Winter 2021
Winter Activities
Focus: Ordinary People or the Marginalized (or just have an all-inclusive focus)
Christmas
Watch Night
Martin Luther King Holiday and African-American History Month
Christmas (Service)
In addition to Celebration of Jesus’s Birth, focus on a number of Community Shelters for the Homeless and Battered Women. Each communion works in its communities. Also, suggest that CUIC churches partner with other CUIC within the same communities and work on projects.
Helping to Create Space for Living
Assisting with Relocation of Afghan Refugees
New Provision for Food and Clothing
Donations and Volunteer Labor
Prayer Teams’ Visitations
Prison Ministry could also be emphasized
Far-Reach Activity: In a class I took in New Testament, there was much “noise” over the way we interpret the manger scene. For this professor at Denver Seminary, the meaning of “inn” in uses in the Scripture is “guest room,” which normally was included as part of the family home. His interpretation is that David most likely had relatives in Bethlehem, and that the “guest room” was already taken; thus, there was no room in the end. We could get someone to do a one-page reflection on this or do a one page reflection on the lineage of the five women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Beersheba, Mary) or a one-page reflection on other bits of the narrative which might alter the “traditional” image we have of Jesus’s birth. Also, all the women except Mary have Gentile connections.
We also could focus on our communal responsibility toward discipleship at some of the places listed above.
Observance of Martin Luther King Holiday and African-American History Month
We could focus on something especially for YOUTH, such as special opportunities for youths: new scholarships, opportunities in other areas—post high, including universities with special offers that might not be obvious to this population.
Special programs to provide Internet Experience and produces for Seniors (grants and other programs)
New important reading materials
Emancipation Proclamation and Watch Night
Highlight Special Programs under prison ministry and identify reliable contact information
Check cities and states with grant programs that will give money to operate support programs that teach individuals how and where to apply for various services that are provided by state and local governments and by other funding agencies.
Look at the status of voting in local communities and have CUIC churches work together in addressing strategies that might alleviate the problem, especially with registration and transportation to voting sites for election in various areas.
Identify colleges and universities that offer funding for students who are willing to major in various areas of leadership that are crucial to the Black communities and other communities of color and begin to ask students to consider studying in some of these areas for future leadership, including religious education.
Last year’s materials are also available:
Winter Resources
CHRISTMAS
Craig Blomberg. “Christmas Is for Outcasts.”
Craig Blomberg is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver
Seminary, Littleton, Colorado.
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Curry, Michael Bishop. “True Meaning of Christmas.”
CBS This Morning.
“Honesty doesn’t hurt. If you want to find common ground, you’ve got to go to higher ground.”
“Love is a commitment.”
Bishop Curry also gives advice on building community in a polarizing world and comments on the decline of religion ...
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Interview with Dr. David Mathewson. Podcast on Podbean:
“The Jesus Chronicles, Talking with David Mathewson,” 2019.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
“Ahmaud Arbery.” 20/20, Part 5.” November 27, 2021.
A Special 20/20 Presentation of the A. Arbury verdict in which the nation celebrated the guilty verdict of the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbury.
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Branch, Taylor. Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-65.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.
Second volume of Taylor’s trilogy on King, which deals with the civil rights era at its peak.
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Hairison, Brianna. Dance Through the Storm.
This source inspires and guides readers who may feel like there is no hope or after the storm.
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Hillstrom, Laurie Collier. Black Lives Matter: From a Moment to a Movement.
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2018; 164 pages.
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Key, James Darren. A Long Way from Crenshaw.
Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2020.
Contains lessons and stories about race, love, honor, and faith from the changing times.
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Kirk-Duggan, Cheryl A. Welcome Speeches for Special Days.
Kirk-Duggan, Cheryl A. African American Special Days: 15 Complete Worship Services.
New York: Abingdon Press, 1996.
This publication contains a collection of worship services for various special days celebrated in most African American churches.
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LaRue, Cleophus James, ed. More Power in the Pulpit: How America's Most Effective Black Preachers Prepare Their Sermons.
Westminster: John Knox Press, 2009.
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Lewis, John. Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998.
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McKinney, Jeffrey. “Law Firm to Gift HBCUS Dillard University, Morgan State, Howard Porton of $12M Case Settlement.
26 November 2021.
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“National Faith and Blue Weekend 2021 Press Conference on YouTube.”
At the heart of this initiative is the reinforcement of law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve through the reach of houses of worship.f this initiative.
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Phipps, Wintley. “Amazing Grace.”
Gives history of “Amazing Grace” and the significance of the five black notes on the piano in relation to Negro Spirituals. Also, sings “Amazing Grace” in that vane.
Assessed 18 November 2021.
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Discussion hosted by the Hoover Institute
Sowell, Thomas. Wealth, Poverty, and Politics: An International Perspective.
New York: Basic Books, 2015; 338 pages.
Book review by Gary M. Gales, Pepperdine University, contained in Independent Review, Winter 2015.
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Rae, Rae, Scott B. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics.
Chapter 15. 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018.
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Stevenson, Bryan. “Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption.” Melbourne Law School,
February 18, 2006.
Professor Bryan Stevenson of NYU Law School, one of America’s leading human rights
Lawyers and clinical law professors, offers his reflections and vision on how to confront
Injustice and build a just society at a public lecture at Melbourne Law School.
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Thigpen, Lewis. Born and Raised in Sawdust: My Journey Around the World in Eighty Years.
This is the autobiography of retired Howard University engineering professor emeritus who grew up during the Jim era.
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Thomas Sewell. Discrimination and Disparities with Tom Sewell.
Hover Institute. May 3, 2018.
Assessed 18 November 2021.
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Morrison, Toni. A Mercy.
New York: Phi Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008.
176 pages.
A tragic novel set in 1680 when the salve trade was in its infancy stare.
Read an Overview at Thriftbooks.
DEALING WITH GRIEF AND DEPRESSION,
ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Anderson, Jessica. “Grieving Baltimore Families Feel the Pain of So Many as City Passes 300 Homicides: ‘It Happens Every Day.’”
Baltimore Sun. 19 November 2021.
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Dr. Maya Angelou at Evergreen. “Rain in the Clouds.”
Evergreen State College, 6 years ago.
The presentation focuses on dealing with rejection and sorrow and how to overcome them, within and across racial lines.
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Dr. Amit Sood, “Holiday Stress”
December 16, 2013. Mayo Clinic.
Discusses stress in relationship to the holiday season. Assessed 18 November 2021.
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Keller, Tim. How to Deal with Dark Time.
HTB Church, three years ago.
Keller, Tim. Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering.
New York: Dutton, 2013.
Keller focuses on meaning and reason behind pain and suffering. Keller makes the case that this essential part o the human experience can be overcome only by understanding our relationship with God, for God understands what it is like to live through the miseries of this world.
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“Moving Forward: Dealing with Grief.” Focus on the Family.
1 February 2002.
Contains appropriate biblical and other references.
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Meyer, Pastor Jeff. “Connection 1: Compassion; Part 5: Grieving.”
Main Text: Luke 7:11-17. 2020.
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Rosenblatt, Paul C. and Beverly R. Wallace. African American Grief.
Philadelphia: Routledge, 2022.
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Press Release Digest, Advent & Epiphany.
The Episcopal Church.
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Especially during the holidays, churches should continue to sponsor church organized grieving ministries, including Sacred Heart Ones, that interact with grieving families to assist with arrangement of funeral/memorial services. Grieving families find that this kind of ministry relieves much of the pressure from families. Also, referral programs also are highly recommended. Many organizations assist with finances. So do cities and states, insurance programs, and federally sponsored programs.