center, asserted, “Your project is poised to make a significant impact.” She added, “Thank you for your commitment to strengthening teaching and the teaching profession.” Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Vice President for Advancement—with whom Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis collaborated during the proposal process—remarks, “By virtue of our location and in honor of the stellar work that our alums, students, faculty, and community members have done, and are doing, United is uniquely qualified to lead this important project.” With support from the Wabash Center, United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice is working to gather and preserve information about non-violent resistance and resilience efforts that emerged in response to the ICE Occupation in Minnesota. We invite you to be a part of this project, especially those in Minnesota; please click here to submit resources and materials developed in response to Operation Metro Surge. About United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Founded as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the cutting edge of progressive theological thought leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who dismantle systems of oppression, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge. About the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion Founded in 1996 through a Lilly Endowment, Inc. “Theological Teaching Initiative” grant, the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion in Crawfordsville, IN, exists to “enhance and strengthen education in theology and religion in theological schools, colleges, and universities.” In so doing, it aims to enhance the “impact of religious leadership on both congregations and public discourse.” Contact Nathanial Green (he/him), Director of Marketing and Communications United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138