For People with Bishop Rob Wright

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Your words don’t just “slip out” when you’re stressed. They come from somewhere. Jesus shows us in Matthew 15: what goes into the mouth passes through, but what comes out reveals the heart and can defile, degrade, and damage the people around us. That idea lands like a mirror, especially if you care about faith, leadership, and the kind of community you’re building at home, at work, and in the world. 

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about spiritual maturity as the ability to critique and question your own thought patterns without spiraling into shame. Instead of living on a rushing river of emotion and reaction, they explore what it looks like to pause, reflect, and bring scripture into the process with honesty and humility. Jesus isn’t dismissing health or religious practice; he’s going deeper, pushing past external rule-keeping to the internal patterns that produce slander, blame, resentment, and unneighborly behavior. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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The scariest part of a storm isn’t always the wind and waves, it’s what fear convinces us we’re seeing. When the disciples spot Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14:22–33, they don’t call him their friend. They call him a ghost. 
In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about anxiety, interpretation, and what steady faith looks like when life feels like it never stops testing you. Using the story found in Matthew, they discuss why Jesus says “It is I” before he says “Do not be afraid.” That order matters. Identity comes first, then courage. They connect that to faith and leadership, self-management, and the way fear can become a template we lay over God, other people, and even our own future. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
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Scarcity is loud. It tells us there's not enough money, not enough compassion, not enough hope, and not enough time to help. In our final Summer Shorts episode, The Rev. Kenya Thompson, Vicar of Church of the Common Ground, offers a different narrative rooted in the miracle of Matthew 14:13–21, where Jesus feeds the 5,000. Miracles, she reminds us, are signs of God's presence breaking into ordinary life, revealing abundance where we assume there's only emptiness.

In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Kenya about everyday miracles, Jesus' creativity, and what "enough" really looks like. Together, they explore practical ways to show up for our neighbors—especially the most vulnerable—even when we feel our own resources are limited. Listen in for the full conversation. 
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Indianapolis, Kenya attended Howard University, graduating in 1992. She later earned a master’s in education from American University in 1996. For over 20 years, she worked in education, including as a high school guidance and college counselor for 15 years. Kenya joined St. George’s Episcopal Church in 1995 and was confirmed that year. After discerning a call to ministry, she earned her M.Div. from Candler School of Theology – Emory University and was ordained in 2018. Her time working in China deeply impacted her spiritually, as she witnessed God’s love through the kindness of strangers, even those not Christian. Since ordination, Kenya has served in various roles, including Vicar at Church of the Common Ground, Associate Rector at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, and Director of Leadership Development at Emmaus House. She is passionate about caring for the forgotten and the unwelcome. She considers being a priest an honor and a blessing and looks forward to future opportunities to love and serve God.
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Pain has a way of making everything feel personal, like the universe is singling you out. Holle Tubbs, diocesan youth missioner for the Diocese of Atlanta, joins us for our Summer Shorts series to talk about a different path: reaching for God without turning faith into a bargain for control.

In this episode, Melissa and Holle explore the relationship between faith, humility, and a kind of grit that isn't defined by winning, but by refusing to give up. They also discuss vulnerability as intimacy, the hard work of depersonalizing pain, and the relief that comes when we can finally say, “This hurts,” without assuming it is punishment. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
Holle Tubbs has served in formation ministry leadership since 2003, working in both nondenominational and Episcopal contexts. After spending several years in ministry in the Pacific Northwest, she returned to the South and began serving her hometown parish (St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Columbus, GA) as the Director of Youth Ministry & Media. She joined the Bishop’s Staff of the Diocese of Atlanta in 2021.

In her diocesan role, Holle develops EYCDIOATL programs, supports and mobilizes youth ministers and young people, and partners with the Mikell Board of Governors to oversee the ministry of Mikell Camp & Conference Center in Toccoa, GA. She also leads The Keep/Watch Project, an Atlanta-based suicide prevention ministry offering curriculum and training for individuals, congregations, and faith-based organizations.

Beyond the Diocese, Holle collaborates with ministry leaders across the Church to equip students, strengthen intergenerational ministry, and explore fresh ways to engage Gen Z/Gen Alpha. She is a partner with the Forma Network and serves on the Youth Ministry Council of Advice for The Episcopal Church. A passionate advocate for mental health and leadership development, Holle is committed to helping young people and their leaders thrive. 
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You can ruin a garden by being too confident, and you can damage a church the same way. The Rev. Michael White joins us for our Summer Shorts series with a story that starts small, weeding a tidy plot, and lands right in the middle of Matthew 13: sometimes what we label a weed is actually the vine that is meant to grow. That simple mistake opens a bigger conversation about Christian community, belonging, and the temptation to do God’s sorting for God.

In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Michael about why churches struggle with inclusion even when the sign says “all are welcome.” Michael names an uncomfortable truth: a lot of us don't like feeling awkward, so we drift toward people who look familiar, think like us, and fit our preferred style. But The Episcopal Church at its best is a community where whoever shows up gets to be part of the pilgrimage, and that wide embrace can shape us into richer, more grounded people with a deeper “tapestry” of relationships. Listen in for the full conversation. 
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Michael White currently serves as interim rector of St. Luke's Atlanta. Prior to serving at St. Luke's, Michael served as the 41st rector of Christ Church, Savannah. Founded in 1733, Christ Church is the oldest house of worship in the state of Georgia. Michael graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May of 1995 and was ordained that same month. He has a certificate in Non-profit Management from Duke University. He completed the two-year Clergy Leadership Project sponsored by Trinity Wall Street and spent one year as a religious outreach advisor in the U.S. Senate. Michael has also completed a multi-year training offered by the Interim Ministry Network. 
Michael is married to The Rev. Helen Slingluff White. They have two sons, Ethan and Jay. Ethan is beginning his third year of study at Virginia Theological Seminary after serving as a youth minister at St. Stephen’s, Richmond and graduating from The University of the South: Sewanee. Jay is a recent graduate of Princeton University and now lives in Chicago pursuing an acting career.
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