Messages on Activism & Justice (Page 5)
Life of the World to Come*
This week, Rev. Ken talks about the Mountain Goats album “Life of the World to Come” and explains how it’s the inspiration for this message. He talks about the concept of “temporal distancing” and how it can be a useful tool in mindfulness practice. He tells us about a time when – quite unexpectedly – he experienced a profound change in perspective. Given this week’s events, Rev. Ken takes a moment to reflect on the George Floyd murder trial, before…
Break Your Heart
In this week’s message, Rev. Lee talks about the upcoming election, and admits that she’d gone back and forth on what kind of message to deliver this week: one where she reassures us that everything will be okay, and one that warns us that it won’t be. She remembers words Rev. Ken said to her at her ordination: “Let your ministry break your heart,” and tells us that out broken hearts are good enough. She concludes with a story about…
The Camden 28
Lay preacher Rodney Whittenberg shares a story of growing up Catholic, and his amazement at people who are able to be nonviolent in the face of adversity. His Spiritflix movie is The Camden 28 – a documentary about a group of devoted Catholics who planned to break into a federal building and destroy the draft cards of hundreds of young men. The Camden 28 START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:01]The following is a message from Wellspring’s congregation.[00:00:11]Good morning, everyone, welcome to this week’s…
13th
This week, Rev. Lee preaches about the Ava Duvernay documentary, “13th.” She begins by talking about her family’s experiences, both spoken and unspoken, which led to her growing up in the suburbs. It’s important to realize that the racist ideas that allowed slavery are still operating in our politics and criminal justice system today, but she reminds us that our actions have power, even if it doesn’t seem to “work” in the moment. 13th [00:00:00]The following is a message from…
I Am Not Your Negro
Rev. Ken continues our SpiritFlix series with the award winning documentary film, “I Am Not Your Negro.” He begins his message with a story about an uncomfortable moment at a baseball game, before getting into the subject matter of the film. This unfinished memoir by James Baldwin is about his relationships with slain civil rights leaders. Now, more than ever, this film and message offer us a chance to wake up to the realities of being black in America. I…
Do The Right Thing
Rev. Lee kicks off our summer SpiritFlix series by talking about the 1989 Spike Lee “Do The Right Thing.” Even though this movie is over 30 years old, it’s incredibly pertinent to the police brutality we’re still seeing today. This film shows us imperfect characters interacting over the course of a single day, and asks us to consider what it means to do the right thing – both in small ways and in larger, society-changing ways. Spiritflix – Do The…