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unitebostonKeymaster
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom, or the strong boast of their strength, or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24
In early June of 2020, as the country grappled with multiple murders of unarmed people of color, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and systematic oppression of those peoples, former Patriots player Benjamin Watson reached out to local clergy proposing a united prayer gathering for racial justice. Nine days later, over 1,000 people spanning race, denomination, and age gathered to worship the God of justice and call forth the need for reform in our city.
In a city where Christians are known what we are against rather than what we are for, we were also excited to see local news and press cover this story. There was a huge spread in the Boston Herald, and it was also covered in the Boston Globe and MassLive, as well as through Channel 5 News, Channel 4 News, and Channel 7 News.
This event was hosted by a variety of local organizations, including UniteBoston, Boston Collaborative, the Black Ministerial Alliance, SEND Boston, Greater Things for Greater Boston, and other local churches.
Below are some of our favorite photos from the gathering – more are available on our Facebook album here.
Also, click on the button below to check out UniteBoston’s Racial Justice Page and Wall.
Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole “I was moved to tears at this event, and deeply deeply encouraged and inspired. Having grown up in the Greater Boston area, I would’ve never imagined this possible — Christians across different denominations, race, and backgrounds coming together to praise God, seek His shalom for this city, and invite more of us to the table in a biblically-grounded way. I want to see more of this in the city!!!!”
Seongkyul Park
“I felt this was a very powerful way to share our faith in a public way as well as unite against racism.”
Kaitlyn McCarthy, New Hope Chapel Norwell
“It was great to be around my friends and a bunch of other believers worshiping God and praying for the city especially since we’ve be in quarantine for so long. This event was a good distraction from all the stress and anxiety of the world.”
Mykaliah A Best, Holy Tabernacle Church
“Worshipping together with people all over the city reminds me of glimpses what it will be like to worship together in heaven one day — all praise and glory be to Him!”
Rachel Murphy, Executive Assistant, Charles River Church
Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov “I have definitely missed gathering together with other Christians for a time of worship and prayer. This blessed my soul as well as ignited me to take action and bring awareness to social justice issues.”
Alicia Wells
“It was wonderful to have a Gospel-led outlet for all of the feelings and thoughts that have come up during this time. I left feeling Spiritually-fed and inspired to continue seeking change, racial justice, and shalom flourishing for our entire community.”
Ashleigh Pelto, Life Community Church
“I felt the Holy Spirit moving and it was incredible! Now we need to continue the momentum to bring change!”
Amanda Gonnella, All Saints Anglican
“I loved hearing the Black church profess Christ in the midst of so much persecution and recent murders of black people by cops.”
Natasha Cassamajor, Church of the Cross
“It gave me so much hope! If the church is actively dismantling racism we are moving in God’s direction and cannot fail.”
Anonymous
Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov Event Coordinators. Photo credit: Joel Putnam Photo Credit: Daniel Ebersole Photo credit: Shirin Kazimov June 8, 2020 at 8:52 am in reply to: Boston’s Church Leaders Speak Out on Racial Justice (Includes Video Panels) #16608unitebostonKeymasterIn response to the recent murders of our Black brothers and sisters, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many others, Christians in Boston are speaking out on the sin of racism that has plagued our city and nation. Here are a few perspectives on racial justice from Boston Church leaders:
– On the Murder of George Floyd & Riots: A Black Pastoral Defense of Justice, Law and the Boston Police Department (Rev. Eugene Rivers, The Ella J Baker House)
–Calling in White (Bill Mooney-McCoy, Director of Worship at Gordon College)
–Daily Examen for Living as an Antiracist Person (Co-authored by Vernée Peacock Wilkinson, a Black Spiritual Director and lay leader at Reservoir Church in Cambridge)
– Statement on the Killing of George Floyd (Cardinal Sean O’Malley)
– Speaking Out For Racial Justice? 4 Suggestions for Getting Started (Josh Wilson from The Table)
– “Our Siblings’ Blood is Crying Out:” A Call to Listen & Action (Rev. Laura Everett & Rev. Jennie Barrett Siegel from the Massachusetts Council of Churches)
–“The Narrow Way of Racial Justice” (Lexi Carver, Church of the Cross)
– A Panel Conversation on Racial Justice (North Shore Gospel Partnership)
– American Revolution to Officially End Sanctioned Racism (Torli Krua, Universal Human Rights International)
–Dear White Christians… (Megan Lietz, Director of the Race & Christian Community Initiative at the Emmanuel Gospel Center)
Religious leaders held a special memorial service from Bethel AME Chruch in Jamaica Plain, honoring the memories of George Floyd and other African American victims of brutality. Video Panel Discussions
As Christians grapple with the knowledge of how racial oppression and injustice has plagued our city, where do we go from here? Below is a listing of panel discussions by local Christian leaders that can inform us as we move forward.
Click on the images below to watch the videos on Youtube, and email us at info@uniteboston.com if you have ideas for how we can move forward in God’s vision for restoration together.
Conversation on racism and the role of the church hosted by Restoration City Church – click on the image on left to watch their worship service this morning , which included a panel with local Christian leaders.
Watch this interview of four Black Christian leaders on WGBH as they discuss the pandemic, economic impacts to communities of color, and the role of faith in this critical moment. Panelists include Rev. Dr. Emmett Price III, Rev. June Cooper, Rev. Art Gordon, and Rev. Dr. Brandon Thomas Crowley. Uncomfortable Conversations on Racism with the Boston Faith & Justice Network Note that this list is not meant to be comprehensive, and please email us at info@uniteboston.com if there are other perspectives we should share
June 4, 2020 at 7:21 pm in reply to: Speaking Out For Racial Justice? 4 Suggestions for Getting Started #16584unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we feature a blog from Josh Wilson, a movement architect and organizer at The Table, a multiracial church startup in Dorchester. Prior to his work at The Table, Josh served under black leadership and in primarily non-white congregations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He holds Masters degrees in church-planting and urban ministry.
So many folks are raising their voices right now to speak out against police brutality and racial injustice. I’m seeing so many friends black out profile picture and #SayHisName for the first time ever. For me at least, it’s a ray of hope in a pretty dark time.
As a white guy who’s been learning to take action for racial justice for a few years now, I wanted to offer some unsolicited advice, resources, and cautions to white friends who are speaking out. Whether you’ve been considering issues of racism for a while or the murder of #GeorgeFloyd has sparked a new awareness of racist police violence, welcome to the conversation. I know that for some of you, speaking out feels risky. Some of you are getting pushback in your comments from people you love. So, thanks for standing up for something important.
Right upfront, I want to say I am not an expert on race. I am not an expert on black people. I haven’t arrived or even fully rooted out the racialized assumptions in my own soul (POC, standing invitation to check me on anything I say here). I am someone who’s been on a journey of realizing and repenting of my own racist beliefs and working to deconstruct the ways they play out in our culture and churches for a few years. I still miss it. I am just a recovering racist who chooses to be an antiracist every day.
I want to highlight a few traps to avoid. I share these out of my own experience of making mistakes and receiving painful and embarrassing rebukes from friends who loved me enough to help me grow. My hope is you can avoid some of these pitfalls and this might speed you along your journey.
1. Listen. Live. Speak Last.
I’m the type of person who enjoys sharing the things I’m learning. Generally, this feels like a positive thing, but at times, I speak with authority on things I still really haven’t fully grasped or have only begun to learn about (that has to do with privilege btw). If you’re like me, let me caution you to be “Quick to listen. Slow to speak.” If you’re white, you are never going to be an expert on the black experience. The vast majority of people about racism, have NOT YET done the internal work needed. Listen and ask A LOT of questions. If you have friends of color who are up for sharing their experience with you (don’t assume and treasure it if they are), absolutely ask about their experience and perspective. If you don’t have this type of deep, meaningful, personal relationships, begin building them. In the meantime, the internet is a thing! People have written books, articles, created podcasts, made movies. Literally, all the resources in the world are at your disposal if you’re up for learning. I’ve taken the time to compile an annotated bibliography of some resources that have been helpful to me personally. There are so many other great resources; these are just a few of the best I’ve personally engaged. All of this to say, sharing is great – but only if you’re also listening much and putting what you’re learning into practice.
2. Act. Welcome feedback. Go again
If you’re like me (and most white people I know), you probably have some ignorant perspectives on race. This does not make you bad; you don’t know what you don’t know. While people of color are forced to grapple with race, those of us in majority culture can sail through life without having to learn. All of this means, when you first start relating across difference, you’re going to say some things that aren’t quite right, make some faulty assumptions, or accidentally say something that’s taken in a way you didn’t intend. This does not make you bad (although you may really hurt or negatively impact someone even without intending to). I love how SURJ – Showing up for Racial Justice Puts this: “As white people, we are going to make mistakes when doing racial justice work. It’s inevitable. We don’t know anyone who has been in the work and hasn’t made a mistake. Not a single person. When we make mistakes, we want to take the time to reflect on them thoughtfully and keep moving in the work. We cannot let making mistakes prevent us from continuing our work.” This is great advice. When you “splat,” acknowledge it. And go again.
3. Steer clear of virtue signaling. It’s not about you.
There’s a lot of pressure right now at least in some cultural spaces to say/do the “woke” thing. There’s also a toxic culture of performing our lives on social media for others. It’s so easy to say or do things for the likes; to share things that demonstrate that we’re “on the right side.” Ironically, when we’re mostly concerned with being perceived in a certain way, we stunt our learning and growth. So long as we’re most interested in looking good, we’ll continue to resist having our blind spots exposed. Push back on this. As you share, keep asking “why?” And be conscious of the fact that while your voice is important, it should not be at the center of conversations around racial justice. Who are the black and brown voices you can listen to and amplify?
4. Invest locally for the long haul.
Protests have value. Perhaps changing your profile picture and posting a hashtag do too. But if your engagement with this conversation stops there, that’s a huge miss. The problem of racism isn’t simply a few bad apples somewhere else; I promise you it infects your workplace, your school, your church, and your neighborhood. How can you get involved, keep learning, and actually show up for change in the places you live, work, and play? Beyond the work I do with The Table, here in Boston, for me that means learning from and supporting efforts lead by organizations like the following. If these aren’t relevant to you, find out who’s doing this work where you live and get plugged in:
Race & Christian Community Initiative
Families for Justice as Healing
Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Violence In Boston Inc.
Bma Boston
Boston Ujima Project
The New Democracy Coalition
City Life/Vida Urbana
Dorchester Not for Sale
Mass Action Against Police Brutality
Massachusetts Bail Fund
Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)Blessings to you, friends. This work is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep building relationships, listening well, learning to love, and stand with those experiencing oppression. Your investment and action can make a difference.
*Note: citation of a resource or recommendation of an organization should not be read as an endorsement of the everything that resource or organization believes, says, or does. Proceed with wisdom, discernment, and an ear to hear.
June 3, 2020 at 7:11 am in reply to: Stories from Love Thy Neighbor: COVID-19 Grocery Delivery #16533unitebostonKeymasterUniteBoston has launched a program in conjunction with Park Street Church in which Christians throughout the Greater Boston area can assist families with basic food needs. This program is focused on families and households who have someone that tested positive for COVID-19, by providing them with groceries for their time in quarantine. Working in partnership with Massachusetts COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) at the Department of Public Health, the program puts each volunteer in contact with a particular family within the person’s designated zip code. The volunteers then have 48 hours to purchase and deliver groceries to their assigned families. Our goal is to serve 20 people per day, or 100 per week! If you’re interested in volunteering, click here for the volunteer sign up form.
Here are a few stories of Christians who are selflessly giving their time and energy to provide for their neighbors! Keep checking back on this page to see more and email joel@uniteboston.com if you have a testimony to be added here.
“It’s such a loving thing for us to just share the most basic commodity of all, food, with each other. I think it’s significant that when Jesus is loving his neighbor, he’s providing food for them. He’s usually sitting at a table, having a hospitable presence. I know we can’t sit at a table with each other yet, but I’m hoping there would be a follow up where at some point we would sit at a table together somewhere as neighbors.”
-Pastor Kimberley Morrison, Park Street Church
Rebecca responded within 3 1/2 hours and drove 15 miles to deliver the groceries! She also added flowers from her garden and a hand-written note. See the photo at the right with the groceries that she delivered. The family responded in a text to Rebecca, “Wow, I am super grateful! I appreciate all the help my family has received. This makes me cry. Thank you so so so so much. I don’t know if you are a religious person, but God bless you. And please stay safe.”
“At the moment I took a selfie of my packed car, my rosary that had been hanging from their rear view mirror swung into the picture. As a Catholic, this simple string of beads with a crucifix on the end (and the crucifix is the part that swung into the picture), is a tangible reminder every day of the sacrifice God made for us out of his love. It’s so easy to get caught up in the culture of ‘more’ and ‘never enough.’ But the wisdom of Jesus invites the opposite: contentment, sense of abundance, generosity. This picture, to me, is of God’s many daily reminders that he loves us and gives us this life to savor and share that love. We have enough. We have so much more than enough, and when we can be in that space, we are not far from God.”
-Elizabeth Smith Woodard and Ben Woodard, Members of Holy Family Parish in Concord
“I just made my first COVID grocery delivery to a family that lived near me in Dorchester. When I rang the doorbell, a young girl came out, who helped translate to her family about why I was dropping off the groceries. I also pointed out the sheets that we had bought for them that they requested and her face lit up. That moment was worth everything to me. I also told them to call us if they needed anything else. I captured this photo to show my daughter about how we reached out to show God’s love to our neighbors during quarantine.”
-Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston Team Leader, member of River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain
Here is an inspiring video of Hannah overcoming obstacles to deliver food to one of her neighbors – via bicycle!
“Delivered the groceries! Praying for this family. I included a card as instructed. Interestingly, the main contact looked to me about 17 years old- he and his mom came down to get the groceries. I brought my 17 yr old son to help me shop and deliver. I was glad I did.”
-Laura Perkins
“Groceries delivered to Gloria this morning!”
Blessings, Phil and Anne
Read How Peace Begins in God’s Kingdom where Hannah Tam, a student at Harvard University and member of Park Street Church, reflects on her grocery delivery experience. She says, “Of the 5 years I’ve lived in Boston as a student at Northeastern and now at Harvard Medical, I have never been to a predominantly black neighborhood before, let alone interact with the residents. I realized that, while we live in a diverse city, we mostly interact with the people that are in the same socioeconomic status. That’s what we’re comfortable with. As a Christian, I realize that this is wrong. There’s a delicate balance between reaching out to those who are in need the most and coming into the neighborhood unannounced and imposing a “white savior complex”. I’m continuously praying for how we can help in a way that is in line with God’s intentions. All in all, I think we both really enjoyed our experience.”
Grocery Shopping for God – Patrick’s Story
As a former executive chef, Patrick Lynch knows quite a bit about food shopping, But he was still daunted by the challenge of getting enough of the right kinds of groceries for a family of seven he had never met and knew little about to survive for two weeks. And yet, he believed that this was what God had called him to do.
The family of seven, a great grandmother, grandmother, mother, father, and three children, were on quarantine due to COVID-19. They had no local support to help them get the supplies they needed during their time of isolation. Patrick had been assigned to the family through UniteBoston’s Love Thy Neighbor campaign. Names of families in need are generated by MA-COVID-19 Collaborative at the Department of Public Health and Partners in Health. Volunteers are then contacted and assigned a family. The volunteers purchase and deliver food to the families.
As Patrick pushed a bulging cart down the aisles of Stop & Shop and Whole Foods, he thought not only about the staples like rice and beans but also what extras might make the time easier like cake mix and frosting.
“I wanted to make sure they had what they needed,” he said. “And, I wanted them to have things that would make them more comfortable.”
He figured the cake would be both a treat and something they could do together.
It was the first hot day of the year when he went to deliver the food. Only after carrying the boxes up a flight of stairs did he realize he was at the wrong house. Far from being disgruntled, however, he laughed it off. He didn’t even mind when he realized after dropping off the food that he’d forgotten to get milk and had to find a local store to get it.
He sees the experience, being a part of caring for this family, as a gift from God. Though the family was in need, Patrick said he was too.
“Every time I feel like I’m separated, Christ reaches out and pulls me back in and says this is what I have for you next,” he explained.
Patrick lives in South Boston and is the Director of Dining at an assisted living facility in Jamaica Plain. Patrick grew up Catholic, has been involved at Park Street Church for four years, and has been a believer for about that same amount of time.
He was humbled by the reaction of the family, who offered their praise to God in texts to him: “We thank God for all things sir. Whatever HE allows to come our ways is for HIS Divine Will. To God be all Adorations, Praises, Thanksgiving….In Jesus’ Mighty Name Amen.”
The Love Thy Neighbor campaign has just 48 hours to match a family in need with a volunteer. Since the program was launched earlier this month, 65 volunteers from 12 churches across the city have been connected with 21 families – providing all of their groceries for 14 days of quarantine. Initially, volunteers are being matched with families within their zip code, but that may be expanded based on need.
There is a need for more volunteers so that if one can not accept an invitation on a particular day or time, another is available. To become a helper, fill out this online VOLUNTEER FORM.
unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we feature a prayer guide for the city of Boston during the COVID-19 pandemic put together by Anne Freeman, based off of the “Empty Streets, Full Hearts” video. Anne is a member of River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain, and works in Boston as a freelance American Sign Language Interpreter. She also serves in Deaf ministry through New England Deaf & Hard of Hearing Ministry, under the umbrella of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. There are also prophecies at the bottom of this post from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council. This is a great resource to pray for the city either personally, or with your family, in a small group, or congregation.
Please pray for the following segments of Boston society as we ride out the COVID 19 pandemic.
1. People sick with COVID 19: Jehovah Raphe (God our healer), we speak hope, health (mental & physical) and healing strength over the people who have tested positive for COVID 19 in the city of Boston. We ask that you help them discern when to return to normal activity after their 14 days of quarantine. We especially pray for Chelsea, the hardest hit city with COVID 19 in the entire state of Massachusetts.
2. First responders: Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of hosts), we lift up the Boston Police, Fire Fighters, EMTs & The National Guard to you, declaring your protection, safety & perseverance over these people who serve our city on the front lines. We especially lift up their morale to you for protection.
3. Medical facilities: Jehovah Shalom (the God of Peace), we lift up the 20 hospitals in the city of Boston, all staff, administrators, researchers, and their financial resources. We pray for their psychological and emotional strength, tenacity, protection and safety, and their ability to cooperate well with each other under the strain of the demands being made on them during this pandemic.
4. Those in Power: El Shaddai (the God of Power), we lift the Boston city government, Mayor Marty Walsh, city workers and Massachusetts state Governor Charlie Baker, as well as state workers to you, declaring your wisdom and justice in their allocation of resources. Give them perseverance to continue to do well in managing this crisis in our city.
5. Households: Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider), we lift our households in Boston to you, including families that are spending more time than usual together, experiencing stress of disrupted schedules, financial crisis, & inability to celebrate special occasions as usual. We also lift up those who live alone, dealing with loneliness, isolation and need to sense your presence. We pray for those who may be quarantined in a home where there is someone neglectful or abusive. Send your angels of protection over them and bring justice where there is wrongdoing.
6. The economy/ financial institutions: Jehovah Nissi (God of Victory), we pray you would help people who work in Boston banks, credit unions and the Federal Reserve to have ethical practices, decision making and good judgement, especially because so many businesses are applying for loans. We also lift those who work in the Boston Department of Unemployment as so many people are applying for unemployment benefits. They are fielding unusually large amounts of applications. May our economy weather this storm in your strength! We lift up East Boston, Revere and Winthrop where there is an overwhelming amount of community need for food.
7. Funeral homes & clergy: Jehovah Kadesh (God who sanctifies or makes holy) we lift every Boston pastor, priest, minister, rabbi, nun, Imam and lay leader to you, asking for your anointing and supernatural ability to handle unprecedented demands during this crisis. Many Boston congregations are meeting remotely, requiring leaders to learn how to use technology they may be unfamiliar with and that is not always effective. We also lift the funeral directors and their staff at the many Boston funeral homes that are, along with clergy, facilitating many more funerals and memorial services than usual. We remember cemetery staff who are also busier than usual. Give them strength and enable them to carry out fair business practices.
8. High Risk Populations: Jehovah Elohim (God who is strong and mighty) we remember those who are most vulnerable among us, including elderly people, those experiencing homelessness, prisoners, people with disabilities, those living in institutions like group homes and halfway houses, shelters, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, state hospitals, and assisted living facilities. We speak your supernatural protection over people with compromised immune systems and people in recovery from substance use disorder in our city. Strengthen them with your might, our most vulnerable citizens.
9. Military: Jehovah Nissi (God of victory on the battlefield), we thank you for and lift all Boston enlisted, other military personnel and civilians working on Boston military bases. They are handling the stress of cancelled leave, may be suffering from symptoms of PTSD and living in close quarters. We speak salvation over those who may not know you & your grace over military marriages under strain. Provide effective treatment for those with mental health issues, and shelter, food and clothing for Homeless Vets. Military chaplains may be fielding questions that are hard to answer from those they have spiritual responsibility for.
10. Educational institutions: God our Judge, we recognize you alone hold the scales of justice for our 35 colleges in the city of Boston, the large and oldest in the country public education system and the many private schools we have. We lift up all the home schoolers who live in Boston. We lift up the students experiencing remote learning, some for the first time. Help them handle stress of their disrupted schedules, social lives, cancelled events at the end of the year, graduations that must be conducted remotely and anxiety about summer programs. We pray for teachers and instructors that are having to learn how to use technology at levels they have never been required to before. May our educators not fail in educating our students during this crisis, with your help. Be with the students under these difficult circumstances and help them to do their best in learning and completing assignments. Anoint their creativity in handling hardship this pandemic is bringing to their education.
There are many other great resources for prayer, including a “May This Plague Pass Over: A Prayer for the Commonwealth from the Massachusetts Council of Churches and “Prayer for a Pandemic” poem below by Cameron Bellum.
Prayers & Prophecies from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council
We also wanted to share these prayers and prophecies from UniteBoston’s Prophetic Council from May 23, 2020. For more information about the prophetic council, contact Alanah Percy, alanah.percy@gmail.com.
Prophecy For The City:
The Lord is shaking Boston and the tremors can be heard throughout the earth. Revival is coming to Boston and the weapon of the revival is prayer. Radical obedience to God will be the new normal in this season. Unusual works of the Holy Spirit will come upon the city. The Lord is calling for unity in the body of Christ in Boston and churches will find ways to connect and a decentralization of power will be the norm in this new season. Jesus is on the throne.
Prophecy for Individuals and Families:
God is releasing grace over families during this season. He is breaking personal strongholds and reinforcing us with his love. Pray Ephesians 3:20 over yourself and your families.
unitebostonKeymasterWhen facing moments of difficulty, uncertainty, and change in our lives, it’s common for many to question “Why is life happening this way? Where is God in all of this?” Facing the implications of a global pandemic and social distancing, these questions can seem more prevalent in people’s hearts and minds than ever before. In the spirit of offering comfort and insight in these challenging moments, we’re excited to feature Jen Aldana’s second original music video: “Trust in You.”
Released on May 15, “Trust in You” shares a relatable glimpse into the inner doubts one can experience and the resolve one can feel when deciding to trust in God in those moments of insecurity. Rather than showing this dynamic overtly by having a character overcome a monumental challenge, or through a series of relationships as depicted in Jen’s previous music video: “Heaven Rejoices,” “Trust In You” instead walks the viewer through the day to day activities during which individuals may be contemplating those subtle doubts–such as while going about a morning routine, driving, or walking through Boston. According to Jen, embedded in the video’s simplicity lies the conviction that “we have to make this decision every single day as we live our regular lives.” “It’s not just in the big things, it’s in the little things too,” Jen said. “I start off the video at home because those are the times when I feel like my mind gets jumbled with doubt. So that’s what I wanted to show, that even though I’m just starting my day, I have to make that decision of ‘God, I’m going to trust you for this day.’”
Interpreting Jen’s explanation through the lens of the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13, one could almost view the scenes depicted in “Trust in You” as a living reminder that “as we give God our daily trust, God ‘gives us this day our daily bread.’”
Since Jen herself is the only “character” in the video, viewers may correlate its themes and scenes with today’s social distance living. However, as Jen explained, this relatability to current events is unintended as the video was filmed in October 2019, and the song itself was written much earlier in 2018. That said, in response to the video’s release coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic, Jen encouraged viewers to see “Trust in You” as a reminder that “we’re gonna make it through” and to “keep trusting God the same way we did before this pandemic.”
While circumstantially the timing of video and its messages may be coincidental, what enables “Trust In You” to maintain its relatability and authenticity across such a long period of time is the story behind it. Similar to her previous video: “Heaven Rejoices,” the song “Trust in You” was written in response to Jen’s own experiences maintaining her faith in God during challenging times. “I wrote this song during a time in my life where I was confused about my music career, had just ended a really long term relationship, and was honestly just unsure about where God was taking my life,” Jen said. “And despite all of that, I felt led to write songs of worship, and this song is one of the ones that came out of it.” In the midst of this confusion, Jen contemplated releasing the songs she had written, and questioned whether this was the right time. One of her mentors assured her, “Jen, this is exactly the time to do it. Because, you’re going to help so many people when you write from this place of pain rather than from a place of perfection. It is so much more impactful for you to say these words about trusting in God when you are in the middle of a wilderness in your life.”
Reflecting on her journey and the video’s release, Jen hopes that “Trust In You” may serve as “an encouragement that people can share with anyone who may need this reminder.” Be on the lookout for Jen’s next music video: “Your Peace” being released on June 5th! Follow her Instagram @jenaldanamusic for the latest updates.
April 30, 2020 at 11:45 am in reply to: Missional Partnerships as the New Normal: Churches Come Together to Address COVID-19 in Boston #16408unitebostonKeymasterOn April 28, 2020, UniteBoston hosted a webinar which featured the stories of four church leaders about how their church is caring for the body of Christ and missionally engaging, despite tight restrictions. More than 40 people joined in, coming from 31 different churches! Watch this recording of the Zoom call to hear real stories from church pastors and leaders on the front lines, followed by Q & A and prayer.
Selected quotations from the webinar
“What I’m seeing now that I haven’t seen before is an openness to spiritual things. I’ve heard that people are calling chaplains to the floor of hospitals to pray for the staff. People are very eager to hear from someone who is spiritual, and we know that as Jesus Christ. So it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to grow deep in our relationship with God and bear witness to the grace and generosity of Jesus Christ.”
-Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, co-pastor of Bethel AME Church
“So much of ministry is physical presence, but we can still do a lot in this time of physical distancing. Facetime calls, What’s App, putting together playlists for people or sending audio messages they can play over and over again – these are helpful even for those who are comatose or sedated. Think about what is the soundtrack of comfort for them and put together a love list.”
-Rev. Ray Hammond, co-pastor of Bethel AME Church
“In our church, we have launched life communities, connecting communities, spiritual communities and neighboring communities. Creating spaces of community and leaning into it hard is the only way we’re going to make it through together… Our Easter Sermon was ‘What if things aren’t supposed to go back to normal?’ God makes things new; God takes situations that are full of death and makes them better. My prayer is that we embrace this and lead the way, that we faithfully engage in new and tangible ways. Change is necessary and we don’t have to be fearful or go back to normal – we can go back to a new and better rhythm that is more of the picture of unity that Jesus prayed for.”
-Pastor Chris Hall, lead pastor of Reunion Christian Church
“I see Christians trying to get ‘through this’ so we can go back to our understanding of ‘normal.’ But God is intentionally leading us to a different place of doing and being the Church. We do ministry in our congregations, but how do we incarnationally engage the world for the kingdom of God? How do we see ourselves within an ecosystem of other churches so we can really be salt and light to the world? I see the body of Christ coming together in phenomenal ways; I’m just hoping that it continues and isn’t just an episodic thing because we had this crisis.”
-Rev. David Wright, Executive Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance & Assistant to the Pastor, People’s Baptist Church
“Psalm 18:35 describes how God in weakness stoops down to make others great. I like to think about how I can pour into other churches so they can be empowered and equipped. We have established twelve projects with project managers serving to address tangible needs arising with COVID-19. I have also seen a huge need for shepherding, to shepherd our own hearts and our neighborhoods.”
-Rev. Kimberley Morrison, minister of City Engagement at Park Street Church
Chelsea is currently the hardest-hit city with COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Chelsea, and other communities in East Boston such as Revere and Winthrop, are also facing an overwhelming amount of community need for food. These cities also don’t have access to the Resiliency Fund and other volunteer resources that the city of Boston has.
As each of us considers these challenging realities, God invites us to share our resources with one another, a practice of generosity that has characterized Christians since the Church in Acts: “They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.” (Acts 2:42).
UniteBoston has launched a fund to fuel some of the tangible needs arising with the coronavirus. We have been blown away to see the support that has come in – as of May 2, $1449 has come in to our COVID-19 Missional Engagement Fund. All donations are tax-deductible – click on the link below to give (choose COVID-19 response).
This money will be split between the following organizations / causes:
- Items for mental and spiritual health for patients at the Boston Hope Hospital. The Boston Hope is a field hospital that has been set up at the Boston Convention Center, primarily for individuals experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 and patients who are recovering from COVID.
- Food Pantry items through First Congregational Church in Revere. Rev. Nicholas Granitsas has served as the pastor there for 46 years, and has cooperation with a variety of Catholic and Protestant groups in his food pantry. Typically, they serve 60 to 80 families weekly, but they have had 297-399 families per week the past four weeks.
- Food pantry items through St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea. They are also feeding thousands of people weekly; on Saturday April 26, this food pantry fed 3,000 people.
- Organizational assistance to Central Assembly of God in East Boston. Pastor David Searles’s church website has become a hub for information about food resources for the community.
- Stop & Shop gift cards to pastors affiliated with the Black Ministerial Alliance to assist families in their congregations and the broader community.
Testimonies
Hi Kelly and Unite Boston,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our homeless patients at the Boston Hope field hospital. Your gifts of therapy supplies and Bibles have been a huge encouragement and blessing to our guests and staff. The stress these people are under is incredible, but your donations have been a poignant image of God’s love and peace during these dark times. Thank you for sharing your resources and not hoarding even though I know that so many of you are struggling yourselves right now. Your partnership in this ministry is a testimony to the power of the Body when we act in unity.
Sincerely,
Sam and the Boston Hope Wellness Team
April 25, 2020 at 11:24 am in reply to: Lessons in coping personally and professionally during times of national crisis #16398unitebostonKeymasterKelly Madden, Director of the Boston Fellows and member of the Church of the Cross, is our guest blogger this week. Kelly has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a PhD in Political Theory from the University of York, England. He is the husband of Heather, the father of two adult children, Alex and Kathryn, and an ordained Anglican clergyman. Kelly reflects on the experiences in his life during times of crisis – Read below to hear his wisdom and advice on how Christians can faithfully endure the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila, PHILIPPINES – July 16, 1990 On July 16, 1990, I was sitting in an easy chair in the marble-lined lobby of an international hotel in Manila, Philippines, when someone behind me shook my chair. Turning around, I realized no one was there. The whole hotel was shaking. Out on the street I watched a large crack open up, bottom-to-top, 15 stories up the side of the building. The earthquake killed 1,600 people in the country. I was soon given responsibility for a global conference of 600 people, the reason we were there, and I was named to the leadership team for a summer-long series of events bringing together about 4,000 Cru staff members from around the globe. It was also an unusually strong season of typhoons. And before any of that, we were receiving death threats from a radical group, because of our evangelistic activities.
West Africa On March 25, 1991, I returned from a ministry trip to my home, then in Mali, West Africa. As my colleague drove me home from the airport, we saw burning cars and tires, and smoldering buildings, with debris from rioting scattered along the road. That night the military (justly) overthrew a tyrannical dictator. We could hear mobs tearing down the house of the Minister of Education, about 100 meters away, stripping even the copper wire from the walls. For a few weeks, the rule of law broke down. Some time in the next few days, on my 10-minute walk to work, I passed a body in the marketplace, killed during related rioting. My immediate supervisor was a prominent African pastor, soon named to a seven-member national transitional committee, responsible for ushering in a new form of government.
Dakar, SENEGAL (Photo from more recent events) Several times in the late 1980’s, while I was responsible for a university ministry in Dakar, Senegal, students fought skirmishes with police, who used teargas, and eventually evacuated the campus by force, for several periods of several weeks each. Then from 1990 to 1994, I supervised university ministries in 15 countries, where national crises such as these were common.
All that was another season in my life. But I’ve been reflecting on the lessons learned then, for this new season. Maybe these observations are obvious. But maybe they can serve to “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)
My takeaways:
- It’s a spiritual battle, too. Don’t be like me and wait until you see arrows sticking out of your body before you realize it. God is a God of order, Satan is a god of chaos. The devil’s biggest tool—maybe his only power, in the end—is deception. He is lying to you, constantly, about God’s goodness, God’s love for you, care for you, power to accomplish his purposes for you. Resist the enemy. As Jesus did, during his time in the wilderness, strike back at Satan with God’s Word: “It is written….” Proclaim it, out loud, in Jesus’ name, in bold denunciation of Satan’s lies.
- This too shall pass. All that we see is passing. We are mortal: Dust we are and to dust we shall return. God and his Word endures, our hope is in things we do not see. Beyond death is the Resurrection, death overcome by death. That is our end, our hope, our joy.
- For now, don’t plan too far out. I’m always tempted to come up with a big strategy. It’s good to think and dream. But in these times, take next steps, mostly, and be here, now. Life is what happens while you are waiting for life to happen.
- Be gentle with yourself. It’s stressful. Your productivity and capacity are greatly reduced. That’s just the way it is right now. Accept it.
- Give yourself godly structure, and stick to it. Establish order, under God, for your life: Daily time with the Lord, working hours, exercise, healthy eating, worthwhile leisure, plenty of rest and margins. But be flexible, too, when things change. When things change.
- Take care of each other. Despite the difficulties of connecting, this is an opportunity to grow in love, through shared challenges.
- Stay away from trouble. American friends and family, who knew about my circumstances in the periods described above, often expressed concern. I told them: I’m safer here than I would be in parts of your city. There is no safer place than in God’s will. Just stay away from obvious trouble.
- Keep your sense of humor. I have a life-long interest in the humor of the Bible. It’s there, if you have eyes to see it. To see the humor in our situation is to see our limitations, and weaknesses, and failures, but also to honor God’s grace, and the safety it gives us. Just don’t use humor to hurt others. Godly humor is another way to defy the devil’s lies.
April 24, 2020 at 11:36 am in reply to: Light Shining in the Darkness: Boston’s Urgent Missional Opportunities #16403unitebostonKeymaster(Photo by Bhushan Sadani on Unsplash) God’s breath filled all things
with a living, breathing light—
A light that thrives in the depths of darkness,
blazes through murky bottoms.
It cannot and will not be quenched.– John 1:5 (The Voice)
Dear friends,
Wherever you are at in the midst of this crisis, know that God sees you. Through the life of Jesus, we know that God relates intimately to any pain and suffering that we experience. God also particularly cares for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable. And where God is, light shines – the darkness has not overcome it.
We see this light shining in the midst of this crisis through followers of Jesus responding to tangible needs with faith, hope, and generosity. We wanted to send out a special email today elevating two urgent opportunities right now. Consider whether you might be able to act, and sharing with your church community.
Food Insecurity in Chelsea
Chelsea is currently the hardest-hit city with COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Chelsea is also facing an overwhelming amount of community need for food. Chelsea doesn’t have access to the Resiliency Fund and other volunteer resources that the city of Boston has.
In response, Pastor David Searles from Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston has put together a list of food resources for the community.
Chelsea is currently looking for:
-Diaper donations – Email Mimi Graney or text 617-831-8332 to schedule a time to drop off items.
-Food packaging volunteers – Shifts Monday through Saturday, 8am to 12pm – Contact Alex Train (Assistant Director of Planning and Development) for more information.
-Economic resources for a funeral fund for the community so families can have the resources necessary for a dignified funeral and cremation. Donations can be made out to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 201 Washington Ave., Chelsea, MA, attn: Vicars Funeral Fund.
-Diapers for families. People can donate to a Baby Products & Supplies Fund coordinated by the Emmanuel Gospel Center. Diapers will be sent to Chelsea, Boston, and greater Boston where we find there is need.
Boston Hope
The Boston Hope is a field hospital that has been set up at the Boston Convention Center, primarily for individuals experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 and patients who are recovering from COVID. They have an urgent need for:
-Bibles for bible studies run by hospital chaplains
-Everyday Items to support the behavioral health needs of patients, including art supplies, journals, and games.
To help, you can either purchase an item off of their Target wish list, or if you’d prefer a tax-deductible donation, you can donate to UniteBoston (Indicate “COVID Response”) and we will distribute these funds to them.
Click on the image above to watch a beautiful depiction of various people striving to make light shine in the darkness: “And when this passes, may we say that love spread more quickly than any virus ever could.”
Thank you for being part of the UniteBoston community – We’re here to connect Christians for the flourishing of our communities. May God help us to be sensitive and courageous in embodying God’s love to our neighbors.
unitebostonKeymasterStacie Mickelson is our guest blogger this week. She is the Director of Applied Research & Consulting at the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC). She lives in an intentional Christian community in JP with her super patient and handsome husband Elijah and their two wonderful albeit cooped up daughters, Eden Gale and Anna James. Today, Stacie offers an honest reflection on how we can stay prayerfully present admist the challenges of the coronavirus.
Two weeks ago, I had plans with a friend: eat fried food and go bargain hunting at Goodwill. I’d been looking forward to it. But when the day came, so had the coronavirus, so we had to rethink our plans. I sent her a text:
In times of chaos and duress, we experience a variety of bodily responses across the flight-fight-freeze spectrum. Because of the palpable layer of unrest that pervades the atmosphere right now, we have ample opportunity to observe our stress responses.
Right now, some of us feel energized, some of us feel paralyzed, and many of us are not quite sure what we feel. My defense mechanisms rely on a healthy dose of denial, especially related to my own emotions.
“I don’t feel stressed per se,” was categorically untrue. I just didn’t—or didn’t want to—realize it. Three days after that text exchange. I sent out a staff-wide email to all my colleagues at the Emmanuel Gospel Center. I wrote:
“…I want to remind us all that our first job right now is that as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have been created, set apart and equipped for just a time as this. Let faith arise. Let’s not confuse our preparation exercises with our assignment. That is, we should expect the Lord to be giving us specific and targeted instructions about how to focus our time and our energy right now… Work will need to get done, projects will move forward, meetings will happen. We still have our jobs to do, but how we prioritize our to-do lists needs a drastic re-evaluation. I encourage everyone to take time, lots of it, to be praying and in the word like never before. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the top few things he wants you to focus on in the next few days or weeks…”
In an endeavor to take my own advice, I sought the Lord: Father, what are you asking of me right now? How should I be prioritizing my time? What might you be speaking to me?
(Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash) All I heard in reply was, Be present.
That response felt a bit underwhelming to me. But I wanted to be obedient, so I acted on it the best I knew how. I gave myself limits on how much social media I could take in. I tried my best to concentrate on one thing at a time and not multi-task. I made a color-coded master schedule (that I never used) so I could try to balance working from home with watching our two young daughters.
The problem is that I had interpreted “be present” as instructions for behaving better, rather than an invitation to be honestly present to my own feelings before the Father. And God always calls us into being before He calls us into doing.
My “be present” to-do list was just my grasp at maintaining some sense of control. Doing so was a faith facsimile. I was using the language of faith to obfuscate the places where I felt afraid and sad.
At the turn of the new year, many of us were asking God for “20/20 vision in 2020.” The global crisis upon us is shaking every system of the world—every nation, every organization, every individual. Injustice and inequity are magnified. The real condition of our souls is highlighted. Like never before in our lifetimes, we have the opportunity to be radically present to reality.
Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, he warned his disciples of the pain and grief ahead. He also promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would guide them into all truth and empower them to live in joy. In John 16:33, Jesus then says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The other day, I wept and wept and wept. I poured out in worship everything I’d buried—everything I’d tried to exhume through denial, every ugly thing that would want to stay hidden poisoning me from the inside. I was present with the Lord. And it was beautiful.
My prayer for us all, beloved, is that together we would all be:
Fully alive in HimClear-headed, soft-hearted, eyes and ears open
Present to ourselves and our neighborsNot because we are strong Or in control or have the right plan
But because He is All in AllThe Great I AM
He has triumphed over deathHe is waking us upHe is calling dead things to life
He Loves usAnd is with usAlways.(Photo by OC Gonzalez on Unsplash) March 27, 2020 at 2:32 pm in reply to: Talk Local – Singles Serving Singles in the Face of Social Distancing #16333unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we have Rebekah Kerstetter as our featured blogger on UniteBoston. Rebekah is a Boston-area mom of three awesome kids, and a member of Highrock Church in Arlington. In the blog below, Rebekah shares about her new network for Christian Singles across churches to connect, which is especially important during this time of social distancing. Read below to learn more about how this ministry promotes Christian unity and how to join with Christian Singles in your area.
I have worked towards church unity for 20 years, and then ten years ago, God began pressing on my heart towards another focus – serving singles in the body of Christ. I have seen many of the challenges Christian singles face when looking for community, friendships and even dating opportunities. All of these forms of community are blessings God calls ‘very good,’ but I feel that America’s social structure does not support singles as well as it once has.
Wanting to step in and help out, I have hosted dating events, relationship trainings, bible studies, games nights and other activities for three years to build community for Christian singles. I started doing this in St. Louis, before returning back east.
Today, I believe that what will help most is a network of Christian singles throughout the Boston area. Heres why I believe this ministry is so important, especially in the midst of the Coronavirus:
- Not every single has a large single’s group or church network checking in on them.
- Some singles may need groceries dropped off because they are ill or have been laid off from their jobs due to the Coronavirus crisis.
- Some singles have no roommates (and/or are extroverts) and are going sTiR-CrAzY during social distancing and would love more connection.
Here is how you can help:
‘Talk Local’ on Thursdays at 8:30 pm is a weekly gathering to build a Boston-based network to connect Christian singles during social distancing. We will be currently connecting via Zoom, and then face-to-face once social distancing ends. Currently, it’s a 30 minute (not boring) Zoom call with Christian singles throughout the Greater Boston Area and then a 30 minute Zoom break-out by neighborhood or town to talk more with the Christian singles who live closest to one another.
Prayerfully, when the current crisis is over, ‘Talk Local’ will become ‘Dinners Next Door’ where Christian singles can eat with others who easily walk, bike or can drive quickly to their home or favorite nearby restaurant. Living closer to friends or who we are dating makes it easier to grow the relationships. The extra time we save by living close together can become more time spent together!
And the beauty of this is that since the Christians living around us are from many different churches and church backgrounds, building relationships with those who live nearest to us will naturally build authentic networks of unity across Boston churches.
Let’s get to know Christian singles from all over the Boston area and then further get to know those next door to us and serve together locally. Let’s watch this ripple effect bless all of Boston!
Photo Credit: The Scotsman / Shutterstock
To stay connected with Rebekah & Dinner’s Next Door & Talk Local, go to http://www.SingleSocials.com or https://singlesocials.com/thursday-weekly-calls We also appreciate your help in spreading word to your church network and other singles you know!
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:4
“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
March 21, 2020 at 5:10 pm in reply to: The Coronavirus Epidemic in Boston: Here’s How Christians Can Respond #16307unitebostonKeymasterImage Credit: Redeemer City to City I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33).
The coronavirus is now a global pandemic, forcing church buildings to close and to move online. Jesus asks us to “Love our neighbor as yourself,” (Mk 12:31) but what does this look like when social isolation has now become our reality?
Kelly Fassett is our guest blogger this week – As we all do our best to “flatten the curve” and help minimize the impact of this pandemic locally, she has seen new creative forms of community bubbling up in all sorts of different places – from online neighborhood groups, to inter-clergy video calls with Mayor Walsh and the Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. The world now has a common “enemy,” and this is a powerful force to bind people together.
Today, she offers six opportunities for Christians to be involved in serving our neighbors at this time.
These are just a few of the growing number of practical ideas that she has heard about based on her conversations and research; please email her at kelly@uniteboston.com if you would like to add something to this list about how we can serve and love the people of Greater Boston:
1. Serving food to students
The City of Boston, in partnership with a variety of community organizations, is providing 4800 free meals to all youth and teens at various locations and times across the City. Learn more about meal distribution locations here. Some churches have also recently been added to the list of food distribution sites.
They are looking for volunteers to distribute food at the different locations. The greatest need for your support is in the beginning of the shifts for set up. Here is the link to volunteer.
Also, if you live in Cambridge, food location and pick up times are available here. You can sign up to volunteer in Cambridge here.
2. Donate money and supplies
Boston Public Schools has provided Chromebooks for all BPS students, which cost 5.5 million. To date, they have only raised 1.1 million and would appreciate your generosity in helping to ensure all students have access to computers at home. Monetary donations should be made to the Boston Resiliency Fund. Please make sure to indicate your gift is designated to support Boston Public Schools. Also, Boston Public School staff are requesting new, unused reusable bags, art supplies, and sports equipment such as soccer balls, etc. You can drop these off at the security desk at the Bolling building, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA. Please ensure items are new, or wrapped and labeled as “donation.”
Finally, Boston Public Schools staff recognizes that there are other resources present within faith-based communities and congregations, and they are surveying to identify other ways that congregations can help. If your church or organization is interested in supporting the Boston Public Schools another way, you can enter it in this form.
3. Support your neighbors
While New Englanders may be known for being stoic and closed off, this has certainly not been the case these past few weeks. On NextDoor.com, folks in Jamaica Plain launched a “street sing along” every day at 5pm, while practicing social distancing. One post entitled, “Let’s Help Each Other Get Through This” had 25 comments of people who are offering their skills and resources for running errands for seniors, tutoring online, and more. Personally, I have made intentional effort to smile and say “hi” to everyone I pass on my daily runs through Franklin Park. We are all in this together – let’s show our support for one another.
If you haven’t signed up for NextDoor, I would encourage you to do so. It’s a great way to be part of the life of your neighborhood. I’d also ask that you consider the individuals you know who are most vulnerable in your community, and reach out to them directly to see how you can help, such as offering to pick up groceries.
Finally, there are also a number of neighborhood-focused groups forming such as the Dorchester COVID Care Facebook Group, as well as mutual aid organizations which list and link resources online in Allston-Brighton, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and Roxbury and Medford and Somerville. Here is the overarching Boston Community Care Network.
Update – here is a comprehensive database of resources, separated by a variety of topics, for the Coronavirus outbreak, compiled by the Radical Communicators Network.
Last, if you are in need of financial support due to school closing or lost wages from the Coronavirus, you can sign up for financial support through Union Capital Boston or the Boston Dream Center.
4. Pray
As the number of coronavirus cases in our city have grown, it can be easy to be swept into anxiety and fear. It is important that we take our fear and anxiety to God, who lightens burdens and is a sure, strong foundation. The more we allow God’s promises to dwell within us, the less fear can grip us:
‘Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.’ Psalm 91:1-4, NLT
The mayor and the superintendent of the Boston Public Schools have both independently shared about the value of churches at this time to provide care, guidance, and peace. Churches can use technology creatively to engage in bible study and mindfulness practices – check out this great list of COV-19 Church Strategies as well as Online Resources & Tools compiled by the Massachusetts Council of Churches. Here is also a comprehensive worship-oriented list of Resources for Churches Adapting to Social Isolation.
Some churches may want to open their doors for a quiet space for prayer. If you do open your doors, be sure to keep the numbers low, follow social distancing rules and a sanitization protocol. Finally, the American Bible Society is offering a free resource that “reminds us to remain anchored in God’s wisdom and peace as we navigate what may feel like chaos around us.” You can download their trauma-informed resource “Beyond Disaster” here.
5. Stay connected with friends and family
While everyone is talking about “social distancing,” in reality what we are encouraged to do is physical distancing. It is important that we continue to find community and connect with loved ones to connect socially; technology enables us to reach out to friends and family via phone or video call, without the risk of exposure.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh encouraged each of us to safely connect with loved ones who are particularly vulnerable and isolated, such as elderly relatives and neighbors, single people, and people who have lost their jobs.
“Reach out to a senior, to a neighbor, to someone with a medical condition, to a parent with children, to anyone who could use a word of support or a connection to a resource, by phone calls, text, email, video chat, or just a smile across the hallway, a smile across the yard. Let them know they’re not alone.”
You can also have a mini-worship service at your home to share concerns, pray, and sing with your family. Here is also a great article describing how you can talk about COVID-19 with your kids. Check out this great Family Resource Guide, published by Outdoors Rx, which includes education resources and learning at home, virtual museum tours, links to free home workouts and more, as well as Resources for Prayer and Faith Formation at Home published by the Archdiocese of Boston.
6. Find Moments to Smile
While this can be a heavy season, it is important to find moments of humor. I have found some hilarious meems online about social distancing. Additionally, in Chapel Hill, the worship pastor of Christ United Methodist Church wrote a “Hymn for Handwashing,” to the tune of “Amazing Grace”: “Amazing soap! How sweet the smell, that keeps our hands germ free! Please wash your hands, and dry them, too, that we might healthy be.” Get creative – together we can make the best of this.
This is an extraordinary time to be alive, and we trust that God is at work amidst of all the challenges. My friend Sherami shared with me that “in this season of COVID, we are experiencing a global “unity” in our fragility.” In the midst of crises, people often reach out to God. Let’s keep praying that this season of uncertainty will cause many to prioritize in life, and discover the One who is Unchanging and Everlasting – Jesus Christ our Lord.
With you,
Kelly Fassett
“Pandemic”What if you thought of itas the Jews consider the Sabbath—the most sacred of times?Cease from travel.Cease from buying and selling.Give up, just for now,on trying to make the worlddifferent than it is.Sing. Pray. Touch only thoseto whom you commit your life.Center down.And when your body has become still,reach out with your heart.Know that we are connectedin ways that are terrifying and beautiful.(You could hardly deny it now.)Know that our lives are in one another’s hands.(Surely, that has come clear.)Do not reach out your hands.Reach out your heart.Reach out your words.Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move,invisibly, where we cannot touch.Promise this world your love–for better or for worse,in sickness and in health,so long as we all shall live.Lynn Ungar 3/11/20 (Found on Nextdoor.com)
Other Links:
- Guidance for Faith Leaders from the City of Boston, includes information about holding funerals and wakes
- Click here for recommendations from the Massachusetts Council of Churches on how churches might deal with financial strain.
- COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Fund: A loan fund of $10 million has been created to provide financial relief to Massachusetts businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by COVID-19.
- Corona Virus Resource List – All kinds of resources here, including food and financial support
unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we have Dayanna Badillo as our featured artist. Dayanna is an Ecuadorian worship leader, singer-songwriter, and producer who uses her music as her evangelistic tool. Read Dayanna’s story below to hear how as a Latina, she values diversity, inclusion, and unity of the body of Christ and has been involved in several initiatives with similar visions.
Since Dayanna was a kid, her dream was to become a singer. Lyrics would always pop into her mind and she would write songs even as early as seven years old. At 18, she gave her life to Jesus and committed to spread the gospel through music and relocated to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston after winning a full-ride scholarship from the Ecuadorian government. The extremely selective award, which covered the entirety of her education, was given only to the leading students scoring in the top 0.05% of the country. While she was at Berklee, she became the Young Adult Worship Leader at Lion of Judah Congregation, Boston’s largest Spanish-speaking Protestant congregation, which draws 1,000 worshippers every Sunday. This opportunity allowed her to grow in her gifts, character, and leadership.
Dayanna believes what the apostle Paul said, that “many parts make up one body” (1 Cor. 12:12). She says “even though some are Latinos like me, others are Asians, others Pentecostals and others Baptist, we are all one and we all work for the same cause: to make Jesus known by loving God and loving one another”. That is why she has collaborated and led worship at different Christian events that support the unity of the Christian body spanning denomination and race. For example, she has been a part of the Revive Boston team as a worship leader in collaboration with evangelist James Sideras, she had the honor of leading worship at “We Will Go” with Bethel pastor Chris Overstreet, collaborated as a UniteBoston musician for Awaken the Dawn’s Tent America in 2018, led worship at Awaken the Dawn 2019 representing Lion of Judah, collaborated with YWAM at “10 Days of Prayer,” and she led worship at “Mygration Christian Conference.” Her significant impact on concerts, performances and worship services around the New England area was recognized when she won the “Best Female Contemporary Gospel Artist of the Year” award at the largest Gospel concert in Boston, in which she ministered as a guest artist.
Her dream is to launch a bilingual music ministry so she can reach both English and Spanish speaking communities. Her first step towards this dream was the release of her first single in Spanish called “Victoria”, which she plans on releasing in English later this year. “Victoria” is a declaration of our identity in Christ and the freedom we find only in Him, based on Romans 8” Dayanna says. “Victoria” is the beginning of a collection of songs Dayanna will be releasing this year. Already, Dayanna has seen how “Victoria” has resonated with Hispanic people of different cultures, backgrounds, and practices.
You can watch the lyric video for “Victoria” below.
To stay connected with Dayanna and be informed about her upcoming music releases, you can find her at dayannabadillo.com or on Instagram, Facebook, @dayannabadillomusic. Subscribe to her YouTube Channel and follow her on Spotify for more to come.
unitebostonKeymasterThe season of Lent has begun this week, where Christians throughout the world are taking time to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in personal consecration. Here on UniteBoston, we want to share “Lenten Meditation” for you, which is a song composed by Daniel Faris and music video by local video producer Luke Zvara.
Luke describes: “Daniel Faris first wrote “Lenten Meditation” for a mid-day Lent service at Park Street Church a couple years ago. Last spring he and I began talking about creating a music video for one of the songs off his new album (a collection of his own arrangements of a number of hymns). “Lenten Meditation” stood out to me, not just because it was an original piece, but because it had a haunting beauty and emotional depth to it. Daniel wrote it while reflecting on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, incorporating “descending” musical patterns that reflected the tears of Christ. I wanted to create a video that complimented the reflective nature of the song by adding symbolic images to the music, but that also told a story; a story about the brokenness and sin that made Christ weep in the Garden, but also a story that gave a glimpse of the hope his suffering brings. It’s our hope that the music and the video serve as a catalyst for prayer and reflection this Lent season.”
“Lentin Meditation” official music video from Luke Zvara on Vimeo.
Bios
On Left – Daniel Faris is a New England-based violinist, who has spent the last 10 years studying and working in the Boston area. He has also been traveling as performer on cruise ships with Lincoln Center Stage. He has attended Park Street Church since 2013, and has been privileged to be an active part of the music ministry there. He would love to see the global impact a vibrant Christian community can have as so many different people come through the city.
On Right – Luke Zvara is a freelance filmmaker in the Greater Boston Area and a member of Park Street Church. He longs to see Christian artists thriving and serving the church in Boston.
We also want to share a Lenten resource with you, provided by the Race & Christian Community Initiative at the Emmanuel Gospel Center. RCCI director Megan Lietz describes, “Racism and its impact is deeply embedded in our society, and yet through ongoing repentance and the grace of God, we can experience the healing power of the resurrection.”
An American Lent is a 40-day devotional that can be used by individuals or small groups to reflect on the ways our nation has upheld racism with a focus on the Atlantic slave trade and its legacy. Read it here.
February 22, 2020 at 9:24 am in reply to: Christ the Redeemer Quincy: A New Church, A Kingdom Effort #16202unitebostonKeymaster
This week, we have Pastor Matt Owens as our guest blogger. Matt Owens is a native of Illinois, but has served the Church in greater Boston for nearly seven years, first as the Assistant Pastor of Christ the King Somerville (now Seven Hills Presbyterian), and currently as the planting Pastor of Christ the Redeemer in Quincy. He met his wife Naomi in Boston, and they married in 2015. They have a two-year old son, Liam. In the blog below, he shares about how their new church in Quincy has adopted a kingdom mindset and been supported by many other local churches.
The story of our new church in Quincy is, from beginning to end, the story of the collaborative, Kingdom-minded investment of other churches.
It was the pastor of a Brazilian Presbyterian Church (Christ the King Quincy) that first challenged me to consider planting in Quincy. I had been serving as the Assistant Pastor of Christ the King Somerville (now Seven Hills Presbyterian Church). As my wife, Naomi, and I considered church planting, we determined we did not want to go anywhere outside of greater Boston. While still in Somerville, I would occasionally take the red line down from Somerville to Quincy to meet with pastors who were already serving in Quincy. I wanted to get a feel for what church planting would be like there, but I also wanted to get a sense of whether there was a possibility for Kingdom-minded collaboration. Everyone with whom I met during this time said some version of, “We need more gospel-centered churches in Quincy.” I remember hearing, “Until there are 95 gospel-proclaiming churches of 1,000 members, we will need more churches” (there are about 95,000 people in Quincy). I certainly did not want to come to Quincy with the attitude some church planters seem to have: that their new church is the only faithful church in the city. We should be grateful that many good, gospel-centered churches have been planted in greater Boston, and that many have existed here for generations. The days of saying, “There are no good churches in Boston,” are long gone (and that has always been untrue). The fact that there are so many good churches doesn’t change the reality that we need more good churches; but it must change our approach to church planting. We must be intentional about Kingdom-minded collaboration. We must recognize that the Lord uses many different kinds of churches to reach many different kinds of people with the good news of Jesus. So, when we arrived in Quincy, I was glad to work together and learn from other churches (in several languages) already faithfully serving our city.
What we found when we moved to Quincy in the summer of 2018, knowing very few people in Quincy or on the South Shore of Boston, was that there was still plenty of need and opportunity, even in our own neighborhood. We have found it true what we had heard of our neighborhood, that it is, “the kind of place where it takes you an hour to walk around the block because everyone stops and talks to each other.” Shortly after we moved in, there was a neighborhood block party, at which we met several people who have become friends. The week following the block party, one older woman Naomi had spoken with came by our house to drop off a map of our neighborhood, which included the names of the majority of the people who lived in our immediate neighborhood, their children’s names and even their dogs names (in parentheses). For what purpose this woman gave us this map, I can’t say. But for us, it was a clear indication of the mission the Lord had set before us, a clear indication that the Lord had not only led us to Quincy, but to our specific street. The map represented, over a long period of time, the people God had called us to love and serve. It was as if the Lord was saying, “Here, you have no excuse not to pray for your neighbors.” Even with many good churches in Quincy already, there is still plenty of need for gospel ministry, both in word and in deed.
Shortly after my family and I moved to Quincy, a group of five or six pastors, all from different churches/denominations began to pray together for our city and our church’s ministries. To this day, we continue to meet together to pray and talk about how we can care for one another, and love and serve the city together. We have celebrated one another’s successes, and grieved together over difficulties.
This past November, I received a text message from the Lead Pastor of Life Community Church in Quincy, asking me to come and share about our church plant at their worship services. The purpose, he said, was because they had decided to give one half of their special Advent offering to support our church plant (and the other half to support another local church plant). Rather than seeing other churches as competitors, Life Community and many other churches in Quincy have embraced us as partners in the work of gospel ministry.
Pastor Matt Owens and Pastor Aaron Calvin on stage together at Life Community Church As we launch the new church, it has been so encouraging to know that the Church, the community of believers from all denominations and walks of life, has our back. We continue to receive help from believers from other congregations in order to help us get off the ground in Quincy.
I believe we must see more of this in our city. We gain nothing by being territorial. We have so much to gain by working together. Aaron Cavin, the Pastor of Life Community in Quincy, recently said that if the church in Boston is going to see revival, we need to be faithful to the Great Commission, the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) and (what he called) the Great Collaboration. If we want to see people experience the love of Christ, they need to see it lived out between Christians. They need to see the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17.
Members of CTR Quincy meeting people at the August Moon Festival this past summer.
Pastor Matt Owens offers three ways in which other Christians can support the launch of Christ the Redeemer Quincy:
1. Pray– We greatly appreciate your prayers for my family, for our core group, and for all of those who are coming who are checking out church for the first time in a while (or ever).
2. Invite– If you know anyone in the Quincy or the area, please let them know about the new church (I am attaching an advertisement/invitation that you can send them)…and if they’re interested, consider coming with them to our launch on March 1st!
3. Come– We would love to have you join and celebrate the launch with us! But if you can’t come on March 1st, we would also love to have you join us anytime after. Our thinking on this is, “the more, the merrier.” When my neighbors show up, they’re probably far less likely to return if there’s 25 people there than if there’s 75. So we are looking to the larger Church body for help us in getting off the ground by sending some people to simply be present (and friendly). If you are able, or people from your congregation are able, we would love for people to come not just on launch Sunday, but multiple times over the first few months.
There are also two positions we are looking to fill:
1. Worship Leader / Musicians- We are looking for a part-time (6-8 hours / week) Worship Leader to regularly lead our congregation in worship through song. Currently, we have a team of gifted musicians, but no one to lead on a weekly basis. We also have a few music leaders from other congregations that are coming to lead us when they can, but this is not sustainable long-term. If you know musicians who might be interested in leading us weekly, or any who would be able to help us out less frequently, just as we get going, please email me at matt@ctrquincy.org for the job description.
2. Children’s Ministry Director- We are also looking for a part-time (4-6 hours / week) Children’s Ministry Director. My wife (Naomi) is currently serving in this role as an Interim Children’s Ministry Director. But, this is not sustainable for her after this summer. If you know anyone who might be interested, please email me at matt@ctrquincy.org for the job description.
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