Join the April Anti-Racism Challenge

Each month, we explore issues around race in different ways in order to do anti-racism work, with homework during the month and a conversation over zoom. You are welcome to just do the challenge, but feel free to join the conversation.

Your Homework for the month:

This month for the anti-racism challenge, watch the new PBS special, “The Black Church” on PBS or YouTube. It will only be on YouTube until April 4, so watch before then. Both episodes are just under two hours. Watch the trailer here.

Join the Conversation:

On April 21st at 7 PM we’ll gather a group of people to talk about what they have seen and heard and how they are integrating that into their learning about race. You are encouraged to write down some notes while you watch the show or soon after so that we have things to talk about! You can find the Zoom link in the weekly email from Pastor Holly, or you can email [email protected] and ask for it.

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

The next Spirit Garage book discussion is on Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. In this book, Wilkerson explores the idea of caste in America, laying it alongside the caste system in India and Nazi Germany. Published in 2020, this book appeared on many lists of the best books of the year.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a “caste” system.

Wilkerson describes caste an artificial hierarchy that helps determine standing and respect, assumptions of beauty and competence, and even who gets benefit of the doubt and access to resources.

“Caste focuses in on the infrastructure of our divisions and the rankings, whereas race is the metric that’s used to determine one’s place in that,” she says.

We’ll split the book in three parts over three months, since there is plenty to talk about. Whether this group will meet on zoom or in person, distanced remains to be seen, depending on weather.

April 27th: Parts 1, 2 and 3 (through page 166)

May 25th: Parts 4-5 (Through page 360)

June 22nd: Parts 6-7 and Epilogue (Through page 496)

Oprah has a podcast about the book if you want even more.

And here’s an interview Terry Gross did with the Wilkerson.

Book discussion on Caste. I’m writing this here just because you’re supposed to write that phrase again for searches.

Coffeehouse Church

Rise: A How-to

About once a month, we do what we call “Coffeehouse Worship.” No, we’re not meeting in a coffeehouse. I wish. But make your own coffee and settle in to an hour of what might feel like open mic-morning at your local coffeehouse, with poetry and music centering around a theme. This Easter addition of coffeehouse worship will be “Rise: A How-to”  and will look at ways we see resurrection in the world: In creation, in other people, and in ourselves.

All Rise.

Grab a note book or schetchbook, your coffee and settle into the experience. Take down some notes on instructions for rising.

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).

During the Covid-time, The Spirit Garage kids (in general, ranging from about 4-12) gather together for Zoom time following church every other week, led by a parent (usually Melissa or Adrienne). They explore the same Bible story we listen to in church from a few different kid-friendly angles and check in with each other and pray. Contact Melissa for information about how to get your kids connected! (We keep it password-protected so  there are no surprise zoom-bomb visitors).