For People with Bishop Rob Wright

For People with Bishop Rob Wright

For People is a conversation with Bishop Rob Wright, spiritual leader to the more than 50,000 people in the 117 worshipping communities of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. In this podcast, Bishop Wright meets listeners at the crossroads of faith and life to explore the challenges of an ever-changing world. Listen in to find out how he expands on For Faith, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.

Episodes

August 1, 2025 25 mins

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The concept of dignity—the unwavering worth within each human being—lies at the heart of our religious traditions, political systems, and human interactions. But what does it mean to respect someone's dignity, especially when society has trained us to look away?

In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Dr. Beth Sarah Wright, author of "DIGNITY: Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Communi...

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When Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," they recognized how Jesus connected with the Divine. The prayer the disciples asked for wasn’t about polished words. It was about relationship. 

In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir about prayer and its power to transform our spiritual lives. Salmoon shares the story of how his mother instilled prayer as a no...

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July 18, 2025 16 mins

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Have you ever considered the difference between being a tourist and being a pilgrim? Justin Strickland discovered this distinction firsthand during his transformative journey to Ghana and the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, the companion diocese of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. His story reveals how true pilgrimage reshapes our understanding of presence, relationship, and spiritual growth.

In this episode...

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Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Tricia Templeton, Justin Strickland, The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir, and Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright. Each guest will write that week's For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.

In the first guest ep...

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June 27, 2025 20 mins

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When we've been hurt or rejected, vengeance may be something we desire. Christian maturity helps us build capacities to defer and fend off the need for vengeance.

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about vengeance. Using Luke 9:51-62, they unpack Jesus' response when his disciples wanted to "rain fire and brimstone" on a Samaritan village that rejected them. Jesus rebukes...

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What happens when we strip away centuries of religious interpretation and confront the actual teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? This Jesus isn't the gentle, apolitical figure often presented in modern Christianity, but rather "a holistically spiritual freedom fighter" deeply concerned with poverty, exploitation, and injustice. 

In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, ...

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June 13, 2025 20 mins

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What happens when we encounter truth we aren't ready for? Jesus' words about the Spirit of Truth were a guide to his disciples who couldn't yet bear everything their teacher had to share. Jesus' teachings on the Spirit of Truth remain a guide for us today too!

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about truth and the weigh it carries in our lives. Most of us resist...

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June 6, 2025 19 mins

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"Diversity belongs to God's imagination." With this bold statement, Bishop Rob Wright cuts through the political noise surrounding conversations about human difference. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how the ancient biblical story of Pentecost offers a divine endorsement of human diversity that transcends modern political debates.

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a...

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May 30, 2025 23 mins

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Prison takes many shapes and forms. The size of an individuals home or investment portfolio pales in comparison to true spiritual release - a freedom of purpose, clarity, and belonging that transcends physical limitations. This God given release is true freedom!

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright delve into Acts 16, reflecting on the story of Paul and Silas. Imprisoned yet singing joyfully after freeing a slave...

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May 23, 2025 19 mins

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Words create worlds. From Genesis where God speaks creation into being, to Jesus asking a paralyzed man, "Do you want to be made well?", speech carries the power to transform reality. But what happens when certain topics become unspeakable?

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that explores how modern society increasingly avoids difficult conversations. Using Jesus' he...

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May 16, 2025 22 mins

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God does some of God's best work in the darkness! These painful periods hold unexpected creative potential—a perspective shared by both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize speech and Jesus in his final hours with his disciples. Dr. King spoke during a time of profound national division. Yet he saw beyond immediate chaos to "a genuine civilization struggling to be born." Similarly, J...

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May 9, 2025 20 mins

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Being in relationship with God is accompanied by suspense. Even in the bible, John 10: 22-30, Jesus is asked "Are you the Messiah? How long will you keep us in suspense?" Faith in God meets in the tensions of certainty and the suspense of the unknown. 

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the suspense that accompanies faith. Bishop Wright offers a perspective that tra...

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May 2, 2025 20 mins

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What do we do with our wounds? When betrayal cuts deep, when painful experiences leave scars, we have control of how we move forward - with God's help. Jesus' post-resurrection appearances challenge our conventional responses to hurt. Jesus, freshly risen from death after being betrayed by his closest followers, doesn't seek distance or retribution. Instead, he passes through locked doors to reconnect w...

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April 25, 2025 30 mins

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This week we celebrate 250 episodes of our Podcast, For People! From its inception until now our purpose has been singular, to talk about God, God’s goodness and how we might respond to this good God made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus far, we have listeners in 142 countries. An immense thank you goes to Easton Davis, our producer, and Melissa Rau, my conversation partner, most weeks. Incredibly affir...

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April 11, 2025 23 mins

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Authority comes in many forms, but as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, he modeled an understanding that may transform how we view our empowerment. While crowds waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" one day and "Crucify him!" shortly after, Jesus remained steadfast. Neither public praise nor rejection sways him from his purpose. This spiritual maturity stands as both a challenge...

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April 4, 2025 18 mins

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Loss hits hardest when we love deeply. How do we face it without denial or paralysis? In John 12, at a dinner for Jesus after Lazarus' resurrection, his friends respond to impending loss differently—Lazarus with nostalgia, Martha with busyness, and Judas with business. But Mary offers a different way: acknowledging a loss that draws her closer to Jesus.

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversatio...

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March 28, 2025 21 mins

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Empathy is not just about intellect. Empathy is about putting flesh on Christian ideals. It's about compassion enough for everyone. The story of The Prodigal Son is one of Jesus' parables thats reaches beyond the Christian faith. In the story, Jesus stretches empathy wide for everyone involved. 

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about empathy, focusing on the story of The Prodigal...

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March 21, 2025 22 mins

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When Moses noticed a burning bush and decided to investigate rather than ignore it, he unwittingly set in motion events that would liberate an entire people from slavery. What might happen if we approached our faith with similar holy curiosity?

In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about remaining curious with our faith matters. They discuss how curiosity serves as the gateway to auth...

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March 14, 2025 20 mins

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To grow up in Christ will make you maladjusted to the world. St. Paul was a Roman citizen - the platinum standard for the age. Yet, in Paul's letter to the Philippians, he reminds us that we are citizens of heaven living on earth. What are the costs of this heavenly citizenship? As we grow up in Jesus, we get a glimpse of how we have adjusted ourselves to a world in open opposition to truth, peace, love and justi...

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March 7, 2025 20 mins

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Join us in keeping a Holy Lent! The theme for this year’s Lenten series is Growing Up in Christ! We get to this theme in response to the opportunity and necessity of us all becoming more mature Christians. Our marriages, families, vocations, state, nation and world all will be better when we decide, with new resolve, to Grow up in Christ! Above all, Growing up in Christ is an active friendship with Jesus that changes ...

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