A Prayer for a Violent Nation

Lydia Heberling led us in this prayer by indigenous author and speaker, Kaitlin Curtice on Pentecost Sunday.

O God, Mystery, Creator, First Breath—

We are so troubled. We are the ones in denial of our violence and we are the ones who are crying out for justice. Can you feel us shaking?

O God, Mystery, Creator, First Breath—

We are spiraling in despair. We are looking to the ancestors who teach us how to pray and we are calling out the ancestors who handed down their violence to us. Can we be different?

O God, Mystery, Creator, First Breath—

We cannot fathom wholeness because, maybe, we don’t really want it. Teach us to want it. Can we want it?

O God, Mystery, Creator, First Breath—

We cannot go on this way, with broken bones and unhealed wounds and people screaming in the streets for air.

O God, Mystery, Creator, First Breath—

We are trying not to give up on each other. We need to remember our way home. We need to learn to believe in Us. Can we believe in Us?

Help us remember what it means. Help us name and honor those who are killed in our streets. Help us name our white supremacy. Help us hold one another in Real Love. Help us deny systems of whiteness. Help us de-center hate. Help us find the wounds. Help us heal the wounds. Help us. Help.

Pentecost Sunday, May 31 2020 : People not Place*

What a time to recognize the importance of Pentecost! On Sunday morning in worship we celebrate that we are people of the Spirit, not dependent upon a building.  As we are scattered physically, may we celebrate what binds us together. We join for a time to worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH as we lament, sing in native languages, and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord who came to set us free that we might live by the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).

This week we grieve the loss of life of so many people in our communities through a history of violence spurred by racial structures. We grieve the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others we know not by name but whose lives are precious. We grieve the more than 100,000 who’ve died because of Covid 19 in our country and the 370,000 in the world. We grieve the heartache experienced by so many through illness, unemployment, isolation and fear.

Gathering in worship is vital as we center our lives together on our God, who was, is and always will be. But, worship is not dependent upon a particular place. Jesus said as much to the Samaritan woman by a well, “God is Spirit and those who worship God must worship in Spirit and in Truth.” (John 4:24). No, we do not gather physically in one defined space. It is vital that we show our love for one another by NOT gathering in a place at this time. Rather we gather in unity by the Spirit.

On the day of Pentecost 2000+ years ago people from all the known nations did gather temporarily in the bustling, overcrowded city of Jerusalem. Many of these had been scattered (the Diaspora) to other nations because of exile from oppression, wars, and other injustices. They gathered to celebrate Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after Passover, and to acknowledge God as Provider  and giver of the law that revealed God’s character of love and justice. Some in the crowd were just there – as happens in any big city.  A few were there because they had followed Jesus, now risen from the dead, and Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem.

Into this expectant, faithful, discouraged, overwhelmed crowd – God acted. God moved. God’s Spirit descended upon this gathering of people who spoke the diverse languages of “every nation under heaven” we are told.   And the disciples, now empowered by the Holy Spirit, shared the Good News of God’s love and salvation in the native tongues of those who are there. (Acts 2:1-6). And, then people scattered back to their various homes and countries empowered to live as people of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a very real energizing Presence.  – God on the Move. The Holy Spirit convicts us to re-think how we view one another and ourselves. Our question today is NOT how do we meet in a place but how do we move in the Spirit for JUSTICE and PEACE and the end of racism?  How do we live by the Spirit? Because of the Spirit, Jesus is not gone and God is not distant.  

We are scattered physically, but not alone. Today will you trust that you have the personal presence of God who invites you to live as someone whose life is shaped by GRACE, GENEROSITY and GRATITUDE not by our culture’s values of prejudice, power and prestige which only divide and destroy?

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is not law against such things..

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.”  Galatians 6:22-26

*influenced by theme of movie Thor Ragarnok (thank you, Lydia Heberling for recommending!)

Renee Notkin

The Defiant Walk of Resistance, COVID-19, and Being Asian

I am a little embarrassed to admit that today’s march was my first march to participate in. Stein and I joined the front of the march at 5th and Cherry in Downtown, walked to the International District, and then back to the SPD Headquarters. People were chanting, “Black Lives Matter,” “What’s his name? George Floyd,” and “No peace, no justice.” As I called out the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, I thought of their faces, their loved ones, their memories and aspirations. I thought of the deep pain of leaving life and loved ones behind that they must have felt as they were taking their last breath.

We only experienced about one hour of the march, but it was peaceful throughout that time.

There were many reasons for us not to go today. Kids, the possibility of violence, the possibility of arrest, the possibility of having to go to the hospital, the risk of being in a crowd where social distancing guidelines may not be followed, doubts about how “effective” marching is. All of this in the midst of a pandemic. But I was sick of doing nothing. I had made up plenty of excuses for my silence and inaction in the past. So what if I’m not a US citizen and can’t sign petitions or vote for officials? So what if I didn’t grow up here and my ancestors did not create White supremacist systems? It does not change the fact that my Black brothers and sisters are being threatened or killed on an almost daily basis in this country.

I must admit to benefiting from the racist structures of this society. Asians often are described as being “white adjacent,” being more accepted by the majority group and in the majority culture than Black and brown people. And I’m married to a white person, which gives me access to the benefits of white privilege. We hardly know anyone who has died even gotten sick from COVID-19 in our social circles. When I hear the statistics of how Black and brown populations have been disproportionately affected by the virus, I feel guilty of complaining about homeschooling. I feel guilty that I can choose to stay in my safe bubble, letting other people do my grocery shopping. I feel guilty that I can choose to keep an emotional distance when I hear the evening news. But I can’t let guilt freeze me into inaction.

I wholeheartedly support white people’s efforts and actions to face white privilege and dismantle racism. And I want to join in. At the same time, I feel that I am in a slightly different position because I am not white. To be honest, I don’t know exactly what that position is or how to navigate it, probably because I haven’t had many chances to discuss it with other people like me who feel like we occupy the “in-between” space. There have been many horrific incidents of violence against Asians in the U.S. during this pandemic. Once again, I am reminded of our other-ness as well as the racial tensions among different POC groups.

This makes me wonder, are there unique ways that I (and other non-Black POC groups ) can uplift, support, and fight with my Black sisters and brothers? How do I join in with the whole community in fighting racial injustice?

The first question is one I am still very much working through and don’t have an answer for yet, but I think I have at least the start of an answer for the second. On our way back to the car this afternoon, a group of police officers on their bikes passed us. I prayed as they passed that they would be agents of peace and justice in this city. I think praying is the first step and the vital ACTION that we need to be taking all throughout everything else that we do -- listening to and learning from people, educating ourselves, protesting injustice, demanding changes in legislature and culture, and much more. It must all be grounded in prayer.

Lord, help us to listen to your voice. Make our hearts break as yours does. Give us the wisdom and courage to do your will to make our world a better, safer place. Guide us through concrete actions. Equip each of us to be agents of peace and justice. Amen.

Sayuko Setvik

A Reflection on "Interrogating Whiteness"

Dear Union Community,

Illustrations by Shirien Creates

If you have been able to read or watch the news over these last few weeks, but particularly this week, your newsfeed has been filled with horrific events including the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, as well as the racist event in Central Park with Amy Cooper calling the police on Christian Cooper following his request to have her put her dog on leash in a bird sanctuary and area of the park where this is law. My heart is burdened as these events have unfolded, as once again the structures of our country are laid bare to reveal the racial underpinnings that disadvantage, and kill, our Black brothers and sisters.

At the end of this letter, there will be a number of ways that you can respond, which I believe are very important. Our actions as a community that loves Christ, demand us to respond. But before we jump to action, I believe there is also a need to stop and take time to reflect deeply about our role as citizens in this country. For my white brothers and sisters, we have work to do.

Reverend Lina Thompson, Head Pastor of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church, wrote a letter to her congregation and emphasized the importance of white people (in her congregation and beyond) "to begin the journey of 'interrogating whiteness' (how it influences power, privilege and access)." She goes on to say that "I'm convinced this is part of the discipleship process and God redeeming his image in all of us and freeing all of us into the fullness of life." We (white people) must begin to reflect deeply on what we have learned about race, how we benefit from the same system that kills Black men and women, and to begin to see what our role is in maintaining this system and in dismantling it. "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist." Angela Davis

Each of our histories will be different in how we were raised to acknowledge race. Some may say that you were taught to "not see color" or to be "color-blind." Perhaps my upbringing was a direct result of those same ideas, because as I have reflected over the last week about my relationship to race, I realize that in my family, we did not talk about it. I grew up feeling like we were in a post-racial era, that my opportunities were everyone's opportunities, and I was free to have friends of any skin color. This rosy picture of life was confirmed by the history books that I read and was mirrored in the media I consumed, and allowed me to navigate primary school, college, work, and purchasing a home in this bubble of whiteness that led me to believe that my opportunities were deserved, earned and accessible to those who deserve them as well. I was not given the tools to see deeper than skin deep, and to understand the racial underpinnings that impact education, economics, social placement in neighborhoods, health outcomes, policing policies, and wealth disparities.

We each have to start somewhere on this journey towards Anti-Racism. And for white people, we have the important work of understanding how, in each and every situation and interaction, our skin being white provides us power and privilege, opportunity and safety. We cannot work to undo this system that devalues, shames, excludes, marginalizes, injures and kills people of color, until we can see it. Develop the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to acknowledge this reality so that we can participate in dismantling racism. Our brothers' and sisters' lives literally depend on it.

Below are ideas of how to begin interrogating whiteness, and how to join the conversation that is happening at Union. There are podcasts, books, movies, forums for discussion, and as always, members in the Union community committed to dialoguing about race and justice. Find a way to start this work and let's be accountable to each other and to the larger community.

With peace,

Nichelle Keatley, Elder of Union Church

Eco-Act 004: Worm Bins!

start a worm bin

& cultivate great soil!

This week, we have our first eco-act of hope + purpose to share from the Union community! We hope you enjoy this tip from Bob Tissell:

“I have been sending my kitchen scraps to the worms for years in my home worm bin. I bought the first set of worms from a nursery, and I have been so successful that I now have 3 bins, and plenty of worms to share with others.

I use old insulated coolers I found at yard sales, often for free. These keep my worms warm in winter and cool in summer. Sawdust, shavings, or wood chips make up the bedding. ”

Bob says he would like to share his worms with anyone interested in starting their own worm bin. Message him at bertdonsell@gmail.com if you want free worms!

There are many different ways to build or buy your own worm bin (see below). The worms will eat up your food scraps and produce castings, or nutrient-dense compost. Sprinkle that (and any worm tea that you collect!) on your garden, add it to your potted plants, etc.

Here are a few more worm bin resources to get you going:

• WSU’s Cheap & Easy Worm Bin — great tips, troubleshooting for a multi-bin system

• Cornell’s “6 Easy Steps…” — very simple read for one bin

• Mother Jones’ take — longer read but very informative, especially the part on harvesting the nutrient-dense worm castings

We hope your worms and food scraps flourish and transform your dirt into soil full of vitality and life! As Adrienne’s mom says, “Soil is a living ecosystem full of nutrients. Dirt is a four letter word”. (Yes, we know soil is also a four letter word…)

Prayers of the People: May 24

Renée Notkin led us in this prayer on our fourth Sunday of May:

Living God,

When we began our focus on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew, learning together what it means to be on the road with you, our Guide, our Teacher, our Champion, our Supporter, Our Lord, we were open to learning how to travel well on the Road you set before us.

-To seek your light to guide our steps
-To run the race well
-To encourage others walking alongside us
-To be people who share of our resources with other sojourners
-To talk with you about the bumps in the road, the roadblocks, the challenges of detours

We were eager to travel in step with You.
God of all time and giver of all good gifts, we confess that we did not envision learning to travel this unfamiliar, unknown road where we cannot meet in gatherings, where we now wear masks for the safety of others, where our conversation is dominated by a virus we cannot see, where we wander around the same room not sure what to do.

God of comfort, you know that we are overwhelmed and numbed by the number of people who have died from COVID-19 and you also know of people in our community who are right now suffering from other illnesses, from unemployment, from mental stress, from loneliness. Through your Spirit fill their hearts with the warmth of your presence and their minds with the knowledge of your unconditional love and delight in them.

Creator God, Comforting Spirit and Lover of all humanity – on this unfamiliar road help us to trust that no road is foreign for you – and you are guiding us to find our way. You are HERE. In our uncertainty – we seek your PRESENCE.

In the realities of social distancing, help us to discover creative and life-giving ways to walk your path of justice…of restoration…of kindness. To be Your people of mercy and wholeness and compassion.

Help us to speak up for those who are being ostracized, mocked and abused. Give us no tolerance for words of hate and acts of violence toward another human being. Give us courage to be promoters of peace and instruments of healing.

Help us to see that even when our feet are still in slippers and we’ve not set foot outside our door, we are still YOUR Sojourners of grace and hope.

Help us to see that you are with us in every zoom call. Give us wisdom when we need to say ‘no’ to the screen and yes to a moment of pause to listen to the birds outside our window. To listen.

To plant seeds of hope in a garden or yogurt container or through our words of grace in a conversation.

Merciful Lord, you promised that when we seek your kingdom and all its righteousness – you give us abundantly of your Spirit of wisdom from above – which is purse, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits – without partiality or hypocrisy. You give us a Spirit that sows peace and reaps a harvest of justice. Lord, we pray that you will fill us with your Spirit of Wisdom that we might be about Your transforming work so that it may be on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us confidence in YOUR LOVE for us that is so high and wide, so deep and long, that nothing can separate us from Your LOVE and from Yo that is found through Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank you that when you upon us, You see us as human beings made in Your image, beautifully and wonderfully made.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus. Amen

Eco-Act 003: Tending a Garden

Tend your own garden

& share your bounty!

Gardening is a great opportunity to get your hands dirty, reconnect with the earth, and tend to life (our first vocation according to the Creation story). Often this sense of rootedness can inspire feelings of wonder, gratitude, and connectedness to the land — not to mention, provide delicious, accessible food that you grew yourself! It is the most local you can eat, and inevitably becomes more neighborhoodly as “you will have produce to give away and the need to borrow [your neighbors’] tools.”*

Short on space? Plant in pots, window boxes, or go vertical! Join a local P-patch or community garden (COVID-19 P-Patch tips here) or work the space you got. In the vein of creative use of space, we are excited to report that Afsaneh Rahimian, who lives nearby 415, has adopted our parking lot planter boxes as the home for an herb garden! One of our longtime friends from the Women’s Shelter still visits 415 and has helped tend the plants too. She donated enough soil for Union’s garden, and to share with our friends at LUV who are working on their own boxes. We love planting food, tending to life, and sharing resources #fortheneighborhood!

So, what will you plant? Are you excited about a particular garden project you’ve been working on while at home? Feel free to use this gardening resource list compiled by Seattle Tilth and share any other gardening tips with us (link on our Eco-faith page). We’ll leave you with some words from Michael Pollan (we recommend his article about the importance of gardening, link below!):

The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world.

-Michael Pollan*

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*Michael Pollan’s NY Times article “Why Bother?” from 2008