Last Sunday, Frank Scoffield Nellessen addressed the current call to solidarity with those suffering violence in the spirit of John 8:36: So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed; Galatians 5:1: For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery; and especially, 1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

Frank began our theological reflection time speaking and inviting us to repeat the names of those whose lives have been most recently lost to police violence. Our tape picks up just following this. Frank also addresses whiteness as a concept of oppression. PMC has been working to read, listen and understand together over the past year and a half that racism is not an individual issue, but systemic in our culture and national and international histories.

Listen as Frank speaks to the movement of God’s spirit toward dismantling these systems of oppression, and invites us to join in despite the fears that generally control us. Hear as he challenges us lovingly to enter the flow of God’s spirit.

Hear the audio as Frank invites us into the movement of the Spirit.

download here

The mural on the introduction to this article, as well as above, are the work of Brandon Odums, Studio Be, @bmike2c