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| Volume 2, Issue 3 | November 2011 | |
Dear CORR{ageous}! Leaders,
Zooming through websites the other day, I stumbled upon one that offered users an opportunity to sign up to live for a week on $35 in food stamps--the average allotment. It's an activity worthy of playing, though most of us will have the benefit of ending the game whenever we choose, and that got me thinking. As we prepare for this season of thanks and giving, I'd like to invite you to join me in prayerfully meditating on a phrase we often hear: "There but for the grace of God, go I?"
What does the phrase mean to you? Does it suggest any underlying threads of exclusiveness? Like, 'Whew! Seeing that _______ (fill in the blank with any marginalized person, community, town, state country or continent) sure makes me grateful I'm not them!'
GCORR is spending much energy these days thinking about what it takes to be "inclusive" and to imagine a more equitable church. As the late pop icon Michael Jackson would say, it begins by "looking in the mirror." Perhaps it's also looking at the language we use. So I'm asking you to join me in seeing how we can use our conversation, the words we use, to place "us" closer to "them," while at the same time helping us to become more comfortable outside of our comfort zones.
Sometimes, it's the words we use.
GCORR sends you blessings for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Erin M. Hawkins
General Secretary
General Commission on Religion and Race |
| Tale of Two Churches | | |
Bridging the Racial Divide, a Few Blocks at a Time
 No one in this town of about 1,500 people can remember with certainty when Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church began serving families in Crescent, Oklahoma. But Norman Bufford, whose parents were among its founders, recalls hearing how the small shingled building was rolled on logs down dirt roads and across pastures to where it stands today at the corner of North Spruce and West.
On the first Sunday of November, Mr. Bufford opened the church as usual, listening to the door to the sanctuary swing open with a whine, knowing that no amount of oil could silence its one-note melody. He checked microphones and a floorboard that threatened to snag the unsuspecting foot; convinced that he could not stop what would come next -- the last worship service to be held in the only church he's ever known. Read More |
| In Solidarity with Those who Clean our Rooms | | |
GCORR Agency Heads Urge Active Compassion for Hotel Workers
 Leaders of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) have a message for hospitality workers of one of the world's leading hotel chains: GCORR supports hospitality workers.
GCORR's top executives issued a statement of solidarity recently, joining in efforts of a growing ecumenical faith movement to seek after the welfare of the workers who are primarily women and persons of color, and who in some cases are among the lowest paid hotel workers in the U.S, reportedly working in increasingly dangerous environments. Read More |
| NCJ CORR Annual Learning Experience | | |
A Passion for Just Relations From the moment one enters the gathering, a sense of purpose and connection is felt in the conversations throughout the room. Those present in 2011 are only 'a-social-media-outreach-away' from the clergy and laity who arrived in Sioux Falls in October 1985 for an informal gathering hosted by the South Dakota Annual Conference. It's really a remarkable history of continuity, calling and delivery: equipping individuals, local churches and annual conferences to move from racism to relationships. Read More |
| Remembering Renita Thomas | |
Celebration of Love Held for Former GCORR Board Member Renita Thomas
 GCORR joined scores of people who felt the sudden loss of a "radiant love" when The Rev. Dr. Renita Helen Thomas transitioned from life to everlasting life in October.
On October 25, United Methodists gave back - as clergy and laity from across the country filled the sanctuary for the celebration of life, offering memories of her life as loved one, pastor, friend and annual conference colleague. Read More |
| Drop the I-Word | |
On Our Way to 10,000 Strong
This summer, GCORR partnered with annual conferences in our summer Drop the I-Word pledge drive--a national public education campaign asking the church and secular media to eliminate the use of the word "illegal" from public discourse.
This effort put GCORR well is on its way to collecting 10,000 pledges to Drop the I-Word from people around the United Methodist connection, but our work is not yet done! We need more pledges and more partners to share our message.
To help deliver timely information to our suporters and those interested in learning more about the campaign, GCORR launched its new blog: gcorrdropstheiword.org. GCORR Drops the I-Word features the same great resources, but also features blogs posts fro GCORR, links to news from the media, and increased chances to join in the conversation. Click here to visit GCORR Drops the I-Word. |
| Native American Heritage Month | |
November is Native American Heritage Month
 What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.
GCORR has collected Native American Heritage reources from around the web, including worship resources and educational resources. Visit www.gcorr.org/NativeAmericanHeritageMonth for more.
Don't forget to check out GCORR's other great resources! Visit the Eductaion and Resources section on our website, www.gcorr.org, where we offer everything from podcasts and webinars, to downloadable logos and so much more. |
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