Lift Every Voice
And Still I Rise!
This Sunday marks the last Sunday of Black History Month but is also the first Sunday of Lent. This is a very precarious spot to stand in!!!
For the past month Pastor Dave has led us in looking at the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" that is viewed by many as the "Black National Anthem". Resources have been provided through links in our E-News and meaningful messages focusing on the praise, lament and prayer of that song. Our efforts to learn about, confess and work to repair the racial biases that exist in our society start with us. We thank God for the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion as we together begin to mend the brokenness of our society to become the Beloved Community God calls us to be.
What better way to end our month than to remember our shared history and hear the testimony "And Still I Rise". As Jesus began his ministry, He experienced the test and temptation to forget who He was and what His mission was all about. Sometimes when we ignore (and/or refuse to learn) all of our history, it opens the opportunity to believe that God's plan for Beloved Community begins and ends in a narrow-minded vacuum.
Our hope and prayer is that somewhere along the way you will join us in prayer, reflection, confession and advocacy for the expansion and inclusion of God's true Beloved Community. Join us on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in person or on YouTube.
Series Information
All month long we are leaning into what we can learn from, and in, our shared history. The glorious song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” will guide us on the way. Its three verses invite us into praise, lament, and prayer as we confess sins and work to repair all that racism, biases, and discrimination have broken. In other words, this month “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will help bring us closer to being the beloved community Christ calls us to be.