Discover the Washington Inter-faith Network (WIN)
As Western’s leadership considers partnering with organizations working to change policies that engender systemic racism in our communities, I’ve encouraged our Mission Ministry Team to consider the Washington Inter-Faith Network (WIN). As part of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), WIN is a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-faith, strictly non-partisan, District-wide citizens’ power organization, rooted in local congregations and associations. WIN is committed to training and developing neighborhood leaders, to addressing community issues, and to holding elected and corporate officials accountable in Washington, DC.
From my vantage point as pastor, WIN does thorough training of faith leaders to hold elected officials accountable. When I think of the District leaders of faith communities who are out in front leading justice, I’m never surprised to find out they are members of WIN. I’m interested in deepening my own connection and involvement, but not without the commitment and support of a larger group of Westerners.
A Word from Laura: Western Worship Your Way!
Friends,
As we’ve continued along this journey into new things with worship, if you’re like me, you’ve noticed that Zoom can start to feel old pretty fast! Especially if you’ve been in front of your computer all week. Or you’re trying to get a four-year-old (or forty-four year old!) to sit still.
Worshiping in front of a screen can feel very un-worshipful, no matter how you try. We’re working on things from the church end, but in that process encourage you to try some things on your end, so that worshiping the God of heaven and earth doesn’t feel like the same Zoom calls you’ve been on during the rest of the week. Here are some of my favorite tips from the church staff and others:
A Word from Session: Second letter
Dear Western Church,
Your Session sat for its regular meeting – as we have every month during the pandemic – on Zoom earlier this week. Two topics dominated the conversation: our response to the call to anti-racism, and the practical issue of returning to some form of in-person worship.
You received our anti-racism response last week. This report shares our thinking about in-person gatherings.
It probably goes without saying, but when we open our doors again, things will be different. We will faithfully follow the District’s reopening criteria and our own duty of care for your health and well-being.
A Word from Session: Anti-racism letter
Dear Western Church,
See below for the text of our Letter from the Session on anti-racism, with new language in the last paragraph to reflect the plans we discussed tonight:
This past Tuesday, your Session met to consider the work and decisions facing Western. Chief among them was: how will we meet the call to dismantle systemic racism? What does it mean as a community of faith to, as Micah requires, do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God? As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We are now witnessing the bending of that curve. The trajectory is still evolving, but it’s already clear that there’s no going back.
A Word from Laura: The Antidote to work that never ends
“My work never ends these days.”
She was the third person, yesterday, to share the challenges of her schedule, and it wasn’t even lunch time. My friend was glad to still be working. But her father in another state was struggling; she had just spent a few hours on the phone trying to arrange a follow-up visit with his oncologist.
If you are feeling overwhelmed these days with the tasks of life, you are not alone. Joining a group to work on anti-racism, spending six-eight hours a day in front of a computer, negotiating child care in a summer without camp, just figuring out cereal for dinner – our lives are full of intensity!
In a world that values us based on our earning power, in a time when even if you’re not working in a traditional sense, you could spend all day on Zoom, sabbath rest is more important than ever.
