In this tumultuous election year, we can’t help but feel in our bodies and spirits the weight of the conversations and choices that await us. As some embrace divisive rhetoric and threatening language and behaviors toward our siblings nationally and globally, perhaps you, too, find yourself longing for ways to stay grounded and connected to the faith and values that motivate you. Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries of the UCC National setting are hoping that our 2024 All Church Read will provide just these kinds of resources for such a time as this.
You are invited to journey with Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Cole Arthur Riley and their books Sacred Self Care and Black Liturgies to discover ways of tending ourselves while we are tending the world.
Buy Sacred Self Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves here
Buy Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems and Meditations for Staying Human here.
And we want to offer ways for all of us in the NCNC to join together with each other and so many others on this sacred journey of staying human for such a time as this!
So here’s how you can get involved:
1. Register to join together with folks from across the Conference for a retreat day to launch your engagement with these books, either in-person at Community Congregational Church, Tiburon or online. Saturday September 21, 10am-3pm.
2. Form a book group at your local church, or with a group of friends, family or colleagues, and use the provided curriculum to continue your engagement with the book for the 6-7 weeks in the fall.
3. If you don’t have a local group to read with, register to join a weekly conference-wide book group via Zoom on Thursday mornings, 10:30-noon, starting September 26 thru October 31. Facilitated by Rev. Jess Shine and Dr. Sharon Fennema
4. Register to participate in an all-Conference All Saints Day pray-in and spiritual care circle to reflect on what you’ve learned from these books and practices and prepare your heart, mind, body, and spirit for the 2024 Election, either in-person at Community Congregational Church, Tiburon or online. Friday, November 1, 6:30-8pm
Click here to fill out the registration form for any of these Conference-wide events.
We know the journey toward racial justice can feel lonely sometimes, impossible sometimes, and downright exhausting sometimes, especially at conflicted and intense days like these. May this complex time also be a moment to lean into the connective work of healing and nourishing, restoring and reviving your spirit.
For more information, contact: Dr. Sharon Fennema fennemas@ucc.org
