Simon’s Says
On Wednesday I attended a day long seminar/workshop on Racial Justice Awareness. Clergy in the United Church of Christ are required to engage periodically in two trainings, Racial Justice and Boundary Awareness, in order to retain our standing (certification) within the denomination. There were 40 of us gathered via Zoom (so I was able to participate from the comfort of my dining room with Circe lazing at my feet) and the day involved a good balance of instruction and conversation with colleagues around the topic. To be honest, the workshop introduced topics at an introductory level, and having been engaged in denominational work for as long as I have, nothing that was presented was new to me. But I did appreciate the opportunity to engage in dialogue with Conference staff and clergy from around the Southern New England Conference and beyond. One aspect that intrigued me is the variety of ways we as clergy and congregations become engaged in matters of race. The minister and congregation of the inner city church in Miami faces a very different set of realities than the minister and congregation in Chester, yet so many of the underlying issues are related. There were also some familiar faces around the room/screen, including the Rev. Cheryl Caronna from the Deep River Church, our former pastor the Rev. Kathy Peters, and the Rev. Joe Tobin, whose son Jonathan is our church’s treasurer. You’ll be glad to know I “passed” and am good for at least another five years.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour Saturday evening (unless you plan to listen to the choir practice, which in my estimation is a delightful experience!). Links to Sunday’s bulletin and service are here: