Church friends and family,

You are a gift from God. Our world is a gift. As I sit down to write this digital letter to you, I like to imagine our church together, singing and laughing. It’s been awhile since we have been able to worship together in person. As you know, we are always worshiping together. We may not be in the church building together, but our calling to be the Church is ever present.

It’s possible that you are feeling the flood of emotions from watching the news this past week. Maybe you are also spending more time than usual on social media as well. One practice I’m trying to engage with is to slow down, become more aware of my perspective and move from reactive to theological. With all that is happening in our world, I’d like to encourage you to take the time to read through the Gospels this summer. 

That’s right, I’m encouraging you to read your Bibles (big shocker I know). I’ve recently read through the Gospel of Mark and am now working my way through the Gospel of Matthew. There’s something beautiful about sitting down and reading the stories of Jesus as a whole and not just piece by piece.

A dear friend and colleague Rev. Justin Coleman recently wrote on his Facebook page “For those white friends who are asking what you can do and who want to have some discussion about racism, how you define what is racist makes a great deal of difference.

Most people believe that racism must be an intentional action and so if most people ask a self reflective question like, “am I racist?”, the answer ends up being “no.” If you believe that racism is an intentional action by an individual, then racism will always be something that describes only a very small group of people in isolated instances and because of this definition some people will continue to be surprised that racism still exists today.

If the self reflective question shifts to something like, “how is racism manifesting in my life and in the lives of people around me?”, then you begin to see and understand how everyday racism affects your life and the way you and others engage the world.”

I appreciate the introspective question “how is racism manifesting in my life and the lives of people around me?”. It feels like a tangible question that is a good start. On our church Facebook page, I’ve included a healthy list of anti-racism resources for people of all ages.

While we live in a world that seems bent on wanting to divide “us from them”; I hope you join me in fervent prayer for the unity only Jesus can offer our world. I passionately believe that as followers of the way of Jesus, we are called to confess our sins (individual and collective), bath in God’s sanctifying grace and work for the coming of the kin-dom of God. 

I’m including a daily prayer I wrote for today. If you find yourself at a loss for words, or unsure how to connect with God, I hope this is a helpful start. 

Grateful to serve as your Pastor, 

DJ