July Worship Theme: Spiritual Practice
July 5, 10 am, join Rev. Misha Sanders and the NW Youth as they explore the Summer theme, Spiritual Practice. Access the service at bit.ly/NWUUC and afterwards at the coffee hour using this link: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/8016042973
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CALL FOR CHALICE LIGHTERS!
WE ARE SEEKING CHALICE LIGHTERS FOR JULY. PLEASE SIGN UP! NWUUC welcomes children’s participation in the weekly Sunday service. Options to participate include lighting a chalice live via Zoom during the service or submitting a video to re@nwuuc.org that can be played during the service. LED lighting options can be used instead of a flame. Please use this link to sign up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4aaeac2f4-nwuuc
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With Liberty and Justice for All?
by Philip J. Rogers, D.M.A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR0HfVVqIwM
In elementary school we began each day by standing and facing the American flag with our right hand over our hearts to recite The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. It was not until I experienced real life as a black person in America that the words, “With liberty and justice for all.” possessed an unrelenting sting of untruth. I was told to pledge my allegiance to a reality that in practice did not entirely include me or my kind.
During those elementary years we sang songs like “America, the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.” The truth of the lyrics, “And crown Thy good with brotherhood” as well as, “God bless America, my home sweet home” did not fully apply to me. I could live and work here, but am charged higher home prices than whites in mostly white neighborhoods and paid 20 to 60 percent lower wages for the same professional position as my white counterparts thus preventing me from living the life that my accomplishments deserve and forcing me at times to take on additional employment in order to live comfortably.
So, as the Fourth of July approaches in a year that being quarantined due to Coronavirus allowed the world to see first-hand evidence of systemic racism in America, we are reminded of the years that we hoped to see an end to social injustice. What is disheartening are the accusations by some politicians that those of us who publicly raise our voices against injustice are Marxist agitators who need to shut up and remain in our place of subjugation to their centuries old acts of racial superiority.
As a U.S. citizen I would love to celebrate “liberty and justice for all” as my own reality, but the overt aggressive acts of police officers upon recent peaceful musician demonstrators gives me pause as I drive throughout Atlanta or choose to take a casual evening stroll. Will I be the target of some rogue police officer or citizen who believes that my existence is a threat to their safety simply based on the color of my skin?
To live with the fact that there are those who believe that persons who look like me should not share in the benefits afforded to “All” is an ugly and disturbing thought. But I proceed diligently forward to participate in changing race based laws and encouraging each of my white brothers and sisters to educate yourselves regarding the tangible realities of black life in America.
Have a happy, yet thoughtful Fourth of July!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZYl0AThQLk
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