The Word As Resistance

Join Rev. Drew Bongiovanni as she explores the annunciation text in the gospel of Luke for our series on advent. How is confession and repentance part of advent? How do we build love up inside ourselves to counter the culture of whiteness? How does Mary show us the way? Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

"If Advent is about anything, it’s about the heartbreaking longing in the midst of despair because of oppression. It’s about looking at the world and longing for something different, something *better* than the violence of Babylon, or of Rome, or of the US." Join Rev. Anne Dunlap for this week's episode in the #AbolitionAdvent series. Transcript available here: https://www.showingupforracialjustic...

What if COVID-19 is our King Cyrus, inviting us out on that highway back home to right relationship with sacred land, our God, and each other? What is the cost of our return, and how do we begin to pay it? Buckle up; according to Nichola Torbett, "It's demolition time." Transcript available here: www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word…nce.html

This is the first week of Advent, and we join with Isaiah and Jesus in asking God to intervene in our world for justice and flourishing. Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

How does white supremacy cloud our usual readings of the parable about the sheep and the goats? What are we to make of this idea of Christ as a ruler on a throne passing judgement? What sustenance might this parable give us for the marathon effort of holding president-elect Joe Biden accountable to the people? And what does all of this have to do with Christmas pudding? To find out, join Nichola T...

Voices from the past can call us forward. Joshua tried to do that: with clarity and singularity of purpose. White people on this journey to freedom need to be clear and grounded too. Who invited you to antiracist collection action? Who are you calling in? Rev. Will Green reminds us this is a good time to return to our core truths and to grow this movement. Transcript available here: https://www.sh...

We're at a river crossing time, transitioning into new territory and work ahead. Rev. Claire Brown reminds us we can take hope in the knowledge that God is with us, and that God's people have been here before. Check out the transcript at showingupforracialjustice.org/podcast

We are in a time of much dying. How do we navigate it? What does it mean to get free of Egypt in such a time as this? Join Nichola Torbett in exploring these questions with help from the story of the death of Moses just outside the Promised Land. Transcript available here: www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word…nce.html

"What do we do when everything falls apart? When stress and fear and uncertainty are running high? What happens then? Do we pull farther apart, Isolating ourselves away, Or do we do something else?" In this take on Exodus 33:12-23, the tail end of the book of Exodus, Rev Anne Dunlap takes us on a journey with the people and Moses as they come into more vulnerable relationship with a God that shows...

The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet. All are invited. You are invited. But not everyone honors the invitation. Some actively mock it. Some try to violently crush those who throw it. Good news: There is an end date to this evil. Hard news: we white folks especially don't know exactly how to feel about evil (white supremacy, etc) getting its comeuppance. In this episode, Rev. Seth Wispel...

Jean Jeffress compares the covenant between God and people, and the covenant of white supremacy, and determines the white supremacy covenant asks us to forget who God is and who we are meant to be to each other. Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html Get the Community Safety for All Toolkit here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/community-safety-for-a...

Blyth Barnow continues our #JourneysToFreedom series by digging into a personal story of loss, the war on drugs, and its roots in white supremacy. Transcript available here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

Speaking on the story of manna in the wilderness from Exodus 16:2-15, Rev. Margaret Anne Ernst opens up an honest conversation about money, divesting from white supremacy, and struggling to live into our values. What is the true scarcity that white supremacy creates, and what is the illusion of scarcity we can come to internalize that makes us believe there's not enough for all? Transcript is here...

The people of Israel crossing the Red Sea to freedom has to be one of the most famous scenes in the Bible. It's the moment we've been waiting for in this #JourneysToFreedom series. Rev. Anne Dunlap finds lessons for white Christians in the exultant freedom song led by Miriam on the seashore. Want to support SURJ-Faith and this podcast, as well as our brilliant movement partner JFREJ? Give here: ht...

Dig into the description and instructions for Passover and consider what truths and symbols might speak to preparation, community connection, and adaptability in our work. Transcript available here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

Moses is tending his flock in Midian when the God of his ancestors shows up in the form of a bush that is blazing yet not consumed, asking him to lead his people to freedom. Like the redwoods in California that are scorched but still standing, what can we learn from this image of God that can strengthen our commitment to fight for racial justice even - and especially - when sh*t hit gets real? In...

Join Drew Bongiovanni for a discussion of Genesis 45:1-15 during our continued #journeystofreedom series. Let's talk about the moment when Joseph reunites with his brothers after so much betrayal, trauma, and anger. How do we as white folks rebuild relationship and trust when we have caused so much harm? How do we honor the grief of people of color as we work towards liberation? Transcript availab...

Rev. Seth Wispelwey offers a reflection on the occasion of the third anniversary of white supremacist violence in Charlottesville on August 11-12, 2017, with some lessons learned about how the call to show up then is very much still with us now. Transcript can be found here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

In this week's episode of our #JourneysToFreedom series, Nichola Torbett explores Jacob's wrestling match with an eye toward trauma, midlife, bodies, and disability justice. Whatever the future holds, it is likely that we will not arrive intact. And maybe that's not a bad thing. Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

When Rev. Anne Dunlap notices the editing, both original and modern, that silences the women in Genesis 29:15-28, she explores what happens to our understanding of the story and how it impacts our ability to envision and embody deeper freedom. Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

THE WORD IS RESISTACNE is focusing on biblical origin stories for the next few weeks. Join Jean Jeffress as they look past Jacob's distracting behavior, and turn a critical lens on this nation-building narrative in light of our own nation-building narrative. As always, it's God who moves the story forward, then and now. Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resista...

Rev. Anne Dunlap starts our #JourneysToFreedom series with the "origin story" of Jacob and Esau. What wisdom does this messy, conflictual story have to help us understand "freedom" and how to get there? Transcript here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

How do we know what true peace is, when the "peace" most white folks are used to is the violent repression of Black and Brown people? Rev Margaret Ernst unpacks the political and prophetic context of Jeremiah's conflict with Hananiah, and pulls out critical questions this text may ask white people resisting racism. To move towards peace with justice, learn about the Movement for Black Lives' platf...

Genesis 21: 8-21, Hagar & Ishmael, Juneteenth, M4BL

Abraham and Sarah laughed at God's vision and promise of new life. Before we write them off, we are called to remember how white Christians - yes, liberal/progressive ones - have "laughed" at the idea that chattel slavery could be abolished, that segregation could be ended by militant nonviolent civil disobedience, and more. Are we laughing at the idea of defunding, dismantling, and abolishing the...