Content Warning:
Our devotion will cover topics of Race, Racism, and Resistance. Feel free to pre watch this devotion if you feel it necessary in order to prepare yourself for the discussion that will hopefully follow. My prayer is that we will all continue to have difficult and challenging conversations about race relations in our towns, in our church and churches, in our state, and in our country. My prayer is that we will be faithful and courageous, kind and compassionate.
Amen.

Devotion: 
This video is for all ages. The book I have shared encourages us to look at and share our own stories because when we do we will see how much we are alike and what things we should celebrate that make us different. I do not own the rights to this story but have purchased it for our church library.
The Day You Begin
By Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Devotion:
This video is suited for older students for a more in depth conversation around what is happening in our cities.
Something Happened in Our Town
by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
I do not own the rights to this book, and in an attempt to purchase it, it is sold out. I have however purchased new books on race, racism, and diversity, written by people of color to begin diversifying our church library resources. If you have any suggestions of books or conversations to add to this one, please reach out to me!
Dear Grace Lutheran Church families,

If you are anything like me, you are grieving a lot of loss right now. Not only are we still struggling with the realities of COVID-19, our state is grieving the murder of George Floyd and the destruction of our cities.

A part of our tradition as Lutherans is the practice of confession. This often comes in the form of corporate confession in worship. Together we say words like: We confess we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
And then a Pastor will follow our confession with words of forgiveness, like this:
By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sin is forgiven. Amen
We can also practice individual confession, we can choose to do this in the presence of a pastor or trusted friend, or we can take our confessions directly to God. My confession today is that I still have work to do; we still have work to do.

In the Spirit winds of Pentecost, we hear God's purpose confirmed through story, diversity matters to God. When Jesus tells about finding the lost sheep, we know all of God's sheep matter, but it is the one that was lost, oppressed, underserved that Jesus goes looking for. Anti-racism work is our Christian calling. And I think the best news for us is committing to the work of Anti-racism, doesn't mean we aren't racist, as Joanna mentioned this week in Grace At A Glance, we are swimming in the soup. Being an Anti-racist, simply means you are committed to learning about race, racism, and the histories of our country that have provided for white people different privileges and opportunities. We will make mistakes. But I invite you to begin this journey and enter into these conversations.

Some of you might be wondering how and if you should be talking to your children about the events of the past week and how, if and when you should talk to your children about race and race relations in the United States. Many people of color do not have the ability to NOT talk to their children about the realities of last week's events and continuing protests in our state and across our nation. Many people of color do not have the ability to NOT talk to their children about the realities of race. It is time for us to deny our ability to look the other way.

Today I was watching Good Morning America, they aired a segment on How to talk to your kids about Racism. Here are some highlights of their conversation:
  • Take a deep breath and take good care of how you are feeling. We are already stressed by the pandemic and the rise in racial tensions parents may be left not knowing what to say or how to say it.
  • Begin with open and honest conversations. These conversations are necessary, in order for your children to make sense and understand what is happening in the world around them.
  • Educate yourself and know you will not always have the answers.
  • The truth is raising color blind children doesn't work. Even babies begin to see differences in skin color, eye shape, and hair texture. Having conversations around difference and celebrating differences will help your children see race and process it in healthy ways.
  • The truth is even if you aren't talking to your children about race, they are learning from your silence, from the environments around them, in school, in books, from music, and movies. Even when we think they aren't listening, they are.
  • How are you providing cross cultural experiences for your child? How are you avoiding them? What is best for your family? What is best for your community?
  • Do your best to use correct terminology. You can say Black and African American. It is also important to talk about whiteness and the opportunities we receive just for being white. Using correct terminology means we need to listen to communities of color and learn. This type of education comes from reading books, listening to podcasts and engaging in dialogue. Know that it is never a person of color's job to educate you on what you do not know.
  • You will make mistakes and that is okay. The only mistake you do not want to make is not having the conversations at all.
  • In recent days, the anxiety and fear you are feeling, your children are also feeling. Having open and honest conversations with them about their feelings and the situations around them will help them see how you process and will help them process themselves.
I pray the content in this mailer is helpful to you and your family. Please do not be afraid, begin open and honest conversations with your children. I pledge
  • to continue to diversify our church library,
  • to talk openly and honestly about race and diversity at Grace,
  • to continue to use images of Jesus and the characters of the Bible that are authentic to races living in the Middle East.
  • to continue to be a support to families at grace and provide helpful resources.
  • and to continue to do my own work in understanding my own whiteness and engaging in the hard work of anti racism.
Blessings to you and your family as you engage in these sacred conversations.
Maria Markman
Activity: Create a Self or Family Portrait
Creating self-portraits is an opportunity to reflect on the physical aspects of our identity.
Use paint, markers, colored pencils or crayons, to create individual or family portraits.
Make sure your art supplies reflect the variety of colors, shades and complexions that represent a diversity of people. 
Before creating your self-portraits, start a conversation about different aspects of our physical identity. 
You might concentrate on your faces or look at your faces and bodies together.
Encourage children to look in the mirror and describe the shape of their face; skin color and complexion; eye shape and color; hair color, texture, length and style; nose shape; and other characteristics like birthmarks, freckles, glasses, braces, etc. 
Then make your self-portraits using all the information you just gathered. Another option is for each family member to draw themselves on one large paper to create a family portrait. An outdoor variation is having children trace themselves with sidewalk chalk and then color in the details.   

Discussion Prompts:    
  • What do you notice about your self-portrait?  
  • How does your self-portrait reflect aspects of your identity in terms of race, ethnicity and other identity characteristics?  
  • How do you look similar to and different from people in your family, friends and classmates?  
  • You can also discuss your family heritage. Where did your ancestors come from? How did they get here? Why did they come? This might help bridge the conversation into talking about the history of this country, slavery, refugees, and church denominations that started our largely as cultural centers as well as churches for new immigrants.
Music
Resources for learning about and teaching your children about Race
Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:

Great resources for adults and here (these are long lists, find my short list below:
Books
  • Dear Church: A love letter from Black Preacher to the Whitest denomination in the US by Lenny Duncan
  • White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
  • How to bee an Anti Racist By Ibram M. Kendi
  • Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson
  • The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Films and TV series to watch:
  • 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
  • American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
  • Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
  • Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
  • Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
  • Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
  • I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
  • Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent
  • King In The Wilderness — HBO
  • See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
  • Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
  • The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
  • When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
Podcasts to subscribe to:
The Darkest Night of Your Life Virtual 4K Walk/Run
Sponsored by HOPE 4 Youth
Friday, June 5, 2020
7:00 - 9:00 PM
In your own home or neighborhood!
On any given night, there are more than 6,000 youth experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. When darkness sets in, these youth are staying in their cars, couch-hopping or sleeping on the streets. HOPE 4 Youth, a nonprofit that provides pathways to end youth homelessness, is hosting The Darkest Night of Your Life VIRTUAL 4K to raise awareness of what these youth experience and to raise funds so they never have to experience it again.
Whether you run on a treadmill, jog around the neighborhood or walk around the block, you’re invited to participate in this year’s virtual event for all ages!
Register online at https://www.hope4youthmn.org/4k/ and invite others to join you! This is a great way to stay connected with family and friends (while social distancing) and to make a positive impact together! Once registered, you are ready to help HOPE 4 Youth raise additional funds to end youth homelessness.
PRAYER REQUESTS
What are you praying for? Who are you praying for?
Let me know and I will join you in your prayers.

Text me (Maria) at (507) 330-2471 with your name and your prayer requests!
As always for more updates about Children's Ministry at Grace and other happenings in the larger Grace Lutheran Community, check out our Facebook page!