With keen insight and unwavering conviction, visionary pastor Kathy Escobar guides readers on a Lenten journey inspired by the ways of Jesus to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice. From flipping the moneychangers' tables in the temple to uplifting the poor and marginalized, Jesus' actions and words turn the world's idea of power on its head. With each week of Lent, readers will dig deeper into Jesus' challenge to the pervasive influence of privilege and oppression that have dominated since ancient times. Through poignant reflections and thought-provoking practices, readers will discover how they can harness the disruptive power of Jesus' teachings to effect meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Together, we can turn the tables and build a world where justice, healing, and greater equity reigns supreme.

About the Author
Kathy Escobar is the cofounder and copastor of The Refuge, a hub for healing community, social action, and creative collaboration serving in North Denver since 2006. She's a pastor, spiritual director, speaker, organizational consultant, advocate, and author of several books, including Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World and Faith Shift: Finding Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe Is Coming Apart. She's also co-executive director and founder of #CommunityHeals: Making Spaces for Transformation Accessible for All. Find out more at kathyescobar.com.

Reviews

"Kathy Escobar is a fearless, joyful soul guide for weary humans living in both stories and systems where power structures press in. Turning Over Tables reminds us with clarity and conviction that our personal transformation is tied to our collective liberation and that faith should and can be a catalyst for both. The path to individual and shared renovation is perilous, but Escobar shows us why the beauty we might experience is so worth the grieving and the growing necessary to reveal it." -John Pavlovitz, author of Worth Fighting For and If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk

"Escobar is a consistent voice of humility, honesty, and hope. Prophetic, timely, and wise, this book will challenge you in all the best ways and lead to transformation." -Sarah Bessey, author of A Rhythm of Prayer and Field Notes for the Wilderness

"Many Christians know the image of a gentle and peaceful Jesus, but few have truly encountered the Jesus who boldly challenged systems of power, flipped tables, and demanded justice for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. In this compelling and deeply pastoral devotional, Kathy Escobar invites us to walk alongside this radical Jesus - the one who not only taught but embodied the vision of a more just and equal world. This resource is both inspiring and challenging, offering Christians a transformative guide to aligning their lives with the way of Jesus, especially on the Lenten journey." -Brandan Robertson, author of Queer & Christian and Filled to Be Emptied

"Turning Over Tables is a capacious invitation to discover afresh the liberative, healing, and empire-subverting way of Jesus. Drawing deeply from her own journey with love and justice, Kathy Escobar awakens us to see that every time Jesus pointed to the kin-dom of God, Jesus was flipping the tables of oppression and power abuse. This is a book to read, share, and practice with a handful of others also gripped by Jesus' imagination of shalom for all and everything." -Dwight J. Friesen, Professor of Practical Theology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and author of 2020s Foresight (coauthored with Tom Sine) and The New Parish

"We Christians often refer to God as 'the Almighty,' and sadly, we often make ourselves in that image, acting as if power (for our ego, our gender, our denomination, our party, or our nation) is something to be grasped, amassed, and hoarded. That's why I'm so grateful that Kathy Escobar invites us to devote the season of Lent to a time of reflection on power. Get ready though . . . because this well-written book is powerful enough to challenge your assumptions about power!" -Brian D. McLaren, author of Life after Doom

"The power of Lent may best be realized in exploring power itself! Kathy Escobar helps us examine and critique the forms of power we wield. Using accessible and insightful prose, Escobar's work will help both individuals and groups turn over tables for good. And what better time to consider power than in a season that proclaims the power of love!" -Thomas Jay Oord, author of The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence

"Conversations about power can be tricky. We might ignore it because it's too uncomfortable or exaggerate Jesus' flipping of tables to justify our own spurious outbursts. Thankfully, Kathy Escobar has the experience and the insight to be a faithful and wise guide in this arena. Her latest book takes us where we may not want to go, but go we must, for too much is at stake." -Colby Martin, author of The Shift and UnClobber

Book Information
ISBN 9780664268312
Author Kathy Escobar
Format Paperback
Page Count 120
Imprint Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.
Publisher Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.