This Sunday is a very special day!!  It my sister Jackie's birthday!!  Happy birthday Baby Sis!!  And of course for all of the men we know who encourage, inspire and nurture others...Happy Father's Day!  And for those who are in need of another day off during the summer, you have a "legal" holiday here in Illinois!

Well, of course we need to look at why we have this new holiday!  According to the United Methodist Church's Commission on Religion and Race, there is this brief overview:

"Juneteenth (June 19) marks the day in 1865 when U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure all African Americans were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

In reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free enslaved people. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control. Literacy for enslaved Black people had been illegal in many states and written documents carrying such news were controlled by wealthy white people. That meant that any information needed by Black citizens—included news of legal freedom—could be (and was) controlled and manipulated.

However, as U.S. Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many enslaved people fled behind Union lines. Others Black people continued to be held in bondage and worked for their white owners for nearly six years after the proclamation was signed. Still, as news spread across Texas, those people freed from bondage celebrated with their families and communities, and an annual time of remembrance and jubilee was born."

So, it is not just another day off. but a day to recognize that our history here in the United States has some pieces missing that don't always get talked about in the classrooms. We, as followers of Jesus, must learn the comfortable parts of our history as well as the challenging ones.

Our scripture lessons this week help us to focus on faithfulness. The faithfulness of us in relation to others and our faithfulness to God. It is so easy to just "go along to get along" and not stir things up. But living out our faith means that we must do a little more.....take bold and challenging steps in those places that we never imagined. Let's see what we can come up with as we are "MOVING FROM COMPLACENCY TO FAITHFULNESS". What does it take, where do we go? Especially in light of the theme of the day, how do we make that kind of bold move to hear the pain as well as the celebration of JUNETEENTH. Does it really matter to us and what do we need to do to authentically celebrate. Join us on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in person or on YouTube.