‘Sacred Ground’ introduced at St. Stephen’s
Churchwide program offers opportunities to reflect on race in a ‘safe space’
B
For the first offering of this program, 70 parishioners, eginning in August, a group of parishioners and 12 facilitators and 10 staff members, are taking part staff of St. Stephen’s Church began a program in 10 sessions which began in August and continue called Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue until Advent. Series on Race and Faith. This program, published in 2019 by the national offices of the Episcopal Church, Cheryl Blackwell says that she and her small group invites small groups to walk through chapters of have found the “in-depth history as to ‘how we got America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and By Cate Anthony here’ and the various resources the program uses very helpful and informative.” She appreciates the emphasis regional identity. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants on the small group time and work as being “Sacred Ground,” peel away the layers of cultural, historical, and political narrative where all are meant to feel safe and welcome as they tell their that contribute to the challenges and divides of the present day. own stories. She also points out that the group members strive to set aside the need to always be right. The curriculum is composed primarily of films and two main texts: Waking Up White by Debby Irving and Jesus and the “Everyone has a story to tell and each one is important to Disinherited by Howard Thurman. Participants read and watch hear and respect,” she says. session materials each week before joining their small group to discuss what they’ve seen and read. Conversations in Sacred Cheryl reflects, “We’re learning we have to do more INNER Ground revolve around personal experience, curiosity, and work first before we can do the outer work.” emotions. Facilitators join the group in reflection and learning, ruminating on questions such as, “What one thing do you Steven Dalle Mura adds, “The participants so readily engage remember learning and one thing do you remember not learning with the rich materials and are quite unafraid to come to about Indigenous People growing up?” At all times, the program grips with difficult questions raised by those materials.” seeks to promote self-examination and reflection, to broaden the stories of America we each carry, and to inspire commitment to We hope that you will consider joining us in this work. If honesty in how we tell the story of ourselves and our nation. you were unable to join the pilot round of Sacred Ground, please know that we anticipate offering the program again in In the work of combatting racism and engaging with the difficult early 2021, as well as additional forums for conversation and topic of race, St. Stephen’s Church hopes to serve as a model for learning about racism and injustice in the larger church and the city of Richmond and beyond. The topics addressed in Sacred in the city of Richmond. We look forward to thinking with Ground are challenging and fraught. Yet we are committed to you about these things, and growing in faith together. ✤ engaging fully with them anyway, to leaning into the discomfort and tension so that we might be made more fully alive before The Rev. Cate Anthony joined the staff of St. Stephen’s Church our Creator and our human family. St. Stephen’s has a reputation as a transitional deacon in June 2020, after graduating from for modeling a generous love and an expansive faith that can Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. She was ordained priest demonstrate a gracious and respectful way of healing–something September 5. the world could use these days.
10
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
