Dear friends –
We have been trying to more faithfully respond to racism and discern more fully how we can participate in dismantling a system in our country that discriminates against people of color. Some of the ways we have done this is through:
prayer,
discussions,
attending seminars, and
reading, including a book the Session and deacons are reading now that we hope to have as a church-wide read this year: One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love by John Perkins.
A subteam of the Session has been diligently meeting to talk about the importance of unity in diversity and ways we can foster that as a community, work that the Presbytery has charged the congregations of Chicagoland to do.
One of these ways the Presbytery has encouraged us in this important work is through a recent worship service over Advent about light and darkness and how our language and patterns shape our theology. Our guest preacher for that worship service was the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins who is the PC(USA)’s director for the office of public witness. Pastor Hawkins will be preaching this Sunday as part of our worship service from his excellent sermon to the Presbytery. I hope you will be moved as moved as some of us have been by his sermon, which includes some great quotes from our recent book club book as well.
We are a church who values all people and will continue to work for justice, dismantling racism and following God’s call of love and hospitality.
Grace and peace,
Jess
P.S. This office of public witness, located in D.C. since 1946, is the “public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It’s task is to advocate, and help the church advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly.” You can read more here (https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/compassion-peace-justice/washington/ )