1. Art and Diseño

SimpleGifts
AllSouls
JUSTICE
S.E.A.L.
Inside:
Hands Up! Don’t Shoot!
The Need to Ask Why
Move That Turnip!
All Souls Social Justice Groups
All Souls Unitarian Church
Tulsa, Oklahoma
February 2015
Volume 12, Issue 6
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
is published monthly by:
All Souls Unitarian Church
2952 South Peoria Avenue
Tulsa Oklahoma 74114
918.743.2363
www.allsoulschurch.org
Editorial Team
Exec. Dir. of Ministry Additional Contributors
Rev. Barbara Prose
Design & Layout
Sheba Sanders
Copy Editors
Judy Jarvis
Kate Starr
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar
Rev. Barbara Prose
Rev. Gerald Davis
Shannon Boston
Kelli McLoud-Schingen
Jill Webb
Riley Kern
Deanna Tirrell
Print Media Team
Shannon Boston
Doug Henderson
Judy Jarvis
Trish Lieser
Jim Thomas
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Dear Editor,
This letter is written in response to Pat Newman’s article entitled, Love and
Sex, published in the January edition of Simple Gifts. In his article, Dr.
Newman made use of definition-specific words and phrases, but without
defining his intent. In doing so, there is room for confusion in interpretation and the possibility of unintentionally alienating some readers. Dr.
Newman stated: “Eros is much larger, and Eros separated from wholeness
is the source of distortions in how we approach sex. Pornography, perversions, repression, guilt, shame, and promiscuity are all manifestations of
this split.
First, what are the definitions of pornography, perversions and promiscuity? In many Christian churches, “perversions” include any non-married,
non-heterosexual sexual activities. I have a 41 year old daughter who has
been openly lesbian since 1990, and I am naturally defensive regarding,
even unintentional, inflammatory language toward her or other members
of the LGBTQ community. I am quite certain that Dr. Newman is not implying that LGBTQ sexual activities are perversions. But, then what is the definition he is using? We should be cautious about using words like
“perversions”, without explicitly defining them. The same question arises
regarding the word “promiscuity”. Whose definition is being used? Finding
a consensus definition of “promiscuous” might be difficult, so we are left
wondering what is meant in the article.
I do not want us to risk alienating a person, couple or family, or make them
feel unwelcomed. Even though Dr. Newman was sharing his personal and
professional perspective, when the words appear in a church published
document, it can easily give the impression that this is the official view of
All Souls. I know that All Souls is a welcoming family, and want to make
sure that even some who might not always easily fit in understand that
they too can be active participants in our vibrant church community.
Respectfully,
Randy S. Wymore, Ph.D.
I must admit, when I first heard of OWL (Our Whole Lives - Sexuality
Education) at All Souls I was somewhat skeptical, but kept an open mind
until I could learn more about it. After all, back in my day and within my
culture it was best to keep sex and church separate, kind of like that separation of state and church thing. Funny thing is, keeping sex and church
separate didn’t seem to stop the teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted
disease or any of the issues that came as a result. So, needless to say, not
talking about sex in church is not the solution for our youth today. In fact,
if our churches are indeed a place to help us become our best selves, this
would include our best perceptions, thoughts, and behavior as they relate
to sex. What I learned about the OWL program is that it provides age-appropriate information to enlighten, clarify, and correctly answer those
burning questions that perhaps our youth ask each other when no adult is
around. It also provides correct answers to the questions they don’t know
to ask just yet. I think it’s a great program that provides a safe space and
leaves each young person feeling that whatever they need to know can be
found in their church – a sense that all areas are covered – and that’s what
we’re all looking for in one way or another.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ALL SOULS IN THE NEWS
COVER STORY
All Souls Justice Council
10
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
2
AT A GLANCE
3
ALL SOULS IN THE NEWS
3
THEOLOGY
Why Oklahoma has Little
Forgiveness for Women
All Souls Criminal Justice
Outreach
FAMILY
4
How Do We Teach Our
Children to Be Agents of
Justice?
REVIEWS
6
An Invitation to Read
4
7
BEYOND OUR WALLS
Hands Up! Don’t Shoot!
8
All Souls Justice Council
10
JOURNEYS
The Need to Ask Why
13
Which Comes First, Love or
Justice?
Move That Turnip!
14
TRANSITIONS
In Memoriam
15
11
7
New members
16
Parish Notes
17
Event Calendar
19
Event Photographs
20
FYI
Did you get your copy of the Oklahoma Eagle with Rev. Lavanhar’s
message from the MLK Interfaith Service?
(Letters to the Editor continued)
AT A GLANCE
As a minister, I understand the often-complex issues surrounding women’s
reproductive rights. However, I believe that it is the responsibility of all
Americans to respect other people’s privacy. Reproductive issues are never
only black or white; and quite often, they reside somewhere in the murky
gray area. And who knows the full story of those who have decided to seek
reproductive services?
Plan to attend these
upcoming events at
All Souls!
Cassandra Austin
When it comes to the ‘pro-life’ and the ‘pro-choice’ debate, I have learned
to surrender my own struggle to the unknown story, to the wisdom of the
physicians and care providers, and to the women who have made this very
difficult decision ­­— a decision that is theirs alone to make. I am here to
provide care and support for individuals and couples needs during very
difficult times. If I do anything beyond what recipients are seeking from me
then I am serving my own agenda.
*Please note that not all submissions received will be published.
Minister Randy Lewis
February 8 Soulful Journey
February 9 Sweetheart Ball
February 27 Trivia Night
February 2015
3
THEOLOGY
Why Oklahoma Has Little Forgiveness for Women
All Souls Criminal Justice Outreach
Jill Webb, Criminal Defense Attorney
Riley Kern, All Souls Criminal Justice Outreach
and this is what I see: I think our incarceration rate for
women is caused by a misguided view of free will that is
popular with many Oklahomans’ political views combined
with the Oral Roberts’ theology that shaped so many
Oklahomans’ beliefs about God.
Legal Aid called the Women’s Defense Team. Her story,
while inspiring, doesn’t illustrate how difficult it was for her
to get work, obtain housing, and pursue higher education
because of her record. Due to these challenges, she is motivated to use her experience and credentials to help others
live a normal life less a challenge for others.
The best example of the misguided view of free will comes
from a conversation I had with a prosecutor. She wanted to
put my nonviolent client in prison for 20 years when there
was no sign anything was wrong with him other than addiction. She’s said, “Listen, I chose to go to law school and he
chose to be a meth addict. If he had chosen to go to law
school, he wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any
place on the planet. Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana
have greater overall rates of incarceration, but our incarceration rate of women is far higher than any state or country,
anywhere. We imprison 127 of every100,000 women. The
rate in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana is right at 100;
in Texas it is 88 and Maine imprisons the fewest women –
21 per 100,000.
Some have blamed Oklahoma’s harsh laws coupled with an
inadequate safety net for people who suffer from addiction
and/or mental illness. Little doubt exists that these factors
contribute to the problem, and good work is being done by
people of all political stripes to reform our system.
Yet, those factors of inadequate social support are shared
with other states with much lower female incarceration
rates. What is it about Oklahoma that causes this severe
punishment of women?
I am just a criminal defense attorney, not a sociologist. But
I do have a great deal experience with our criminal courts
This mindset just uses a radical definition of free will to justify a complete lack of compassion. Every woman in
Oklahoma who is sentenced to prison is a victim of this
mantra, ”She shouldn’t have made bad choices.” Of course,
she shouldn’t have made bad choices. But stopping there,
rather than asking what choices she faced and what shaped
her decision is a dereliction of our philosophical and ethical duties to one other.
In addition to that, I don’t think we can under-estimate
how Oklahoma in particular has been shaped by Oral
Roberts. Rev. Roberts preached the prosperity gospel – that
financial blessings are the will of God, and that faith can
increase material wealth. Most of the women in prison
come from poverty, and if being close to God increases
riches, then it’s not a leap of logic to assume that these
women brought their circumstances on themselves by not
being holy enough.
I know I’m simplifying Roberts’ message, but I think the
radical concept of free will and the theology combine to
make it very difficult for poor Oklahomans with addictions
and/or mental illness to stay out of prison.
It’s particularly true of women, who are expected to have
more self-restraint and Godliness than men in any case.
JILL WEBB is an experienced, trusted Tulsa Criminal Defense Attorney. She has has fought for hundreds of citizens charged
with every type of crime. She is a graduate of the prestigious Chicago Kent College of Law, a member of the Tulsa County
Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and a board member the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. November
2012, she received the President’s Award For Extraordinary Advocacy on Behalf of Citizen’s Accused by the Oklahoma Criminal
Defense Lawyers Association. She is also a minister’s wife, and a mother of a beautiful, smart, funny, kind daughter. You can
learn more about Jill at jwebbattorneyatlaw.com.
Riley initially studied theology and served as a minister in
California, Indiana, and Oklahoma. After a year in which
new relationships and new experiences caused him to
re-think his faith, he left vocational ministry and went back
to school. Graduate studies in sociology eventually led him
to law school, where he and Laurel first met. He draws from
his background in ministry and theology to lead the World
Religions class at David L. Moss, which functions more as a
class on building your own theology than a lecture on
religion.
All Souls Criminal Justice Outreach seeks to care for those
whose lives have been impacted by incarceration, to educate the community about criminal justice issues, and to
cultivate equitable reforms in Oklahoma’s criminal justice
system.
Our diverse team meets monthly to administer the several
components of our outreach. Our David L. Moss classroom
component includes World Religions, Al-Anon, and poetry.
Our re-entry component involves sharing resources available for people affected by incarceration, including those
re-entering and/or their children. We are developing a program that connects All Souls volunteers with inmates
through letter writing, and we are currently looking for a
volunteer to help administer this project. Finally, our advocacy component includes attending meetings put on by
criminal justice groups. Advocacy includes― the Oklahoma
Policy Institute, the Tulsa Mayor’s Commission on the
Status of Women, and OKCure.
Laurel Carbone and Riley Kern are life partners and
co-chairs of the Criminal Justice Outreach. Each brings a
unique perspective to the work. More than a decade ago,
Laurel was convicted of a felony and spent nearly three
years in prison. Her experience in Oklahoma courts and
prisons makes her intimately aware of the challenges faced
by those trying to rebuild their lives after serving time for a
felony. Soon after being released, Laurel went on to complete her undergraduate degree while working full time,
graduated from law school with highest honors while raising a toddler, and worked in a collaborative legal project at
Two recent participants in the World Religions class had
this to say about their experience:
When I first began the World Religions class, I was
set in my ways. I was certain that my thoughts and
feelings and beliefs were the bottom line. I didn’t
care to listen to the views and opinions of anyone
who didn’t share the same beliefs; they were wrong
and I was right and there was nothing to be gained
from an association with them.
After completing the class, I feel that I have grown.
Although I still have the same beliefs, I am more
open to hearing others’ views. I’ve learned that listening and learning things about other faiths and
religions has an incredible impact on my growth
and understanding of my own faith and what and
how I believe.
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed
the World Religions class. I was extremely challenged, to say the least. I know that you were always
adamant to offer the disclaimer that the class was
not meant to turn anyone from their faith or cause
them any confusion. I believe that I needed to be
“shook up” in my faith, and I believe the class was
right on time. I am a lot less anxious in matters of
faith. I am enjoying learning more. I seem to have a
new set of eyes on matters of faith. I believe I am
unlearning some “broken” paradigms, or at least
skewed ones. I think I could safely say for myself I
am “better” for having gone to the class, meaning I
(continued on page 6)
February 2015
5
FAMILY
REVIEWS
How Do We Teach Our Children To Be Agents of Justice?
An Invitation to Read
Shannon Boston, Director of Children’s and Youth Programs
Rev. Gerald Davis, Affiliate Minister
We do this a lot in our Children’s and
Youth Programming at All Souls,
mostly because all of the books I have
read about rearing morally conscious
children cite ability to empathize as
the key element. I can certainly point
to the broadening of my own experience through those of characters in
movies, literature, and music. But it
was not until this year’s Martin Luther King Junior Day
parade that I saw and felt this teaching maxim so clearly.
Every few minutes, as we walked along the parade route
singing joyous protest songs, the float stopped moving, the
music fell silent, and we from All Souls stood still, arms
raised, palms out, breathing into the attitude of surrender
for what felt like an eternity. I had no idea what to expect
when I started. That’s not true. I expected to feel uncomfortable and on display. What I did not expect was to feel a
shift at my core. I felt solidarity, resonance with all those
who had been put in the position of forced subjugation
(including that part of myself that I seldom want to
acknowledge). My body gave me a visceral inkling of the
emotional and psychological toll that being forced into
such a position exacts. And with the humbling embodied
experience came a sense of solidarity with victims of all
(continued from page 5)
am enjoying the spiritual journey I am on now, even
in jail.
The skills and diversity of our team, the success of our current initiatives, and the inherent potential in our upcoming
projects make us incredibly excited about what 2015 holds
for the Criminal Justice Outreach and all those whose lives
we hope to touch.
If you would like to be part of this, please contact Laurel
and Riley at [email protected].
6
SimpleGifts
stripes and a clear understanding that there, but for the
grace of God, go I. Empathy.
There is nothing but a thin veil of circumstance that separates me from anyone else. In a desperate need to control
the chaos that is life, I have often been tempted to justify
and rationalize my own privilege (and the instances where
I was victimized as well) as somehow being earned or
deserved, but reality has much more to do with the time,
place, and genetics of my birth. My freedom comes from
choosing how to use the circumstances of my birth and life.
This month in Children’s Religious Exploration, we will use
the parable of the Good Samaritan, to give our children the
opportunity to empathize. Through role playing, youth
can physically place themselves in the position of the victim, the bystander, or the agent of justice. They get to practice what it feels like to choose to do good and to choose to
do nothing.
em·pa·thize
/ emp THīz/
verb
e
…By giving them opportunities to
empathize in a broad and diverse
population.
verb: empathize; 3rd person present:
empathizes; past tense: empathized; past
participle: empathized; gerund or present
participle: empathizing; verb: empathise;
3rd person present: empathises; past tense:
empathised; past participle: empathised;
gerund or present participle: empathising
understand and share the feelings of
another.
"counselors need to be able to empathize with people"
synonyms: identify with, sympathize
with, be in sympathy with, understand, share the feelings of, be in tune
with; be on the same wavelength as,
talk the same language as; relate to,
feel for, have insight into; informal:
put oneself in someone else's shoes
Frog Music by Emma Donoghue is based on a true-life
unsolved murder that occurred on the outskirts of San
Francisco in the summer of 1876. On the night in question,
two women were staying in a rented room at a saloon in a
place called San Miguel Station. One was a cross-dresser
named Jenny Bonnet, who lived off the proceeds of the frogs’
legs she sold to restaurants in the city. The other, Blanche
Beunon, survived largely from the proceeds of prostitution.
Blanche cohabited with a former trapeze artist named
Arthur Deneve and his old circus partner, Ernest Girard. San
Francisco was wilting under an intense heat wave. There was
also an outbreak of smallpox, and growing tension between
the whites and the Chinese in the city. San Francisco emerges
as perhaps the novel’s most interesting character. Through
the window of a railroad saloon, young Jenny Bonnet is shot
dead.
The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, will risk everything
to bring Jenny’s murderer to justice. The story Blanche strug-
gles to piece together is
one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers,
and arrogant millionaires;
of jealous men, icy
women, and damaged
children. It’s the secret life
of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks
the law every morning by
getting dressed: a charmer
as slippery as the frogs she
hunts.
In thrilling, cinematic
style, Frog Music digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved
crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma
Donoghue’s lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among
lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other.
TRANSITIONS
All Souls’ Members & Friends:
In Memoriam
Sam Martner
Gilbert Warren
Marcy Bowen
(Apr. 20, 1918 - Jan. 19, 2015)
(July 13, 1936 - Dec. 8, 2014)
(Nov. 4, 1925 - Nov. 20, 2014)
Condolences to..
Resident Minister David Ruffin and family on the loss of his uncle, Bobby Ruffin December 7, 2014
Nicole Ogundare and family on the loss of her father, Gilbert Warren December 8, 2014
Stacey and Glenn Craig and family on the loss of Glenn’s cousin, Lena Mae Smith December 14, 2014
Nancy Martner and family on the loss of her husband, Sam Martner January 19, 2015
Sheron Hardesty and family on the loss of her brother, John Huffington January 20, 2015
Cecilia Wessinger and family on the loss of her niece January 23, 2015
Mary Blais and family on the loss of her sister, Carol McNamara January 24, 2015
Jeff Evans and family on the loss of his grandmother, Pansy Ingles Evans January 26, 2015
February 2015
7
BEYOND OUR WALLS
Hands Up! Don’t Shot!
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister
Three things I learned during Martin Luther
King Jr. Weekend 2015:
1) A slogan can miscommunicate as well as
communicate.
Photos courtesy of Colin Bent and Matthew Edwards.
summer. I was also thinking of the high incidence of gang
killings in American cities and of recent police shootings in
New York City. Don’t Shoot, Seek the Truth in Love! seemed
a timely message for the back of a hoodie, especially since a
bill seeking a prohibition on wearing hoodies in public was
recently submitted to the Oklahoma legislature.
2) All Souls maintains a long history of couraMy intention was to send a message, to the black commugeously pricking the conscience of the
community in ways congruent with the val- nity of Tulsa and to All Souls own members, that we know
that Dr. King’s dream is still only a dream when there is so
ues of our free faith tradition.
3) Protests rarely seem timely to those not
being hurt by the status quo.
When approving the slogan Don’t Shoot, Seek the Truth in
Love! for our church hoodies, I had in mind the way that a
hoodie, especially on a black male, has become a symbol of
danger. I was thinking of Trayvon Martin, killed by a vigilante who mistakenly concluded that Trayvon was “up to
something”. I was thinking of Michael Brown, Eric Garner,
and John Crawford – all of whom were unarmed, black, and
wearing hoodies when they died at the hands of police this
8
SimpleGifts
much violence and fear affecting African-Americans. I
wanted everyone to know that our multiracial but predominantly white church in mid-town Tulsa sees that there is a
life and death problem affecting the black community
today and that means it is affecting all of us. We are not willing to accept or celebrate the status quo.
Despite our intentions, some among us were concerned
that the slogan would send a message that we are anti-police. So we made sure we also carried signs reading
Black Lives Matter, Police Lives Matter, All Lives Matter.
Former police officers, officer’s spouses, and their children
joined us.
The Don’t shoot… slogan had power. As 140 of us marched,
we sang. When we stopped, we silently raised our hoods
and held our hands up in a “don’t shoot” position. What
happened next surprised us all. The people along the
parade route fell silent and joined with us putting their
hands in the air, too. In the midst of the marching and the
music and the celebration, we all were able to publicly
acknowledge both the pain and our solidarity. When we
started singing again to the music of David Smith’s keyboard, the crowd cheered and applauded and called out,
“Thank you.” Their words and waves, smiles and sighs
seemed to say, in a thousand ways. “Thank you for not pretending that everything is OK.” “Thank you for acknowledging our fear.” “Thank you for caring.” I will never forget
that profound feeling of spontaneous connection.
Next, I realized that, despite generational change, All Souls
remains a congregation with a distinct role in our society
due to its commitment to free inquiry, moral discernment
and public witness. Our forbears took strong and unpopu-
lar stands to end slavery and segregation, for women’s
rights, LGBTQ rights, and more. Love of truth and service
for the common good still remain at the center of our faith.
The positions taken were controversial in their time, but
with unwavering advocacy they eventually became
accepted norms of our democracy
Third, I realized that more dialogue across our differences
is needed to ensure that we understand the real hopes and
fears and perceptions that exist in our church
community. One of our greatest assets is our racial, cultural, and socio-economic diversity. Organizing enough
opportunities for us to hear each other’s stories is challenging work though. We will continue to seek ways to strengthen
the ties that bind us. If you are interested, our Ground Work
and Mosaic classes are great places to start.
Dr. King said more than 50 years ago, “11:00 Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America.” It is still true
today but not at All Souls. It is not always easy or comfortable, but it is nothing short of a dream come true!
February 2015
9
BEYOND OUR WALLS
Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry
All Souls now has twelve justice teams. Each of our teams
tries to be as focused, efficient, and effective as our United States Navy’s SEAL teams. Except the letters represent
something different for us.
The Justice Council exists to guide and support projects
which are relevant to all our teams. For example, justice
council members got organized and launched a Get Out
the Vote campaign this fall, right here in front of the church.
Despite some skepticism about the need for such a thing
here at All Souls, we signed up 75 to vote, two of them for
the first time ever.
S, means we like to be of Service. E, means we try to
Educate ourselves and others. A, means we are committed to being Advocates for people who don’t have access
to power. And L, means we are willing to risk taking the Our Justice Council members also keep their eye on larger
Lead.
issues like poverty, which are relevant to all these intersect-
ing oppressions. They also maintain and nurture our relationships with other organizations in Tulsa like the League
of Women Voters and Lindsey House.
Current Justice Council members include :
Laurel Carbone, Todd Ellingson, Keith Huckabay, Riley
Kern, Floretta Reed, Sheila Swearingen, Deanna Tirrell, Jill
Webb, and Jeya Wignarajath.
ALL SOULS UNIDOS
#race & culture
GREEN TEAM
INTERCULTURAL BRIDGING TEAM
#race & culture #education
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
MISSION:
#environment #economics
#education #economics
MISSION:
MISSION:
MISSION:
Reach out to the Latino community, welcome Latino guest
sand friends, and advocate for immigration reform.
Support environmental justice by planting and supporting
earth-friendly practices in our church and community.
Support and develop intercultural understanding and cultural competency skill-building within our congregation.
Make a difference in chil­dren’s lives by actively supporting
the children, families, and staff at our partner schools.
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
Sheila Swearingen
Sam Wignarajah
Diane Eason Contreras
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Holly Romine or Martha Cantrell
[email protected]
COMMUNITY RESOURCE BANK (CRB)
#economics
HOMELESS OUTREACH
LGBTQ & ALLIES
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
MISSION:
MISSION:
MISSION:
MISSION:
Feed the homeless.
Welcome and integrate LGBTQ members into our church
com­munity.
Raise awareness about family realities, reaffirm women’s
rights, and advocate for reproductive justice.
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
Collect and distribute material goods.
CONTACT:
Brian Cross
[email protected]
CRIMINAL JUSTICE OUTREACH
#human sexuality #education
#economics
CONTACT:
Debbie Edelman
[email protected]
#economics #race & culture
HOUS & HOUS 2.0
MISSION:
MISSION:
Help address the needs of Tulsa’s at risk youth, Oklahoma
felons, ex-felons, and their families, and to advocate on
their behalf.
Improve the housing for our friends and neighbors in the
greater Tulsa area.
CONTACT:
Laurel Carbone & Riley Kern
[email protected]
10
We have learned that once we are aware of suffering and
injustice, we feel not only an obligation to meet people’s
immediate needs, but to change the system that allowed or
even created the injustice in the first place. Which is why in
every area, we work not only to provide healthy food, safe
housing, tutoring, and more, but we work also to understand economics, history, politics, and racism, so we can
create a better future for all our children.
SimpleGifts
#economics
Floretta Reed
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Kelly Jennnings
[email protected]
PARTNER CHURCH
VILLAGE BANKING
MISSION:
MISSION:
Support and develop international partnerships with other
UU congregations.
Learn about economic justice and support projects that
give a hand up, primarily through micro-loans.
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
#race & culture #economics
CONTACT:
Hugh Burleigh
Jamie Morton
#human sexuality #education
George Davenport
[email protected]
#ecomomics #race & culture
Scott Swearingen
[email protected]
February 2015
11
JOURNEYS
The Need to Ask Why
Kelli McLoud-Schingen
ALL SOULS GREEN TEAM IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE FILM SERIES
Americans tend to have a more diverse social network, they
don’t fare much better. For the average African-American,
83 percent of friends and family are black and 8 percent are
white. One of the most glaring statistics from the study
showed that when asked to name their closest friends and
family members, 75 percent of white Americans didn’t
name even one person who was not white. Why?
Whenever there is racial conflict there is inevitably someone who will say, “Why don’t they just get over it!” Well, my
question is, “Exactly what is IT that we need to get over?”
When we can begin to answer that question, then we can
begin to consider Why and only after we have exhausted
the Why can we move on to the How. But we Americans
are an impatient people. Many African Americans are tired
of waiting for racial justice and many White Americans are
simply tired of talking about race. Why?
Why is this happening?
Why am I always asking why? Perhaps it’s because I was
born January 1968 and while I was too young to understand, I could feel the sadness of my mother and feel the
helplessness of my father when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
died that April or perhaps it’s because I could feel the hopelessness of the country when Bobby Kennedy died in June
of the same year. I couldn’t say for sure but I have to believe
that my being born at the beginning of such a tumultuous
year has a lot to do with my obsession with the question,
“Why?” “Why did they have to die?” “Why is there so much
hate? “
START TIME:
6:00 P.M.
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MARCH 31
Tar Creek
SPONSORED BY:
Rodney King asks, “Can we all just get along?” I say absolutely – but not without a process. There are probably no
two more separate Americas than Black America and White
America. While I don’t want to forget the dysfunctional
past and present of hyphenated Americans, what I want to
name is the fact that Black and White folks are still struggling to get along. Primarily, because we still don’t KNOW
each other. We still fear each other and fear breeds distrust
and distrust encourages retreat. According to an article in
the Washington Post August, 2014, “91 percent of the average white American’s closest friends and family members
are white, and just 1 percent are black. While black
All Souls Green Team
Clean Energy Future Oklahoma
Congregation B'nai Emunah
Hope Unitarian Universalist Church
LEAD Agency/Grand Riverkeeper
League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa
OU Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture
The Sierra Club of Oklahoma
APRIL 21
Climate of Doubt
MAY 19
The United States of OklaH2Oma
For more information
contact Herb Beattie at
[email protected]
or visit
facebook.com/allsoulsgreenteam
Men often hate each other because they fear each other;
they fear each other because they don’t know each other;
they don’t know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated. ~MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., Stride Toward Freedom
I know from personal experience that it’s only when I began
to have more contact with people from different cultural
backgrounds than my own and took the time to listen to
them tell me their story that I began to see a worldview that
was very different than my own. We are our stories, our
experiences, and one size does not fit all. We have been
taught to treat everyone the same so that no one feels different, but in that “whitewashing” of experiences so many
of our stories go untold, or misunderstood, or buried.
There is a lot of conflict and discomfort around race and
plenty of opportunity to learn from one another’s lived
experiences. I’ve learned that asking the question “Why?”
is crucial to cultural competence. I’ve learned that there is
so much I still don’t know about how different cultures
experience the world. I have an insatiable need to know
why so I am listening for the stories.
“Storytelling is the thread which is woven deep in our lives,
our consciousness, our humanity. It has the power to bring
understanding amongst the peoples of the world. Tell and
listen.” — Antonio Rocha
KELLI MCLOUD-SCHINGEN is President of KMS Intercultural Consulting, LLC, and specializes in Global Diversity and
Inclusion, Storytelling, Cultural Competence, and Healing Racism. She has facilitated development workshops, trainings, and
storytelling presentations for educational, non-profit, government, and corporate institutions in the USA and internationally
since 1989. Learn more about Kelli at diversitycollegium.org/profiles/kelli_mcloudschingen.php.
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JOURNEYS
Which Comes First, Love or Justice?
Move That Turnip!
Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry
Deanna Tirrell
Most of you, our readers, know we follow a three-year cycle of themes at All
Souls in order to ensure that we
address the fundamental spiritual
questions we all wrestle with in our
lives. What some of you may not know,
is that we concern ourselves with the
order of the themes because there are
natural progressions in the life of the
spirit just as there are in the biological
development and decline of the body.
I thought you’d want to know why, this
year, we reversed the order of Justice and Love. Justice used
to be the theme in January and Love in February in which
Valentine’s Day falls. But more important than our secular
celebration of romantic love,(and our financial support of
the mass marketing of cards, flowers, and chocolate,) is an
understanding that, just as the cart comes behind the
horse, effective and sustainable justice work, follows the
compelling force of love. It does not precede it.
Love, is a renewable source of energy. When we know what
we love, we know what we will protect. When we offer love,
we receive more love in return. When we feel loved, we
have more patience, and can be more effective working
with people who are different from us.
How do we harness this renewable source of energy in our
lives? Well, we can identify the necessary elements of sustainable justice work by tracing our themes this church
year. In order for love to be the sustaining source of our
work for more justice in this city, state, nation, and world,
we need to know:
1. our goal - Vision was our theme in September
2. what we are willing to sacrifice - Death was our
theme in October
3. what we will do when we fall short of our ideals
and disappoint each other - Forgiveness was our
theme in November)
4. and what gives us Hope - our theme in December
5. a renewable source of energy - Love our theme in
January
This may seem obvious, but historically, the people in our
churches have often focused on social change, without paying much attention to the engine that motivates and moves
them to mobilize and organize. The fact is, change comes
slowly to governments, as it does to families and individuals. Without harnessing a renewable source of energy to
sustain a social justice movement, opinions and political
positions often become weapons which we wield in order to
demean, degrade, and dismiss those who disagree with us.
When this happens, instead of sowing seeds of justice, we
fertilize fields of fear. And we harvest only hate.
These are the horses that pull the cart of justice: vision, the
sacrifice of old ways, the willingness to forgive, and the will
to hope. All of which create a clean engine, fueled by the
ever-present reality of love. The energy of radical and inclusive love creates a warming fire that lights the way ahead,
but does burn any bridges. In this love, we can move forward together and grow in strength, as we work, day after
day, to bend the arc of the universe toward justice.
BUILDING PUBLIC RELATIONSHIPS:
a broad-based community organizing training meeting
February 12, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
at UU Church of the Restoration, 1314 North Greenwood Avenue
How can we make democracy work across typical barriers? Would you like to build skills and relationships that result
in real leadership in our community and meet others invested in making a difference in our city?
Find out: Who/what are the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) and the Tulsa Sponsoring Committee and How to build
relational power ---“It’s the most radical thing we do”
For more information: [email protected] (carpool, anyone?)
and visit the IAF website: industrialareasfoundation.org
The folktale of the turnip is the story of a village pulling
together to improve the lives of everyone in the starving
community by harvesting a giant turnip that is stuck in the
ground. Their combined power is needed to move the
immoveable object and turn it into something to support
their lives. Working for justice in Tulsa can be a similar feat.
There is no shortage of issues… From my work as an educator, I’ve seen how a poor early childhood environment
affects school readiness, how poverty follows the generations, and how prevalent hunger is in our schools. The statistics in our city about lack of transportation, low wages,
difficulty in getting health care, and incarceration and
recidivism paint a dismal picture for our future as a community together. Many people in All Souls have a similar
awareness, and we have highly dedicated groups of people
who work to improve the lives of Tulsans through education and food support, prison ministry and health solace,
welcome for immigrants, building multi-cultural awareness, and more. This direct service has improved the lives
of countless souls. I’ve been proud to say I’m part of All
Souls as our outreach has grown, but I was often torn
among the various needs of our programs. Where was I
most needed? What injustice was I most concerned about?
Is this how I wanted to spend my time as a new empty-nester? It seemed as if the needs were never-ending, so
how much of myself could I give?
But I realized that the ultimate goal of any justice program
should be to put itself out of business by addressing the
underlying causes of the problems. For a city, social justice
problems often need to be mitigated through political
action – bringing awareness of the issues to local politicians, working to change laws causing harm, pushing for
city budget priority changes – all things I had no experience
with. About that time I became aware of VOICE, an organization in Oklahoma City that was bringing together a large
and diverse group of people, all focused on a single concern – in this case, education. I have always believed that,
in general, we have more in common with each other than
we have ways in which we differ. This group seemed to be
closing in on finding a common purpose that was leading
to shared effective action for concrete change. As I found
out more about VOICE, I thought of many ways a similar
organization could benefit Tulsa.
Tulsa and was working with their congregations to develop
interest here; the Tulsa Sponsoring Committee formally
came together in mid-2014. When Barbara Prose invited
me to serve as a liaison between All Souls and the
Committee, I was eager to know more. I learned that this
group works under the umbrella of the Industrial Areas
Foundation a long-established organization that helps
local groups develop their own broad-based community
associations.
Since that time, the Tulsa Sponsoring Committee has been
spreading the word and inviting other institutions to join
them. It is not a quick fix organization as it relies on building real relationships among the members – a commonly
heard phrase is “who would you want beside you in a fight?”
Achieving real change to address the underlying causes of
injustice isn’t easy due to the complexity of the issues and
entrenched political mores. Working with this diverse
group of people is helping me discover and become a part
of the community beyond All Souls who are working to
improve the lives of Tulsans.
The Tulsa Sponsoring Committee meets monthly to provide the opportunity to build those personal relationships
among the members of the various organizations and to
develop leadership skills. Last October the first large-scale
open training workshop drew around 75 people from both
secular and religious organizations who learned about
working together through the Indrustrial Areas Foundation
(IAF) and Tulsa Sponsoring Committee to combine our
power and passion for social justice.
All Souls is exploring the possibility of becoming a formal
member of this organization. All are invited to attend IAF’s
monthly meetings (see box on opposite page). A training is
scheduled for April 25-26. All Souls would like to have a
core team of people who will bring the justice concerns of
our congregation to this group, so we can partner with others in social justice work. Together, we can MOVE THAT
TURNIP!
For more information contact Deanna Tirrell at
[email protected]
I didn’t realize at the time that a group of local ministers
also saw the potential impact a group like this could have in
February 2015
15
TRANSITIONS
WAYSIDE PULPIT
All Souls Welcomes New Members
“Human progress never rolls in the
wheels of inevitability.”
January 2014.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
ALL SOULS WEEKLY
February 8 - 15, 2015
Elizabeth Bell
Robyn Bundy
Raul Castro
Cara Cox
Jennifer & Christian Clark
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8
9:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Megan DiGregoria
Rev. Loyce Newton Edwards
Cami Stinson Engles &
Christopher Engles
Jessica Freed
Kent Oellien & Larry Gray
10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
Jennifer Greb
Melissa Lutrell &
David James
Jennifer Keas
Paula Kempe
Andrea & Zachary Kulsrud
1:15 p.m.
2:30 a.m.
4:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
Childcare
Children’s Prog.
Care Team Sunday
Youth Programming
Sunday Circle
Circulo Dominical
Coming of Age (9th gr.)
Understanding
the Bible
All Souls 101
Soulful Journey
The Point
Sunday Circle
All Souls Reads
Camp Fire: Star Flight
Youth Choir
Children’s Choir
YRUU (9th -12th gr.)
In Honor of Black History Month All Souls Presents
FEBRUARY 8, 2015
10:30 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.
with performaces by:
Kim Laird
Ellen Lewis
Jodi Lorimor
Robert Lowery
Tavis Minner, Rick Fortner, New Dimensions Chorale,
Marsha Matthews
David B. Smith, Jared Tyler, Anthony Gaba DeLaCroix
and Crew, Dr. Teresa Reed, and Rev. Marlin Lavanhar
Kathy Piersall
Laura Skoch
Sonya Sparks
CAN’T MAKE THE SERVICE?
WATCH & LISTEN ONLINE:
ARE YOU READY TO BECOME
PART OF THE ALL SOULS FAMILY?
The next opportunity to join is March 1 after each service in Sonen Library.
YouTube
www.youtube.com/AllSoulsUnitarian
PodCast
http://allsoulschurch.libsyn.com
A Soulful Journey began as a way to share the unparalleled and
often overlooked story of how Africans and African Americans have
created music in America for over 400 years as a means of survival,
communication, and social change, profoundly shaping our nation’s
history, religion, politics and society. Inspired by Dr. Teresa Reed’s
book, The Holy Profane, and co-written by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Dr.
Teresa Reed, & David B. Smith, All Souls is proud to present Soulful
Journey. Join us as we honor, uplift, and participate in this rich
musical heritage.
Live Stream (Sunday Services only)
http://www.allsoulschurch.org/live
THE OFFERING WILL GO TO SUPPORTERS OF FAMILIES WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE.
Feb. 27
28
Leadership Training, 9:00 a.m.
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Trivia Night, 4:00 p.m.
26
25
Offering: Pocket Full of Hope
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Offering: Second Chances
Scholarship
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24
Earth Matters:
Green Team Film, 6:00 p.m.
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16
15
Sweetheart Ball, 5:30 p.m.
Soulful Journey, 10:30 a.m. &
3:00 p.m.
Offering: Supporters of
Families with Sickle Cell
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2
Monday
8
Please note that the shuttle service
does not run May through July.
Offering: The Reed
Foundation
Please park at BOK at 33rd & Peoria.
The Shuttle runs 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
A second lot is available on 33rd.
The last shuttle leaves at 1:15 p.m.
Thank you for being considerate of
our volunteer drivers.
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Ministers make the final decision about what is announced from the pulpit and
include only church related events.
Sunday
If you or your group have an announcement you would like the whole church
to know, please send the pertinent information – who, what, when, where, and
how much – to [email protected].
All Souls:
SOMETHING TO SHARE?
February 2015 Highlights
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Tuesday
Join All Souls Green Team, Clean Energy Future Oklahoma, Congregation B’nai
Emunah, Hope Unitarian Church, LEAD Agency/Grand Riverkeeper, League
of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa, OU Center for Studies in Democracy
and Culture, The Sierra Club of Oklahoma as they sponsor the film series, Earth
Matters, The next showing, More Than Honey, is February 17 at 6:00 p.m. in Emerson
Hall. Snacks and drink will be available. Free and open to the public. For more
information, please contact Herb Beattie at 918.706.0949.
If you have an event you would like us to put on the church calendar, send the
name of your event, the date, start and end times, and room set-uprequest to
[email protected].
Evening of Praise & Worship,
7:00 p.m.
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19
Day Alliance
ALL SOULS GREEN TEAM SPONSORS FILM SERIES,
EARTH MATTERS
In addition, if you have pictures from church and community events, please
send them to [email protected].
We may be able to use them in Simple Gifts, annual reports, newspaper
articles, social media posts, etc…
Parents’ Night Out, 6:00 p.m.
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7
13
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Join All Souls UUPs Monday, February 9 at 5:30 p.m. in celebrating our children
at the 12th Annual Sweetheart Ball, a prom style date night for the whole
family. Enjoy a spaghetti dinner, a commemorative craft, a silent auction, and
child-oriented dancing until 7:30 p.m. Funds raised support our partner school
outreach programs throughout the year. Tickets are $15.00 per couple with a
family maximum of $30.00. Donations accepted and sponsorships available.
Call Rain Johnson at 918.605.5354 for more information or to purchase advance
tickets.
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SWEETHEART BALL
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Join Day Alliance February 12 at 11:30 a.m. with Ken Busby, Executive Director of
the Arts & Humanities Council, as he speaks about the initiatives and funding
possibilities for the arts in Tulsa specifically and Oklahoma in general.
Please RSVP to Dolores Duke at 918.743.6702. Lunch: $8.00.
Wednesday
DAY ALLIANCE: THE STATE OF THE ARTS IN OKLAHOMA
Joining Sunday
Young at Heart
Soulful Journey
Sweetheart Ball
OCCJ Teen Trialogue
Day Alliance
Green team Film
Parents’ Night Out
Praise & Worship
Trivia Night
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Feb. 1
Feb. 5
Feb. 8
Feb. 9
Feb. 11
Feb.12
Feb. 17
Feb.20
Young at Heart, 11:30 a.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join Young at Heart Thursday, February 5 at 11:30 a.m. for lunch in the Alliance
Room, followed by cards and other games. If you recently retired and are looking
for a way to connect with other members, please join us anytime! To RSVP, or to
learn more about Young at Heart, contact Irene McKee at 918.622.1696.
6
YOUNG AT HEART
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Our intergenerational Wednesday night programming
feeds the body, mind, and soul. All are welcome to join
our worship, learning, and fellowship opportunities.
Saturday
6:30 p.m. Chapel
7:00 p.m. Classes African Dance
All Souls Artists
Alphabet of Sex. Id.
Cinema Classics
Conversational Span.
Great Decisions
Leading From Within
Meditation
Reconstructing Our
Theology
ROOTS
Wednesday Circle
Friday
5:30 p.m. Dinner
Family Night
Yoga
Thursday
FEBRUARY 11
2952 S Peoria Ave
Tulsa, Ok 74114
Time sensitive information.
Pease deliver promptly.
Last Month at All Souls
January 2015
Wednesday Connections Kickoff, Make It Love: Stripped Down
Womens’ Retreat
CRE Volunteer appreciation party.