By Nick Gordon
“It’s All About Love” was the first churchwide opportunity for a portion of the community of people who have taken and stewarded the Sacred Ground curriculum to gather in person! It was a truly holy, Spirit-filled time where we reflected on where we have come from and where we might go next.
Below are answers to some of these questions, but at the heart of Sacred Ground’s involvement in this festival was making in-person relationships with those who have been so committed to the Sacred Ground curriculum and racial reconciliation for so long!
What do you love about your ministry?
Having the opportunity to share a free and open resource with those who are interested in furthering the work of racial justice and reconciliation is a great joy for me. So much of the work that we do is behind computer screens, talking with everyone via email or Zoom. It is events like these that remind us of the “why” behind what we do. Serving grassroots communities that have committed to difficult and activating conversations is a great joy.
Throughout the festival, our team was constantly bowled over with the number of people who said “Sacred Ground changed my life,” or, “Sacred Ground taught me the things my history classes never taught me.” Being a witness to that renewal and changing of heart is what makes this ministry so life-giving.
What workshop/presentation/panel spoke to you the most?
Prior to the festival kicking off with the opening night of worship, our Sacred Ground community had the opportunity to gather for the first time (ever) in person for a pre-conference gathering. The joy and comradery among the group was palpable. We had a fantastic team of experienced facilitators who helped plan our time together; they lifted up an article from Dr. Catherine Meeks that challenged White people to move from allies to fellow pilgrims in our racial justice ministry. This article and the distinction it draws spoke to me as it recontextualized what it means to commit to being a pilgrim walking alongside our siblings over a long time and distance, rather than being an ally who dips in and out of the work when it suits our purposes. The reflections from our community members on this topic revealed that this distinction landed deeply with them as well.
Where did you feel God in this festival?
YOU (aka the people attending the festival)! The Holy Spirit was fanning a raging fire of Episcopalians who are doing the work that God calls us to do. People from all over our church were present, and each of them brought their ministry experience and commitment to this Way of Love to the table.
On Tuesday morning (July 11) we heard from young people involved in climate justice advocacy who are calling our church to take more responsibility for using our resources sustainably. Phoebe Chatfield, our program associate for creation care, gave a deeply moving speech about the work already being done by Episcopalians and all the ways we can step up to the plate to care more intentionally for God’s creation.
Our preacher from worship (which was focused on the work of racial reconciliation) on Tuesday, Sarah Augustine, quoted Luke 4:16-21 (which quotes Isaiah 61), which has Jesus proclaiming:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
By the end of the festival, I saw the myriad ways that individuals and congregations in our church are bringing good news, proclaiming, releasing, and letting free. There’s no question that our world is dark, but the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement, in each of our areas of evangelism, creation care, and racial reconciliation, has a light to shine for all the world to see.
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Nick Gordon is the Sacred Ground Consultant.