In the first session of our Justice, Kindness, and Humility Bible Study, our speaker calls up an image from Handel's Messiah that I think is fitting to reflect on as we prepare for Holy Week. In teaching us about a biblical theology of justice, the Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero refers to the movement "Ev'ry valley shall be exalted," which in turn quotes Isaiah 40:3-4: "A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.'"
Pastor Scott Dudley has told us that Christians in ancient times were known for rushing in to help during times of plague while everyone else was rushing out. Here's a podcast episode from Christianity Today that shares some of the history of Christian compassion for those suffering and the Christian connection to public health.
We are saddened to learn that some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing discrimination and stigma because of racialized rhetoric around coronavirus. We can bring racial justice and healing by pushing back against these types of comments. Here are some resources to help you.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm
Location: Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St, Bellevue
RSVP: Yes please, it's appreciated!
Have you ever thought about how games can be a tool to learn about culture, history and tradition? In December's Cultural Conversations, WA native and UW professor, Dr. Jeanette Bushnell will share as educator and citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota why and how she and her partners developed an educational game, Potlatch: A game about Economics. Sharing her insights Jeanette will provide an overview of Potlatch, and what we can learn about local native people, history, language, and cultural values.
When we work together to seek racial justice and healing and reconciliation, we often encounter stories of struggle and suffering. We turn on the tv or open the newspaper and we mourn for the vulnerable and the marginalized: refugees fleeing their homelands and seeking shelter in camps or new countries, children separated from their parents as their families seek asylum, unarmed young black men being shot, victims of mass shootings targeted because of their ethnicity or religion. What do we do with the heartbreak we feel when we encounter these stories? The place to start is with lament. But what does it mean to lament?
In his book, Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah examines in detail the most famous lament in the Bible. The book of Lamentations is a response to the suffering of the people of Jerusalem after their city has been destroyed and most of its inhabitants have been taken away into exile. Over the course of his analysis, Dr. Rah outlines many facets of lament.
If you attended Frames and Filters and would love to hear more from Tali, you'll want to participate in Wonder, Heartbreak & Hope: Why Your Work Matters on Sunday mornings in September. Ryan Beattie will lead this class exploring God's original purpose for work, the unavoidable brokenness we all experience, and how our work can be a primary means to bring Jesus’ healing. On Sept. 29, Tali Hairston will join Ryan to go deeper into one aspect of this: race in the workplace.
Join us on Saturday, October 5th as we visit the outstanding exhibit "In Our Shoes" presented by Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. The exhibit shares the history and reflections from their recent Justice Pilgrimage to important Civil Rights sites.
Join us for a six-week series exploring how the church can embody the gospel through the love and unity we demonstrate across economic, cultural, and racial divides. Each session will include biblical instruction, a video message from a Christian leader, and group discussion.
Click here to immediately download the study guide.
Join us for dinner immediately in the Community Center prior to the meetings: https://belpres.org/belong/wednesdays
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