Tuesday, April 7, 2020
United Methodist Women is deeply committed to the ongoing work of racial justice. Human rights for all people is one of the historic principles of United Methodist Women. God is the creator of all people of all races, and we are all God’s children. Therefore, opportunities for fellowship and service, personal growth and freedom in every aspect of life are inherent rights of everyone. United Methodist Women from its beginnings has tried to build a community and social order without racial barriers, as the Racial Justice Timeline shows. Racial justice is an ongoing focus of the United Methodist Women mission as members work to promote racial justice in the United States and around the world. 

The Charter for Racial Justice in an Interdependent Global Community was adopted by the 1980 General Conference of The United Methodist Church: “The United States—a nation of many peoples of different races, nationalities, languages and cultures—is challenged to make the Charter for Racial Justice a charter for everyone. The Charter for Racial Justice was created and adopted by the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries in 1978. In 1980 the division successfully recommended adoption of the charter by the whole denomination. General Conference has consecutively readopted it, every eight years since, most recently in 2008. The charter continues United Methodist Women’s urgent call for study and action on the principles and goals of its vision.”

You can learn more about the work of United Methodist Women on issues of mass incarceration, the criminalization of communities of color, and interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline here .

What is your emotional response to this ongoing work of UMW? 

How is God inviting you to respond?

Prayer
Thank you, God, for opening our eyes this Lenten season to the long and arduous task of resisting racism. As we move through this Holy Week, give us the courage and strength to hone our practices of Asking, Naming, Interrupting, Submitting, and Carrying so that we may work toward antiracism. Teach us to support and create systems that are fair and just for everyone. Mend our fractures and make us whole. Amen.
Share your reflections on our Facebook Group .
We provide these daily Interruptions to you for each day of Lent, as we journey together in the Spiritual Work of Resisting Racism. Believing that God is active through a variety of voices and media, we trust the Holy Spirit to aid our reflection and transformation. If you’d like to share these reflections and experiences with others, please do so on our private Facebook group . If you’d like to reflect further with a pastor, please email us at [email protected] or [email protected] .
First United Methodist Church
1201 Lavaca St.
Austin, TX 78731