Do Justice: June 4, 2020
Prayer for Racial Justice
 
Save us, O God, from ourselves, 
from racism often cloaked in pious words, 
from the machinations of white supremacy hidden in calls for civility,
from micro aggressions thinly veiled in arrogance, 
from apologies when they don’t give way to action,
from forgiveness without facing the truth, 
from reconciliation without reparation.
 
Deliver us, O God, from expecting siblings of color to continue to bear this emotional work, which is not theirs to do.
 
Grateful for the long arc that bends toward justice, we pray:
Grant us wisdom, 
give us courage for the facing of these days,
by the power of the Spirit, all for the sake of the kin-dom that we share in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
On June 17th, 2015, Dylann Roof, a member on the rolls of St. Paul Lutheran Church – ELCA – in Charleston, SC entered Mother Emanuel AME church for a prayer meeting. He proceeded to shoot and kill nine of the people in attendance in an act born of white supremacy and racial hatred.

Last summer, at our Churchwide assembly, the ELCA voted and approved a resolution to set aside June 17th as a Day of Remembrance and Repentance for the Emanuel 9. Acting on this resolution, the Virginia Synod’s Tapestry team is hosting a Zoom meeting on  Wednesday, June 17th, 2020 at 7:00 PM for a time of remembering the Emanuel 9, an action step to take, and a prayer. To join the meeting:

  • Join Zoom Meeting
  • Meeting ID: 861 4878 5636
  • Password: 433801
  • Dial by your location:
  •  +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
  • +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

The ELCA has also created worship resources that are available to commemorate the day, you can find those at www.elca.org/emanuelnine
Volunteer to Help Get Out the Vote with Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Do you want to make a difference this summer and help Get Out the Vote? Join Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy's (VICPP) virtual 10-week program where you will engage congregations and communities around two pivotal activities: 2020 Elections and 2020 Census. Civic Summer 2020 runs June 15-Aug. 21. We seek volunteers who can dedicate 10 hours/week (2 hours/day) and student interns who can work 20 hours/week (4 hours/day). Help us recruit volunteers and student interns. Please share this INFO & APPLICATION LINK: www.tinyurl.com/civicsummer.

Read "College Internship Opportunity" story about Civic Summer by Lauren O'Neil, VICPP Communications Intern
ELCA Racial Justice Blog
The ELCA's Racial Justice Blog has had several new blogposts that are well worth reading. This blog is featured as part of a series to call by the ELCA to address white supremacy and racism. Below are several of the latest blog posts:

The Poor People's Campaign
June 20, 2020 Digital Justice Gathering
Last year, I and folks from all over the United States signed up to ride buses to Washington DC.on June 20th. We planned to participate in the Mass Poor People’s Assembly, the Moral March on Washington. The Poor People’s Campaign organized this march to bring attention to the poverty and inequality in America and to advocate for justice. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we now will have a virtual gathering On June 20th, 2020 . Because of the pandemic, poverty and inequality are now even more obvious. We can do better and we have this opportunity. Please join us for the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
-Merrie Jo Milner

For more information on the , visit www.poorpeoplescampaign.org. You can also view an introduction video.
Do Justice is a semi-monthly newsletter of the Virginia Synod, lifting up God’s call and command that we, God’s people, do justice. You will find helpful info about justice ministries in congregations, around Virginia, and through the ELCA. If you have stories of justice to share from your congregation, please share those with me at bayerderrick@vasynod.org so I can share them with others in the synod!

The Rev. Kelly Bayer Derrick
Assistant to the Bishop
Connect with the Virginia Synod