Where is Martin Luther King Jr.?

“I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hateful as I’ve seen here in Chicago.”  – Rev Martin Luther King Jr., in 1966

(l-r) Tom Wilson, pastor at First Church of the Brethren Chicago and Martin Luther King Jr, mid 1960s.

Where is Martin Luther King Jr. in your neighborhood? How would our national history be different if he had never been assassinated?

We often think of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in the context of his work in the South – Selma, Montgomery, Atlanta. But in the mid-1960s, Martin Luther King Jr., worked for racial justice and equality in Chicago. Many historians have confirmed his insight, that the racism and resistance he encountered in Chicago was worse than what he encountered in the South. During that time, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference had offices at the First Church of the Brethren in Chicago and King preached from our pulpit. (Pictured above) Before the end of the decade, he would be assassinated in Memphis and the work he began continued…In many ways, is still continuing.

The memory of Martin Luther King Jr is held in many places by streets, libraries, and schools named in his honor, as well as plaques and statues. As we continue to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy and commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death, join Intercultural Ministries for a conversation reflecting on his local presence and what could have been. Before joining this call, please read the articles in the National Geographic (April 2018: Special Issue on Race) that explore these questions:

This will call will be Thursday, May 3, 2018 – at 1:00 EST.

To join by video call: https://redbooth.com/vc/2e89810ba4dd1acc

To join by phone: Dial 415-762-9988. Meeting ID is 833919968 (No participant ID)

Gimbiya Kettering, Director, Intercultural Ministries
Church of the Brethren

Would You go to the Wakanda Workcamp?

This is what happened when the Church of the Brethren talked about the Black Panther

Word cloud of good movie subjects

Whose story would make a great movie?

Last week over 25 people gathered to talk about our experiences of watching Black Panther – the ways it was inspiring, troubling, entertaining and thought-provoking. There was a lot of diversity on the call: We called in from across the country and represented many different communities in our denomination. We were college students and District Executives. Some of us are life-long fans of superheroes and for others this was the first time they were watching a Marvel movie. It was a multiracial call –even more diverse if you counted the racial diversity of the families we represent.

I want to thank everyone who participated for the open, thoughtful, and respectful conversation. The reflections and questions were profound and often surprising. The conversation returned frequently to the portrayal of violence – the amount of it, the graphic nature of it, who were the perpetrators, how it worked as an allegory, and how it reflects the reality of violence. In many ways, I was reminded that I was having a conversation within a community that self identifies as pacifist. (Though when asked to list our favorite movies, most of them could also be described as violent.) The call ended with reflections on the ways we work to create multiracial communities.

Based on the survey before the call, we are twice as likely to watch a Will Smith action movie than one that reflects on race. Below are additional reflections based on the survey.

Question 1: How Often Do You Watch Movies? (please include home viewing)How often do you watch movies?

Question 2: Which of the following movies have you seen?

The original survey listed over 40 titles. They were generally grouped by era (i.e., Slavery, Civil Rights, Jim Crow, Contemporary, etc.) and genre (documentaries, inspired by true stories, romance, comedy, etc). In the end, looking at the data, I noticed a few trends:

  • We Watch About History:
    • 237 responses identified watching historical set movies (Civil Rights Movement or earlier) to current (defined as 1980s to now).
    • The top four categories coming in at over 40 each were related to Slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, Classic Novels, and Women biographies.
  • When we watch Current Events – We want to be entertained
    • The 5th most common response was action movies starring Will Smith at 31 responses
    • Contemporary Romances came in next with 29 responses
    • Comedy, Horror, Blaxploitation brought a combined: 51
    • At total 111 responses – this is still less than half of the times we identified watching historically inspired and/or set movies
  • We do NOT watch commentary. Maybe not many are made or maybe not many have nationwide release. Maybe we mean to watch, but put it off because we are afraid of how it will make us feel. Or maybe the way I listed the questions created bias…BUT…
    • 17 Responses for documentaries based on social commentary
    • 14 for movies with a satirical take on race
    • 13 for documentaries about current events
    • And ONLY 7 responses for PBS based series focused on the African American experience in history

Question 3:   Which African American historical figure, book, story, and/or character would you like to see made as a movie?  See word cloud above. The larger the text, the more people listed it as a movie they would be interested in seeing made.

Question 4:   Out of ALL (not just the ones above) the movies you have ever seen, which 2-5 are your favorites? In the interest of space, I would like to say these movies were many and more diverse than I expected. A number of people referenced: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings. Princess Bride and Selma tied at 5 mentions each. The Butler got 4. Most unexpected to me was Gone with the Wind –three times. Eight people identified Black Panther!Pie chart showing percentage of White (majority), Asian (smallest number), Black (next in number), and Multiracial (largest number other than White) respondents..

Question 5:   Please describe your race/ethnicity.
Note: Based on self-identification, it was necessary that some counted more than once.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Based on the information from the survey, I would recommend we stretch ourselves by watching movies that challenge us to listen to how race impacts the experience of brothers and sisters:

Intercultural Ministries will host a conversation about the National Geographic Issue about Race (April 2018)
–Thursday, April 26 at 1:00pm EST–

Access this video conference:  https://redbooth.com/vc/01f9f83893e4f7e1
By phone: Dial +1 415 762 9988. Meeting ID is 180230133 (no participant ID)
Handwritten calculations of survey responses

DISCLAIMER: This is intended to spark conversation and encourage you to think about the movies you have watched, and not watched, in new ways. Special thanks to the 66 people who took this survey! This survey has absolutely no scientific rigor or standards and there may be errors in calculations I had to make by hand. If you have passion and skill for constructing surveys, crunching data, and want to help with this and/or future surveys, please let me know! Check out my high-tech survey equipment! –→

 

 

Gimbiya Kettering, Director, Intercultural Ministries
Church of the Brethren

 

Mary!

2015 COVER


John 20:1-18

Question:
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine! ”           (Isaiah 43:1)
These words leap off the page into my heart. With these words I am called to swift passage into the waiting arms of Jesus.
He knows your name. How does knowing this release you to live within the confines of today?


Prayer:

Amazing God! Amazing love! Thank you this day for your amazing Gift … and calling me your own. May I rest in that love. Help me to recognize my identity and acceptance in you. Amen.

~ Randi Rowan, Program Assistant

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

They laid Jesus there

2015 COVER


John 19:38-42

Question:
His presence was gone. They felt empty, anxious and alone. The only time when Jesus would not be available to them. So then, imagine
the warmth and joy they felt when He appeared with a promise – He would be with them … always.
How do you deal with your circumstances? Is there a way you can be still in His company and gain His peace?

 

Prayer:
God, teach us to live in the secret of your presence.
Amen.

~ Randi Rowan, Program Assistant

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

I am He

2015 COVER

John 18:1-14, 28-40a; 19:13-25

Question:
“I am He.”  With these words, Jesus says so much more than what his soon-to-be captors realize. Our journey to maturity starts and ends here. How do we grow in capacity to deal with difficult life-spaces?  Where do we go when we lose God’s shalom / peace? Whom do you seek?.


Prayer:

Father, remind me that navigating life’s most difficult places sometimes requires only the simplest of maneuvers – that of sitting at your feet and talking about my emotions and thoughts.  Help me to perceive your presence and insight. And listen …. listen as one being taught.
Amen

~ Randi Rowan, Program Assistant

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

Do you know what I’ve done?

2015 COVERJohn 13:1-17, 31-35

Prayer:
O God, open our eyes to see examples of servant leadership in our midst. Increase our care and compassion. Encourage us to be of service, to see where there is need and to respond. Strengthen and empower us to do more, to reach out, to move from apathy to empathy, and to follow Jesus today and each and every day. Amen.


Question:

As Jesus surprised Peter by washing his feet, we might be surprised by those who join in Lenten practices to be in solidarity with their Christian neighbors: http://www.eidpraylove.com/
How does faith lead you to connect with others in love and service?

~ Debbie Eisenbise, Director of Intergenerational Ministries

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

In the company of Judas

2015 COVER

John 13:21-32
Prayer:
O God, hear our confession: too long have we thought only of ourselves. Forgive us.
Help us, we pray, to be about Your work in this world. Strengthen our allegiance to Jesus, our connection with the Body of Christ, and our love for You, O God. May we truly be Your people in this world, a community of the faithful. Make us Your own and bless us, we pray. Amen.

Question:
How do you view success? Do you long for it or run from it? Is there a way that you can view success in a different way in your day to day life?

~ Debbie Eisenbise, Director of Intergenerational Ministries

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

A troubled soul

2015 COVER

John 12:20-36

Question:
What is your deepest need at this moment? How do you sense God’s presence with you in the midst of your need?


Prayer:

O God, in our brokenness, and in that of others, we know You are present. We know that through Christ Jesus, there is nothing that separates us from Your great love. Thank you. We are humbled by Your love and grateful for Your presence. In silence and in wonder, we pause and pray. Amen.

~ Debbie Eisenbise, Director of Intergenerational Ministries

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

A costly offering

2015 COVER

John 12:1-11 

Prayer:
O God, You give us so much. Life itself is a gift. You call us to live with open minds, open hearts and open hands. We hear You, God. We thank You.
This day we ask for the vision and creativity of Mary, to seize the moment and give the unexpected gift, the costly offering. We ask for her courage and compassion, to reach out and show care for others even if we are criticized and maligned for doing so. And we ask for her humility, to receive Your protection and blessing whenever we step out in faith. Guide us, we pray. Amen.

Question:
How will you step out in faith, live compassionately, give generously throughout this day?

 

~ Debbie Eisenbise, Director of Intergenerational Ministries

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

Holy preparations

2015 COVER

Mark 11: 1-11; 14: 1-16


Reflection:
Preparation is definitely an important part of our life, as talked about in the devotional today. But what happens when our plans and preparations need to be adjusted? Palm Sunday is one of my favorite days out of the year, mostly because of a family story of Palm Sunday 1992. The church that my family attends, at that time only allowed children up to grade 3 wave the palms in the parade that are typical in most churches. This Palm Sunday was the last year that my sister was allowed to wave the palms and she was excited and prepared to do so. However, her preparations were derailed as she and my brothers, instead of being in church, were at my grandmother’s house because my mother was preparing to give birth to me. Our preparations do not always go to plan; I’m sure Jesus’ disciples had preparations that Palm Sunday long ago that needed to be adjusted in the following week and beyond.

Question:
What are you preparing for currently? How could your preparations change?

Prayer:
God, help us to prepare, but also help us to adjust when Your plans require us to create new preparations. Amen.

~ Laura Whitman, Special Projects Coordinator

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent Devotional written by Craig H. Smith, district executive for the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren and ordained minister. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Craig’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.