Sacred Ground: resouces for talking about race

‘Sacred Ground’ introduced at St. Stephen’s

Churchwide program offers opportunities to reflect on race in a ‘safe space’

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