UniteBoston

Nurturing Relational Connections Across Boston's Christian Community

A Long Repentance discussion group

This January – February 2022, Mako Nagasawa will be leading a new cohort of discussions in A Long Repentance, about how Christian heresies influence our American racial and political climate, and what we can do about it!

People talk about issues of race and justice in the United States as issues of ‘justice and injustice.’  Sometimes we launch into debates about ‘the proper role of government.’  But that is not the original framework from which these issues were asked and debated.

The purpose of our discussion groups in A Long Repentance: Exploring Christian Mistakes About Race, Politics, and Justice in the United States is to show how these issues began as Christian heresies.  Colonialism changed Christian beliefs and practices.  Since Christians enacted and institutionalized these practices, we bear a unique responsibility for changing them.  We must continue to resist the very heresies that earlier Christians put into motion.  The journey is long and challenging.  It may be impossible to see the end.  But along the way, it is also inspiring and sometimes breathtaking.

Justice, Politics & the Black Church of Boston

The Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience (ISBCE) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is excited to host the 2nd Annual (Rev. Dr. Michael E.) HAYNES Symposium on Saturday, October 31 via LIVE stream via ISBCE on FaceBook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

This is a completely virtual and FREE event. We will celebrate 2020 ISBCE Legacy Awardees: Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes and Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Gerald, Jr. We will hear panelists: Tracy Litthcut (City of Boston), Arva J. Byron (Boston Praise Radio & TV), Rev. Willie Bodrick II (Twelfth Baptist Church) and Rev. Mariama White-Hammond (New Roots AME Church) share on “Justice, Politics & the Black Church of Boston.” Come and join the conversation!

Hope Is Rising

NewCity Church, in collaboration with local community leaders, organizations and businesses, is hosting, HOPE IS RISING. Join us for a free drive-in concert event designed as a safe space for people of color and allies to recharge and be inspired.

Enjoy listening to a live band with special musical guests, celebrate the Black culture, and listen to a panel discussion, “My City and Me,” moderated by Rev. Devlin Scott with panelists, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Newton Police Department Chief David MacDonald, Newton Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Bruce Apotheker, METCO Specialist and Newton Public Schools Teacher Katani Sumner, and members of Newton’s Coalition of Black Residents.

UniteBoston is a key partner for this event and will be coordinating volunteers – contact Joel Putnam at joel@uniteboston.com if you’d like to volunteer.

Social distancing will be observed. Masks are required. Limited spots available – sign up here!

Revelation in a Time of Plague

A 4-Week Zoom Series of Reflections from Spiritual Leaders of the Abrahamic Family of Faith
4 Wednesdays, April 22 – May 6, 2020
Hosted by MAS Boston and CMM
Starting this Wednesday, April 22, 6:15-7:15pm EST
To register and receive the Zoom link, please click the link here
This week’s speakers:
  • Rabbi Or Rose is the founding Director of the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership of Hebrew College. Before assuming this position in 2016, he worked in various administrative and teaching capacities at Hebrew College for over a decade, including serving as a founding faculty member and Associate Dean of the Rabbinical School. Rabbi Rose was also one of the creators of CIRCLE, The Center for Interreligious & Community Leadership Education, cosponsored by Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School (2007 – 2017). In addition to his work at Hebrew College, Rabbi Rose has taught for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships, The Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Me’ah, and in a variety of other academic, religious, and civic contexts throughout North America and in Israel. He is the co-editor of Speaking Torah: Spiritual Teachings from Around the Maggid’s Table (Jewish Lights), and the award-winning anthology, My Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation (Orbis). His most recent publication is the anthology, Words To Live By: Sacred Sources for Interreligious Engagement (Orbis 2018). In 2009 – 2010, he was selected as a member of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s inaugural North American Scholar’s Circle. In 2014, Northeastern University honored him for his interreligious educational efforts.
  • Rodney L. Petersen, PhD is executive director of The Lord’s Day Alliance of the U.S. (LDAUSA) and Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM), greater Boston area’s oldest interfaith social justice network. He is formerly executive director of the Boston Theological Institute, taught in the member schools and overseas, and was co-founder of the Religion and Conflict Transformation program. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Petersen is author or co-editor of numerous publications, including, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy and Conflict Transformation (Templeton Foundation Press, 2001); Overcoming Violence (BTI, 2010); Formation for Life: Peacemaking and Twenty – First Century Discipleship (Wipf and Stock, 2013); general editor of George H. Williams, History of Religion at Harvard, 3 volumes (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014); and Religion and Public Policy: Human Rights, Conflict, and Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
  • Carl Sharif El-Tobgui, PhD is Associate Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies and Director of the Arabic Language Program in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department at Brandeis University. Professor El-Tobgui’s scholarly expertise lies in the field of Islamic thought, with a special concentration on theology, law, and jurisprudence. He has recently published his first book, Ibn Taymiyya on Reason and Revelation, which examines a 10-volume treatise on the relationship between reason and scripture. In addition to his expertise in Islamic thought, Professor El-Tobgui has a deep love of language in general and of Classical Arabic in particular and has enjoyed for many years exploring the intricacies of Arabic grammar, as well as classical literature and poetry with his students.
This 4-week program that brings together congregations from the three Abrahamic traditions (Muslim, Christian and Jewish) and other interested persons. 12 faith community leaders (a representative three at each of 4 gatherings), will each offer advice to the community regarding some of the questions below (and others as they see fit), and then to open it for the congregants to reflect, ask questions, etc. The questions might be the following:
  1. What is the role of God in this pandemic?
  2. What is the role of spirituality and religion?
  3. What is the role of people of faith?
  4. How can we connect more with our spiritual being and God so that we can help the world overcome this crisis?
  5. What do we tell our children when they ask why is God doing this?
  6. And many others
This program starts on Wednesday, April 22, and ends on Wednesday, May 13, running for an hour each consecutive Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 in the evenings (Except for April 22, we will start at 6:15).
This period of time is sacred to each of these three traditions and symbolic of fresh transcendent revelation. For Muslims it falls during the sacred month of Ramadan, April 23 – May 23, and calls to mind the year 610 A.D. when it is believed that the angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the Quran, the Islamic holy book. For Christians this period begins after Easter (W: April 12; E: April 19) and ends with Pentecost (W: May 31; E: June 7), 50 days after Easter Sunday which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and disciples of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Weeks. Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) commemorates the revelation of the Torah to Moses and the Jewish people on Mount Sinai, May 28-30.
This program represents a chance for faith leaders to provide more guidance to our congregations regarding the role of spirituality and faith in these trying times, and to leverage this as an opportunity to anchor the faithful to God, in order to come closer to Him, to pray more, and to find answers to big questions that are often posed during a crisis. If faith leaders unite on this purpose we might collectively find an ecumenical and interfaith role in the whole of our societies toward a closer relationship with God or the mystically transcendent, which would benefit everyone.
For more information, please contact Hossam Al-Jabri of MAS Boston (Hossam.aljabri@gmail.com) or Rodney Petersen of CMM (617-331-1747; rlp@coopmet.org)

Boston Ujima Project and Faith Communities for a Solidarity Economy

We are growing a network of faith organizations as part of the Boston Ujima Project, which organizes neighbors, workers, business owners and investors to bring a community-controlled Boston-based economy to fruition.

We are on our way! And you are the most important part of the equity-equation! Whether you came to the first kick-off event in Nov 2018, or are engaging for the first time with us, or anywhere in between, we urge you to engage with us as a broader body of faith communities. We gather to encourage making commitments to the equitable distribution of decision-making power and resources in our city, and to grow and be joyful together, in pursuit of racial and economic justice. All are welcome,including but not limited to members, staff and leaders of congregations and faith organizations.

Details:

  • When: Thursday, November 21st, 6-8pm
  • Where: Jamaica Plain Cohousing, 65 Cornwall St., Boston
  • Dinner provided.
  • RSVP today via Eventbrite
  • Spread the word via Facebook to folks in your or other organizations/congregations who you want to be part of Ujima’s work!
  • Co-hosted by Kavod, a community of young adults committed to local social justice organizing and meaningful Jewish practice.
  • Feel free to reach out to Nadav at partnerships@kavodhouse.com or Seona at seonaboston@yahoo.com

What to expect: 

At this event, we will learn from and celebrate how some faith communities have been engaging with Ujima, including over $80,000 of direct investment into the Ujima Investment Fund, and over $15,000 (and counting) purchased of goods and services from the Ujima Business Alliance businesses! You did this, and we can continue to do so much more together!

If you have made purchases with Ujima’s businesses or partners, please record them on this Google Form. See our list of partners and businesses at www.UjimaBoston.com.

This will also be the space to meet some of the Ujima business owners, and familiarize and network with the other efforts within the Ujima ecosystem.

And what would be a faith communities meeting if we didn’t have a little fun and laughter together, to foster goodwill and ignite collaboration among the faith communities represented amongst us.


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