A Call to Action
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Gathering for Prayer, Commitment, and Solidarity joining the Poor People’s Campaign
Digital and In-person Gatherings June 20, 2020 Covenant Church, 4949 Caroline St. Although our entire nation is struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, Black people throughout America are dying faster and in greaters numbers due to COVID, brutal murder at the hands of the police, mass incarceration, and a system of entrenched racism that steals education, health, wealth, and security from Black people and all peoples of color. Covenant Church has long stood for racial justice and equality. On June 20, 2020, we will stand together again, both digitally and in-person, as one moral voice for justice. We begin by Gathering digitally with the Poor People’s Campaign. Visit this website to RSVP and then connect on Saturday, June 20 at 9:00 AM (Central Time Zone) or 5:00 PM (Central Time Zone): https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june2020/ We continue by Gathering in person. We will gather at 7:00 pm by the labyrinth on Saturday, June 20. Wear a mask. Maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance. We will Share a Litany. We will open with the litany below. Please print a personal copy or read it from your phone. We will Name the Murdered. We will say the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and, knowing there are so many other names, we will invite people to call out the names of those who have been murdered by police. We will Hold Silence. We will hold silence for 8 minutes, 46 seconds to honor the black lives who have been murdered, victimized, and oppressed by police, poverty, injustice, and violence. We will Pray. We will pray for ourselves and each other and seek to commit and recommit ourselves to being anti-racist, to working for economic and environmental justice, and to connecting with larger movements like the Poor People’s Campaign. We are Committing. We will have sidewalk chalk for those who want to express their ideas, commitments, prayers, or art. We will have chalk available and please bring your own if you can. Also, please bring your own hand sanitizer if you intend to use our chalk. Litany: We see the violence of injustice. We see the violence of racism against black people, Latinos, First Nations and people of color. We know this violence is a threat to all humanity and this yet-to-be perfect union. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. We hear the cries of the poor and low wealth in a land of abundance. We hear the fear of death among the uninsured and underinsured. We hear the groans of ecological devastation and environmental violence. We feel the violence of militarism all around. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. And we mourn the untold thousands who die every year from poverty, the lack of healthcare, and pollution. These things suffocate the life out of this democracy. We join the struggle of those hurting. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. And we commit every breath to work, march, fight, vote, and organize in order to breathe life into the promise of the establishment of justice, provision for the common defense, promotion of the general welfare, and the assurance of domestic tranquillity and equal protection under the law. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. As the ancient prophets call us to fast from oppression, We know that to fast means to stop. We call on the nation to stop all forms of systemic racism, from racist police violence to voter suppression to policies that place the weight of injustice on the collective necks of people of color. We call on the nation to fast from militarized police. We call on the nation to stop denying healthcare, decent housing, voting rights, equitable education, and the chance to survive and thrive. We call on the nation to stop the perpetuation of poverty and low income, to stop blocking living wages, paid sick leave, we call on the nation to stop destroying the environment. We call on the nation to save communities. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. Hear the call of God: Is this not the fast we choose: to lose the chains of bondage? Is this not the fast we choose: to let the oppressed go free, to meet the needs of everyone, to forgive debts, raise wages, and promote the general welfare? Because we are yet alive and breathing, yet free to stand up, we commit ourselves to this work with every breath we have. Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. With every breath we have, we make this declaration to fast from apathy. Everybody has a right to live. With every breath we have, we declare: Somebody’s hurting our brothers and our sisters. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent any more. - This litany was created by the Poor People's Campaign As we leave this place today, whether gathered together in body or spirit, we know that we do not leave anything finished. The room is not tidy. The house has not been cleaned. There are words and stories yet to hear, institutions left to reform and others that need to be smashed. There is so much yet to do. Let us leave here full of humility and passion for the tremendous work left to do. Let us commit ourselves to the daily work of anti-racism so that we can delight in black people, brown people, queer people, and women with more jubilation and joy. Let us commit ourselves to acknowledging our privilege and racism and to working, beginning with ourselves, for racial justice. May 31, 2020
Dear Covenant family and everyone else, George Floyd should be alive today. Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today. These are just a few of the names. There are more names of murdered black brothers and sisters. So many names. So many lives. We grieve. We are angry. We lament. In this past Sunday's prayer, Kristy Kyle and I wrote: In the fight for racial justice, people of color raise their voices, asking to be seen, asking for care and help, for safety and for change. It is not the job of the oppressed to change the system. It is the responsibility of the oppressor. While it is very difficult to consider oneself an oppressor, it is past time for those who benefit from unmerited privilege and the entrenched racism in our country to face difficult truths. For our prayer this morning, our siblings of color are invited to rest for a moment, knowing that you are held in prayer and surrounded in love. Our white siblings are invited to click on one of these links and select actions that you will commit to as you work a little harder for the justice we want to see in the world. And our white siblings are also invited to say a prayer for our siblings of color, that they will see love and change soon, for they have waited long enough. https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234 https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR0iS_vmr73MoLJLzBUUeF80xWRusAXt6Vy-iT2Bu_EwQ0PQ4nCxY-zmHok Amen. We must do more. Since our church began in the 1960s, we have been committed to justice. We were founded with a commitment specifically to racial justice. We have not always gotten it right and we will continue to make mistakes and we will not be silent, we will not be inactive. We will continue the hard work of creating a church, a community, a city where everyone is treated with safety, dignity, and welcome. We work for a realm of peace and justice. White supremacy is poisoning our communities, our world, and it must be dismantled. We can start with ourselves and our families. We can start by verbally condemning violence against black people. We can start by committing to some of the actions recommended in the links in the prayer above. At a time when we are separated by distance, it is more important than ever to be united in our commitment to care for one another. Take time to check on your friends and fellow congregants who might be having a difficult time. Remind yourselves and each other that this is not work we do alone. If you plan to attend a rally, vigil, or protest, I encourage you to look for local groups who have been doing the work of racial justice here in Houston, like Black Lives Matter. We are committed to racial justice. We pray for our siblings of color, and it’s time for white people to stand up, speak out, and work hard for justice that has been so long deferred and denied. This day of Pentecost, we pray for the wind and flame of God to come down once again and help us change the systems of entrenched racism in our county. Grateful to be doing this work with you, Rev. Laura Mayo, Sr. Minister |
