05/17/2008
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Staff photo by Andy Molloyfrom the Kennebec Journal
SENATE DISTRICT 24: Mitchell vs. Davis
Senate District 23: Weston vs. Messer
Monitoring usage, checking temperature of heaters can make a big difference
Elementary students meet the challenge and show their reading prowess
Dealer responds in lemon law case
Plenty of space for prayer
SENATE 24: Former lawmaker challenging Mitchell
Festival draws a crowd
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
SENATE DISTRICT 24: Mitchell vs. Davis
Senate District 18: Gooley vs. Woloson
AUTO DEALER RESPONDS: Dealership involved in lemon law dispute
STARKS: Police make drug arrests
Simple steps can save on hot water
Clinton due to resolve cops' funds
CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK: Cougars thrive at Festival
Ellsbury stepping up for Sox
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
Staff Writer
Pastors across the country and in Maine will talk about race Sunday as part of an effort by the United Church of Christ to broaden and deepen the discussion of a sensitive topic.
For the Rev. Kimberly Murphy of the Winthrop Congregational Church, it's a chance to look at the issue with the help of a Christian perspective.
"How do we faithfully address these issues?" she said.
At the national level, the church called upon its 5,700 congregations to address race this Sunday, in part because of the controversy over comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
Wright, former pastor for presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, caused an uproar when parts of his sermons showed him referring to the United States as the "US of KKKA," and when he made other remarks about the government.
And while Murphy said she was initially "dismayed" by the remarks, she said a closer examination of Wright's sermons showed at least some of his comments were taken out of context.
She said she hopes her sermon Sunday will help broaden the discussion beyond short sound bites that don't tell the whole story.
"The service was not out of the norm, but people felt that anger and they didn't have a context for it," she said. "It surprised a lot of people. People were hit between the eyes."
For David Deas, an African-American from Winslow who serves as church council president at Winslow Congregational Church, Sunday presents a chance to have a more candid conversation about race.
"Most people who are looking with their eyes open recognize a lot of what Rev. Wright has to say is true," he said. "Most people don't want to admit it and face it head on."
A former lead deacon at the church, Deas said the discussion needs to be broadened beyond black and white.
"I hope people come away with a heightened awareness of racial issues," he said. "It's not just black and white. It's Hispanic, Asian. It's every race."
National United Church of Christ leadership, based in Cleveland, initially decided to call for "a sacred conversation on race" on April 3, the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's last sermon in Memphis, said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, director of communications for the national office.
But as the Wright controversy grew, the church decided to expand on the idea.
"As the United Church of Christ and others have been watching the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., and as the nation has been discussing through the media issues of race surrounding the presidential campaign, we felt it was time the church initiate a more honest, more mature, sacred dialogue than we were seeing taking place through the media," he said.
The idea is not just a one-day sermon on race, but the beginning of a longer conversation about race.
In Hallowell, the Rev. Susan Reisert said part of her preparation for Sunday's sermon included watching a video called "Anchor of the Soul" that portrays the African-American experience in the Portland area.
She said those who attend her church understand discrimination from their experience as French-Canadians or because they know how the state has treated Native Americans.
"We're not just talking about racism toward blacks," she said.
Reisert said she'll work to blend Bible passages, current events and Psalm 8 into a message that will keep people thinking beyond her 20-minute sermon.
She said Psalm 8 is particularly relevant because it focuses on the wonder of human beings.
"Shouldn't we be marveling instead of creating stereotypes about each other?" she said.
Reisert hopes the conversation about race will lead to more discussions.
"I hope people will be intrigued by this," she said. "If they don't get to church on Sunday, I hope they will be thinking about this. How we can be more caring and responsible?"
Auburn Mayor John Jenkins, an African-American who attends several churches, including a United Church of Christ affiliate in Auburn, said history shows that churches have been a starting point for change in racial issues.
"It was through the church that many civil rights had its birth," he said. "It allowed people to be courageous enough to stand in front of the dogs to get the vote."
Jenkins said he hopes discussions about race extend beyond the church to mosques, synagogues, temples and town halls.
In Waterville, the Rev. Kenneth L. Smith, a retired United Methodist pastor, is filling in on Sunday at First Congregational Church.
"We're calling on God to lead us in a very timely and important endeavor," said Smith, who serves as chaplain at Inland Hospital.
He said the sermons delivered Sunday won't be political.
"We're stressing mostly that it is a sacred conversation," he said. "We believe God is still speaking."
Susan Cover -- 623-1056
scover@centralmaine.com
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