19. June 2020 · Comments Off on Friday Reflections June 19, 2020 · Categories: Bishop, Friday Reflections · Tags: , , , ,
The Friday Reflection
June 19, 2020
Bishop David Rice

Friday Reflection, June 19th

We are thrilled to announce that Constance and Dain Perry will be hosting a conversation on racism and white privilege. Our conversation will be framed by the book, “Waking Up White” I by Debby Irving. It is available on Amazon, Kindle, and Audio Book.
Each Wednesday in July at 5:30 pm we will gather on Zoom.
The schedule of reading is as follows:
July 1st: Ground rules/norms & Section 1
July 8th: Sections 2 & 3
July 15th: Sections 4 & 5
July 22nd: Sections 6 & 7
July 29th: Sections 8 & 9
Please RSVP to Canon Anna at [email protected] to receive the Zoom link.

  HAPPENING TODAY
Juneteenth (sometimes called Freedom Day or Jubilee Day) commemorates the liberation of African-Americans from slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves was issued in January 1, 1863, it was only first read to enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 at the Civil War’s end. The date has been celebrated annually since that time in a number of ways, including church services, picnics, and cultural festivals. Today in 47 of our 50 states Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance. This year at St. Paul’s, Bakersfield, we will be marking Juneteenth by a special online service on June 19. The preacher will be Pastor Curtis Smith, the Chapter Director of Faith in the Valley for San Joaquin. The service will be streamed at 12noon via St. Paul’s Facebook page and YouTube, but if you miss it at noon it will remain on both platforms for future viewing.  While Juneteenth celebrates specifically the freedom from slavery of African-Americans, it is also part of the larger American narrative as we continue to struggle with and live into our founding principle that all people are created equal and that we are endowed with “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Join us in celebration and remembrance.

 Little Free Libraries
 Do you have a Little Free Library at your parish? One way you can offer Racial Reconciliation resources to your community is to add BIPOC* books to your free little libraries! Have a fundraiser if you need, and stock up!
For some book ideas, check out this list.
*BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE), whose members are of African descent, has fought to eradicate racism for over 200 years by encouraging the involvement of Black people in the total life of the Episcopal Church- on every level and in every way – stewardship, evangelism, education, leadership, governance and politics. We have stridently worked to dismantle power structures within the church and in society that have gone askew. Today as members of African descent in the Episcopal Church, we are deeply hurt, gravely offended and morally wounded by the unconscionable acts and senseless and horrific killings in the first half of 2020 of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in addition to the many other Black and Brown people who have been unjustly victimized and murdered by the police; those who are charged with protecting, helping and serving our communities. It has been a collective awakening for us, the Church and society as a whole.

Download the statement from our friends in Northern California here.

DACA stands! (but only for now….)
Yesterday the Supreme Court, with a slim 5/4 majority, ruled that the Trump Administration could not immediately shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which grants protected status for children brought to the US without immigration authorization. The program was implemented in 2012, and includes strict provisions including age of arrival, continuous residence, school attendance, diploma or degree, no felony offenses, and not a threat to national security.
At present, there are about 800,000 DACA recipients in the US. Census data (American Community Survey) show the ways in which DACA recipients have contributed to their families, communities, and the nation’s economy. (https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2019/09/05/474177/know-daca-recipients-united-states/)
Thursday’s decision was based on the procedural errors by which the Trump Administration sought to end DACA – not the validity of DACA itself. As such, a legislative solution, including development of a path to citizenship, must now happen if DACA is to be preserved. But for now, the threat of deportation has been lifted from nearly 1 million DACA recipients who call this country “home.”
Deacon Nancy Key and Deacon Tom Hampson,
Co-Chairs, Immigration Commission

Looking for a New Book? Check Out Your Local Library.
Instead of buying your own copy, check out your local library for your next read. Libraries are valuable community centers, and chances are you’ll only read the book once – no need to purchase every copy for yourself! If you like using e-readers, the Libby app allows you to borrow books from the library digitally.

 Friday Reflection
All articles and special news can be submitted to the Diocesan Office at: [email protected]
All submissions are due MONDAY for the following Friday Reflection.
Submission requirements:
pictures -JPEG format
articles- word document
document to link- PDF
Please edit pictures for best brightness, contrast, and lighting before sending.

Events Warranting Your
Participation and Prayers

   Diocesan Events
Pride Talk – Sexuality and Gender Identity Diversity
June 24 | 6:30 PM
Clergy COVID Conference
June 25 | 12:30 PM
ZOOM
DC/SC Joint Meeting
June 27
ZOOM

Women, Truth and Reconciliation Task Force Survey

Invitation to participate in survey about sexual misconduct in The Episcopal Church
Dear People of God in the Episcopal Church:
In early 2018, we issued a call for The Episcopal Church to come to a fuller understanding of how it has handled or mishandled cases of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse through the years. That work began to take shape at General Convention 2018 when the House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation submitted more than twenty resolutions and the House of Bishops held a Liturgy of Listening to lament and confess the church’s role in harassment, exploitation and abuse.
Since General Convention, several task forces have been hard at work carrying out the resolutions of convention that address gender-based discrimination and violence. Today we are asking you to assist one of those groups-the Task Force on Women, Truth and Reconciliation-by taking an online survey designed to assess patterns of church-based harassment and abuse and the effect that it has on victims. Please take the survey online by July 1, 2020.

Spam Emails!

   
Hi EDSJ!
Deacon Angela here. It looks like many of you have been receiving spam emails that appear to be from us. They are not, and since they don’t come from our email, there is unfortunately little we can do to stop it.
Things to look for in scam emails:
Our emails all end in diosanjoaquin.org. Hacked emails are not from our server.
The Bishops title simply says: Rev. David Rice. This is an incorrect title.
We ask you for gift cards of any sort. We will NEVER do that in an email.
We mention that is discreet. Again, that is a key word that this is likely fake.
We mention that we are in a prayer meeting. Well that doesn’t sounds like our type of language.
Watch out, please!
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, 4147 E Dakota AVE, Fresno, CA 93726
Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with
Constant Contact
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