Welcome to
The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation!
in the Heart of Jersey City
“Swimming in Privilege”
Since the weather has been so good lately, most
mornings I have been able to take long walks through Lincoln Park. Especially
during the pandemic, these (socially distant) walks have become an important
time for me to care for my body, mind, and spirit. Since I try to walk about
five miles, it’s a pretty good workout for a middle-aged guy like me! And, I
find that this time is helpful for prayer, and also just thinking through
whatever happens to be on my mind. Many of my sermons and weekly messages -
including this one – are born in the park.
I try to walk mindfully, looking at (and sometimes
taking pictures of) the sky and the trees and the flowering plants along the
way. This time of year, it’s a special pleasure to watch the birds, including an
energetic family of red-tailed hawks, go about their business. Usually I don’t
spend too much time looking into the murky and polluted water that flows in and
out of the Hackensack River, but over the past few days I’ve noticed lots of
little air bubbles sent to the surface by the fish who manage to make this less
than pristine waterway their home.
It’s said that fish do not realize that they spend
their whole lives swimming in water. I suppose that’s true. But, I imagine that
the rush of currents and the churning of storms give fish at least some sense
that they are subject to mostly unseen, yet very powerful, forces. And, I’m
willing to bet that when unlucky fish are suddenly hooked and pulled up from
the sea and into our environment, they know enough to recognize that they have
unwillingly entered a very different world.
In the same way, although we know that we live our
lives surrounded by air, we don’t usually give it much thought - unless there
is a strong wind, or if our lungs are so diseased that we struggle for breath,
or when we watch the unbearable video of George Floyd suffocating under the
knee of a police officer. Like fish swimming in the sea, we make our way
through the air, largely oblivious to our reality - until we are snapped to
attention.
Like a lot of other White people I know, over the
past few weeks, after learning of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd,
Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and far too many others – after the protests
across the country and around the world – after the renewed insistence that
“Black Lives Matter” and the call to redistribute resources from law
enforcement – after words of division and hate from some of our leaders - after
all of that and more, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my own White
privilege.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve shared with you
memories from my teaching days: realizing that I was able to begin my classroom
career by walking through a door that probably would not have been open to a
young Black person with a resume as thin as mine. I recalled the Black teenage
girls at St. Vincent Academy shocking me with stories of being followed by suspicious
security guards as they shopped in Macy’s. And, I remembered a long-ago
encounter on Market Street in Newark when a Black woman looked me over with
disdain and said, “Well, here comes the White man!” – giving me just the
tiniest, but still very uncomfortable, taste of what it’s like to be judged because
of the color of my skin.
During this time of trouble in our country, when
powerful storms are churning the waters, when a strong wind is bringing change
that seemed nearly impossible just a few weeks ago, I can recognize more clearly
than ever that all along I’ve been swimming in the polluted water of White privilege.
It’s like I’ve been hooked and pulled out of my complacency, finally able to see
more clearly truths that I’ve known all along:
I’ve always been able to assume that most people will
give me the benefit of the doubt.
My mistakes are my own and are never thought to
reflect the supposed weaknesses of my race.
Suspicious security guards never follow me around a
department store. And, while my interactions with the police may not always be
pleasant, I’ve never worried that I’d be treated unfairly, and certainly never
feared for my life.
Because I’ve always assumed that people would
automatically recognize and respect my position and authority, I’ve had the
luxury of informality, telling people they can just call me by my name rather
than by my title.
More than seven years ago, I was chosen to minister
to our congregation – a beautifully diverse church with many Black members and
other people of color. Meanwhile, I think it’s safe to say that Black clergy
are rarely given the opportunity to lead diverse churches, and are almost never
chosen by churches that are predominately White.
I could go on… but the point is that I have lived my
life swimming in privilege, carried along by powerful though largely unseen
forces. Since those forces are now on full view, White people like me have
little choice but to see them and then decide what to do with this cleared-up
vision. I think the best way forward is to listen and talk to each other, to
hear and share our stories. But, that’s not enough. So, I hope that even more
of us will work with groups like Jersey City Together to help build a society
where all people can get a fair shake, a country that finally lives up to its
highest ideals of liberty and equality.
We have a long way to go, so there’s no time to
waste. That’s why I hope you (especially our White parishioners) will attend an
interdenominational panel discussion about racism, White privilege and power on
Monday evening at 7:00. Rev. Laurie and I will join with The Rev. Dr. Stanley
Hearst II of Mt. Pisgah AME Church and The Rev. Dr. Alonzo Perry, Sr. of New
Hope Missionary Baptist Church for what I’m sure will be a thoughtful
discussion, moderated by The Rev. Shyrone Richardson of the World Outreach
Christian Center. Log onto facebook.com/woccnj or visit www.woccnj.com.
Many of us have been suddenly pulled out of the
waters of complacency, finally able to see that we have been swimming in the
polluted waters of privilege. When a fish is caught and pulled up out of the water,
its fate is usually sealed. But, we’re different. In our case, I believe God is
using this shocking time to open our hearts and eyes, calling us to change our
ways, and giving us all the tools we need to build something better, a world
more like what God has intended from the start. As always, the rest is up to
us.
Prayers:
During Pride
Weekend we give special thanks for our LGBT parishioners, family, friends and
neighbors.
Please
pray for all those on our parish prayer list, especially Jean, Andy, Angelo,
and Richard.
Please
also remember in your prayers those who have died, and those who grieve their
loss:
Neil
Wilson, the cousin of Gail Blache-Gill
Scott
Colclough, who was shot and killed on Union Street
All of
those who have died as a result of Covid -19.
When We
See Us:
An
Interdenominational Panel Discussion About Racism, White Privilege and Power
All Are Welcome with a
Particular Request for
Attendance by White Christians
Monday, June 29th,
7pm
facebook.com/woccnj
or visit www.woccnj.com
African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the
rate of whites, are twice as likely to live in poverty and 2.5 more likely to
be killed by police* While these statistics represent violence done to
black people, the structural racism that created this violence is the result of
the white privilege.
White privilege divides one neighborhood from another,
values the education of white children more than black children and determines
the prospective of the history they learn. There is no way for white
privilege to be dismantled without white people taking responsibility for
learning about it and actively fighting against it.
Please come for an honest, open conversation about white
privilege with other Christians who understand fighting systemic racism to be
central to their call as disciples of Jesus Christ
Panelists:
The Rev. Dr. Stanley Hearst II
of Mt. Pisgah A.M.E Church
The Rev. Tom Murphy of The
Church of St. Paul & Incarnation
The Rev. Dr. Alonzo Perry Sr. of
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
The Rev. Laurie Jean Wurm of
Grace Church Van Vorst.
Moderator: The Rev. Shyrone Richardson of
World Outreach Christian Church.
All participants are strongly encouraged to prepare for the
discussion by watching the Netflix series When
They See Us in advance of the discussion.
*Statistics
drawn from the NAACP, the U.S.Census Bureau and Statista
Supporting Our Church:
We are
aware that, unfortunately, some parishioners have been laid off or furloughed
and others are in danger of losing their jobs. Please know that you are in our
prayers and we are here to help any way we can. In these extremely challenging
economic times, we are especially grateful to those of you who have been able
to keep up with your pledges. You can still mail checks to the church or you
can use online giving. Visit stpaulsjc.org and click on "Online
Giving." We also have a Venmo account. Call the office or email me for
more information.
Worship Schedule:
Monday through Friday: "Church By Phone"
Morning
Prayer, 7:30
Noonday
Prayer, 12:00
Evening
Prayer, 5:30
Call 201-433-4922 of more information.
Sunday at 10:00am
Join us
on Facebook Live for a celebration of Holy Eucharist
www.facebook.com/StPaulsJC
From the Diocese:
Read
The Voice Online for all the latest news, including information about
resuming in-person worship:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-VOICE-Online--The-journey-forward---guidelines-for-in-person-worship.html?soid=1102692382496&aid=5hGdgHjcLJc
Checking In: A Lay Conversation with
the Bishop:
Tuesday, June
30, 6:00pm
Bishop Hughes
is eager to once again spend time in conversation with members of the diocese,
to reflect and consider what we, our churches, and our communities have learned
and experienced as we have adjusted to the changes this time has demanded of
us.
This second
monthly Zoom conversation is open to all members of the diocese. Log-in
instructions will be sent out via email.
DJ’s Free Market
Subscribe to
the DJ’s Newsletter to stay informed about this exciting new ministry led by
Deacon Jill:
https://mailchi.mp/bba528aa62bb/subscribe-to-djs-newsletter
Attention Parents!
The Jersey City Together Education Team
has created a new survey that aims to capture feedback about what learning has
been like for the past three months during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey
is intended for anyone who has been helping a child with COVID-19 remote
learning. Alternatively, If you know someone who may be helping a child with
COVID-19 remote learning in Jersey City, please SHARE this survey!
The survey is here:
https://forms.gle/x1c984ZJicAH2gYU7 and
it is in both English and Spanish. The purpose of the survey is to assist
Jersey City Together's listening campaign centered around the COVID-19 pandemic
and the consequences of it as it relates to education including remote learning,
changes in your child’s temperament, academic flow, etc. Our hope with
listening is to identify common issues and concerns that parents and caregivers
may be experiencing, which can then inform our advocacy going forward.
This survey is confidential and your
identity will not be shared with your child’s principal or the district. The
survey was created by parents and advocates who have professional experience in
public education, social work, youth organization and programming, and
survey/data analysis.
If you'd like to be in the loop on
updates related to this survey going forward, you can subscribe to Jersey City
Together's education advocacy email list (you can do that on the Education team
page here ... there is a sign-up form at the
bottom of that page).
Help for Renters and Homeowners:
There
is help available for renters and homeowners suffering because of the pandemic.
One is the website for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: www.njhousing.gov. You can also call
1-800-NJ-HOUSE (1-800-654-6873).
Helpful Resources:
State
of New Jersey Covid-19 Information Hub:
https://covid19.nj.gov
The
Diocese of Newark posts Covid-19 resources here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/covid-19
You can
subscribe to diocesan newsletters here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/subscribe
The
Episcopal Church has collected Covid-19 resources here:
https://episcopalchurch.org/concerning-covid19
"Habits
of Grace," weekly reflections from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:
https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace
The
Church of England has some wonderful prayers and other materials here:
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
My
sermons can be found here:
http://tommurphe.blogspot.com