Lisa Sharon Harper, artist, activist, ethicist and public theologian, shares her journey of learning where she comes from and what it means to reconnect with people and land. Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey and Rev. Dr. Velda Love cohost the conversation and offer their own reflections on decolonizing story, decentering whiteness, rising to action and hope.

This week’s guest is also the series co-host, the Rev.Dr. Velda Love, Minister for Racial Justice for the United Church of Christ. Velda introduces Sacred Conversations to End Racism and reflects on how we can find new life and strength in the struggle to end racism by learning who our people are, decolonizing our faith and theology, learning about the story of humanity moving across the globe, and reading the Gospel as a story about overcoming empire. Lectionary reflections on lent, the story of Noah and repentance are woven into the conversation.

Our final conversation in this Epiphany series features organizer, dancer and yoga practitioner, Louise Green. Special guest Rev. Seth Wispelwey joins the first segment, reflecting on the Super Bowl, militarism, the transfiguration and more. Hosted by Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, Minister for Congregational and Community Engagement with the United Church of Christ National Ministries.

Featuring Analysis, emcee for the Mother Earth Poetry Vibe at Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Baltimore, MD, worker rights advocate, vegan and community builder. Also reflections on the arrest and release of Ravi Ragbir, Executive Director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City and lectionary readings from Isaiah 40 and Psalm 147. Hosted by Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, Minister for Congregational and Community Engagement with the United Church of Christ National Ministries.

We are joined by Latifah Alattas, songwriter, musician and producer who shares deeply personal insights from her journey as well as encouragements for artist challenging the communities they find themselves in. Also reflections on the government shut down and lectionary readings from Deuteronomy and Mark, Chapter 1. Hosted by Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey.

Part three in our Epiphany Series, Art, Revelation and Cultural Work. In this episode we reflect on the weeks news concerning our ongoing justice work as well as lectionary texts from the Jonah and the Gospel of Mark. This week’s guest is the Rev. Ashley Goff, Spiritual Formation Director at Church of the Pilgrims in Washington DC.

Our guest this week has decentered her own power and voice with an embodied solidarity rarely seen. Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner is an ordained in the United Methodist Church. She is the curator of The Shout, a spoken-word poetry focused artivism movement seeking to nurture a community of multi-ethnic, multi-generational, justice-seeking, solidarity-building people. Along with other community members, she maintained daily vigil at the Waller County Jail for the year following Sandra Bland's death there on July 13, 2015. She and Sandra’s friend started a movement around Sandra Bland and Hannah used her platforms to share Sandy Speaks videos, videos, which Sandra herself had recorded prior to her death and rich with hope, insight, humanity and faith. We discuss the importance of art is moving from information to transformation as well as the importance of creating space and the context in which art can be received.

What is the relationship between art and revelation? What is the relationship between seeing or hearing, and perceiving and understanding? When we talk about transformation, or maybe what the Brazilian educator Paolo Freire called conciacizacão, the awakening of our conscience, our becoming conscious and connected humans, what is the roll of art and beauty? Can we share the gospel without these things in fact?

For many people, we stay up to date on what is going on in the world, perhaps to our own detriment, but have lost a connection to the revelation of God’s presence at work in the world, even in, especially in, the injustice and violence of our world today. We are well informed but not necessarily connected and conscious people. For the next six weeks we will be engaging Epiphany, Art, Revelation and Cultural Work. We will hear from artists working in local church settings, organizers, community builders, those using their work in protests and direct action, and those re-imagining the role of art in making a just world for all. Along the way we will continue also to reflect on the weekly lectionary texts following the revised common lectionary year B, woven together with updates on the church’s specific and intersecting efforts to build a just world for all. We begin with a conversation in Charlottesville, VA with a local artist and UCC member, Brian McCrory, who has been commissioned for liturgical pieces, created icons for protests and the antiracism movements and more…

A special stand alone episode for the week after Christmas including lectionary reflections and justice updates for Christmas 1B. This podcast also includes a song written by Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey for your communities to use and a conversation on identity with Rev. Eli Mendez Angulo. Next week we start a new series, Epiphany, Art, Revelation and Cultural Work.

Rise Up Peace Eternal

© 2017 Tracy Howe

Rise up Peace Eternal

Within our hearts

Rise up Peace Eternal

On this city block

Side by side we are waiting

Be born in our song

We long for justice here

Rise up Love Eternal…

Rise up Hope Eternal…

Levanta Paz Eterna

En nuestra comunidad

Levanta Paz Eterna

En este ciudad

Hombro a hombro a la espera

Nacer en la canción

Anhelamos la justicia aquí