Community Reads -- A Joint Venture

Community -- that which unites us -- our common union one with another.  Fellowship has been defined as fellows in the same ship.  One thing that we lack in our understanding of ourselves and our churches is the ability to see our common union.

As a result of prayer and in consideration of our social realities, we are walking through a series of book studies with two Episcopal churches in the Richmond area.  The intent of these gatherings, whether in person or online, will be to examine where we as church have been, where we are, and where we hope to go into the future.  Please consider joining us as we read through the Program Year of 2021 through 2022 season.  

Beginning in January 2022
Book Three:  Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury & Healing, by Joy DeGruy, Ph.D.
Beginning in January 2022, we will participate in a joint journey through African enslavement and will consider, What do repeated traumas, endured generation after generation by a people produce?  What impact have these ordeals had on African Americans today? (J. DeGruy)
Schedule for ZOOM Book Discussions:
Tuesday, January 25th, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 1st, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 8th, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
______________________
Book Four:  Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in Pursuit of Racial Justice, by Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five.  Beginning in April 2022, we will join in reading the account of one of the “Central Park Five.”  
Yusef Salaam endured one of the gravest miscarriages of justice.  He responds to racism and injustice by speaking and writing about the effects of incarceration and disenfranchisement on individuals, families and the larger community.  We will journey through this book with the hope of emerging with greater awareness of the damage that results from prejudice and bias towards others - especially towards men of color.
Schedule for ZOOM Book Discussions:
Tuesday, April 26th, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 3rd, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 10th, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Books Read in 2021
Book One:  The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community, by Stephanie Spellers, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Canon for Evangelism, Reconciliation, and Creation.  Beginning in September 2021, we will participate in walking through the painful and challenging history of the Episcopal Church in America.  We will also give consideration to ways that we can recenter away from empire and onto God and God’s dream.  (S. Spellers).  (Completed, October 2021)
Our discussions were rich and challenging.  We will in the future revisit this material as COVID restrictions are lifted.  In the meantime, a  webinar discussion of The Church Cracked Open facilitated by Rev. Spellers in May 2021 and hosted by the staff of the Episcopal Church Foundation. I believe it will offer some interesting insights into how the material in the book was received by others and how Rev. Spellers engaged participants in "real time" to address some of the challenging issues raised.
LINK:  https://www.ecfvp.org/webinars/275/an-evening-with-the-rev-canon-stephanie-spellers

Book Two:  Healing Haunted Histories: A Settler Discipleship of Decolonization, by Elaine Enns and Ched Myers, from The Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series.
We are walking through some of the oldest and deepest injustices on the North American continent. On October 26th, we discussed the wounds inextricably woven into the fabric of our personal and political lives. (Enns & Myers)
Links:  Website for further information
Cultural Survival Quarterly