Kirk of Holly Springs Presbyterian

01/25/2026

Blessed are the peacemakers. This last Friday I drove over to Hwy 64 and waited for hours with hundreds of others stretched along the road to witness and be a part of The Walk for Peace. I resolved to do the best I could in taking a picture or two, but ultimately my goal was to show respect to the Venerable Monks as they approached and walked by. Having engaged in the recommended posture and greeting, I would describe my fleeting interaction with them, but I've decided that interaction shall remain between me and them and the precious few with whom I choose to share that experience.

The experience, though, has me reflecting on what makes for a peacemaker. Is it merely walking through all manner of weather to raise the awareness of inner peace as a pathway to peace in the world around us? Is it taking to bended knee in the freezing cold to peacefully protest the injustice of illegal detentions, then to be arrested? Perhaps it is holding one's hands in a posture of prayer, then be shot with pepper spray in the face? Or is it seeking to help another person up off the ground only to be forced to the ground yourself and ultimately shot?

The way of peace doesn't necessarily mean passivity nor safety-- just ask Dr. King, and, I will add, Alex and Renee. But I do think it requires a choice each day. Maybe the choice is to go out in the cold and hold your protest sign up. Maybe the choice is in how you conduct yourself in your day to day work life. Maybe the choice is using your platform to say what needs to be said.

I have the platform of the pulpit. While this page is the page of a congregation, I am posting here because I am the pastor of this congregation and for today with snow and ice keeping us from gathering together, I write from the pulpit:

Seek peace. Yes, seek inner peace for yourself. And, you can seek peace for this world by resisting the powers of this world through your prayers, your actions, and your words.

The one who occupies the White House has claimed the peace prize that was never given to him. We can claim the prize of peace each day by waking up and facing each day with compassion, empathy, and mercy for one another.

Yes, our yearning for peace may prompt us to shout in protest in town halls and in churches, but, then, again, the same Jesus who preached "Blessed are the peacemakers" is the same Jesus who flipped the tables of moneychangers in protest.

Walk in peace Venerable Monks and rest in peace, Alex and Renee.

01/24/2026

Worship for January 25th has been cancelled. Stay safe and warm KoHS fam!

12/17/2025

A prophetic message from our siblings in Christ in Durham.

Raising Our Voices in Prophetic Witness:
A Declaration of First Presbyterian Church of Durham, NC

We, the people of First Presbyterian Church of Durham, NC, will not remain silent. We are called by our humanity, our faith, and by the God in whom we place our faith to raise our voices in prophetic witness, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and denouncing as immoral forces within our government that are now taking actions and imposing policies on American society that are antithetical to our Christian values.

As Christians, our beliefs are rooted in the beatitudes: Blessed are the poor, the dispirited, the bereft, the meek, those who hunger for food or for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted (Matthew 5:1-12). We cannot, therefore, be reserved in our witness to God’s Kingdom, living as we do in a world that values wealth, profits from war, and persecutes prophetic dissent. Our calling is not to be silent but to be like a city built upon a hill, to be the salt of the earth, to be the light of the world.

Therefore, we commit ourselves to the following:

● To speak up as individuals and as a congregation, for we aspire to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9);
● To support our pastors and preachers as they proclaim our values from the pulpit, and when they fail, to encourage them to speak up (2 Timothy 4:2);
● To be unwavering in our support for immigrants, for we aspire to love the stranger (Leviticus 19:33-34);
● To dismantle structural racism, confront white supremacy, and stand against Christian nationalism, for we aspire to obey the laws of God. (Acts 5:29);
● To weave our LGBTQ+ spiritual kin into the fabric of society, for we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28);
● To publicly confess our complicity in the sinfulness of our nation, when we have acted with cruelty rather than righteousness and justice, and to note historic and current failings, so that we all might repent and refrain from repeating that sinfulness (James 5:16);
● To stand in solidarity with our spiritual kin of every faith and no faith, especially those under threat, for we understand that everyone who does God’s will is acceptable to God (Acts 10:34-35); and
● To preserve the earth, with particular emphasis on the urgent need to address climate change, for we aspire to be responsible stewards and care for creation (Genesis 2:15).

Consistent with those commitments, we condemn the following actions:

● Mistreating immigrant communities through kidnapping, imprisonment without due process, family separation, and deportation to facilities known to engage in deprivation and torture;
● Rolling back civil rights protections for women, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ people;
● Using military force in American cities, especially against peaceful dissenters;
● Gutting of essential government services, including those that feed the poor and provide healthcare for the uninsured;
● Attempting to end constitutional guarantees to birthright and naturalized citizenship;
● Imperiling efforts to slow climate change, which threatens the health of all creation and humanity, and is already ravaging the most vulnerable among us;
● Slashing funding and halting progress on scientific and medical research essential to protecting the wellbeing of society;
● Diminishing the rights of citizens to express their views through the voting process;
● Criminalizing protest and escalating attacks on the press and academic freedom;
● Damaging public education by withdrawing support for programs that enhance fair and equitable educational opportunities for all;
● Undermining the system of checks and balances and dismantling democratic institutions that provide essential accountability for all who wield power;
● Politicizing American institutions, such as the military, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Reserve; and
● Dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies within both the public and private sectors.

First Presbyterian Church of Durham, NC will not remain silent. We will support those policies that are compassionate and ethical in their treatment of God’s children and that care for God’s creation responsibly. At this perilous moment, we must stand against tyranny and oppression and, with courage, make manifest the Kingdom of God.

Approved by the Session on the first day of December, 2025.

Signed:
Rev. Dr. Mindy Douglas, Moderator of the Session
Jane Wettach, Clerk of Session

First Presbyterian Church
305 East Main St.
Durham, NC 27701

11/20/2025

Remember....

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, we name and mourn the many transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people murdered each year because of their gender identity; each of them a beloved child of God and a story cut tragically short. We invite you to share the names of who you are remembering today in the comments.

10/24/2025

Scenes of last night's candidate forum.

Shared album · Tap to view!

06/27/2025

KoHS, your Friday thought...

06/26/2025

💍🏳️‍🌈 June 26 marks 10 YEARS since love won. ❤️🎉

On this day in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a historic ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, declaring that marriage equality is a constitutional right for same-sex couples under the 14th Amendment. 🌈⚖️

It was a monumental victory for love, dignity, and equal rights — a day when millions finally heard what they always deserved: "You are equal. Your love is valid. Your marriage is legal."

Let’s celebrate a decade of progress, honor the fight it took to get here, and keep pushing forward until ✨ every✨ LGBTQ+ right is protected. 💪🏽💖

06/23/2025

06/23/2025

KoHS, a prayer for peace shared from our kin at the Kirk.