©
Isabelle Merminod
Racial Justice
Sunday (RJS) is an important date in the British churches’ calendar. It
provides an opportunity each year for all the churches together in
Britain and Ireland to prayerfully focus on how to better relate across
the divides of cultural and ethnic differences. Churches are encouraged
to be more inclusive and culturally sensitive in their worship life and
for this rich diversity to be reflected in their liturgies. It is a time
for all Christians in the UK to celebrate God’s gift of diversity and to
seriously consider ways to rid our society and our world of racial
prejudice and discrimination.
This year Racial
Justice Sunday will be on 9 September. Churches who cannot observe
Racial Justice Sunday on this date are encouraged to pick a more
convenient date. Some suggested dates include the Sunday during One
World Week (22-29 October) or any other day in October, which is Black
History Month. Racial Justice Sunday need not be restricted to the
designated date, and it need not be on a Sunday. While there are Racial
Justice Sunday packs produced to assist churches observe this day in
worship, prayer and actions, the more creative and innovative groups and
churches are in planning this event for the benefit of the whole church
and community the better.
Racial Justice
Sunday helps churches to consider many issues including:
-
Thinking
about racial justice
-
Thanksgiving
for human diversity
-
Prayer for an
end to misunderstanding, racism and injustice
-
Action that
truly makes a difference
-
Fundraising
for national and local racial justice initiative
RJS packs and
prayer leaflets can be ordered from the Racial Justice and Multicultural
Ministry Office, 86 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RT. Tel: 020 7916
8655. Email:
racial.justice.mm@urc.org.uk
The RJS pack
includes:
-
Worship
materials
-
Biblical
reflections
-
Sermon ideas
-
Prayer
leaflets
-
Ideas on ‘How
to celebrate RJS’
-
Children and
Youth materials
-
Suggestions
for the Celebration of the Eucharist
-
Ideas for
Commitment and Action
And much more!
Fundraising is
a really important part of Racial Justice Sunday. Money raised on the
day provides support for the Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice’s (CCRJ)
projects fund. This fund helps groups around Britain and Ireland working
to combat racism and achieve racial justice. Many churches take special
collections on Racial Justice Sunday to support this work. Some hold
fundraising events. Please help! Donations for Racial Justice can be
sent to CCRJ at Bastille Court, 2 Paris Garden, London SE1 8ND. (Please
make cheques payable to ‘CCRJ’.)
Last year,
special national celebrations for the tenth anniversary of Racial
Justice Sunday were held in Cardiff, Glasgow and London.
Isabelle Merminod
The photo
above is
of the celebration held in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on Racial
Justice Sunday 2005. Before the service, the Psalm Drummers entertained
participants with African drumming. The service began with a procession
led by Mahogany Carnival Club and groups assisted by the Racial Justice
fund. Outside, after giving the blessing, Archbishop Gregorios of
Thyateira and Great Britain and Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox
Church in Britain joined CCRJ Commission Secretary Revd Arlington
Trotman and hundreds of worshippers in singing ‘We shall overcome’.
Prayers were
led by Canon Philip Buckler, representing the Dean of St Paul’s; Bishop
Kieran Conry, President of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice;
Bishop Angaelos; Revd Simon Reynolds, Succentor of St Paul’s Cathedral;
Revd Ermal Kirby, Chair of London North East District of the Methodist
Church; and Archbishop Gregorios. During the service, Cindy Kent, a
Premier Christian Radio presenter, interviewed Bishop Tom Butler of
Southwark and Revd Dr Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical
Alliance. Other speakers were Doreen Lawrence, Sam Bekoe of Pan African
Legal Advisory Services, Revd David Haslam, former Commission Secretary
of CCRJ, and Revd Arlington Trotman. Inspirational singing was provided
inside the cathedral by the choir of St Andrew’s Church of England High
School, Croydon; at the end of the service singing was led on the
cathedral steps by the gospel group.
The Kirbys
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