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Identifying Characteristics of Kyriarchy & White Supremacy Culture - Week 1

2/21/2021

Week 1 of our Lenten deep dive into characteristics of white supremacy culture and kyriarchy. This week we talk specifically about Worship of the Written Word, Religion, Family Structure, and Purity Culture.

Video Length: 47:35

Feb 20, 2021: This past Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, we talked about the traditional refrain "you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The first impression of this phrase is...well, bleak. If we're not careful, that phrase can lead us to think that this life doesn't matter, because we all die anyway, right?

Death is inevitable, yes; we hope in life everlasting beyond death, yes; but our lives here and now are still important and precious! Genesis 2 recounts a telling of creation of the first human: "In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens...then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being."

The dust from which we were created was not nothing, but a part of creation! Nor are ashes simply trash, but a spiritual and physical cleansing agent, and also a product of fire, which we associate with none other than the Holy Spirit.

So when we hear "to dust you shall return," can we go beyond the sadness of mortality? Can we come to the epiphany that - no matter how isolated/alone/individualized we may feel now - we will indeed return to being an undeniably intertwined part of creation?

We know that this Divine vision is at the root of the work that Jesus conducted during his ministry, which we are all commanded-and-invited to continue!

As we celebrate the season of Lent by preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Easter, I invite you all to join me for a journey focused on restoration and rededication to the Divine vision.

Specifically, let's spend the next 6 weeks with a deep dive on kyriarchy and white supremacy culture in the church world and in society at large. These intersecting forces of oppression - including racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, classism, and more - harm our neighbors, our relationships, our larger community, and even ourselves.

We'll spend time looking at some of the nuances and characteristics of oppression, from perfectionism to hyperindividualism to professionalism standards and beyond. The concepts of oppression and -isms and systemic harm can feel so intangible, but identifying and naming specific characteristics are a key step to dismantling them.

To be clear, this is a huge part of our call to love our neighbor. It is big work, but Jesus' life, death, and resurrection teach us that we are not captive to sin. So throw off the chains and let's work for that Divine love and justice and liberation!

Hope to see you on Sunday at 5pm for this Lenten journey 🕊️

Peace,
Jen

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