UPDATE: June 3rd (1:45PM)

Friends,

I'm afraid I must cancel tonight's bible study on short notice. Our siblings in Christ at a local AME Church have invited local church leaders to a prayer vigil this late afternoon and evening, and I feel compelled to attend.

I encourage you to consider the ways Matthew's unique way of telling the story of Jesus in the world helps us this particular moment of history, and enables to listen to the cries of our black and brown siblings with renewed hearts. Tonight I had hoped to share a video, released by a congregation in the ELCA's partner church, the United Church of Christ, called "Get Home Safe." You can find a link to the video by clicking hereor using the "Watch Now" button below.

This short video was produced a number of years ago just a few miles from where Bekki and I lived on the South Side of Chicago. I invite you to watch the video from the perspective of "Rachel, weeping for her children." Imagine yourself in the shoes of a mother who needs their child to watch this video to stay safe. Imagine yourself belonging to a community who would feel so compelled by the evidence of systematic and structural racism around them that they would be called to producethis video in the first place. 

Please continue to pray. We'll meet again next week for our regularly scheduled bible study. I apologize for the short notice of this cancelation. 

Peace,

Pr. Marcus

 

Remember that Matthew's Gospel is both a haunting story and a hunting story. We already saw the roots of the hunting story begin with the arrival of the Magi in the beginning of chapter 2. This week we'll see the early sketches of haunting story on full display. 

This week's bible study will finish Matthew 2:13-23. If you're able to do extra reading, go back into the Old Testament and read the stories of Rachel (Genesis 29) and Samson (Judges 13-16).

 

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