Kingdom Practices in Light of Resurrection and Race

Hello friends. On Sunday night, David invited to begin a deep and complex conversation about Race in America, the Church as a reconciling community, and our individual lives.  Obviously, to fully honor this topic will take years–not just one evening–but may God grow a garden of beauty from the seeds planted Sunday night.

A few tangible ways we can join God in watering these seeds…

(1) This week, may we actively seek to learn from someone who doesn’t look like us. Though the books we read, the conversations we initiate, the people we follow on Facebook and Twitter, the friendships we engage in the neighborhood…let’s begin noticing whether our influences are diverse or largely homogenous.

David often talks about the “cell phone test”:  look back over your last ten phone calls and notice the diversity of those ten people. (I recently did this with my twitter feed and couldn’t believe how overwhelmingly white and male my feed had become.)

This isn’t about shame or beating ourselves up. Condemnation is not from God. But the truth will set us free!  So let’s do some very honest noticing in our lives this week…and then begin taking intentional steps to expand that group.

(2) “Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” by Emerson and Smith.  We can’t recommend this book highly enough–especially if you are a white evangelical who wants to humbly consider the deeper story. Based on a survey of 2000 white Evangelicals, and in-depth interviews with over 200, Emerson and Smith offer a fascinating, devastating, and insightful invitation into the conversation.

Please consider reading this book–slowly and with an open heart–either on your own or with a trusted friend or community.

(3) FREE DOWNLOAD of A New Liturgy No 2: Blessed to Be a Blessing.
This is a 25 minute liturgy to help us become a blessing in our world. Through songs, prayers, and a brilliant spoken word from Sharon Irving, may it help you create holy space to see the world with compassion and cry out “Here I am, Lord, send me!”.  (Also includes three bonus songs)  Free download for a limited time…

 

(4) Finally, here are three links from David Bailey…
•An Internship Video – sharing the heart of their internship program
•Support Link – this is an easy way for us to support this wonderful program
•The song (“Purge Me”) David played last night during his message…