These past few weeks in our new sanctuary have finally felt like “home”. After months of uncertainty, we have arrived in a space we can make our own. And more than the form or function of this building, what I’ve felt most profoundly here is a communal exhale from our familia. We’re slowly settling in here. And that settledness has been such a gift to share together.
As we turn to the holidays, we want to offer a few opportunities to multiply that sense of settledness both within our own community, and beyond.
Hosting for the Holidays
We have a special opportunity as a church in our proximity – both in distance and relationship – to Fuller Seminary. As international students have sojourned to Pasadena from all over the world, there is a gift we can offer that will be long-lasting and uniquely meaningful.
Do you have room at your holiday (Thanksgiving or Christmas) table to host a Fuller international student (or even a few)? If so, please fill out the Google form here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Nicole at nicoleboymook@fuller.edu.
Snuggle Day
This Sunday, we will get to hear from our sister, Alicia McCormick, as she invites us to join in Snuggle Day, an initiative to buy gifts for social workers who will in turn purchase Christmas gifts for their case families. You are welcome to bring new and unwrapped gifts to church, the suggested price range of $15-30, for ages 0-18 years old, and Alicia will get them where they need to go! The deadline to bring gifts is Sunday, Dec. 3rd!
This year, our Shalom & Justice Team has joyfully increased its giving to this initiative from last year to $500. Thank you for your giving which makes our church familia a generous comunidad!
You can purchase gifts online through a Snuggle Day Amazon Wish List Alicia has created. This initiative not only supports social workers but foster moms like Alicia who do the work day in and day out the rest of the year!
For this migration moment, I would like to share this Migration Case Study on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, first released in the Pax Migration StoryArc. I invite you to take a moment to explore this American injustice as a community. We will explore this six-decade-long policy, examining both the short-term and long-term effects it had on our Chinese-American siblings. But it’s not just about history—we will also unpack how this injustice still shapes our world today. We will witness the devastating legacy of this injustice, still reverberating today and explore the lasting consequences for both immigrants and non-immigrants.
As you navigate through this experience, I would like to draw attention to the artwork designed by myself, framing each section. To provide a deeper understanding of the creative process and the underlying thoughts, I’d like to share my artist statement. It might serve as a guide to explore the intricacies of this case study and the contemplative process that unfolded throughout its creation.
ARTIST STATEMENT
At the beginning of this project, I sought to leverage the historical artifacts related to this historical moment, so history could speak for itself. When I saw some of the blatantly racist and dehumanizing propaganda art associated with the Chinese Exclusion Act, I had trouble imagining how anyone could create such awful designs meant to shape public perception of a specific ethnic group. But the truth is that, at the time, a majority of Americans didn’t even think twice about the degrading language and dehumanizing images. They supported the inhumane policies supported by media propaganda that harmed both Chinese migrants and Chinese American citizens. Then I realized that the same is true today. As a nation, the US still creates and distributes pseudo propaganda with harmful, dehumanizing messages to prop up our xenophobic policies of the twenty-first century. Throw a dash of the good ol’ red, white, and blue in there, and it becomes a painfully familiar symbol of American history. My goal as the artist was to reflect how such a grave injustice was carried out under the collective belief that this was best for the country. The political stickers bring the past into the present, revealing how well-crafted political messaging today still promotes xenophobic priorities masquerading as “good for the country” policies, at the great expense of our migrant neighbors and siblings. – Armando David Canchola-Scott
As you read, take a moment to sit with the reflective moment at the end. And don’t forget be kind and compassionately curious with yourself along the way.
Sunday Sabbath Date Reminders
11/26: No Sunday Service
12/24: No Sunday Service
12/31: Zoom Service / No In-Person Service
We hope your weekend is restful and good! And we look forward to being together on Sunday!
Bobby