Recommended Reading (9-8-17 edition)

Regularly, if somewhat spasmodically, I share a list of things I'm reading, watching and listening to with my congregation.  If I remember to do so, I also post it here on my blog:

United Church of Christ

• "The Reverend Who Preached Against Hate While Nazis Marched on Her"--Good interview with the UCC's Traci Blackmon
• "UCC president supports statements of North Carolina pastor who denounced white supremacy"--a UCC minister and descendant of Robert E. Lee supports the removal of Confederate monuments but ends up having to resign from his church
• "UCC leaders respond with a message of love, inclusiveness to˜Nashville Statement'"
• "UCC leader expresses outrage at Trump's pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio"

LGBTQ

• "The Nashville Statement: Maybe the issue isn't the issue"--why a statement by evangelicals against LGBTQ people reveals their hypocrisy
• "Why I Give Zero F*cks What Anti-Gay Christians Think"--Good article 
• "Take a Deep Breath.  The Nashville Statement Doesn't Change Anything"
• "Fr. James Martin in social media fray over LGBT conversation"--The great Jesuit and "chaplain" to Stephen Colbert has a book out about bridging the gap between LGBTQ people and the Catholic Church--surprise, surprise, homophobes don't like it.

Immigration and DACA

• "White House claims 'dreamers' take jobs away from blacks and Hispanics. Here's the truth"--It's always interesting when facts override political talking points..
• "Following Trump's DACA decision, Shawnee Mission leaders issue statement saying doors remain open to serving every child"--I'm grateful my kids' school system has taken this stand

The Religious Right

• "The king's priests vs. the prophet of God"--The Hebrew prophet Amos has something to say to today's evangelical leaders. 

Hurricane Harvey

• "Leonard Pitts Jr.: Sometimes, it takes a disaster to remind us that we're a village" 
• "In the South, a new helping hand: Muslim disaster relief teams"--What an inspiring story. This gives me hope in these hate-filled days!

Hate Groups/Hate Crimes

• "The Two Americans"--Wow! An inspiring story of a young man who vandalized a mosque in Fort Smith, AR and how the Muslims showed him mercy in return.

Race/Racism

• "Ozarks native and Mizzou grad Justin Britt takes a stand for racial equality"--This is a freaking great story about a man who grew up in southern Missouri, who happens to be a football player, being impacted by his relationship with African Americans--and then being willing to put his own reputation on the line to stand with them after Charlottesville.
• "I'm a Historical Curator. Removing Confederate Statues Isn't Erasing History"--This is perhaps the most thoughtful piece I've read on the removal of Confederate statues. It's a must read for those who feel doing so is "erasing history."
• "Robert E. Lee 'descendant' - and denouncer - quits N.C. pastor post over 'hurtful' reaction to VMAs speech"--a UCC minister and descendant of Robert E. Lee supports the removal of Confederate monuments but ends up having to resign from his church
• "Leonard Pitts, Jr.: Wish black lives mattered as much to this cop as football does"--Pitts' take on the Cleveland Police Union's response to NFL flag protests
• "Aaron Rodgers: racial injustice is 'real' and Kaepernick should be in NFL"
• "The 'Alt-Right' Has Created Alt-Christianity"--good column by Brian McLaren

The Death Penalty

• "Leonard Pitts, Jr.: Innocent people sometimes get wrongly convicted - ask Marcellus Williams"

Other Stuff I Think is Worth Passing On

• "Melinda Gates: I spent my career in technology. I wasn't prepared for its effect on my kids."--Good perspective and advice. Demographers are calling the generation growing up with smartphones: "iGen"--good to know.
• "Religion is constant part of Elizabeth Warren's life"

Recommended Reading (8-25-17 edition)

Regularly, if somewhat spasmodically, I share a list of things I'm reading, watching and listening to with my congregation.  If I remember to do so, I also post it here on my blog:

LGBTQ

• "Vigil honors transgender woman killed by St. Louis police after attack on officer"
• "Car drives into crowd, injuring 3 at St. Louis rally for trans woman killed by police"

Taking a Knee for Racism

• "Ozarks native and Mizzou grad Justin Britt takes a stand for racial equality"--This is a freaking great story about a man who grew up in southern Missouri, who happens to be a football player, being impacted by his relationship with African Americans--and then being willing to put his own reputation on the line to stand with them after Charlottesville.

Confederate Statues

• "I'm a Historical Curator. Removing Confederate Statues Isn't Erasing History."--This is perhaps the most thoughtful piece I've read on the removal of Confederate statues. It's a must read for those who feel doing so is "erasing history."
• "Transcript of New Orleans Mayor Landrieu's Address on Confederate Monuments "--thanks to Brent Shepard for bringing this to my attention

Charlottesville

• "Why Every Member of Trump's Evangelical Advisory Board Should Quit, and Why They Probably Won't"
• "Hitting the Pavement Instead of the Sheetcake"

Other things I think are cool

• "In the South, a new helping hand: Muslim disaster relief teams"--an inspiring and hopeful story in these hate-filled times 

I Know By Now You're Tired of Thinking About Charlottesville But Don't Stop Thinking About It

I sent this out to my congregation on August 18, 2017 after the white supremacist rally and counter protest in Charlottesville, VA, but it took me a few weeks to post it here.  

Was it just last week I wrote about Christians using the Bible to justify war with North Korea?  That seems like a year ago, because of what happened in Charlottesville last weekend.  I've heard from some of you that you feel overwhelmed by the news, the ignorant comments on social media and cable news, the astounding words of our president which justified the actions of white supremacists.  It's a lot, and just like when any terrible news breaks, I'm a supporter of people taking good spiritual care of themselves.  Know your limits and when you can't filter out the noise.  That being said, I want you to keep thinking about Charlottesville, because there are lessons to learn here.

I've read a lot this week about what happened at Chrlottesville, confederate monuments and more.  I know you may have had your fill, but I encourage you to read the following articles and columns.  I've tried to pick the ones that were most meaningful and enlightening for me.  The reason I want  you to take a look at them is because Christianity, specifically white Christians--even more specifically majority white Christian churches who say they are Peace with Justice churches like ours must do our homework--and then we must respond in meaningful ways.

(For those of you who aren't going to click on all the links below, if you only pick one thing to read, pick this one: "6 Things Our White Friends Can Do To Be Better Allies".)  

1.  I want to make sure you know about the United Church of Christ's involvement in the peaceful counter protest to the white supremacists in Charlottesville. If you missed the e-mail earlier in the week, take a look at these:

• The video below shows why we give. Rev. Traci Blackmon the newly elected Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries for the national UCC represented us in Charlottesville this past weekend. She was one of the keynote speakers at the Friday night prayer vigil that was surrounded by white nationalists bearing torches. The next day she was bearing witness in peaceful protest with other clergy--literally singing "This Little Light of Mine" in front of militia members with machine guns. She was being interviewed on MSNBC (see below) when the security detail for clergy whisked her away from a street corner where brawls in the street broke out.  Rev. Blackmon has become a leading voice for civil rights for all people in our country and we get to claim her as a part of the UCC. She is demonstrating that Christianity doesn't have to be a religion of hate.  Click here to watch Rev. Traci Blackmon on MSNBC during the protests on Saturday where she is taken away by security in the middle of the interview.  Click here to watch Rev. Track Blackmon on MSNBC on Tuesday night responding to President Trump's news conference Tuesday afternoon.

•  UCC Pastoral Letter condemns racist violence in Charlottesville, demands equality for all 
• Meet the clergy who stared down white supremacists in Charlottesville--a UCC minister in Charlottesville organized the non-violent protest of the clergy

2.  The History Behind the Confederate Monuments--they were erected not to commemorate history but as tools of oppression in their day and ours

• This great article includes a chart from the Southern Poverty Law Center that explains when and why Confederate statues were erected. Most of them were erected in times of racial strife--the rise of Jim Crow and the Klan in the early 20th century and from the end of WWII to the Civil Rights Movement. There were not historical monuments but tools of white supremacy.
   
• "Regime Change in Charlottesville: If you understand why that Civil War statue really went up, the debate over removing it looks a lot different"
• "Baltimore's Confederate Monument Was Never About 'History And Culture'"
   
• "Why Confederate Monuments Must Fall"
• Does Trump's Slippery Slope Argument About Confederate Statues Have Merit?--excellent refutation of a farcical argument
• "The Monuments Must Go: An open letter from the great-great-grandsons of Stonewall Jackson"
• Descendant Of Gen. Robert E. Lee Says It's Time For His Ancestor's Statues To Come Down--he is a UCC minister too

3.  Equating the "Alt Right" with the so-called "Alt Left" is merely a way to excuse white supremacists

• I remain convinced that non-violent protest is the best way to respond to white supremacists. This article, however, shares the experiences of non-violent protesters in Charlottesville, most of them clergy, who feel Antifas and other protesters protected them when the police stood by and let the violence happen. 
• President Trump says the 'alt-left' was partly to blame for the violence at Charlottesville. Wait: What's the alt-left?
   

4.  How are WMWP who are Christian to respond to something like Charlottesville?

• Wow! This is an excellent resource written in a concise manner to help WMWP (Well-Meaning White People) like me to know how to be an ally for black people. HINT: it takes more than trying not to be racist (although that's a good start)
• How to Encourage Your (White) Pastor to Speak Out Against White Supremacy--even if your white pastor does speak out there are really good suggestions of what lay people in a church can do 

Finally, just in case your interested, KCUR's program Central Standard had a segment on reactions to Charlottesville in KC.  At about the 25 minute mark, you can hear a whiny-voices minister from Kansas City named Chase call in to the program.  

Grace and Peace,

Chase