April 28, 2025
Today, we honor the senior sermon of Lauren Maxwell, a third-year M.Div. student affiliated with Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School.Lauren is a classically trained vocalist and holds degrees in Voice from Converse College and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. Her ministry focuses on the intersection of social justice and spiritual care, and through her sermon, Lauren taught us that “weaving our overlapping fragments and cries for justice together as if we were ancient scribes in collaboration with divine love itself is where our true power lies.”
Recalling the significance of the sermon, Rev. JaQuan K. Beachem, Andover Newton’s Associate Dean for Community Development & Spiritual Formation, shared that “Lauren’s sermon reminds us of the unlikely and unexpected community formed by shared understandings, maybe discovered during a rally or rideshare! She proclaims that ‘relationships lead the ways’ and our God-given collective narrative is one of love, justice, and connection. And, yes, group projects are hard. Nevertheless, we are part of each other, no matter how inconvenient. Therefore, we inhale: grace, and, exhale: love.”
To view a clip of Lauren’s senior sermon, please click here.
Congratulations, Lauren!