Welcome to the May edition of the Becoming Beloved Community (BBC) newsletter. |
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BBC Calendar:
May 11: Five Talents USA Breakfast - 7:30-9 a.m.; Ministry Center
May 23: Book and Movie Club - Fences; 7 p.m.; Zoom
June 1: Blood Drive - 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Ministry Center
June 22: Daryl Davis for Liberty Amendment Month - 6:30 p.m.; Vienna Community Center
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The Beloved Community is not a fairy tale. It is not a fond hope that will never be realized. It’s the only hope. And it’s real hope. – Bishop Michael Curry
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Upcoming Blood Drive
Wednesday, June 1; Ministry Center
Appointments Available 10 a..m.–4 p.m. Register to donate blood HERE or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Would you like to welcome donors? Volunteer HERE! |
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Iftar Celebration with ATFA
On April 27, members of the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) joined in fellowship with CHC members to celebrate Iftar, the daily breaking of the fast during Ramadan. The 120 attendees, including many children, enjoyed a delicious meal, the opportunity to meet each other, and share information on activities and outreach. We found much in common! ATFA will host the next event at their Chantilly location, with details forthcoming. |
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Book and Movie Club
Fences (based on the August Wilson play)
Monday, May 23; 7 p.m. on Zoom
Discussion on the Academy Award-winning film directed by and starring Denzel Washington, along with Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Viola Davis
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Troy Maxson is a strong man, a hard man. He has had to be to survive. He has lived a life in an America where to be proud and black is to face pressures that could crush a man—body and soul. The 1950s are yielding to the new spirit of liberation in the 1960s—a spirit that is changing the world Troy Maxson has learned to deal with—a spirit that is making him a stranger, angry and afraid, to a wife and son he understands less and less. This is a modern classic based on the book set during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. |
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June is Liberty Amendments Month
The Town of Vienna initiated Liberty Amendments month in 2021 after Juneteenth was declared a state holiday. The month commemorates the passage of the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments, which granted full rights to citizens who were previously excluded from the U.S. Constitution. The Liberty Amendments Month celebration brings our community together to foster mutual respect and understanding, and to celebrate the Constitutional Amendments that give all citizens a say in how they are governed, regardless of their culture or station in life.
CHC is sponsoring a talk with Daryl Davis on June 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center. Daryl is an R&B and blues musician and activist. His efforts to fight racism involve, as a Black American, engaging with members of the Ku Klux Klan and Neo Nazis, many of whom ultimately leave and denounce their organization. Learn about Daryl Davis.
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RSVP BY MAY 6
Five Talents Breakfast
Wednesday, May 11; 7:30–9 a.m.; Ministry Center
Holy Comforter has had a long relationship with Five Talents (Its first office was on our campus) and we are delighted to have them back for this very special event. For the first time in two years, we’re able to welcome our partners from Five Talents Kenya. Please join us for breakfast and learn how your giving has been helping to transform lives in Kenya even in the pandemic’s darkest hours!
Reserve your spot by Friday, May 6 HERE.
Peterson Karanja, CEO and Peter Mugendi Kaguamba, Financial Services Advisor with the FTK office, will share what life has been like in Kenya since COVID-19 emerged. Can you imagine passing barricades on the way to work during lockdowns; experiencing loss because of slower distribution of vaccines; and the deep impact of social distancing on a culture built on warmth and human contact? And what’s the latest from Five Talents Savings Groups there, and where are they expanding to? We hope you’ll come, bring your questions, and be inspired by our brave partners in Kenya!
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Check Out the BBC Book Collection in the Holy Comforter Library!
Including these and other titles for children, youth/young adult, fiction, non-fiction:
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Youth/Young Adult: Smoke Signals by Sherman Alexie
Written by Sherman Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, and set in Arizona, Smoke Signals is the story of two Native American boys on a journey. Victor is the stoic, handsome son of an alcoholic father who has abandoned his family. Thomas is a gregarious, goofy young man who lost both his parents in a fire at a very young age. Through storytelling, Thomas makes every effort to connect with the people around him: Victor, in contrast, uses his quiet countenance to gain strength and confidence. When Victor's estranged father dies, the two men embark on an adventure to Phoenix to collect the ashes. Along the way, Smoke Signals illustrates the ties that bind these two very different young men and embraces the lessons they learn from one another.
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Fiction: No Good Very Bad Asian by Leland Cheuk
Meet Sirius Lee, a fictive famous Chinese American comedian. He’s a no good, very bad Asian. He’s not good at math (or any other subject, really). He has no interest in finding a “good Chinese girlfriend.” And he refuses to put any effort into becoming the CEO/Lawyer/Doctor his parents so desperately want him to be. All he wants to do is make people laugh. A cross between Paul Beatty’s The Sellout and Jade Chang’s The Wangs Vs. The World, the book follows Sirius from his poor upbringing in the immigrant enclaves of Los Angeles to the loftiest heights of stardom as he struggles with substance abuse and persistent racism despite his fame. Ultimately, when he becomes a father himself, he must come to terms with who he is, where he came from, and the legacy he’ll leave behind.
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Ukraine Crisis Response Fund Established by Episcopal Relief & Development
People across our Diocese have been asking how they might support the more than one million persons who have been displaced because of the aggression and warfare in Ukraine. Episcopal Relief & Development has established a Ukraine Crisis Response Fund, working with organizations on the ground in Europe. Please pray for the people of Ukraine and about how you can support them. |
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Sacred Ground
Sacred Ground is a nine-session multi-media program, grounded in Christian faith, exploring racial injustice in the U.S. in the example of Jesus Christ and the power of scripture. To date, over 50 people have completed Sacred Ground at Holy Comforter. The program has been offered Monday nights from 7 to 8:30, between September and January. If you are interested in attending over the next program year, please contact the Rev. Ann Gillespie. |
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Episcopal Church’s ‘Sacred Ground’ Releases Report, Updated Curriculum
Three years after launching Sacred Ground, a dialogue series on race, racism, and whiteness with more than 20,000 participants thus far, The Episcopal Church’s Racial Reconciliation and Justice Team is releasing a comprehensive evaluation report, updated curriculum and resources, and expanded licensing that invites people in other denominations/faiths to start their own Sacred Ground circles.
"Everywhere I travel, people are bursting to tell me about the transformational impact Sacred Ground has had in their lives," said Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. "The Lord is building Beloved Community through this movement, and in its updated and expanded form, Sacred Ground will help many thousands more take the next steps in the lifelong work of racial healing."
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Mainstreaming Asiamericans
In this podcast, hear messages, interviews, and stories of faith, struggles and triumphs of Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Arab-Middle Easterners who are clergy and lay leaders of The Episcopal Church. Subscribe online HERE.
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Revel in truth-tellers, movement-makers, and creative catalysts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)!
Learn about artists—both past to present—who use their platforms to inspire, mobilize, and amplify voices. Visit NMAAHC online.
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Faith & Justice Summer Academy
Interested in attending? Apply online HERE. |
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