Claude Atcho serves as the pastor of Church of the Resurrection in Charlottesville, Virginia. He’s the award-winning author of “Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just.” He has previously served as a church planter and an adjunct English professor in Boston, Massachusetts, and as a pastor in Memphis, Tennessee.

In a sense, Claude is also a treasure hunter, digging up wisdom from sages in former times and relaying it in ways that people in our day can receive.

In this interview, he shares how his work that is “rooted in retrieval” becomes invigorated by the Holy Spirit. He reveals his proclivity toward people-pleasing, the go-to resources that have shaped his faith journey and his revelation on the “sacred” practice of basketball.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

My favorite place to eat in the world is Sarma in Somerville, Massachusetts, just a couple miles north of Boston proper. My wife and I lived in this neighborhood for five years, and we dined at Sarma as often as we could afford and on all special occasions. It’s the only place where brussels sprouts could be described as undeniably delicious.

The unique spin on Mediterranean foods, the chill atmosphere and the secret menu all combined to make Sarma our special place. The secret menu is a waiter bringing out a special dish to the table and asking if you want to order whatever new thing the chef has whipped up. The best off this secret spontaneous menu is their Mediterranean spin on Southern fried chicken.

Since Sarma is a tapas spot, it’s the place my wife and I loved to go with friends. When I think of a hometown meal, I think Sarma because it brings together so much of what I love. The secret menu experience is a slice of the spontaneity of a special moment and the tapas style symbolizes that moments are always better with your people close to share those delicious brussels sprouts with. Home to me is wherever spontaneous joy and close friends (and good food) are found.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

Author and poet Hanif Abdurraqib says, “Basketball is so good; I love it, I have never been hurt by it before and surely will never be hurt by it at any point in the future.” I feel the same way. I love hoops. Two to three times a week, I’m up early playing basketball with another group of washed-up guys past our athletic primes, enjoying the game that brings us joy.

Stepping onto the court is like entering a new world where there’s an instant bond, a fellowship of the roundball and a savoring of the game we love and also know at some point will pass us by. Both life and basketball are like a vapor.

For this reason, playing hoops is sacred to me now in a way that it never was when I thought my time on the court was unlimited. Now, there’s something spiritual about being on the court and still being able to make my body listen to my mind to change speeds, euro-step and score a contested left-handed layup.

There’s something beautiful about passing the ball to the eldest player among us — a man in his late 50s, watching him make a shot over a player 20 years younger and watching everyone on both teams cheer raucously. The grace of community and the preciousness of time are all revealed in this beautiful game.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

I think the best glimpse into one of my many weaknesses is a quick story. My wife’s birthday is in early May, which means for a few years early in our marriage we celebrated her birthday weekend with a trip to see the latest Marvel film. (Mind you, this is before we all got oversaturated with MCU content.)

This time we were heading to the movies to see the first Avengers film on opening weekend. We snagged two great seats just before the theater filled up. As we settled into our seats and the lights dimmed, a man approached me. He gestured toward the teenager with him and asked if he could have our two seats so he could sit with his son. He then pointed to two seats in the first row that we could take instead. Before I even realized what happened, I uttered the words, “Sure thing!” And to my wife’s horror, we were walking to the front row to crank our necks upward at an ungodly angle at Tony Stark and company for 120 minutes.

What’s the weakness here? Probably a few things. But certainly this reveals my bent toward people-pleasing, doing a lot to get along, saying “yes” when really the right answer is “no.”

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

So far my work as a writer has been rooted in retrieval. Digging up old treasures, dusting them off and placing them on the table for this age is the work to which, for now, I’m called. Too often we get myopic, thinking we’re the first age to face the problems that plague us. Sometimes the wisdom we need is looking to the past to glean insights to rework and draw forth into our present cultural moment.

In my first book, I did this retrieval work by looking at classic black literature and the ways in which the works of Toni Morrison, James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison speak to the life of faith, questions of dignity, racism, memory, suffering and hope.

Right now, I’m working on a devotional book through the church year. Most people I talk with would describe their lives as busy. Yet people desire to live at a different pace so they can attend to God, family and friends more fully. I’m convinced part of the challenge is whose time we live by: Caesar’s or Christ’s. There’s something about keeping time through the cycles of the church year that allows us to inhabit a different story, even if our calendars remain full. This type of retrieval wisdom is what I’m working to offer to readers in a way that can help spiritual novices and sages alike.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?

When I think of creative work being invigorated by the Spirit, I think of the moments when writing comes as easy as breathing. These are rare moments, but they do happen.

Rap legend Jay Z is well known for rarely writing down lyrics. Those who’ve been with him in the studio testify to watching him vibe to a beat while mumbling to himself. Then he moves to the mic and records dynamic verses seemingly out of nowhere. I’m no Jay Z, but I do know that I’m in the zone when sentences start to flow into my mind and I have to rush to get them down. This is rare, so it’s usually a sign that the Spirit is aiding me in the work of writing, which for me is usually a sermon or something about life and theology.

When this flood of words emerges, it is usually the spark of an idea, the stuff of a rough draft. I take this as a reminder that creative work is like sanctification, the process of growing in Christlikeness, in that it’s through the ordinary twists and turns of struggle and progress that something beautiful and worthwhile comes to full bloom.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin’ best for you right now?

I’m a bit like the dog in “Up” whenever he sees a squirrel. I get distracted easily with whatever is new and novel. For me, this means I can run from trend to trend spiritually, rather than rooting myself into practices that stick and bear fruit. So the spiritual practice that works best for me is the Daily Office from the 2019 “Book of Common Prayer.”

The depth, order and structure serve as train-tracks for my heart, guiding to the destination of rest in God’s word and God’s love. This practice is especially rich for me on Wednesday mornings when a few other men from church pile into my small office and do morning prayer together. It has bound us to each other in a sweet and simple way as we learn the value of communal prayer in real time. And, even on the days when we are apart, we know we’re praying together thanks to the liturgy.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?

I’d say “For the Life of the World” by Alexander Schmemann. This book helped me develop a better sacramental view of the world: how and why matter matters to God and why it should matter to us. Though the author is Eastern Orthodox, the wisdom of the book applies to believers across denominational lines.

James K.A. Smith’s “You Are What You Love” has been another pivotal text. There is a reason Jesus constantly asked people, “What do you want?” (John 1:38; Luke 18:41). We are never not acting as creatures driven by desire. Smith helps readers understand the power of desire and how our loves shape us — it’s not an understatement to say this book has the power to change how you see pretty much everything.

To mix things up, I’ll add a film: Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.” It’s a stirring, lengthy meditation on nature and grace, told in the coming-of-age story of a young man with a cold father and caring mother. It’s a movie better experienced than explained.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.

I’ve been benefitting from “The Ignatian Adventure” by Kevin O'Brien. This work offers a guided way to experience Ignatian prayer — prayer rooted in imagination and reflective conversation with God — either for a full-blown retreat or in the midst of normal life. I’ve been engaging in the latter, and it’s been the perfect gift and challenge to slow my mind and heart down to more deeply attend to God and myself.

One of my most sacred, gracious moments with God in the last year has come from the prompts and Scripture suggested in this book.

If you feel like you could benefit from a guided way to seek and sit in God’s presence — a way of prayer that’s a bit more quiet, luxurious and laborious than your usual devotions — this book is worth your time.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

What’s stirring in me but not fully awakened? That’s an interesting question for someone in the midst of book revisions! I have a book releasing in fall of 2025 that is a weekly devotional through the church calendar. It’s been gestating for a while, and I’m eager to see it launch out into the world soon.

This devotional emerged from my journey from a large non-denominational pastor to becoming an Anglican priest and church planter. I want to offer a devotional guide that extends the riches of the “Book of Common Prayer” and the church year to readers across church lines. And I’m almost at the finish line of the revision process! That’s one thing to expect from me in the future.

The other work I’m engaged in is church planting. This is the second church plant for my wife and me. This one started in a park with 15 people and has grown tremendously in numbers and depth. I’m convinced that the best way to change the world is through ordinary people following Jesus together by believing and displaying the gospel. If you ever come to Charlottesville, Virginia, come see us try to live this out at Church of the Resurrection.

Claude has given his time to gleaning the wisdom from past generations to convey to our age in a meaningful way. He reveals his temptation to go “from trend to trend spiritually” rather than grounding himself in practices that bear fruit. His practice of reading “The Book of Common Prayer” daily helps him stay rooted and consistent. What spiritual practices have helped you stay the course in your journey?

Claude Atcho