Racial Reconciliation and Shalom

Join us for two separate two-hour sessions with Dr. Ruben Rivera, on Tuesday, February 24 & March 17 from 7-9 pm in the Parish Hall.  Ruben Rivera has been educated in biblical studies and the history of Christianity and holds a Ph.D. from Boston University. He has nineteen years of teaching experience in higher education and is currently the Chief Diversity Officer at Bethel University in St Paul, Minnesota. He has spoken frequently in churches, conferences and other venues on themes of incarnational mission, avoiding the cultural captivity of the gospel, Hispanic Christianity, biblical responses to immigration, and diversity and inclusion. He is the creator and facilitator of the current Reconciliation and Shalom training for all new faculty and staff at Bethel University, dealing with such issues as what it means to be human, beauty, the consumer self, academic achievement gaps in marginalized communities, economic inequality, gender, race, class and other forms of discrimination.

 

The two-part Shalom seminar will look at biblical reconciliation-shalom, factors that hinder it (some of these are not obvious and are rarely discussed), hot-button divisive issues in need of reconciliation today, and developing capacities toward reconciled persons and communities characterized by shalom. Important in this seminar is not simply the content but the educational method leading to experiences of self-discovery with uncomfortable things about ourselves (whether one is white, black or any other race, ethnicity, culture or gender) that might otherwise not be consciously known, or known but not admitted and resisted.

 

"By the Way, Meet Vera Stark"

Saturday, February 21 matinee at 2pm, Penumbra Theatre followed by a discussion
facilitated by a staff member at Penumbra.  $32 per person, scholarships available. 

To reserve a ticket, contact Blair Pogue at rector@stmatthewsmn.org 

 

Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage turns a keen eye toward Hollywood as she tracks the life and career of Vera Stark, a talented black actress who can't catch a break in the 1930s. Like many of the uncredited black stars of the Golden Era, Vera is relegated to playing the maid to white Southern belles and socialites, but in a world of illusion, nothing is quite what it seems. Evoking Hollywood "firsts," from Hattie McDaniel to Halle Berry and Lupita Nyong'o, this charming and witty play follows Vera over a lifetime career, only at the end of which is she finally lauded for her talent.

 

Discussion of "Selma," Directed by Ava DuVernay

Thursday, March 5 at 7 pm in the church library, facilitated by Dr. Barrett Fisher. 

Please see the film on your own before the discussion.

 

God's Five Act Play

Between the first Sunday of Lent (February 22) and the Easter Season (April 26), St. Matthew's preachers and members of our congregation will engage in an ongoing conversation about the Judaeo-Christian story of God and God's people focusing on the following five "acts": Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus, and Easter.

 

During Lent, members of our congregation will reflect on these different "acts" plus the additional theme "New Community," in conversation with the preacher for the week. A Tidings essay by a member of St. Matthew's will be followed by a sermon and then a blog post, to which anyone can respond. Thanks to Jeff Larsen, Paul Kiehne, and Lis Christenson, all St.Matthew's sermons are available as podcasts on our website, www.stmatthewsmn.org. So, whether you are in town or away for Spring Break, join the conversation as we learn more together about God's Five Act Play.