Chris Yaw

I am a Christ Lover

Chris Yaw

Welcome! I’m an Episcopal priest serving a congregation in Metro Detroit... With a passion for gun safety... A zest for online Christian formation... A zeal for video blogging... A budding writer... A heart for those who have unintentionally harmed... A commitment to workforce housing... A love for marrying people... And a wonderful wife, three kids, and a cat... If we have common interests or not, I'd love to connect with you.

Me

Contact Details


  • St. David's Episcopal Church, 16200 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan, 48076, USA


  • +011 248-557-5430


  • chris@stdavidssf.org

St. David's

I have served as rector of St. David's Episcopal Church in Southfield, MI for 16 years, join us Sundays in person or via zoom.

St. David's Gun Disposal

Working on the issue of unwanted gun disposal, we've made some real progress in helping rid the U.S. of unwanted firearms.

ChurchNext

Since 2013 we have been helping people learn more about faith through our online learning courses at ChurchNext.

Oakland Housing

Helping middle income families get better housing is a challenge that Oakland Housing has been addressing for 75 years.

Hyacinth Fellowship

Because hurting others hurts us, the Hyacinth Fellowship organizes support groups and reminds us that we are not our worst mistakes.

Yaw Wedding

I have been officiating weddings for more than 20 years and continue to find joy in helping couples build lifelong relationships.

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U.S. Guns Produced Today
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Americans Accidentally Killed Today
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Homeless Americans
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Weddings Performed
  • Ties That Bind

    Ties That Bind


    I grew up next door to a proud family of University of Michigan graduates.

    In fact, the University had hosted three generations of this particular family. Some were doctors, some engineers, and some were business people. And while their professions differed, their love for the maize and blue united them, especially around big game days. 

    But when it was time for the youngest in that family to decide on college, he did not choose the University of Michigan, he did not choose Michigan State, he chose Ohio State University!

    This was quite shocking at first, but over time, it grew into many gentle episodes of playful kidding and gentleman's wagers.

    The thought that such a decision would have any long-term impact on the harmony of this family was simply unthinkable. 
    There are few ties stronger than those of a loving family.

    This Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter, we always read that unforgettable tale of doubting Thomas.

    We remember that Jesus appeared to his disciples, soon after the resurrection, and Thomas was not there. When he arrived home his fellow disciples told him that Jesus had risen. Thomas didn’t buy it - but their life as a community continued.

    Back then, as is now, there’s still debate over belief in the resurrection - 
    But one thing is clear from this story: that even Thomas, who denied the resurrection, was still welcome in the community.

    What if Christians today were able to model this kind of generosity? to understand that all of us are on spiritual journeys that ebb and flow and twist and turn, and the judgement about what we believe and how we believe it, always came second to the valuing of the individual?

    Friends, Jesus made it clear that the best way to love God, was to love God's people. And when we choose to put someone's beliefs above their personhood, why that's called idolatry, that's putting something above God.

    So let us be slow to judge, but quick to love those whose opinions differ than ours. 


    Few ties are stronger than those of a loving family, let's be one. 
  • The Poor Will Always Be With You

    The Poor Will Always Be With You


    I’ve heard it said that we’re the sum of the five people closest to us.

    These can be relatives and friends, but they can also be people whom we have never personally met, great writers, or saints, or celebrities - it all depends on how much of our lives we are willing to yield to them - how close to our hearts we keep them - how much of us we are willing to let them influence.

    On Sunday, we will hear Jesus make a curious statement. Perhaps you've heard it before, Jesus will say, "The poor will always be with you."

    Certainly, this may be understood as a damning reality of the intractable nature of living in a world with haves and have nots - or our utter inability to stem the tide of poverty.
     
    But we can also understand this statement as a commentary on the nature of Christian discipleship - meaning that those who follow Jesus will seek the company of the poor, hence, when we follow Jesus, the poor will always be with us.

    Just think if that were true for those debating immigration policy, or federal funding for programs that benefit the poor. In other words, it's that old adage our mothers told us, “It's hard to speak badly of someone who's right in front of you."

    To take Jesus' advice, what does it mean for you and me to allow someone who's vulnerable, living on the margins, who’s oppressed and suffering - to be one of the five people in our inner circle - who influences our choices and behaviors?


    May Lent be a time that we decide to include the poor among those who are always with us. 
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    ADDRESS

    St. David's Episcopal Church, 16200 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076 USA

    EMAIL

    chris@stdavidssf.org

    TELEPHONE

    +011 248-557-5430