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Sanctuary: Being Christian In The Wake Of Trump
“Through the pages of this book, I invite you into various spaces of sanctuary—not as places of retreat, but for the deepened resistance, vision, and transformation that these days, and the gospel, require.”
Throughout her nearly forty years in ministry, Heidi Neumark has strived to make communities of faith into sanctuaries amid the turmoils of life. Now, with the social and political upheaval of the years since Donald Trump was elected president, Neumark believes the true Christian calling is to live out a counterpoint to today’s prevailing spirits of exclusion and hatred. Using her own bilingual, multicultural congregation as a model, she moves through the seasons of the church calendar to reflect on what it looks like to live out essential Christian convictions in community with others.
Sanctuary is an amplifier for the many voices crying out against policies and rhetoric that are cruel, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Neumark begins each chapter with a quote from Donald Trump that she defies and dismantles with the power of her own stories—anecdotes about offering shelter for queer youth in her city, supporting immigrants and asylum-seekers being harassed by ICE, and embracing her church’s diversity with a Guadalupe celebration, to name a few. Timely, but also timeless, this book speaks to the deep wounds of this era, inflicted before and during the Trump presidency, which will remain long past its end.
Throughout her nearly forty years in ministry, Heidi Neumark has strived to make communities of faith into sanctuaries amid the turmoils of life. Now, with the social and political upheaval of the years since Donald Trump was elected president, Neumark believes the true Christian calling is to live out a counterpoint to today’s prevailing spirits of exclusion and hatred. Using her own bilingual, multicultural congregation as a model, she moves through the seasons of the church calendar to reflect on what it looks like to live out essential Christian convictions in community with others.
Sanctuary is an amplifier for the many voices crying out against policies and rhetoric that are cruel, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Neumark begins each chapter with a quote from Donald Trump that she defies and dismantles with the power of her own stories—anecdotes about offering shelter for queer youth in her city, supporting immigrants and asylum-seekers being harassed by ICE, and embracing her church’s diversity with a Guadalupe celebration, to name a few. Timely, but also timeless, this book speaks to the deep wounds of this era, inflicted before and during the Trump presidency, which will remain long past its end.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
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About the author
Heidi B. Neumark
3 books21 followersHeidi B. Neumark is an author, speaker, and Lutheran pastor in New York City. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed book, Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx, which won the 2004 Wilbur Award given by the Religion Communicators Council. She has chapters and sermons in numerous other books and writes regularly for The Christian Century and other journals. Pastor Neumark also serves as the executive director of a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth. She holds an honorary doctorate of divinity from Muhlenberg College.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 23, 2020
Heidi Neumark, a Lutheran pastor in Manhattan, uses the church year, holy days, rites and rituals to consider what it means to be Christian in these times. Deeply Biblical and deeply timely, Neumark tells stories from the life of her parish around issues like immigration, LGBTQ youth, homelessness and hunger, and much more. Honest and full of humor as well as struggle, the book presents an entirely different view of what it means to be "Christian" than does Donald Trump or his religious supporters. However, I believe the subtitle is unnecessary. This book looks at what it means to be Christian in any time. A great read for a church book group!
July 8, 2024
I have read all of Neumark's books and am grateful for her words of wisdom and hope. Like Neumark I am an ELCA Lutheran and truly believe in G!d's grace and love.
Not only am I glad to have read this book, this reminder of what G!d wants from us as church, but I am especially grateful that I got to hear Neumark speak this summer. She was our Bible study leader for a conference and she presented on Esther. I have learned so much from her.
Not only am I glad to have read this book, this reminder of what G!d wants from us as church, but I am especially grateful that I got to hear Neumark speak this summer. She was our Bible study leader for a conference and she presented on Esther. I have learned so much from her.
October 3, 2020
I am a member of the church that appears in these pages and the author is my pastor. Her book Breathing Spaces brought me to become a member of Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan, which Neumark describes so lovingly in the pages of her new book, Sanctuary. Following the seasons of the church year, Neumark describes some her congregation's varied ministries: Spanish language service for immigrants living nearby, building relationships with families in public housing, the Trinity Place Shelter that houses LGBTQ young people, and a massive Thanksgiving Day meal that serves more than 1,000 people every year. She charts the history of the congregation and structure itself, relating the construction of the building by late 19th century German immigrants to urban renewal under Robert Moses and to the aughts removal of the stained-glass windows necessitated by construction of market rates condos next door. Woven through all of these stories are meditations upon the pivotal issues facing us as a nation and the ELCA as a church: the slowness of many in the US to engage as allies in the fight against racism, the brutality of immigration policies, and the persistence of violence targeting black and trans individuals. Neumark draws these strands together, illustrating the challenges with many anecdotes about ministering to a multicultural and multi resource-level congregation in a series of vignettes of life during the Trump administration. President Trump appears as a character through a series of epigraphs that begin each chapter.
What emerges is a radical articulation of what we are called to do as Christians and believers in social justice to do in the face of increasingly xenophobic and coded political rhetoric that excludes and ‘others’ people who are different from us and sustains the policies that hurt them. Even though it is a short book, I found it to be a morally challenging read that made me reflect upon the ways I engage and don’t engage across difference in Trinity, in NYC, and in the world. But even with the heaviness of the topic, Pastor Heidi’s own sense of humor comes through and period lightening the narrative periodically. My favorite example of this is when she downloaded episodes of Dexter to her iPhone for a spiritual retreat and watched them surreptitiously in her room. Her delight with children and young people and her skill at creating liturgy and church activities full of meaning for the congregation are on full display. Neumark says "Sanctuary is not without stresses, exactly because sanctuary is an embodied way for dreams to grow in a protected space so that a different future can be born." That idea brings me so much comfort and will help the reader build sanctuaries in their own lives and communities.
What emerges is a radical articulation of what we are called to do as Christians and believers in social justice to do in the face of increasingly xenophobic and coded political rhetoric that excludes and ‘others’ people who are different from us and sustains the policies that hurt them. Even though it is a short book, I found it to be a morally challenging read that made me reflect upon the ways I engage and don’t engage across difference in Trinity, in NYC, and in the world. But even with the heaviness of the topic, Pastor Heidi’s own sense of humor comes through and period lightening the narrative periodically. My favorite example of this is when she downloaded episodes of Dexter to her iPhone for a spiritual retreat and watched them surreptitiously in her room. Her delight with children and young people and her skill at creating liturgy and church activities full of meaning for the congregation are on full display. Neumark says "Sanctuary is not without stresses, exactly because sanctuary is an embodied way for dreams to grow in a protected space so that a different future can be born." That idea brings me so much comfort and will help the reader build sanctuaries in their own lives and communities.
September 29, 2020
I first became aware of Pastor Heidi’s ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church on a Divinity School Trip to New York in 2014. Two years later I had the privilege of working alongside her and the incredible people of Trinity Lutheran Church as Trump was elected. I watched this community respond to the 2016 Presidential election, as plans for the Three Kings pageant in Chapter 1 unfolded, as they hosted classes on knowing rights to combat ICE, advocating for the SWEAT Bill on W. 100th Street & Amsterdam Ave and again in Albany. I’ve seen the i mpact Trinity Place has had. As I began to read the first pages of Sanctuary, the memories came flooding back.
Using the liturgical calendar as the structure of the book, Pastor Heidi opens each chapter with quotes from Trump, and follows them up with the negative impacts his administration’s policies have had on the beloved community she serves. The work that Pastor Heidi talks about in Sanctuary matters. It matters as an issue of Christian morality, and it matters in issues of public policy. Pastor Heidi and Holy Trinity have offered places of sanctuary long before this book existed, and having read it, I suspect many will find sanctuary within its pages too.
Using the liturgical calendar as the structure of the book, Pastor Heidi opens each chapter with quotes from Trump, and follows them up with the negative impacts his administration’s policies have had on the beloved community she serves. The work that Pastor Heidi talks about in Sanctuary matters. It matters as an issue of Christian morality, and it matters in issues of public policy. Pastor Heidi and Holy Trinity have offered places of sanctuary long before this book existed, and having read it, I suspect many will find sanctuary within its pages too.
September 30, 2020
I have the privilege of having met Pr. Heidi Neumark and visited her congregation on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, as well as a good friend who interned alongside her, and I admire the ministry that her and the people of Trinity do in their community. As a fellow pastor myself, it is such balm for the soul to read the stories in these pages - a ministry that is prophetic, challenging, and resilient. It is a challenging time to be the church, but Pr. Heidi offers us a vision of the way forward:
"The future of the church is in cages with children. The future of the church is profiled and choked and left dead on the street. The future of the church is hiding under a school desk and in a nightclub bathroom as bullets fly. The future of the church is with a Black, transgender woman mocked and shot in the heart. The future of the church is in the belly of a whale stuffed with plastic garbage and lying lifeless like the body of a dead migrant child washed up on the shores of the Rio Grande. If the church is not in these places of crucifixion, the church is not with Jesus, and if the church is not with Jesus, we are lost and we have no future" (9).
Thank you, Pr. Heidi, for this renewed call to action and to be the church in the world!
"The future of the church is in cages with children. The future of the church is profiled and choked and left dead on the street. The future of the church is hiding under a school desk and in a nightclub bathroom as bullets fly. The future of the church is with a Black, transgender woman mocked and shot in the heart. The future of the church is in the belly of a whale stuffed with plastic garbage and lying lifeless like the body of a dead migrant child washed up on the shores of the Rio Grande. If the church is not in these places of crucifixion, the church is not with Jesus, and if the church is not with Jesus, we are lost and we have no future" (9).
Thank you, Pr. Heidi, for this renewed call to action and to be the church in the world!
November 26, 2020
No matter where we go or what we read, one thing is for sure. The current President of the United States cuts a controversial figure. Just mentioning his name could easily stoke all kinds of emotions. It is common knowledge that Trump's rise to the top post in American politics is credited largely to the white evangelical support. If Trump is truly Christian, and if his support base is what they claim to be, surely, our society would be better off from a biblical standpoint, right? Hard to say. In fact, it could be worse. In this no-holds-barred critique of the POTUS, and how the age of Trump is making society worse, author and pastor Heidi Neumark speaks out boldly against the ills of power politics. She talks about how the age of Trump resembles the age of Herod in terms of fear instilled by the powers on common citizens. In a sharp rebuke of one of Trump's most controversial policies, she writes: "Jesus welcomes children and Trump locks them in cages." This was with reference to the forced removal of children from their parents during the "zero tolerance" immigration policy in 2018. Neumark was appalled at the arrogance of Trump who boasted about himself being a "great Christian." This boasts happen even as many low-income people suffer with livelihood issues. Big businesses are preferred to small time shops. Trump's "great relationship with the blacks" is contrasted with his apparent refusal to distance himself from white supremacy groups. With a whole list of dissatisfaction with the current POTUS, Neumark critiques his policies (and his tweets!) from the perspectives of the vulnerable and marginalized groups in America. Fortunately, this is not the only thing she does. At the end of each chapter, she offers up a plea to be heard, and for the disenfranchised to be heard. People need a sanctuary from all the injustice and hurts happening around society at large. Even if problems have no immediate solution, at least show some empathy and understanding.
She concludes with hope during the Advent season. Amid the injustice, we see glimpses of good that restores our hope in humanity. Despite the consequences of policies implemented by the powers that be, there are still opportunities for good to be done.
My Thoughts
==============
First, readers might think this book is anti-Trump. This is not necessarily so. At a glance, this book seems like another of those critical books on Trump and his policies that come across more as using the nation's power to bully the weak. One question at the back of my mind is whether Neumark has gone overboard with her negativity. I sense anger and frustration in the writing. Perhaps, recognizing the background of the author's first-hand experience with the needy, I ought to give the author the benefit of the doubt. For the book was not written simply to critique Trump. It is to pushback on some of the promises by helping us think through the consequences and how to go about solving the real problems of society. The question: "Is America worth saving?" is answered with an emphatic Yes! Otherwise, Neumark would not have written this book in the first place.
Second, the author is well aware of her position as a clergy. Using the Christian calendar as a guide, Neumark points out the dysfunctional aspects of society throughout the year. She begins with Christmas, even calling Trump the Herod of old. She aims at the paranoia and narcissism Herod had come to symbolize. Paranoia resulted in genocide while narcissism led to expensive building projects. It might be a little too dramatic to equate the present-day leader with the first-century ruler, but the point is more symbolic than literal. She uses Lent and Holy Week as a lens to reflect on suffering, pain, and death. She tries to bring out the hope of Easter in the midst of borders that divide. Such borders are not mere intentional boundaries, but also the invisible lines drawn to isolate ourselves according to ethnicities, economic distinctions, and status. Pentecost is also a time to celebrate diversity. Right through to the Advent, we are given much spiritual food for thought on what it means to be Christian in the midst of power politics.
Finally, what does it mean to live in a society when Trump is president? More importantly, how should Christians live during this time? The word is faithfulness to the love of Jesus more than anything else. At the same time, we are called to lament on things that are beyond our powers to solve. We seek healing and reconciliation. We seek goodness in the midst of much evil. We seek God as the final Judge and Arbiter of all things in this fallen world. We need hope, and by closing with the season of Advent, the author has shown us her hand of cards. Whatever terrible things that are happening right now, we can always remain hopeful that the day will come, where things will get better. There will be healing. There will be peace. Until then, let us do our part to create sanctuaries of refuge for those who need it. Every time we open a small sanctuary space for the needy, we bring a ray of hope that flickers in the sky.
Heidi Neumark is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan and author of Hidden Inheritance: Family Secrets, Memory, and Faith. She has more than 40 years of ministry experience, striving to create sanctuaries of refuge for the most needy in society.
Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of William B. Eerdmans and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
She concludes with hope during the Advent season. Amid the injustice, we see glimpses of good that restores our hope in humanity. Despite the consequences of policies implemented by the powers that be, there are still opportunities for good to be done.
My Thoughts
==============
First, readers might think this book is anti-Trump. This is not necessarily so. At a glance, this book seems like another of those critical books on Trump and his policies that come across more as using the nation's power to bully the weak. One question at the back of my mind is whether Neumark has gone overboard with her negativity. I sense anger and frustration in the writing. Perhaps, recognizing the background of the author's first-hand experience with the needy, I ought to give the author the benefit of the doubt. For the book was not written simply to critique Trump. It is to pushback on some of the promises by helping us think through the consequences and how to go about solving the real problems of society. The question: "Is America worth saving?" is answered with an emphatic Yes! Otherwise, Neumark would not have written this book in the first place.
Second, the author is well aware of her position as a clergy. Using the Christian calendar as a guide, Neumark points out the dysfunctional aspects of society throughout the year. She begins with Christmas, even calling Trump the Herod of old. She aims at the paranoia and narcissism Herod had come to symbolize. Paranoia resulted in genocide while narcissism led to expensive building projects. It might be a little too dramatic to equate the present-day leader with the first-century ruler, but the point is more symbolic than literal. She uses Lent and Holy Week as a lens to reflect on suffering, pain, and death. She tries to bring out the hope of Easter in the midst of borders that divide. Such borders are not mere intentional boundaries, but also the invisible lines drawn to isolate ourselves according to ethnicities, economic distinctions, and status. Pentecost is also a time to celebrate diversity. Right through to the Advent, we are given much spiritual food for thought on what it means to be Christian in the midst of power politics.
Finally, what does it mean to live in a society when Trump is president? More importantly, how should Christians live during this time? The word is faithfulness to the love of Jesus more than anything else. At the same time, we are called to lament on things that are beyond our powers to solve. We seek healing and reconciliation. We seek goodness in the midst of much evil. We seek God as the final Judge and Arbiter of all things in this fallen world. We need hope, and by closing with the season of Advent, the author has shown us her hand of cards. Whatever terrible things that are happening right now, we can always remain hopeful that the day will come, where things will get better. There will be healing. There will be peace. Until then, let us do our part to create sanctuaries of refuge for those who need it. Every time we open a small sanctuary space for the needy, we bring a ray of hope that flickers in the sky.
Heidi Neumark is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan and author of Hidden Inheritance: Family Secrets, Memory, and Faith. She has more than 40 years of ministry experience, striving to create sanctuaries of refuge for the most needy in society.
Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of William B. Eerdmans and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
March 13, 2021
What does it mean to be a Christian in the wake of Donald Trump? For some, Trump is an anointed figure on par with Cyrus at the very least, and perhaps Jesus for some. Despite his less than Christian demeanor, supporters hailed him as the most Christian president ever. For others, he is the devil incarnate. Whatever the case, we live in a much more polarized and divided world as we navigate life after Trump's departure from the presidency. For those who minister among persons most affected by Trump's policies, including immigrants, people of color, and those from the LGBTQIA community, who have experienced harrowing times, this has been a difficult journey. Despite Trump's loss in the 2020 election, no one knows what the long-term effects of his tenure will be.
One who has found herself in the midst of such communities is Heidi Neumark, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan (NY). She brings stories of life lived by those in her community and how the church has responded. This church planted by German immigrants at the turn of the 20th century is now a diverse community of persons seeking to be Christian despite the challenges of poverty, discrimination, racism, and more. This is not your typical suburban congregation, nor is Neumark your typical pastor. She is committed to social justice and pushing the envelope.
Sanctuary is a book about a church. Much of its life takes place in the sanctuary. The format of the book takes the reader from Christmas to Advent. It's an interesting way to begin a book structured around the liturgical year. You would expect Neumark to begin with Advent, but she starts with Christmas. More specifically, she starts with Herod. She invites us to join the congregation's annual Three Kings pageant shortly after the 2016 election. In this story, Herod is imagined as Donald Trump. The pageant follows Latin American traditions for January 6. She writes that for the congregation "featuring Herod as Trump was much-needed pastoral care, offering an interlude of comic relief and truth-telling in a season of daily deception, delusion, anxiety, and fear. It enabled us to take a collective, holy exhale and keep going, like the kings, by a different road" (pp 6-7).
As the story continues we move through the church year, meeting the people who inhabit Trinity Lutheran Church. We learn of the ministries of the congregation, including providing shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth and sanctuary for those who are refugees. We learn about the effects of gentrification and urban renewal. Readers will quickly discern that this is no ordinary congregation, but it is deeply Christian. It's difficult to describe the way in which Neumark weaves stories of the people of her community, both church, and non-church, with the liturgical year. You almost have to read the book to get a sense of what she's up to. While ending a book with Advent might seem odd and yet it is appropriate, for Advent not only looks back to the preparation for the coming of the Christ Child, but it also looks forward to the coming of Christ. It's not that she offers a happy vision of the future, only that together the people of God can make a difference.
When the book was published in 2020 Donald Trump was president and Neumark could not know whether he would be defeated or re-elected. While he was defeated, he hasn't gone away. In fact, I'm thinking that while the book was published in September, it was completed before the pandemic hit. Thus, there is no mention of this reality in the book, but you can only imagine how the pandemic affected the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church.
It will be a challenging and eye-opening book for many if they're willing to read it through to the end. But, it will be worth the effort.
One who has found herself in the midst of such communities is Heidi Neumark, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan (NY). She brings stories of life lived by those in her community and how the church has responded. This church planted by German immigrants at the turn of the 20th century is now a diverse community of persons seeking to be Christian despite the challenges of poverty, discrimination, racism, and more. This is not your typical suburban congregation, nor is Neumark your typical pastor. She is committed to social justice and pushing the envelope.
Sanctuary is a book about a church. Much of its life takes place in the sanctuary. The format of the book takes the reader from Christmas to Advent. It's an interesting way to begin a book structured around the liturgical year. You would expect Neumark to begin with Advent, but she starts with Christmas. More specifically, she starts with Herod. She invites us to join the congregation's annual Three Kings pageant shortly after the 2016 election. In this story, Herod is imagined as Donald Trump. The pageant follows Latin American traditions for January 6. She writes that for the congregation "featuring Herod as Trump was much-needed pastoral care, offering an interlude of comic relief and truth-telling in a season of daily deception, delusion, anxiety, and fear. It enabled us to take a collective, holy exhale and keep going, like the kings, by a different road" (pp 6-7).
As the story continues we move through the church year, meeting the people who inhabit Trinity Lutheran Church. We learn of the ministries of the congregation, including providing shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth and sanctuary for those who are refugees. We learn about the effects of gentrification and urban renewal. Readers will quickly discern that this is no ordinary congregation, but it is deeply Christian. It's difficult to describe the way in which Neumark weaves stories of the people of her community, both church, and non-church, with the liturgical year. You almost have to read the book to get a sense of what she's up to. While ending a book with Advent might seem odd and yet it is appropriate, for Advent not only looks back to the preparation for the coming of the Christ Child, but it also looks forward to the coming of Christ. It's not that she offers a happy vision of the future, only that together the people of God can make a difference.
When the book was published in 2020 Donald Trump was president and Neumark could not know whether he would be defeated or re-elected. While he was defeated, he hasn't gone away. In fact, I'm thinking that while the book was published in September, it was completed before the pandemic hit. Thus, there is no mention of this reality in the book, but you can only imagine how the pandemic affected the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church.
It will be a challenging and eye-opening book for many if they're willing to read it through to the end. But, it will be worth the effort.
September 30, 2020
Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump is a snapshot into the life of multicultural urban congregation finding purpose and meaning in the midst of many political, economic, and cultural challenges. Pastor Heidi Neumark skillfully weaves personal narratives of her pastoral ministry and family life alongside Biblical examples of faithfulness and justice. Full disclosure: I was one of the author’s seminary interns at Trinity Lutheran Church, and am briefly mentioned in one of the chapters. I read with winsome nostalgia for the community at Trinity on 100th Street on Manhattan’s West Side that so impacted my faith and helped form my own pastoral identity and passion for justice.
Using the church year as a guide, each chapter reframes biblical witness through a lens of modern-day prophetic truth-telling in dialogue with a quotation from President Trump. Beginning with a Christmas pageant starring a very Trump-like King Herod, Neumark urgently re-articulates ancient texts with contemporary perspective, at the same time displaying compelling and compassionate storytelling.
In these pages, Neumark has presented a masterwork of liturgical creativity and imaginative artistry. As a preacher and worship leader, I am inspired by her way of curating multi-sensory worship elements that connect faith with present realities. The image of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus statues surround by a fenced cage is memorable and hard-hitting, as is the description of melted wax on the altar as an unintential memorial to sex workers who have died.
With poetic vision and contemplative honesty,Neumark takes readers on a spiritual travelogue to places at the intersection of history and justice: The streets of New York City, the cathedral at Lübeck, the Argentinian countryside, the border fence in Tijuana, to name a few. However, this book also painstakingly explores the geography of human experience. We meet people finding hope and inspiration in the midst of uncertain times. It’s a hagiography of persistence resilience and a primer for faithful resistance.
Using the church year as a guide, each chapter reframes biblical witness through a lens of modern-day prophetic truth-telling in dialogue with a quotation from President Trump. Beginning with a Christmas pageant starring a very Trump-like King Herod, Neumark urgently re-articulates ancient texts with contemporary perspective, at the same time displaying compelling and compassionate storytelling.
In these pages, Neumark has presented a masterwork of liturgical creativity and imaginative artistry. As a preacher and worship leader, I am inspired by her way of curating multi-sensory worship elements that connect faith with present realities. The image of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus statues surround by a fenced cage is memorable and hard-hitting, as is the description of melted wax on the altar as an unintential memorial to sex workers who have died.
With poetic vision and contemplative honesty,Neumark takes readers on a spiritual travelogue to places at the intersection of history and justice: The streets of New York City, the cathedral at Lübeck, the Argentinian countryside, the border fence in Tijuana, to name a few. However, this book also painstakingly explores the geography of human experience. We meet people finding hope and inspiration in the midst of uncertain times. It’s a hagiography of persistence resilience and a primer for faithful resistance.
October 2, 2020
I will never hear the word SANCTUARY in the same way again!
With this book, Pr. Heidi Neumark takes the reader through the rhythm of the liturgical year and illustrates what the subtitle proclaims: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump.
It's easy to read the book because of the sometimes-poetic language, the structure of the church year, and the weaving of Bible stories with stories of real people encountered in her work and in her parish, Trinity Lutheran Church on West 100th St. in New York City.
It's difficult to read the book because she lays bare what our country is doing through policy and overt action to harm our citizens and asylum-seekers, as well as what family members and others are doing to harm those people "on the margin" as LGBTQIA+ youth in Trinity Shelter.
An overt theme of this book is that we cannot fully understand our sisters’ and brothers’ sufferings. But we can understand that “no child of God should ever be used, abused, violated, slain, or dumped as garbage on the margins of our communities.” Reading this book, we are introduced to these precious lives through seeing these glimpses into the community of Trinity. We can cross the divides of this fractured nation … fractured by divisions of race and class … no matter where we start this journey. Pr. Heidi shows us a path forward. She writes, “Those who live in places of protected privilege can find ways to jump the fence, intentionally seeking to listen and learn from the stories of those under attack in these days.”
For those of us who can feel distraught and powerless to “fix” our society’s ills, this book will give us HOPE. As Pr. Heidi writes, “we have everything we need to live in these days as the body of Christ, to be Jesus in the kingdom of Herod.”
I highly recommend this book!
With this book, Pr. Heidi Neumark takes the reader through the rhythm of the liturgical year and illustrates what the subtitle proclaims: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump.
It's easy to read the book because of the sometimes-poetic language, the structure of the church year, and the weaving of Bible stories with stories of real people encountered in her work and in her parish, Trinity Lutheran Church on West 100th St. in New York City.
It's difficult to read the book because she lays bare what our country is doing through policy and overt action to harm our citizens and asylum-seekers, as well as what family members and others are doing to harm those people "on the margin" as LGBTQIA+ youth in Trinity Shelter.
An overt theme of this book is that we cannot fully understand our sisters’ and brothers’ sufferings. But we can understand that “no child of God should ever be used, abused, violated, slain, or dumped as garbage on the margins of our communities.” Reading this book, we are introduced to these precious lives through seeing these glimpses into the community of Trinity. We can cross the divides of this fractured nation … fractured by divisions of race and class … no matter where we start this journey. Pr. Heidi shows us a path forward. She writes, “Those who live in places of protected privilege can find ways to jump the fence, intentionally seeking to listen and learn from the stories of those under attack in these days.”
For those of us who can feel distraught and powerless to “fix” our society’s ills, this book will give us HOPE. As Pr. Heidi writes, “we have everything we need to live in these days as the body of Christ, to be Jesus in the kingdom of Herod.”
I highly recommend this book!
September 26, 2020
Heidi Neumark’s new book “Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump” is not a book for quiet souls. Rather, it is a book for those who are disquieted by the state of our country and world, and for those who need to be disquieted. Rev. Neumark does not gloss over the reality of life, either in the biblical story or in the times we find ourselves in. She boldly proclaims that Jesus was crucified on a dung heap. She lifts up the cry of God’s beloved people—immigrant children separated from their parents, transgender women of color murdered, gay teens beaten by their fathers—to claim that their struggle is exactly where we find Jesus today.
For those of you who have read her books, or heard her preach, know that she does this prophetic work with a reckless compassion for those with whom she ministers, and a poetic vision that makes her words dance. This book is not for the fainthearted—as she notes, “our call draws us close to the edges of life”. But it is for the tenderhearted, the brokenhearted, and the lionhearted. And finally for the “lamb hearted”: someone gentle in spirit, fierce in love, willing to give her life for her people.
For those of you who have read her books, or heard her preach, know that she does this prophetic work with a reckless compassion for those with whom she ministers, and a poetic vision that makes her words dance. This book is not for the fainthearted—as she notes, “our call draws us close to the edges of life”. But it is for the tenderhearted, the brokenhearted, and the lionhearted. And finally for the “lamb hearted”: someone gentle in spirit, fierce in love, willing to give her life for her people.
September 29, 2020
Through the comfortable familiarity of the church’s liturgical calendar I encountered the messy and amazing church that I wish I experienced more often. Neumark reminded us that “Words can inspire or incite as they do in newscasts, rallies, and Twitter bursts.” The words of Sanctuary do both—inspire us to continually wrestle with our identities as children of God and incite us to act for justice. I laughed and cried as I highlighted passages about familiar locations on the Upper West Side and congregants I met years ago. This book is for anyone who “cares about human community” or needs to be reminded that faith in action provides the power to tear down walls. Sanctuary is also for anyone who has been harmed by the church and longs for connection with the wider Body of Christ. You will find the church you long for here and will be compelled to try to make that church available to others where you are. It’s a beautifully written, brutally honest account of what’s wrong with so many of our attempts at church and a love in action primer grounded in deep faith, compassion, and determination to “remember that God’s measure is mercy.”
September 29, 2020
“The church must take sides,” proclaims Pastor Heidi Neumark in Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump. “The time for being nice and passive, fretting about causing offense, and fiddling over mild and nonthreatening proclamations is long past.” How seldom do we see faith leaders write with such discernment, directness, and honesty; then again, how seldom do our faith leaders walk with such constancy alongside the crucified of our historical moment: children in cages at the border, transgender women mocked and murdered, communities ravaged by obscene wealth inequality, Black neighbors executed by agents of empire and white supremacy, a global ecosystem under relentless assault. Neumark’s Trinity Lutheran is a small church in a big city, committed to enacting liturgies of justice, liberation, and healing. Neumark’s gospel is an invitation deep into “places of crucifixion,” where Jesus always is and where the church needs to be. Neumark’s book—like her ministry—is a gift of loving presence. That is, of sanctuary.
September 29, 2020
This book is not a list of grievances lodged against Donald Trump. It is a series of stories, welcoming readers into loving community with Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan and Trinity Place Shelter. This book offers sanctuary to readers, just as the stories within highlight Trinity’s many expressions of sanctuary: from the gothic arches of the worship space, to the streets outside, to the undercroft floor covered with scuffs from tables where meals, studies, and fellowship are shared as well as from folding cots where shelter residents rest at night. Pastor Heidi Neumark's stories make room for Christ to show up amongst the beautifully diverse Body of Christ.
Don’t expect a neatly packaged do-it-yourself manual. Don’t expect one continuous plotline.
Do expect Jesus to show up. Do expect to keep turning pages to see how the Holy Spirit chooses to ruffle feathers. Do expect to witness God’s expansive and controversial love, for you and for the world.
Don’t expect a neatly packaged do-it-yourself manual. Don’t expect one continuous plotline.
Do expect Jesus to show up. Do expect to keep turning pages to see how the Holy Spirit chooses to ruffle feathers. Do expect to witness God’s expansive and controversial love, for you and for the world.
September 30, 2020
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of the book to write an honest review.
Rev. Heidi Neumark once again does an incredible job of weaving together the stories of faith with the stories of life, this time journeying through the seasons of the church year in the context of a white supremacist administration in the White House. Not only open up the places of church as faithful resistance, she also calls the church to our mission, stating, after naming many of the places of crucifixion in the world, "If the church is not in these places of crucifixion, the church is not with Jesus, and if the church is not with Jesus, we are lost and we have no future."
The future lies not in the White House, no matter who wins the election. The future, as Neumark points out, lies in the streets and in the places of sanctuary that we create as Neumark says, "for the deepened resistance, vision, and transformation that these days, and the Gospel, require."
Rev. Heidi Neumark once again does an incredible job of weaving together the stories of faith with the stories of life, this time journeying through the seasons of the church year in the context of a white supremacist administration in the White House. Not only open up the places of church as faithful resistance, she also calls the church to our mission, stating, after naming many of the places of crucifixion in the world, "If the church is not in these places of crucifixion, the church is not with Jesus, and if the church is not with Jesus, we are lost and we have no future."
The future lies not in the White House, no matter who wins the election. The future, as Neumark points out, lies in the streets and in the places of sanctuary that we create as Neumark says, "for the deepened resistance, vision, and transformation that these days, and the Gospel, require."
September 25, 2020
This beautiful book was impossible to put down. The true stories weaved within a call to resistance and love was a powerful testament to what faith and love look like in action. Whether you're a Christian or not, and no matter what type of Christianity you practice, this book is a must read for anyone wondering how religion/faith/spirituality fits into our modern world, especially this world in which Trump exists. Each chapter begins with quotes from Trump that Neumark refutes through real examples of love, faith, and acceptance of all people through her church, the LGBTQ* shelter in the church's basement, the community around Trinity Church, and Pastor Neumark's own outreach and personal life. Moving, inspiring, and a call to action to stand up against transphobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of prejudice.
September 29, 2020
I have read all of Pastor Heidi's books. Like "Breathing Space" and "Hidden Inheritance," "Sanctuary" is a powerful witness to God's presence in forgotten places & people through the eyes of a wise theologian and skilled pastor. In this book there are stories of a powerful, diverse congregation on Manhattan's Upper West Side. They are a powerful witness to the ways God resists the dehumanization of vulnerable people - particularly Queer BIPOC, immigrants, and people living in poverty - that has characterized US society, and intensified under the Trump Administration. This witness is a reminder that being Christian takes more than belief; it takes practice. The authentic practice of Christianity saves lives, in the eternity that is now. Read this and find out how!
September 30, 2020
Pastor Heidi Neumark's new book, Sanctuary; Being Christian in the Wake of Trump, is a wonderful read for this difficult time. Told in the rhythm of the church calendar, Heidi weaves together stories from her ministry in New York City, at the border, and throughout her life alongside stories from the Bible. This book conveys a message of hope and challenge, while offering a sobering reflection on today and our call to follow Jesus and his work in our world. Good for anyone who wants to know how to act on their faith in this time when Jesus' call is very different than the one we hear reflected out in the world. Definitely order one and read it!
December 1, 2020
What a beautiful testimony to who God is and how God is working through Trinity Lutheran Church on the Upper West Side. (Full disclosure: I studied with Rev. Neumark while in seminary).
The imagery is vivid and precise. Heidi is deeply attuned to noticing: noticing the details of sights and smells, of connections between scripture and news stories, of God's liberation in the smallest incidents of daily life in a Christian community. She is matter of fact about the political nature of the gospel, but does so less by saying "you should do this" than, "look what God is doing!"
The book is a gift. Go find a copy.
The imagery is vivid and precise. Heidi is deeply attuned to noticing: noticing the details of sights and smells, of connections between scripture and news stories, of God's liberation in the smallest incidents of daily life in a Christian community. She is matter of fact about the political nature of the gospel, but does so less by saying "you should do this" than, "look what God is doing!"
The book is a gift. Go find a copy.
September 24, 2020
I am not a particularly religious person. But “Sanctuary - Being Christian In the Wake of Trump” by Heidi Neumark is both a thought-provoking and enjoyable read! Chapters are organized by the Christian calendar, each season incorporates a quote from the President, and then both are connected to concrete examples from Heidi’s life and ministry at Trinity Church in New York City. The stories are heartbreaking and uplifting. Heidi makes a compelling case that politics and injustice can’t stop at the church doors and need to motivate both self-reflection and action. Truly excellent!
September 27, 2020
Sanctuary speaks to this political moment while also transcending it, as Heidi Neumark grounds her prophetic voice in the life of her parish in New York. Each chapter is introduced by a quote from Donald Trump, followed by deep biblical exegesis woven with the lived experience of immigrants, LGBTQIA+ youth and others who are given holy sanctuary within this little church in the heart of northern Manhattan. Neumark’s humility, passion and righteous indignation provide a blueprint for the resistance that Christians are called to. A must read for our times.
January 15, 2022
Heidi Neumark shows us the way of hope in a time when hope is in short supply. Providing Sanctuary to those who need assistance is as important as it has ever been. Using the Christian liturgical calendar as a framework, Pastor Neumark gives life to the work her congregation practices to improve the entire community. Her message is valuable to everyone looking for ideas for hopeful change, regardless of the reader's religious perspective.
September 6, 2020
Sanctuary provides a necessary set of questions and dialogue for articulating political and social boundaries around what it means to be a person of faith. These are ideas I continue to wrestle with as I see that, more and more, perspectives are nuanced and Christianity does not seem to be easily absorbed in a particular party. A necessary push-back.
September 27, 2020
Rev. Heidi Neumark's "Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump," is a provocative and powerful example of holy resistance.
Each chapter begins with a quote from President Trump, and then boldly illuminates the negative impact of the words and policies towards people in her community. Using the liturgical seasons as an arc, Neumark re-centers the humanity and dignity of the people most affected: People of Color, queer and trans youth, immigrants, undocumented peoples, and sex workers, to name a few.
These stories show how God is at work in relationship, risk, and resilience. For worshiping communities who are wondering how they can faithfully respond in the face of injustice, you will find inspiration, hope, and courage in "Sanctuary." I highly recommend!
Each chapter begins with a quote from President Trump, and then boldly illuminates the negative impact of the words and policies towards people in her community. Using the liturgical seasons as an arc, Neumark re-centers the humanity and dignity of the people most affected: People of Color, queer and trans youth, immigrants, undocumented peoples, and sex workers, to name a few.
These stories show how God is at work in relationship, risk, and resilience. For worshiping communities who are wondering how they can faithfully respond in the face of injustice, you will find inspiration, hope, and courage in "Sanctuary." I highly recommend!
September 29, 2020
This book is fuel for your faith! It is full of love, hope and acts of ministry that are saving people's lives. Pastor Heidi recounts the congregation's response to Trump's cruelty throughout the seasons of the church year, demonstrating that love, inclusiveness and graciousness are the Christian antidote to the times in which we are living.
January 5, 2021
There are not enough superlatives for this one. Her writing is compassionate. Her theology is strong. Her tolerance for bullshit is LOW.
I could listen to Pastor Heidi talk about Jesus all day. This is really a fantastic book and gave me a lot of great encouragement and ideas for my own ministry as well.
I could listen to Pastor Heidi talk about Jesus all day. This is really a fantastic book and gave me a lot of great encouragement and ideas for my own ministry as well.
January 2, 2022
Torn about how to rate this. Appreciate what the book is trying to do, but not sure about the method. having quotes from Trump gives him staying power. And some of the stories are "look at me- look at what i've done."
October 7, 2025
The Gospel lived out by a NYC community. Lessons for our present day on how to care for one another.
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