The impetus for this blog series came in May of this year, after the sequential and highly publicized murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. I say highly publicized because according to data culled from Mapping Police Violence and The Washington Post, police in the U.S. killed 164 black people in the first eight months of 2020. So while names like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery (who was not killed at the hands of police but was the victim of murder based on race, bias, and assumption) entered the living rooms of American citizens, their deaths appear as only the tip of a lethal iceberg.

Our work centers around the lives of young adults: their longing, their fears, their spiritual questions and pursuits, their yearning for community, their hopes for justice. Our goal is to connect the questions and needs of their hearts to the active and emerging work of American churches. How are we serving their needs? How are we allies in the quest for justice? How are we listening and learning from them? How have we failed and where are we called to repent and pivot in our desire to serve all people, of all races and generations? How can we work together to help birth a world that resembles the one Jesus modeled in the Gospels, aligned with marginalized people rather than principalities? How can our ancient traditions and current practices serve in each person’s healing and the healing of the world?

By the time we were three months into the pandemic, and the economic and racial disparities in our country were quickly and deftly laid bare, we began to key in on a pervasive recognition that both the pandemic and the racial reckoning called up in many of us, and particularly among the young adults in our midst: The truth of our own mortality. The harsh reality that, whether we know it or not, death is always with us. And acknowledging that both COVID and police violence bring the presence and possibility of death into black and brown communities disproportionately.

In the middle ages, one of the ways people normalized the presence of death in their daily lives was through art. A genre, often referred to as Danse Macabre (or Dance of Death), emerged to “remind people of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life.” (Wikipedia by way of the Catholic Encyclopedia). Often the pictures showed a personification of death summoning representatives from all walks of life to dance along to the grave, signaling both the inevitability and the great equalizer of death. We adopted this theme to reflect on our mortality, as well as the reality that, in our current systems and institutions, death is not always an inevitable equalizer. The 787 Collective asked a small group of young adults to consider this topic and share their personal thoughts and reflections. Their responses are as diverse as their viewpoints, and we are deeply grateful for their gifts of poetry, personal reflection, essays and remarks as we all seek to broaden our understanding of each other’s lives during this time and discern the collective call that emerges as we listen to the lives of young adults.

MLC

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It’s back to the news and the news is kind of hard these days.  Like many folks, I’m working to strike a balance between avoidance (or one could say head completely in the sand) and engagement that leaves me feeling committed to the work before us and not helpless or overwhelmed.  It’s not always easy to manage. In our Cyber 787 cohort this week we shared Rabbi Sharon Brous’ TED talk on reclaiming religion, and one of the pillars she observes in emerging faith communities across different traditions is something she calls “wakefulness.”  I’m wishing a sense of grace-filled wakefulness for each of us as we walk through the next few weeks, so that we can do the diligent work of civic duty by paying attention.  For those of us with the privilege and responsibility of a vote in this election, may we each practice wisdom at the polls, remembering the disenfranchised in our communities, finding ways to support their quest to have their vote counted and voices heard as we double down on our own participation.  Let’s all commit to praying and watching as big things happen every day:  virus surges, judicial confirmations, voter access, economic challenges, police violence, racial reckoning and healing, and the ongoing hardship faced by immigrants and asylum seekers at our borders and in our communities.  Finding particular news pieces that spoke to the heart of each of these felt difficult in the current fray, so instead I’m offering you bits of inspiration that bubbled up in life and work over the past few weeks for you to consider: 

Share Perspectives

*This short article about a Japanese tourist who waited in Peru 7 months to visit Machu Picchu caught my eye and warmed my heart. 
*The Washington Post’s oral history project “Voices from the Pandemic” continues to share challenging but vital stories from a wide range of people about their COVID experiences.  This one was published recently, and is hard to read, but shares a compelling and unusual perspective if you can engage. 

Seek Wisdom
*Chadwick Boseman’s death was a significant loss during a season of loss.  I’ve been avoiding social media, so this was probably already widely circulated, but I loved loved loved watching his commencement address at Howard University and learning more about his powerful biography and the considerable impact of his career.  The first few minutes are academia in full swing as he receives an honorary doctorate:  Celebrate all the ceremonies we’ve missed the past 8 months vicariously and make sure to stay for the speech.  It’s balm for the soul and a testament to resilience in difficult times. 

*This article is an oldie but a goodie that I found while cleaning out old files in which Elaine Heath focuses on the importance of hospitality and community in the life of faith.  After reading this article from the BBC about the success of continental Africa in combatting the COVID crisis, it started my brain all a-flutter about connecting the important practice of healthy community in our efforts to support community health, and how we might improve these ecosystems after this public health crisis and before the next. 

Celebrate Process

*Check out Vespers by Louise Gluck who just won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.  I was not familiar with her work, and this piece from The Jesuit Review provided a beautiful introduction.  
*Our young adult facilitator recommended this TED talk for our Cyber 787 group as well and it really spoke to me this week.  Like many, my pandemic life is a constantly moving target, and remembering the importance of Embracing the Near Win helped encourage me through the week and remember to take pride and joy in process.

Find Humor
*This SNL skit made my week. *Laughter:  On good days, it’s the icing on every homeschooling parent’s cake.  This little guy took a genius approach to his math:  watch it on loop here because his laugh gets me every time!

That’s all wonderful people!  Rest well and have a lovely fall weekend. 

Grace and peace, 

MLC

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So much change is loose in the world, and it’s been too long since we last wrote.  The effect of this change, and how it feels to each of us in our individual lives on any given day, is rife with both difference and similarity.  I’ve taken heart in some of our recent Tuesday conversations, in which we’ve explored both beauty and anxiety, as well as what it means to be agents of hope in a world bludgeoned daily by natural disasters, racial injustice, political turmoil, and the constant bearing down of this pandemic.   This newsletter has been a solid three weeks in the making, challenged by other work commitments and the demands of homeschooling, but like all of you, I persist!  And like many of you, I am still processing the recent events regarding Justice Ginsberg’s death as well as the verdict yesterday regarding the legal accountability of law enforcement in the death of Breonna Taylor.  As stories and perspectives in both situations continue to unfold, we will pay attention.  For now, let us hold with intention these thoughts and ideas from the past weeks:

NOURISH
*The NY Times had me at this quote:  “Nourishment is a prerequisite to equity.”  That alone is much to unpack and a clear call to action in ways both big and small.  The quote is from this article which I loved, loved, loved about feeding the revolution.  It’s a longer read, but well worth it and full of ideas for faith communities with large, functional kitchens and a heart to serve the common good or support those working for social change.*Body nourishment is essential, and soul nourishment can not be forgotten in times as emotionally taxing as these.  In this beautiful essay for Vanity Fair, the mammoth talent Jesmyn Ward writes beautifully about the complex intersections of these times in her own life as she grieves the death of her husband and reminds us of the deep and abiding need to bear witness in and for our communities.  She uses a phrase I’d never heard but we all need more of in our life: “respair.”  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, respair is a noun and a verb meaning “the return of hope after a period of despair.”

LISTEN
*The heart of our project began with a commitment to listen to the lives of young adults, and our own Sopphey Vance published a brief but compelling piece on our blog about “Universal Human Needs in the time of COVID” that provided great theological reflection and a solid call for both thought and action on our part.

*KUT just began this podcast project, and I am anticipating that it might be a rich resource for all of our faith communities searching for ways to engage, support and serve the younger folks in our community impacted by COVID.  It highlights the stories and voices of people in the music industry affected by the pandemic from musicians to bartenders, and according to the producers, is also a testament to hope and creativity in a time of challenge.  I can’t wait to check it out!

CONSIDER
*I’m a sucker for a good counter-narrative, and this article from The Guardian caught my eye.  It provides some follow up to the great gamble that Germany, under the leadership of Angela Merkel, took during the 2015 refugee crisis in Europe, allowing 1.7 million people to apply for asylum in the four years that followed.  It’s exciting to find stories the encourage hope and alternative possibilities/narratives about immigration, particularly during an election year and in light of our shrinking immigration quotas and increasing restrictions on asylum seekers.
*A friend shared this article with me which highlights the often hard and very personal work of showing up as our full selves for friends and colleagues of color as we all seek to make this world a more racially just place.  It’s also a reminder of the rich complexity of race and identity in America, and that this works exists on a non-binary continuum with each individual bringing their unique story, self, and perspective to the work.

*Oh and this piece from Maria Popova at Brainpickings is timely…

DELIGHT:
*Two quick posts from the Good News Movement spreading some serious bits of wonderful during difficult times.  I’m not a social media person but this account may be worth signing up for.  Here are two links that hopefully will work for you (sometimes I have to cut and paste them in my browser):  Chef Cade reminding us that wild hearts can’t be broken, at least not when it comes to making cookies and Ms. Cosgrove, revealing how so many of us (and our kids) feel about homeschooling.*And finally, a short but gorgeous poem by Joy Harjo to gently whisk you into your weekend.  To borrow Harjo’s words, may you “open your whole self/ To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon/To one whole voice that is you.”

Wishing you beauty, joy and restoration this weekend and onward-

Martha Lynn

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Bag Lunch Instructions

We have a special request that lunches are made in multiples of 20 – 20 lunches, 40 lunches, or 60 lunches.

Each bag lunch should include all of the following: 
• Two sandwiches in a Zip Lock bag 
• A piece of fruit
• A small bag of chips
• A cookie or brownie
• A napkin
We ask that sandwiches be: 
• Placed in a small Zip Lock bag. 
• Dry — no condiments or relish or lettuce, just the bread and stuffing. 
• Stuffing can be any one of the following: deli meat & cheese, or peanut butter & jelly. The 2 sandwiches should be the same within each bag. 
• Bread should be soft with no poppy seeds.
• Made with clean hands, preferably using gloves.
Notes: A loaf of bread makes 10 sandwiches. A pound of ham or turkey makes 6-8 sandwiches.
Fruit should be soft for chewing – no apples! We ask that fruit be ONE of the following bulleted items:
• One orange or cutie that is seedless and easy to peel
• One banana
• One small bunch of grapes in plastic bag
All of the items should be placed in a brown paper bag with the type of sandwiches written directly on the paper bag. 
Drop-off Information: 
• Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to Noon (if you need to drop-off outside of these times, please let Carolina know)
• Dropped off at the Central Presbyterian church kitchen door in the alley (enter off San Jacinto, between 8th and 9th Sts, look for the black gate on the left)
• Text or call Carolina’s Trevino’s cell phone with any questions (512) 653-7604

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If your congregation is interested in participating, either by nominating a Young Adult Community Builder from your ranks or discerning a partnership with a Young Adult Community Builder in Austin, please submit this Expression of Interest by September 15th. If you use Google Suite, you may also conveniently fill out the Expression of Interest here.

If you are a young adult and are interested in applying to become a Young Adult Community Builder, please submit this Expression of Interest by September 15th. If you use Google Suite, you may also conveniently fill out the Expression of Interest here.

To access our brief refresher on the art of Christian Discernment, click here. Our full and very snazzy Discernment Guide (with pictures!) is available for free here.

Our project focuses on the spiritual thriving of young adults in our immediate community, so projects in and around the Austin area will receive priority. But the spiritual nurture of young adults everywhere concerns us all, so please reach out regardless if you seek help brokering a creative venture in your community or your congregation!

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We are already deep in Advent, but want to share a link to the Advent playlist that many of us enjoyed over the past few weeks and that still might inspire or illuminate these last few days until the beginning of Christmastide. While compiling the list, we asked Collective participants to choose music based on what Advent meant to them and/or what song they think speaks to this season. The outcome is varied, as are the musical genres, but if you’re traveling the next few days, hanging at home, or running final holiday errands, we invite you to download the playlist and let it inspire your own thoughts about the season.  The pain and joy of waiting, the desire that a better world will come, and our communal prayer for the way of light in times of darkness: This season feels as much about learning to abide and find joy in the waiting as much as the anticipation of better things to come. There will be more to follow (Christmas then Epiphany followed by Ordinary Time), but get started here:

 787 Collective Advent Playlist

For those new to Spotify, you can create an account at no cost (if you wish) and this will allow you to stream the playlist for free if you are connected to the internet with the occasional ad interruption.  Follow this playlist or the channel to stay posted as we consider this new exploration of liturgical time, and if you have suggestions for future playlists (“this song totally reminds me of Lent!” for instance), please email your contribution to mcoon@austinseminary.edu.

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Name: Caitlin P.
Age: 26
Relationship to the Collective: “Core group” member of St. John’s Methodist Church
Describe the event in three sentences or less: The retreat was a wonderful way to really focus on creating a project outline for our church’s “new thing” regarding young adults. We received clarity about what and how we want to do, and found it very helpful to hear what other groups have done and will do.
What did you notice during or about this event? The group was quite diverse, and the freedom afforded us was much appreciated (ample food, breaks, activities, etc.).
What impacted you the most? Building out our project plan.
What impacted you the least? I honestly can’t remember! I had a wonderful time.
What about this event struck you as spiritual and/or carried spiritual significance for you? Having time to meditate/contemplate alone and in silence.
What new or next thing, if anything, did this experience inspire you to do/be/or try in the future? We planned to hold a lunch and voting guide review and followed by a midterm election “watch party” as our first event.

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When we face difficult times, we turn to different things for help: Perhaps friends and family, church, or even the Bible. For some, turning to church or the Bible is significantly more complicated because they have been rejected or ostracized by them. The Bible says wonderful things about God’s love and how we should love others but unfortunately humans tend to lift up the things that divide and oppress rather than focusing on the love or the things that bind us together. This causes many people to turn away from church when they don’t feel accepted for who they are. Thankfully, sometimes they turn to other healthy things that are sending messages that they desperately need to hear.

Growing up I remember drawing strength from songs like Survivor by Destiny’s Child. All those years ago, Beyonce’s words began to lay a foundation of support for those who needed them. Beyonce receives a lot of attention for being one of the outlets that people, especially young adults, turn to. She and her songs send a message of love, acceptance, and fighting for what you believe in. Why aren’t people finding what they need in the church? Are we preaching love, acceptance, and empowerment of the downtrodden? Are we lifting up the Bible passages that build up and strengthen our neighbors and encourage love and support of all others? It’s easy to fall into divisive narratives, but perhaps the church is being called towards something more. I believe we could learn a lot from Beyonce and her ability to bring people together and lift them up as beloved.

For more on Beyonce and faith, check out the following resources:

Terri Gross interviews Michael Arceneaux about his memoir I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé.

One podcast and one print resource about the Beyonce Mass developed by a San Francisco Theological Seminary student at Grace Cathedral (San Francisco).

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Name: Karen

Age: 71

Relationship to the Collective (or the event): Member of
St. John’s United Methodist Core Group for the 787 Collective.

Describe the event in three sentences or less: The retreat was a marvelous opportunity to experience time away with other members of my church’s core group; to engage with participants from other churches and participating organizations; and to focus on where our initiative is heading.

What impacted you the most?  The creative exercise, based on the passage from Mark 6. Once I got beyond the challenge of being creative in a “crafty” way, the activity was liberating.  The main take-away for me: v.8-9: “You are the equipment.” The worship opportunities were contemplative and centering.

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Name: Audrey Burnett

Age: 33

Relationship to the Collective (or the event): Student Worker for the 787 Collective; Attended Christians Dreaming Dreams with Dreamers at the Texas Capitol: April 9, 2018

Describe the event in three sentences or less:

This was a public performance/protest that took place in our state capitol as a way to show solidarity with DACA recipients. We arrived at the rotunda with our banner, pillows and in our pajamas ready to read Bible verses, lay down, and sing Frère Jacques in English. All of the participants were women (80% white, 20% people of color) and the piece took us about 20 minutes total.

What did you notice during or about this event?

I was struck by the impatience of those visiting the Capitol. We had reserved the Rotunda for this performance, and there were some who blatantly expressed their displeasure with that in various ways. One person straddled our banner while we were setting up, to take a picture. Another sang “go back home” at us while we were singing and aggressively stomped around our heads and the space where we were laying down. When we finished, another said, “Great, we can start our tour now.” All three of these people were white and male.

What impacted you the most?

I was very uncomfortable preceding and during this event. I typically don’t publicly display my political leanings because I grew up in a family that is on the opposite side of the political spectrum as I am. So I’m accustomed to silencing or even hiding that part of myself to avoid drama or disagreements. Since the last presidential election, I’ve tried to be less silent within my family and friends, but I still haven’t taken my opinions online, let alone in front of strangers. This event was my second or third week on the job for the 787 Collective and I was excited to participate in a way that would get me out of my comfort zone but I was also nervous. This event gave all of us the ability to experience a tiny, microscopic piece of what DACA recipients might feel: vulnerability, negativity, and what seems like irrational hatred. We were told to “go back home.” This experience made me want to speaking out more against injustice.

What impacted you the least?

I want to say that the man singing against us impacted me the least, but I would be lying. He terrified me when he stomped around us and he made me extremely uncomfortable when he sang. I think the best thing about his reaction was how much it affected other observers and even inspired them to come talk to us afterwards.

What about this event struck you as spiritual and/or carried spiritual significance for you?

I was touched that the people who approached us afterwards wanted to see our Bible verses or were so grateful for our performance that they wanted to thank us and know more about the 787 Collective. I also felt affirmed by the Bible passages we used during the performance. They were powerful and clear in their message of hope and love for all people. One of the scriptures was from Leviticus 19:33-34 and says: When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

What new or next thing, if anything, did this experience inspire you to do/be/or try in the future?

This taught me to embrace the things that might be scary or uncomfortable. To speak up more and be an advocate. To pay attention to those unaware of their own privilege and continue to see and explore how we might address this with love and grace in the future.

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