The apostle Paul had the courage to speak these words, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or fee, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus”(Galatians 3:28). There was no logical reason for him to proclaim such words, but Paul saw them as the fulfillment of Christ’s presence in this world. The painful reality is that centuries later we STILL are not living into the promise of those words. And the events of the past few weeks serve as a reminder that until we face the sin of racism that the promise of those words will not come to pass.
Upon the recommendation of the Presbytery’s Dismantling Structural Racism Design Team and the Justice Advocates, the Coordinating Council approved designating Friday, June 19, 2020 as a presbytery-wide day of mourning for the lives that have been lost to racial injustice, of remembrance of the suffering that racial bias has caused, and of committing ourselves to a future when the apostle’s words might be truth indeed.
The selection of June 19 as the date for this day of Mourning and Remembrance was an intentional choice. On June 19, 1865 the news of emancipation finally reached the African American communities in Texas. That news was received with prayer, feasting and song. Juneteenth has become an annual celebration of the culture and achievements of African Americans across the country. In this year of pandemic, fear, anger and turmoil, the leadership of this Presbytery believes we are at a Kairos moment in which we are to rededicate ourselves to justice and equality in keeping with the words of Paul to the Galatians.
On June 19, the Presbytery will offer three separate Zoom opportunities. In the first two Zoom conferences (at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.), the Dismantling Structural Racism Design Team will hold space for individuals to share experiences and to name what they will do and what they will need to move forward in addressing the insidious presence of racism. These two Zoom opportunities will be identical and we invite you to select one that will offer you the chance to listen and to participate in the conversation. The third Zoom conference (at 2:00 p.m.) will be a time to reflect in virtual worship. You may participate in the worship opportunity without participating in the morning conversations, although we encourage you to be part of the conversations as well as the worship . These times together, in virtual community, will allow the Design Team to listen and to collect information to shape how our Presbytery might do the hard work of Dismantling Structural Racism.
In preparation for our morning conversations, we ask you to think about the following questions:
- Share a time when you witnessed racism and did not know how to address the situation.
- When did you realize that you live in a white culture?
- What do you need to continue the work of anti-racism? Which are the most challenging? How can you meet those challenges?
- What are the opportunities and dilemmas of white people educating each other on racism?
Here are the registration links for the Zoom conversations:
- Juneteenth Day of Mourning and Remembrance: A Time for Whitewater Valley Presbytery to Express, Process, and Share about Ongoing Racial Inequalities (9:00 a.m.) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkcO-hqT8tH9EPAT9WCWY0k5q0EF4zAz1x
- Juneteenth Day of Mourning and Remembrance: A Time for Whitewater Valley Presbytery to Express, Process, and Share about Ongoing Racial Inequalities (10:45 a.m.) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsd-CgqDkuGNCRa6_vPTg0Mfj5ab6lDNov
- Time to Lament, to Mourn, to Remember: Acknowledging the Pain of Racism in Worship (2:00 p.m.) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuf-mpqDstGda89VGErQJqrHr4LI3BDUpP
I am glad to answer questions you may have as you consider this invitation. I share the hope of members of the Design Team, the Justice Advocates and the Coordinating Council that you will feel moved to join in the events planned for this day.
With prayers as we move forward into God’s promises to ALL!
Alan Thames, Executive Presbyter
Whitewater Valley Presbytery