Author: barbarafox

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Juneteenth Listening Sessions with Bishop Schol

Since the death of George Floyd, Bishop John Schol has been working with individuals and groups to identify the next steps for building on the work Greater New Jersey conference is doing to overcome racism and deepening and expanding the ministry to address institutional and structural racism.  Our work as United Methodists of Greater New Jersey is to work to end all racism in the church and to be witnesses to transform the world.

Listening sessions are scheduled for Friday, June 19 and Monday, June 22 to hear your hopes for our future.

Here is call in information for the listening sessions, Zoom calls.

Friday, June 19, 11:30 a.m.
Zoom Link  or Dial-in: 1 646 876 9923 / Meeting ID: 970 1267 4283

Monday, June 22, 7:00 p.m.
Zoom Link or Dial-in: 1 646 876 9923 / Meeting ID: 917 8620 2983

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The Lord’s Prayer: Camille Jones

 

Everyone in this year’s confirmation class wrote their own version of the Lord’s Prayer. In worship on June 14, the one by Camille Jones was featured:

 

 

Our Father, who created this beautiful world, I praise your name.

You have created this beautiful kingdom,

where everyone is respected and differences don’t matter.

I am thankful for what I have. 

I am blessed with a family that loves me, and I have food on the table.

Forgive me God, for everything that I have done wrong. Sometimes I am selfish and unaware of others, but you always love me. I can forgive others because you have forgiven me.

Help me to not sin against you, and to always worship you.

For you have let us live in this wonderful world with you. Amen.

 

 

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The Lord’s Prayer: Ana Cabus

Confirmands wrote their versions of Jesus’s prayer:  Ana Cabus offers these words.

My holy parent, my creator, precious is your name. You have created this beautiful Earth and its residents. The animals, plants and humans. May we honor your name by bringing heaven to Earth.

May we do so by doing your will above our Earthly ambitions. May I take better care of the Earth, water, the skies, all of its inhabitants and each other. Contribute our time to bring justice; give people equity; love people; forgive others; and accept people for who they truly are. I want to be able to contribute to bringing heaven to earth. May we be able to do this together.

Thank you for the ability to take care of the blessings I have. Thank you for the love, food, happiness and forgiveness I have experienced. Thank you for watching over my family and healing them repeatedly. Please continue to guide me as I grow and try to bring your will to Earth. Please guide us from being tempted by Earthly ambitions.

  Please forgive me for the things I have done wrong, holy parent. Thank you for continually blessing me, even when I fall to my negative thoughts and desires. Desires and thoughts that might hurt others, are unnecessary, and selfish. Regardless, you continue to love and forgive me. Because you continue to bless me with your light and forgive me, I will strive to reflect your light by loving, try to find justice; give people equity; accept people for who they truly are and forgive others who have hurt me. I hope to share your light.

 Please guide me to refrain from sinning against others and you. Please continue to show me your way so that I can spread your light.

Thank you for blessing the world in your light. You are my holy parent, my creator, my Lord forever, Amen

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#praywithusPUMC to End Racism Continues

On June 9 Princeton UMC closed its five-day Prayer Vigil to End Racism with a service on the church lawn, archived on our Facebook page. Here is the complete program.   Here are some of the prayers we lifted up:

  • We pray for an end of systemic racism that perpetuates cycles of poverty and violence.
  • We name our own need on our anti-racism journey.
  • We pray for the formation of new relationships that we need to desegregate our lives.
  • We pray for courage to become your instrument of change to end racism.

Our prayers and our work to end racism can and must continue.

Here are some ways to help…..

  • To begin your own end racism prayer vigil, here is a five day prayer guide.
  • To see the end racism resources we are compiling, link here.
  • To contribute end racism resources, post them on social media with the hashtag#PraywithusPUMC and send an email to communications@PrincetonUMC.org

Let’s end racism, once and for all.

One human family, in God.

 

 

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END Racism Prayer Resources

As a church, we are compiling “end racism” resources. Have you found a book, an article, or a video helpful? Please send it to Office@PrincetonUMC.org and we’ll try to include it here as soon as we can.

A.  BOOKS
 
B  Articles and blog posts
C.  Films, Videos and TV shows
D. Speeches and Courses 

A three-session racial literacy program by Ruha Benjamin, sponsored by Not in Our Town Princeton.

E.  Songs; Poems

A. Songs

‘In the Ghetto’ by Elvis Presley

‘Dear Mama’ by Tupak

B. Poems by Maya Angelou; others

“Give me liberty or give me death …”

 F. United Methodist Church resources

Princeton UMC’s Guide for five day prayer vigil to end racism

  • Self directed courses on Implicit Bias, Antiracism 101, and First Steps for White Christians These are resources from the United Methodist General Commission on Religion and Race
    • F. Organizations 

    Resources studying systemic bias compiled by Not in Our Town Princeton.

     

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    Prayer Vigil to End Racism: #praywithusPUMC

    Today at 5 p.m. Princeton UMC’s concludes its five-day, 24-hour-a-day prayer vigil to end racism. The closing event will be held, physically distanced with masks, on the church lawn, plus Live-Streamed and archived on Facebook and this website (click on ‘Worship.’) As a church community, we have been praying without ceasing, wherever we are. To begin your own vigil now, access the prayer guide here. #PrayWithUs 

    On June 2 during the Princeton rally for justice for George Floyd, members of our congregation prayed with members of the community in socially distanced “prayer pods.”

     

     

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    Tribute to Bill and Donna Suits

    On May 24, 2020, when the world celebrated Memorial Day weekend, the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir presented the Babylon Canon in tribute to Bill and Donna Suits, church members pictured here, who died of Covid-19 in April.  Bill  had been an loyal  member of the choir. Thanks to Hyosang Park, music director, and Stephen Offer, who produced the sound and video. Listen to it here. 

    A celebration of life will be held here at Princeton United Methodist Church once travel restrictions are lifted and it is safe for family and friends to gather. It will be a joint celebration to honor both Donna and Bill for their love, lives and faith. Here is a place to register, to be notified when a memorial service can be held.

     

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    Telling the Story: Narrative Identity

    In the wrap up week of the Telling the Story sermon series, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz explains that Paul’s letter to the Philippians  reveals that telling a story about God helps define our Narrative Identity.

    Narrative Identity has three parts — agency, connectivity, and meaning —  as explained in this Tedx video.

      • He is prison but is quite free – Paul has agency. He is evangelizing effectively behind bars
      • He is prison but is not isolated – Paul has connectivity and is writing about connection.
      • He ascribes meaning to his imprisonment – it empowers him to spread the gospel in new ways. (Several comments during the sermon linked the concept of meaning to Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning).

    To listen to the sermon, go to this web page and choose May 24, 2020.

    Pastor Jenny invites everyone to tell their own stories. You can, indeed, tell your story to yourself or someone you know. You can write it, or do a selfie video on your phone. Jenny offers this way, on FlipGrid —  click here

    “Tell us a story about a new story you are trying to write,” she invites.
    “Maybe you’ve discovered that a story you tell about yourself, others, the world, the present circumstances, God, etc., is not helpful or true. Maybe you’re discovering that a story you’ve told is no longer serving you.  Tell us about this.
    Tell us about a story you are hearing God tell about you or others or the world.
    Tell us about a time when someone else has helped you tell a different, more helpful, more true story.”

    Now it’s your turn