In commemoration of Juneteenth (Friday, June 19, 2020), a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, let us pray: Holy and righteous God, you created us in your image. Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression. Help us, like those of generations before us who resisted the evil of slavery and human bondage in any form and any manner of oppression. Help us to use our freedoms to bring justice among people and nations everywhere, to the glory of your Holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ( from ELCA Worship R esources)

The  Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival  is hosting a virtual march taking place on June 20th. The Poor People’s Campaign is a revival of the historic Martin Luther King Jr.- led movement of the same name organized 52 years ago. It is a non-partisan fusion coalition movement rising up; a new and unsettling force challenging our nation’s distorted moral narrative. It seeks to unite tens of thousands of people across the country in 40 states including Virginia and is led by Rev. Dr. William Barber, a North Carolina civil rights activist, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-director of Union Theological Seminary’s Kairos Center. Instead of hosting a live march on June 20th in Washington D.C., the march will be hosted on line. For more information you can visit:  www.poorpeoplescampaign.org

The Tapestry team hopes that congregations will join in the Poor People’s Campaign virtual march on  Saturday June 20th, 2020 , and from there commit to engaging the issues of racism at least once a quarter. This can be done in many ways including book studies, viewing a movie and discussing it, or in in-depth anti-racism studies.

As we prepare to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the murders of nine Black members of a Bible study group in the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church by a white Lutheran (ELCA)-raised man on June 17th, and on June 19th commemorate “Juneteenth”, the anniversary of the end of slavery in 1865, I feel the need to share some of my own reflections.

The Synod Office is sharing sermons offered by our Virginia Synod Rostered Ministers that address the current protests that are occurring across the nation following the recent murders of Black Americans including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon (Sean) Reed, and George Floyd.

The Rev. Phyllis Milton of Gloria Dei, Hampton provided her sermon from Holy Trinity Sunday.

The Rev. Alex Zuber of Muhlenberg, Harrisonburg provided his sermon from Pentecost Sunday.