Chris Yaw

I am a Christ Lover

ABOUT ME

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

How Can I Help?

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.

Disarmory Ministries

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 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

Blog

  • Love Lies

    Love Lies



    There are 3 lies about love we need to stop believing.

    First: Love is not weakness.
    People will tell you that listening to the other side...respecting your enemy...refusing to dehumanize people...means you’re soft.
    No, it means you’re strong enough to break the cycle.
    Because grudges grow like mold in the walls. And eventually, hatred burns down the house it lives in.

    Second: we think happiness comes from more money, more power, more fame.
    But, we know better.
    At the end of your life, nobody says: “I wish I’d spent more time impressing strangers.”
    What fills the soul are loving relationships. People. Connection. Belonging.
    And yet we keep putting stuff before people...even though it never actually makes us happier.

    Third: We believe we are only lovable if we perform.
    If we say the right thing. Look the right way. Know the right people. Win enough approval.
    But that’s exhaustion, not love.
    God does not love a polished version of you. God loves you.
    The real you. Right now. No costume required.
    And the right people in your life will love you for that too.

    Don’t fall for the lies.

  • Power to Care

    Power to Care

     


    Why should you care? 

    Guilt? Coercion? 

    How about gratitude. 

    When I'm really thankful for what I've been given, when I see the gifts and skills that I have, it's out of that thankfulness that I can reach out to help those in need. 

    And this is at the heart of this feast called Pentecost. 

    Jesus has died, disciples are praying, and the room gets noisy and people start singing in languages they don't know, they are singing songs of gratitude - 

    And out of this gratitude, they get power, amazing power, and it's the power to suddenly care. 

    They care about the hungry, the needy, the hurting. 

    They care about fairness, they care about Justice. 

    And they go out to the four directions of the world and use this power.

    Out of this overwhelming sense of thankfulness they have found the well of courage and boldness That our world still so desperately needs. 

    Find your power in gratitude 

  • Learning the Language

    Learning the Language

     


    If you asked me if I know French, I’d say… "Yes and no." I took two years in high school, and my grandmother was a French teacher, so I can definitely navigate a menu. I know the basics. But do I *know* it? Not really.

    Now, my friend Jenny? She’s a French professor. She writes research papers in French. She *thinks* in French. When she says she "knows" the language, it’s a completely different reality than mine. She lives in that world; I’m just visiting for dinner.

    In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus’ "High Priestly Prayer." And in it, he actually defines "Eternal Life."

    He doesn’t say it’s a place you go when you die. He says: *"This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."*

    Did you catch that? Eternal life isn't a future reward; it’s a present relationship. It’s happening **right now.**

    The challenge is: How well do we "know" Him? A lot of us have "Menu-Level" faith. We know the basics, we’ve got the vocabulary down, but we aren't fluent. We aren't living with a "Kingdom Mind" the way Jenny lives with a French mind.

    Jesus is inviting us into total fluency. To study, use, and live the language of love so deeply that we operate in His world every single day. That’s not just a future hope—that’s eternal life, starting today. 

    Don't just read the menu. 
    Learn the language.

  • Remember the Poor

    Remember the Poor

     


    Remember the poor. 

    I know, I know, it’s hard!

    But it's one of Jesus main messages; he was born poor, lived among the poor, and constantly advocated for them. 

    And so I found myself at yet another Wednesday prayer vigil outside the ICE office in Southfield asking the landlord and immigration enforcement to do the same thing: Remember the poor.

    Let's face it, these ICE arrests and raids are not being made in the leafy suburbs, but in the poor areas of town; we are antagonizing the very people Jesus told us to advocate for. 

    Meanwhile, the wealthy - we're quick to grant them tax breaks, they get pricey lawyers, are friends with the judges, and enjoy favored societal status, look who's on celebrity magazine covers?

    In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus will say, “ If you love me, you'll do what I say, and time and time again,” from The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, to the vision of the great judgment in chapter 25, Jesus made it clear that advocating for the poor is what's being commanded. 

    I know it's not popular, convenient, comfortable, and sometimes even safe, but it's what Jesus did: remember the poor. 

    How can I do the same? 

    • SAY HELLO TO ME

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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

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