Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia
In a meeting of the Circles of Color that I attended on February 1, the following prayer was prayed by Canon Carla Robinson. I was very moved by it and wanted to share it with all of you as something you might pray during Black History Month.
May God bless the memory of Tyre Nichols. We pray for his family during this time of unspeakable loss and grief. His life mattered. Tragically we have been here time & time again. Lord, grants us the strength and courage to never accept injustice & cruelty as the price for public safety. And give us grace to truly strive for justice and peace and to honestly respect the dignity of every human being.
Creator, we lift up and thank you for our Black siblings who have shaped history. We pray that the learning happening this month in schools, homes and workplaces will be meaningful and deep-rooted. We pray for open hearts and minds, and spirits willing to learn and be transformed by you. May this month be a time of curiosity and sharing, conversations and celebrations, challenge and encouragement. Loving God, help us to dig deeper, look closer, and think bigger.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Canon Robinson has also gathered a selection of resources for you to use this month in your personal and communal life. I have added those resources below.
Blessings,
+Melissa
Resources for Black History Month
- The Church of England. Liturgical resources: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Liturgical%20Resources%20for%20Black%20History%20Month%20FINAL.pdf
- St. Margret’s, Bellevue. Black History Month celebration opportunities: http://saintmargarets.org/black-history-month/
- St. Clement’s, Seattle. History of St Clement’s: https://www.stclementseattle.org/history-of-st-clements
- AAA. Black History landmarks in the Pacific Northwest: https://blog.wa.aaa.com/journey/black-history-landmarks-pacific-northwest/
- The Seattle PI. A Timeline of Black History in Washington State: https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Washington-black-history-A-timeline-1136650.php
- Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans. A Black History “Playlist”: https://trinitynola.com/black-history-playlist/
- The Diocese of Iowa. Read Watch and Listen list: https://becomingbelovedcommunity.org/february
- St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Raleigh. Celebrating Black Saints: https://stambroseraleigh.org/black-saints/
- The Episcopal Church. Black bishops of the Episcopal Church: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/african-descent-ministries/black-bishops-in-the-episcopal-church-1874-present/#:~:text=Black%20Bishops%20in%20The%20Episcopal%20Church%201874-Present.%20Over,States%2C%20the%20Caribbean%2C%20Central%20America%20and%20other%20countries
