Dreams and Visions is a church in Baltimore that’s awake to the realities of our world and alive to the possibilities of God.
Together, we’re creating an imaginative space of restoration, where we find the courage to be our full selves.
Emily Scott, Pastor
Emily (she/her/hers) is delighted to be a member of the Baltimore community, and loves learning from this vibrant, connected city. Emily is a church planter — someone who starts new church communities! A Lutheran pastor of the ELCA, she loves to create new spiritual spaces that are brimming with life, questions, and hope for a more just world. Queer and gender-queer, Emily is excited co-create a faith community that dismantles fear and hate, affirms LGBTQ people, and confronts racial injustice.
From 2008-2017, Emily founded and served as pastor of St. Lydia's Dinner Church in Brooklyn, where worship is a full meal, shared around a dinner table. Emily and the congregation were involved on combatting police brutality and a lack of affordable housing with organizations such as Faith in New York.
Emily served as the Director of Worship at The Riverside Church from 2007-2009, and was co-founder of Music That Makes Community. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Emily received the Alumni Award for Distinction in Congregational Ministry in 2016.
Email Emily at emily@dreamsandvisionsbaltimore.org
liza hawkins, vicar
Liza (she/her/hers) is glad to participate in the community as a learner and leader for a one-year internship position. Liza is called a vicar because she is a candidate for ordination in the ELCA— an aspiring pastor who is in the midst of her final year of formation before she is called to lead a church of her own.
Liza is a native Tennessean and yes, she loves Dolly Parton as much as you might think she does. Liza earned her MDiv from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, TX where she focused her studies on justice for marginalized communities and a certificate in History, Theology, and Ethics as well as a concentration in gender and sexuality justice.She has worked in youth and children’s ministry, campus ministry, and generally loves the weird mystery that is church in whatever form that affirms people in the fullness of who they are.
One time, Liza told a group of elementary schoolers that one of her favorite novels is Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. They informed her that sounded boring, but she stand by this.
Email Liza at vicar@stmarksbaltimore.org
dan and claudia zanes, musicians
Dreams and Visions is thrilled that we are often graced by the presence of Grammy award winning children’s performer Dan Zanes and Haitian-American music therapist / jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes who have been making music with each other since the day they met in the fall of 2016.
The two decided while sitting at Dan’s kitchen table that afternoon that they would continue singing together and, in the spirit of progress and inclusion, would work with presenters to try and make all of their concerts sensory friendly.
Inspired by their artful modern-day all-ages folk music and their commitment to accessibility, the Kennedy Center commissioned Claudia and Dan to create a theater piece for young audiences. Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera premiered in October 2017 and has been performed several times since.
Their love of songs and communal music-making lead to a publishing deal with the Quarto Group USA and the result, an award winning songbook entitled Dan Zanes’ House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury, was released in 2018.
In late 2019 the couple - now married! - moved from Brooklyn to Baltimore and what had been a full schedule of theater, school, and festival performances evaporated with the advent of the coronavirus. When a national state of emergency was declared in March, Dan and Claudia started their Social Isolation Song Series. For the next 200 days, in an effort to stay connected and uplift others, they performed a different song every day. This series of videos currently resides in the Library of Congress.
The two continue to adapt and reinvent and sing their way to new beginnings. In addition to music making, Claudia runs her flourishing handmade skin care business called CLEO Soaps and Dan continues his work with Constructive White Conversations, a white antiracist organization he co-founded in 2011.
Storytellers and collaborators
Sunday Sanctuaries often feature friends and neighbors sharing their stories. At past services, we’ve heard from:
Brother Merrick Moses (he/him/his), who shared a story of trans re-naming.
Charlene Rock-Foster (she/her/hers) from Baltimore Ceasefire, who shared how their work has created a new dream and vision for the city of Baltimore.
Charles Xavier Kilborn, (he/him/his) who shared about the sacredness of his body.
Neatrice Holmes (she/her/hers) led a guided meditation and Joshua Gosnell offered chair massages at our service about spiritual practices
Pastor Jean Paul Kisuku (he/him/his) shared his story of immigration to the United States from the Congo.
Author Karen Gonzalez (she/her/hers) spoke about stories of immigrants in the bible.
Farmer Derrick Weston (he/him/his) taught us about our relationship to the earth and how to harvest sweet potatoes
Theologian Dr. Melanie L. Harris spoke about Eco Womanism — environmental justice engaged from the perspective of Black women.
Alicia Crosby reminded us that calls are consensual, and connected us to our anointing and joy.
and You!
We are creating Dreams and Visions together, and you are a part of the process. Your dreams and visions are welcome here, and your contributions of all kinds, too! Sanctuary Gatherings are planned collaboratively, and there are always roles to fill at each one. Come early to help set up, stay late to clean up, or play a specific role. Your ideas are needed for Dream Baltimore events, or maybe you feel called to host a Dream Abbey!
Every newsletter lists jobs that need doing and opportunities to offer your gifts.