Yesterday was Juneteenth. I will confess that I did not fully understand why that was on my calendar and what it signified until I researched it. And that embarrasses me to admit. It commemorates the end of slavery in the US. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, TX and told the slaves of their emancipation from slavery – more than 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and 3 months after the end of the Civil War. There’s something significant about that delay as I reflect on all that has been transpiring in our country the last month. Two years after they had been freed, the message was heard. How long, O Lord, before we hear what is being said?Yesterday was Juneteenth. I will confess that I did not fully understand why that was on my calendar and what it signified until I researched it. And that embarrasses me to admit. It commemorates the end of slavery in the US. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, TX and told the slaves of their emancipation from slavery – more than 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and 3 months after the end of the Civil War. There’s something significant about that delay as I reflect on all that has been transpiring in our country the last month. Two years after they had been freed, the message was heard. How long, O Lord, before we hear what is being said?

I have watched the news each day and seen the protests happening all over the country and the world protesting the death of George Floyd and many others. I have struggled with what my personal response should be because it feels like I have been here before. A tragic death of a black man that shakes me to the core, people are upset, people are praying for justice and understanding, and then a few weeks later it feels like most white people are back to life as normal. Except this time feels different. I don’t know if it’s the pandemic or the video that cannot hide the blatant violent and unnecessary death of another black man at the hands of a white police officer. But this time, people are watching with fresh eyes and listening with new ears.

Let me first state that I respect the difficult job that police officers have in responding to difficult situations and having to make split decisions that can be life or death for themselves and those they are trying to help. And most officers make good decisions. But the pattern cannot be ignored any longer in order to protect the feelings of white people (White Fragility). The truth is our whiteness has caused us white people to fail time and time again to respond in ways that actually make a difference to the unfortunate and unjustified death of too many black men and women for me to even name.

There is a problem that it is past time for us to admit. The problem is that white people have not listened and understood the actual reality of People of Color in the United States in this post-Civil Rights Era. Whether we think equality has been achieved or we deep down don’t really care if all people are treated fairly and equally, it’s time to stop letting our whiteness get in the way of truly hearing the voices that have been crying out for years for help and for justice.

Personally, I have tried to take a posture of listening well these past couple of weeks. I realized that too many times me and other white leaders like me have tried to get out front and lead some kind of response to whatever the latest tragedy that has occurred. This time, the Holy Spirit has nudged me clearly to press pause. To listen to my black colleagues and to follow their lead. What I have heard is so much pain and anger that my heart can hardly hold any more. And yet, I must. Far past the time.

Part of what I have heard my colleagues say to me is that the best thing I can do is take the time to do the hard work to understand that although my heart believes all people are equal and that I personally condemn racism and treat people of all colors and nationalities with respect, I still contribute to some of the problems that hurt People of Color. That in the institutions around me there are injustices that do not create a level playing field, including the Church. That our history has set up advantages for those of us who are white that we enjoy even though we have not personally asked for them or created them. That I have more understanding to gain so that when I am in a position to interact with others the things I say and do will not widen the gap and contribute to breaking down relationships with People of Color. Lord have mercy, I have so much to learn.

UNDERSTANDING WHITE PRIVLEGE AND BIAS:
1. Systemic Racism Explained – 4 minute video that explains how the lives of a black and a white boy can be so different because of inequality in our systems.
2. – Racial Bias Test (Harvard) — this will help you understand what your biases might be
3. “White Awake” by Daniel Hill (FSP Chicago) – Video -Courageous Conversations: Understanding privilege and Becoming a Better Ally
4. “Walking While Black” (Garnette Cadogan) -Article of a Jamaican who moves to New York and shares the realities of being black in America –

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES:
1. Understanding White Fragility – “Why Are White People So Bad at Talking About Race?” – short video summarizing the book by Robin DiAngelo
2. Videos by Robin DiAngelo
– ” This is the Paradigm Shift That Could Stop Racism”
– “Why ‘I’m Not Racist’ Is Only Half the Story”
– “Debunking The Most Common Myths White People Tell About Race”

3. “Well Meaning White People” (Smartest Person in the Room)- Podcast on the insights a teacher learned in the classroom about racial injustice –
4. “How to Be an Antiracist” (Brené Brown + Ibram X. Kendi)- Brene Brown interview –
5. 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
6. 5 Tips for Being an Ally– Brief video for how white people can be helpful and supportive

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS:
1. Book list: https://www.embracerace.org/resources/20-picture-books-for-2020
2. Podcast – Integrated Schools podcast episode “Raising White Kids with Jennifer Harvey”– offers age-appropriate insights for teaching children how to address racism when they encounter it and tackles tough questions about how to help white kids be mindful of racial relations while understanding their own identity and the role they can play for justice. :
3. Articles: How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race | NPR
Teaching Your Child About Black History Month | PBS
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup from Pretty Good

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget [us] forever?
How long will you hide your face from [us]?
2 How long must [we] bear pain in [our] soul,
and have sorrow in [our] heart all day long?
How long shall [our] enemy be exalted over [us]?
3 Consider and answer [us], O Lord [our] God!
Give light to [our] eyes, or [we] will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and [our] enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;
[our] foes will rejoice because [we are] shaken.
5 But [we] trusted in your steadfast love;
[our] heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 [We] will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with [us].
Psalm 13. NRSV

I have been trying to write this blog for 6 days now. The words have struggled pouring forth from within my heavy heart. My soul sits uneasy. Last week at my Psalm Bible Study I am a part of we studied the Psalms as Laments. How timely was this topic to explore the raw emotion expressed in what the author called the 23 “angry laments”. It was refreshing to be reminded that some of the authors of the Biblical text had moments when the brunt of what they were feeling and expressing was anger. Some of the laments express deep sorrow. Sometimes the sorrow is for personal illness or struggle. Sometimes it is for injustice observed or experienced. Some of the laments are penitent and seek forgiveness for sins, both individual and collective, that have been committed against God and neighbor.

Right now it feels like our country is in need of expressing all three types of laments. We are a people in need of expressing anger, sorrow, and asking forgiveness. Lord have mercy.

To be honest, I have no real answers here. But I am calling on each one of us to come before God in prayer and supplication to ask for the Holy Spirit bring both Peace and Justice. Both are needed. Throw in a little Healing as well. I believe only the Holy Spirit can help guide us out of this hot mess boiling around us.

We need Peace to descend like a dove to lower the temperature and calm the explosive waters that have come to a boil all around us. We need to peace to restore our emotions to a place where we are able to hear one another again. We need peace to allow us to try and find some common ground and seek healing.

“The God we pray to wants to hear our hearts sorrow. “

We need Justice, though if we are ever going to actually achieve healing and any kind of sustainable peace. Great injustice has taken place over the past couple of months to People of Color (POC). There is no other way to state the facts. Racism is real. Racism has caused great harm. It’s a complicated problem and one that cannot be ignored any longer. The anger that has erupted has come from a place of deep hurt, brokenness, and injustice. Can we ever find a path that helps us live with the eyes of Jesus and truly treat others as we would be treated and love our neighbor no matter the color of their skin? I don’t think Jesus could be any clearer in the Gospels where he stands in a situation like we find ourselves in. So why is it so hard for us do better?

We need healing. Not only is our country embroiled in complex racial tensions and violence but we are also still in the throes of a pandemic. Last week we crested 100,000 deaths in the US to COVID-19. 100,000+persons have lost their lives to this virus. It’s hard for those of us in Watauga County to understand this level of devastation because we have not had any deaths (thankfully) and only 13 cases so far with 9 of those already recovered. But we are in a bubble compared to some places where everyone has lost a neighbor or a coworker or a family member. We need healing for the grief and loss so many have, are and will experience. We need healing for the trauma of lives interrupted. I feel for our graduating seniors from high school and college for example that have had to adapt celebrating this important milestone. All of us have missed something special happening in our lives because of this virus. We need healing for the loneliness that some are experiencing, going on 3 months of not being touched by another person, only connecting with others by phone or Zoom. We need healing for stressed out families or depression that has crept in the voids of our lives.

The Good News here is something the Psalms remind me, even in the most emotional laments. The God we love and worship is worthy of our best angry prayer. The God we pray to wants to hear our hearts sorrow. The God we praise is more than able to carry our pain. While there are times I feel the words of Psalm 13 quoted at the beginning of this article asking “How long?”. My heart also feels the words at the end of the psalm – I do trust in God’s steadfast love and I will sing of God’s saving power not only in my life but for the hurting world surrounding me right now. I do believe God will help us find a way through this muck. I believe God will help us fine Peace, Justice and Healing. I trust and believe it. I hope you can, too.
Come Holy Spirit.

Grace and Peace,

Lory Beth

It happened. In spite of COVID-19. In spite of social distancing. In spite of Shelter in Place. In spite of closed sanctuaries. Easter happened! It had to be one of the most surreal and yet memorable Easters of my entire life. I will always remember where I was and what I was doing during the Easter of COVID-19! I bet you will be the same.

As I have taken a couple of days to rest I have a few observations from the past week. Much like the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas and failed, the Coronavirus that tried to “steal” Easter also failed. While our traditions might have been disrupted and our travel plans turned upside down, the tomb was still empty on Easter morning and Jesus still raised from the dead! And there were a multitude of voices shouting “Hallelujah, He is Risen!” across the world on Sunday. The reason that is true is because Easter is all about what God did, and zero about what we do or did. Easter doesn’t happen because we sing a certain song (although Easter fills like Easter when I get to sing Christ the Lord has Risen Today!), or a prayer we pray or a dress or tie we wear or a meal we eat or even a basket of eggs or chocolate we receive. Easter happens because 3 days after Jesus was crucified on a cross, God overcame death by raising Jesus from the dead. Hallelujah! And in spite of the great distress and loss that Coronavirus has caused, it cannot take that truth away from us.

I will also admit that I have been surprised by how connected I have felt to people through livestream worship. I served a church previously where we started a livestream ministry and we did it every single Sunday morning. But I never really felt connected to the people on the other side of the camera. It was more like they were eavesdropping in on our worship service. This has been different. With no one in the sanctuary, Vern and I have made a concerted effort in our minds to preach to the people on the other side of the camera. It helps to be able to see comments from our worshipping community while we worship together to know we are all giving out hearts and attention to God together in this moment in time. I have loved seeing your pictures of your worship time at home and your communion elements gathered before you as we celebrate together through livestream. But I give thanks to God that we have found a way to connect with one another while we connect to God when we can’t gather together in our usual worship space. The Holy Spirit is a powerful force and I personally think that is what is moving among us Sunday mornings, no matter where we are watching.

Another observation I have had is seeing the best in humanity. I have seen it among people in the few times I have been in public to the store or the Post Office. (People are being polite and and patient with one another sharing the aisle in the grocery store.) I have seen it in news stories like the interview I heard today on the news of someone who had the virus and was over it and was now donating plasma in order to help 2-4 other people fight the virus by receiving her antibodies. I have seen it among posts on social media when folks are encouraging those who are down or who are missing out on important life experiences like a senior year in high school or celebrating a birthday Coronavirus style. I have seen it in the leadership of our church as we have made decisions and adapted to new opportunities. I have especially seen it in this amazing staff and how we have come together to do whatever it takes. It’s almost like the worship team has become my second family. I care as much about staying healthy for their sake as I do for my own family because that is how important they have become to me. And outside of Greg, this staff are the only folks I am interacting with in person and they help keep me sane when we Zoom or see each other on Sundays to help lead worship or occasionally passing each other in the church building.

The Holy Spirit is a powerful force and I personally think that is what is moving among us Sunday mornings, no matter where we are watching.

But thankfully, after a long string of years of seeing the worst side of people getting divided over anything and everything and assuming the worst of one another, I am so grateful to be able to see the best in one another. To appreciate deeply those heroes in our community who are working in our hospitals and clinics to care for the sick knowing they could be exposed at any minute. Those first responder heroes who walk towards the risks instead of away from them. People taking care of neighbors. My observation is seeing the best of people shine through the real struggles of this new life we are living reveals that the Imago Dei (image of God) within us has not been damaged beyond repair by negativity and division. We are capable of unifying. My prayer is that it continues long after COVID-19 becomes a historical memory.

Be encouraged my friends. We still have unchartered territory ahead of us for a while. We are starting to figure this out. And hopefully we will develop all that we need to beat this pandemic in the form of vaccines, quick tests available for everyone, new social practices that keep us healthy, and stop gaps for those who have suffered financially.
Be encouraged friends because in spite of all that we are still enduring, that tomb is still empty. Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. God fulfills God’s promises. And nothing can take that truth away from us!

Coming Soon- Zoom Bible Study on the Psalms. Here’s more info if you want to join me!

Join Pastor Lory Beth for a study called Journey Through the Psalms. This is an eight-session study that will include video lessons from Denise Dombkowski Hopkins, a Professor of Hebrew Bible at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Through study of the word and insights gained through the arts, this course invites us to approach God with the same honesty and intensity as the ancient Psalmists. Journey Through the Psalms is devotionally focused and will be adapted for the Zoom format. Classes will begin Thursday, April 23 at 10:00 AM and go through June 11. If mornings are not good times for you but you are interested please let me know and if there is enough interest, we will find an evening time option as well. To register please email lorybeth@booneumc.org or if you have any questions.

Grace and Peace,

Lory Beth

PS. We start a new sermon series this week called Stronger Through the Struggles. We look forward to seeing what Scripture has to say to help us thrive in the midst of this great disruption and how not to get down. How we can use it to make us stronger. Join us for worship Sunday mornings at 11:00 – go to our website to find all the ways you can watch.

When I think back to last week it seems like eons ago. We have faced unprecedented change in one week’s time. The amount of decisions and the speed at which they have come at me has been mind boggling. I imagine each of you feel the same. As a pastor, one of the things that has really burdened my heart in all of these changes we are adapting to is how do we take care of ourselves and our loved ones during this extended time of isolation from our usual routines and family and friends? This will feel more like a marathon and not a sprint. Or as someone said, this is not a snow day but a snowy winter. And as we were making plans as a staff on Monday, Ben, our youth director, said that many of the youth were texting him bored out of their minds. It was day ONE of self distancing/quarantining.

So let’s talk about how we can emotionally and spiritually take care of ourselves and others through this season of altered schedules and extended home time. You can get news updates and health best practices from other sources. However, as a graduate from the UNC School of Public Health I just have to give a shout out to all of the Public Health workers out there who are working hard to educate leaders and the public about what to do. This is exactly what public health is all about and I value the ways they are impacting our country and each of us for the better.

“Spend time with your family in ways you haven’t had time to because of the break neck pace we live our lives.”

But my expertise now is more in the spiritual realm than the physical health realm these days. If you are introverted, this invitation to slow down, stay home, and keep to yourself may be a welcomed rhythm you have no problems adjusting to. If you are extroverted and live in a family unit of one or two persons at home, this might be a hard season for you. If you are at home with a large family and lots of kids, this may feel exhausting trying to keep everyone busy and at peace. If you are not used to spending so much time together as a married couple, this could be tense at times. And if you are living solo, this could mean going extended periods of time without talking to someone. All of us, however, are wired to be social creatures so whether we are introverted or extroverted, this could become a lonely time if we don’t take some intentional measures to care for ourselves and those we care about.

To care for your spiritual health during these times I invite you to take advantage of some of the extra time on your hands to engage in spiritual practices. Turn off the devices and the TV and spend time in quiet prayer and reflection. Listen for God’s voice in ways you may not have had time or quiet space to hear before. Go for walks without ear buds. Light a candle and choose your favorite image of God to look at while you pray. Read your favorite Scripture verse or story. Just give God your attention in the silent spaces. Or maybe journal your thoughts and prayers so you can capture your feelings and wonderment during this unique time in your life.

Try praying the Scriptures using Lectio Divine. Here is a link to guide the process of reading Scripture in a way that repeats the same passage of scripture and invites you to listen deeply. Choose a parable of Jesus or a Psalm or a story from the Gospels and give it a try.

You get the point- use this precious gift of time in ways that care for your spirit and strengthen your relationship with God. Being “too busy” will not be a viable excuse over the next several weeks.

Spend time with your family in ways you haven’t had time to because of the break neck pace we live our lives. My brother and I were talking on the phone and decided our family would have weathered the Coronavirus pretty well when we were growing up. We loved to play games and do things together around our home. Decrease the screen time and pull out some board games or cards.

If you are a single person household it will be so important to use your phone to text, FaceTime or call friends and family. Make sure you don’t go a whole day without talking or communicating with someone. If you know of folks in your neighborhood or life that may be more isolated make sure you call them and connect.

It looks like I may get more time to color my adult coloring prayer journal this Lent than I planned. Maybe your house will get a spring cleaning like it’s never seen before! Now you have time to make those recipes you never had time to cook before. Those repair projects around the house might finally get some attention. Use this time to develop better sleep patterns if you have been struggling getting enough sleep lately.

My point is there is much opportunity here with this gift of time we are all being given. Maybe if we look at it with a different lens instead of a punishment or annoying limitation we can live through it with a healthier mindset. However as I type this, I realize that there are folks for whom this means a loss of work and income and access to food and needed daily resources that makes this difficult to balance. I pray that the community will step up in ways that I have seen already being planned to provide the safety net everyone needs so none is stressed beyond their capacity or goes without what they need. Boone UMC will help respond by continuing our Thursday Night Dinner (TND) as a Grab and Go option delivered out of our Children’s Portico entrance. TND will also become a site that offers families that need them food boxes provided by one of our local food pantries. This is part of why your continued financial gifts to the church are important so we can help respond as a safety net to struggling ASU students, or families in the community by loss of their typical resources.

And even those struggling with hardship will have to figure out how to care for their mental and emotional health as well. So I believe we all have opportunity to practice the art of slowing down, listening and being present to life and what we truly and deeply appreciate and maybe even take for granted.

Be still, and know that I am God.

– Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

For those of you who are part of Boone UMC, you can always check BUMC COVID-19 Updates for the latest updates of what our church is offering you during this time of disruption. We will constantly be figuring out new and different ways to offer ministry to you and inviting you to care for one another. We will worship each Sunday morning at 11:00 on Facebook Live and Instragram live and soon on our Boone UMC Youtube channel (still working this one out).

Please follow the recommendations to self-distance and wash hands, etc. Take good care of yourselves and loved ones, trusting that God will be present with us most especially during our time of drawing back and slowing down. And let’s never cease from praying for those affected and caring for the sick and researching solutions for our country and world.

Lenten Blessings,

Lory Beth

It’s hard for me to believe that it is Lent already. You know, the 40 days leading up to Easter. I always appreciate that the Church has a rhythm to it. The big things that happen in the church year always have a time of preparation. Advent leads up to Christmas. Lent to Easter. The Easter Session prepares us for Pentecost. Warm up weeks that let us prepare for what it is we need to pay attention to.I don’t know if people in the first couple of centuries needed it as badly as we do today. But in culture where life speeds by and we are slaves to our calendars and always looking to what comes next – setting aside 6 weeks of preparation for Easter is much needed spiritually speaking. Otherwise, Easter would come and go like any other Sunday in the year. We wouldn’t even see it coming and if it wasn’t a Sunday we happened to attend church, we might not even know we missed it.It’s hard for me to believe that it is Lent already. You know, the 40 days leading up to Easter. I always appreciate that the Church has a rhythm to it. The big things that happen in the church year always have a time of preparation. Advent leads up to Christmas. Lent to Easter. The Easter Session prepares us for Pentecost. Warm up weeks that let us prepare for what it is we need to pay attention to. I don’t know if people in the first couple of centuries needed it as badly as we do today. But in culture where life speeds by and we are slaves to our calendars and always looking to what comes next – setting aside 6 weeks of preparation for Easter is much needed spiritually speaking.Otherwise, Easter would come and go like any other Sunday in the year. We wouldn’t even see it coming and if it wasn’t a Sunday we happened to attend church, we might not even know we missed it.

So what are you going to do in order to mark this time as different? People do a lot of things. Some folks give up something for Lent in order to imitate the experience of Jesus suffering and giving up his life for us. It’s symbolic, of course. Because there is nothing we could possibly give up that would come close to the sacrifice of Jesus – not even my Coke Zero each night. It may be a specific food but it may be a treat or habit that we know we would miss if we went without for 6 weeks. (It’s not really fair of me to give up coffee for Lent when I don’t even drink it to begin with!). But it also may be a negative behavior like gossip or binge watching TV that we give up.

Some folks choose to fast as a way to mark Lent as a holy time. Fasting is an ancient practice of voluntarily going without a meal or two in order to feel hunger pains and want and instead give more time and space for Jesus in our lives. Some people even collect an offering of what they would have spent on food and give to a ministry that supports the poor. Fasting is designed to be a form of prayer that allows us to experience a disciplined way of forgoing something that brings us pleasure and comfort and that we actually need in order to bring a more heightened sense of God in our lives. It’s a powerful experience that can bring clarity and deep alignment with God. Please remember to always drink water if you choose to fast food.

Other people choose to take on something in order to honor the season of Lent. It might be a special weekly volunteer opportunity. It might be exercise for better self care. It might be a prayer practice. Like taking time to take a slow walk through the woods each week. A couple of years ago I began to set aside special prayer time on my Sabbath day- Friday- where I would color a Labyrinth pattern or Celtic Knot and use that time to just be quiet and listen to God. For someone like me who likes to be doing something all the time, it has taken several years to learn how to quiet myself and set aside all other distractions and just color and listen. But I have found it to be good for my soul. It’s amazing what I can hear when I stop to listen to God’s quiet voice in my life. And it’s equally amazing how fast after Lent ends that the space gets filled up with the noise of life.

As our church takes a special emphasis and prays for each of our members and friends to become transformed disciples, I hope this Lent you will think about taking on some kind of practice that will set these next 6 weeks aside as special. That you will give some extra time to your relationship with Jesus. I’d love to hear what you are doing this year- respond in the blog or facebook comments.

Can’t wait to hear what God is nudging you to give up or take on this year. Whatever it is, may it draw you ever closer to Jesus. May it help Jesus be ever more in the forefront of your life and not set aside for one day of the week or when its convenient. I’m pretty sure the cross was ever so not convenient for Jesus. Making a sacrifice of desire or time is the least I can do. What about you?

Grace and Peace,

Lory Beth