Reflections on the Homegoing Celebration Weekend for Dr. John Perkins

I had the privilege of visiting Jackson, Mississippi the weekend of March 20-22 to attend services for Dr. John Perkins, who passed away on March 13 at the age of 95. As previously shared, his was a legacy of Gospel love and forgiveness, with a focus on reconciliation because of the reconciling work of Jesus.

The entire weekend was markedly Christ-honoring, with a striking thread of consistency woven throughout the stories and memories shared, a fact that becomes quickly apparent in viewing any portion of the services, which are available to watch below. 

Remarks began with Friday's wake at New Horizon. Saturday's service lasted over four hours, with many in attendance later sharing that, despite the unanticipated length, they were hesitant to leave the room and miss anything, while some took pages of notes. The tributes continued for at least another hour and a half following the service at the first of two repasts we attended that weekend. Additional memorials are scheduled in a number of cities in the coming weeks.

Truly a remarkable legacy, and one that I continue to note wasn't just about racial reconciliation. It wasn't just about community development. It was all about Jesus.

The Wake (Friday)

Homegoing Celebration (Saturday)

Interment
The graveside service on Sunday took us an hour south to the family plot in New Hebron, this, too, a significant and God-honoring moment.

Grateful to know his true final resting place is Jesus.

Homecoming
While we celebrated a homegoing for Grandpa Perkins on this weekend, I've shared that this experience was more a homecoming for many. Several of us have been acquainted for years exclusively online via a Tuesday Zoom Bible Study, and several regulars had the opportunity to meet in person, many for the first time. Several of us also took the opportunity to gather at the Westin lounge to spend some time face-to-face. 

(I am anticipating photos from this event which I hope to post soon.)

I was also very thankful to catch up with the Perkins family, especially Priscilla and Elizabeth, this weekend, as it's been some years since we have seen one another in person.

I am so grateful the Lord made it possible for me to attend this deeply meaningful weekend, to process my own grief at the loss of Grandpa Perkins, to hear others' memories and recall my own, to catch up with friends, old and new, and to recognize the significance of the ongoing work ahead as we who remain carry on. As was shared, John Perkins can rest, but we cannot. The Lord has called us to many different mission fields, and His work of reconciliation continues until the day we all see Jesus face-to-face. This weekend was just a small pointer of what a reunion that coming day will be. 

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, bringing the complete reconciliation and restoration for which we so long, that promise guaranteed by your blood, which has already brought down the dividing wall of hostility between us and God. And continue to show us, even today, that there is truly only one race — the human race.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for the Perkins family and the ongoing mission of The John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation.

Redemption: The John Perkins Story

As many have shared this weekend, we've just lost one of the greats. John Perkins, sharecroppers' son turned Christian civil rights activist, passed away on March 13, 2026 at the age of 95. 

I'm thankful to say I had the opportunity to first spend time with John Perkins back in 2012, calling him Grandpa Perkins ever since, and have developed friendships with his family and many others connected to him over the years. A weekly, online Perkins Center Bible Study became a Zoom-linked, global family formed out of a pandemic, and I anticipate many of us are about to meet one another in person for the first time. We've become a diverse community in Christ who care about each other because of a regular man—a confessed sinner like us—with an extraordinary story of forgiveness forged by the power of the love and forgiveness he'd received through Jesus Christ.

"Good news. Great joy. All people."

Grandpa said it on repeat, but I loved to hear it. The Gospel of Jesus is for everyone. We've received it. Let's go out and share it.

He taught me that any "ism," even against racists, has no place in my heart. Jesus loves us despite our sin, for which He died. "What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." We need to love like Jesus too. 

I've often said I could never speak with him, or listen to him, without falling more deeply in love with Jesus.

And, as Grandpa Perkins so often said, "Love is the final fight."

If you've never heard the story of this man who felt the Lord's love so deeply, who was such a friend to everyone he met, and who could bring a diversity of individuals together in loving community from across the country and around the world, I encourage you to watch his story below. Check out his books. And, most importantly, come to know that same transforming love and forgiveness of the Savior who Grandpa Perkins was so eager to finally see.

Redemption: The John M. Perkins Story

If you would like to honor the legacy of John Perkins, please consider supporting the work of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation in Jackson, MS.

Pray for the Lou's "21 Days of Prayer" Guide & Videos

God, tear down wickedness,
raise up righteousness,
send revival
and heal St. Louis.

This was our cry each day for the last 3 weeks.

Pray for the Lou just wrapped up 21 Days of Prayer, an opportunity to learn about different aspects of St. Louis history, and to lament and pray over this region, with focus on the story of Nehemiah chapter 1.

Whether you're just learning about the 21 days or you'd like to revisit any of these snapshots of history, the link to sign up for the prayer guide and videos from each day are shared below.

This is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn a little more about how our past has affected our present, informing our prayers and even showing us ways the Lord might involve us in the city's healing today.

On a personal note, I experienced much disruption from the start of PFTL this year, including vehicle and garage door issues, days of severe leg pain unexplained by doctors, a GPS malfunction and other unusual situations. The theme especially of hindering mobility became too consistent to be coincidental. Yet the Lord was gracious to allow me to push through, most notably during topics of particular significance to me. Many of us involved even peripherally with these prayer movements have experienced various kinds of spiritual warfare, which should serve to remind us that what we are doing is truly significant.

As we continue looking to Jesus to bring His healing and change, my prayers have also been changing. Perhaps especially in the last year, I've increasingly asked the Lord to allow us to really see clear change in St. Louis, and I hear others requesting the same. While any change can take the patience of generations, I've been encouraged by stories I've heard even during these 21 days. As others have prayed for our city before us, the Lord has now called us to care, pray and act in our day. It is a privilege to be even a small part of what He is doing here.

Of our many needs, clearly the greatest has always been to love one another. If only this command had been kept, so many atrocities would have never occurred. So I also pray we begin to genuinely understand, express and experience the love of God within the Church and to our neighbors as we move into what the Lord has next for our city.

Truly, there is Nothing Impossible with Jesus. Keep praying, St. Louis!

Pray for the Lou 2022: Now Entering 21 Days of Prayer

We've just finished up Pray for the Lou Kickoff Week, and it's been an exciting time to pray with believers across our region, culminating this morning in prayer walking in and around STL, with 60 area churches represented, followed by an Outdoor Worship Gathering in Ferguson's January Wabash Park. Highlights from all this are shared below.

This is the third year for Pray for the Lou, which started on 3/14/20 as a single day, last year becoming a week of prayer, and this year we are just about to launch into 21 Days of Prayer.

From March 13 to April 2 will be a time to learn, lament and pray over places of St. Louis history that affect us still today, with focus on the story of Nehemiah chapter 1. You can also sign up for a downloadable prayer guide called "Tears for St. Louis."

Each day includes the following opportunities, in which anyone is welcome to participate:
‣ Morning: Live Prayer + Devotional Video, 9 a.m. available on the PFTL Facebook page.
‣ Noon: Prayer Walking, 12 p.m. Find location details here.
‣ Night: Corporate Prayer + Worship Time, 7 p.m. at the following locations:

• Nights 1-7 (March 13-19) - First Baptist of Ferguson, 333 N. Florissant Rd.
• Nights 8-21 (March 20-April 2) - Gateway House of Prayer, 4646 S Lindbergh Blvd.
• Live stream also available on the PFTL Facebook page.

Please take advantage of these opportunities as you are able. We continue to see God move in St. Louis, and even today I heard stories of and personally experienced unexpected connections among His people. Even through the bad, we see the good of the Lord moving here.

A motto from our 1904 World's Fair, which became one for the city, was "Nothing Impossible." Pray for the Lou has adopted this motto, as we know with God, all things are possible. We look to the resurrection power of Jesus to heal the broken places of our city. Join us as we continue to pray for St. Louis.

Here are those Kickoff Week highlights...

A Moment to Pray on MLK

On a rainy Saturday in August, I made my way to the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. and Kingshighway in St. Louis to join in prayer with others with the same King and dream, both for our city and beyond.

Pray on MLK was coordinated by Civil Righteousness to happen in multiple cities on the same day. August 8 was chosen for having been the first date on which a street was named for the civil rights activist in Chicago back in 1968.

At 6:01 p.m. local time, groups gathered on MLK streets to enter into a time of silent prayer and lament. This start time was chosen as the same moment the shot rang out in Memphis that took Dr. King's life, the very time we heard the bell toll in April 2018.

As we formed this silent wall of prayer in St. Louis, we again used white tape on our mouths with one or two words written to express the prayers of our hearts. On this occasion I was prompted to focus on "LOVE," lamenting the lack of love for neighbor all around us now being expressed daily in ways ranging from harsh words to outright rage to increasing crime. I know we will not see love for neighbor unless our city knows the love of God in Jesus. For this I prayed.

A Prayer Walk in Ferguson

A different landscape since Saturday

As protests since the death of George Floyd continue, now in even more countries across the globe, a special prayer walk took place in Ferguson, MO on Thursday, June 4. This event was organized by the North County Pastors' Group, a collective of churches which originated following the death of Mike Brown.

These churches, my own included, have hosted an annual event called Unity Sunday for the past 4 years, from which I have personally benefited whether as attendee or participant. These events have allowed opportunity for predominantly black and predominantly white churches to gather together for fellowship, prayer and worship, and have included pulpit swaps between the pastors. As we've grown to know one another, this prayer walk was a significant next step in joining together, this time outside church walls and into the community.

The evening began and concluded in the parking lot of First Baptist Church of Ferguson, where we prepped and prayed before heading down the street to the Ferguson Police Station, now largely boarded up due to rioting which occurred after my time there on Saturday. The goal was not only to pray for the community, but to listen to those in the community and pray with them as appropriate. There was opportunity to do so with several individuals, including a police officer, a protestor and at least one of the artists now working on positive messages in front of the station.

Additional prayer suggestions included prayers of repentance, for justice and righteousness to prevail, for understanding and bearing one another's burdens, for healing and meaningful systematic change, for discernment and for blessing.

Prayerful Protest for Floyd in Ferguson

On Saturday, I was once again able to join with Civil Righteousness as Christians gathered in Ferguson, this time in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and all that is currently transpiring. This was the first of a 21-day call to prayer and action referred to as the Isaiah 58 Fast, running from May 30 to June 19.

We came out to form The Wall, lining up on the opposite side of S. Florissant from the Ferguson fire and police stations to be a presence and to silently pray. Participants stood with white tape covering their mouths, a single word written on that tape to publicly express the cries of our hearts in prayer.

On this day, my word—my prayer—was "HOPE."

While I struggle to find one all-encompassing word for the pain so many of us feel and our many needs, as I prayed even for what that word should be, I felt how desperately hope is needed. To have this eruption not only in cities across the U.S. but even now in London, and right in the middle of the multi-faceted tensions of a pandemic, I feel it even more. And, far more significantly, I know that hope will only be found as people come to know Jesus Christ Himself, the only one who can truly heal our world as it ever louder groans.

After gathering up some photos, I settled into the line—and finally wept. I have found over the years that I must do something with these emotions, and have learned, sadly far too many times since 2014, that this must include prayer and lament with God's people. The moment I saw the announcement of this event the night before, I knew I was supposed to be there taking all this to the Lord.

As I stood on that street I've traveled many times since my childhood, hearing the honks and hollers of approval from people of all backgrounds for a protest—ANY protest at this point—I felt the full-on exhaustion from this repetition of history that continues to cost us all so much. In my mind rang sentiments from black friends and community members, ranging from, "I'm depressed," or, "I had to shut down this time," to all-out rage of various stripes.

Lord Jesus, come quickly. Oh God, bring us Your hope.

Church, we cannot be surprised where we are, and we cannot continue as we have and expect change. I echo the call of organizer Jonathan Tremaine Thomas for the body of Christ to be out demonstrating who God is. We need to be a true presence in our communities, bringing the light of Christ to drive out the darkness. Jesus came to Earth, God present among us. He left us His Spirit, the presence of God in us. Now we can bring His very presence into our communities as we unite and pray and serve.

Whatever emotions you may be processing, I encourage you to channel them through the truths of the Gospel and in light of the sacrificial Savior who loved us enough to die for us. By His blood we are one in Christ, and we can and must love each other and our neighbors. Seek opportunities for prayer and service, whether in St. Louis or in your own community. Share news of events like this, which are far less likely to receive media coverage. And, as always, listen in order to truly hear and learn in order to truly love. Actual dialogue plays a crucial part in loving like Jesus, and bringing His hope to a hopeless world.

Praying for the Lou on 3.14

March 14, or 3.14, is known by many as Pi Day. In St. Louis, it's also affectionately referred to as #314Day, naturally because of our 314 area code.

But in 2020, conveniently on a Saturday, this date also got a brand new official designation as "Pray for the Lou" day, a God-given vision to simultaneously fill the streets of St. Louis in every one of its 79 neighborhoods with Christians united in prayer for our city. It was incredible to watch the Lord work to make this happen over the past few months, and to be a small part of the fantastic fulfillment of this amazing event, despite some seriously mounting odds.

It seems incredible now that this event took place not quite 2 weeks ago, and just as COVID-19 was knocking on STL's door. Given all that's transpired since (which also lent to a greater delay in posting than I'd hoped), it feels far longer. But the pandemic became yet one more reason to pray for this place we love.

Our own church experience had some unique qualities worth sharing. Chatham Bible Church, now located in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri, has its roots in the city of Wellston, right on the City/County divide. So we chose early on to pick an area right alongside Wellston and pray there.

We were graciously hosted by the New City Fellowship West End Restore St. Louis offices, just south of Hamilton Heights, the neighborhood we designated to pray in and for. After a time of group prayer at New City, and guided by executive director Andrew Stern, we took the bus north to prayer walk in some specific spots.

New City Fellowship Offices in the West End neighborhood

Scripture and prayer before the walk

Our first stop was the former Hempstead School. Now a burnt out shell of a once beautiful building, the campus sits littered and desolate as the structure slowly falls apart, a stark reminder here of what once was and what now is. Andrew requested we break up in groups and circle the school three times to pray. Some of those prayers focused on education and educators, on children in the neighborhood, on area tutoring programs, on safety for these kids, on restoration that only Jesus can bring.

The Pursuit of God to Bring Us Into the Family of God

About a year ago I helped lead worship for a conference with a “one another" theme which joined predominately black and predominantly white churches together, at which I shared the following. Looking at my calendar, at some point I realized the date of this conference, which met not a mile from where I grew up, was on or near the anniversary of the day in 1997 when my life was about to take a dramatic turn, as there in my bedroom the Lord distinctly commanded me to stop the sin I was committing. I’ve shared before how I stubbornly tried to fight Him, but He persisted until I finally accepted the love of God in Jesus.

Ironically, on Easter last year in that very same house, I was informed by my mom, who was adopted as a baby, that she had just discovered some family members, blood related siblings we never knew about before. This is still a lot to process, and plenty more has been discovered since then. But I continue to find all of this coming together to reflect the picture of God’s pursuit of His people in many ways.

It does at times distress me to recall how I initially rejected the Lord’s love as I did, but I realize the story of God as Pursuer is true for everyone who comes to believe in Jesus. Perhaps (and hopefully) you aren’t as stubborn as me, but if you know Him this is your story too. He pursued each of us to His own shame and death, taking our sins on the cross with a love that will not let us go. (Romans 8:38-39)

At the same time, when He calls us into the Kingdom He also calls us into a broad and vast family, much like we saw at that conference and others like it. (1 Peter 2:9-10) We suddenly realize we have brothers and sisters, mom and dads, grandparents and cousins we never knew we had, and from more and varied backgrounds then we can possibly fathom.

We can also love because He first loved and pursued us. (1 John 4:7-21) We can be imagers of God in our pursuit of others to call them into that same Kingdom and family.

I don’t know what your experience of pursuit is, but I find it can often lend to rejection. It’s hard. And it makes me even more grateful for the Lord’s persistence in my own stubbornness even to this day.

But I’ve also had the honor and privilege to pursue others who did allow me to pursue them, and to witness miracles, including marriages unmistakably restored by the Lord. The same week of that conference I held a baby who serves as a continual reminder of such a miracle for which I cannot stop thanking Him.

As I shared at that conference, the Lord will pursue His people through His people to bring them into His Kingdom family. Anyone He wants to save and any situation He wants to restore will, indeed, be saved and restored.

Thank you, Lord, for your relentless love and persistence in bringing us home.

10 Days of Prayer in St. Louis

I just spent 10 extraordinary days praying all across the St. Louis region, from South City to North City to far West County, and all points between. This was an unusual opportunity, and an incredible experience to share.

I was privileged earlier this year to join the organizers of 10 Days of Prayer St. Louis in prayer and planning for many months leading up to these 10 days in October. 10 Days is a movement that's been adopted and adapted in several cities, but this was the first time any such effort had taken place in St. Louis. Lead organizers here decided rather than creating special meetings for a 10 day period, why not find out who's already praying in our city and join them? And so we did. I was personally able to attend 15 individual events, and am beyond thankful for all I experienced in this time.

St. Louis, as you may know, is having a mix of good and bad happening in our city. We're making national headlines for our Stanley Cup winning Blues and having our Cardinals playing ball in October again (and in our sports enthusiasm we are remarkably united), while simultaneously gaining infamy for the horrific fact that several young children became shooting victims in our city this year. Beyond crime stats, we who live here are also well aware of the ways our city is divided—along ethnic, economical and even ecclesial lines, among many others. We desperately need these things to change.

So for these 10 Days we did war in prayer alongside many others who've been fighting the same battle for years. And for all our differences, I heard so many similar threads that weren't just sparked by a unified theme or prayer guide, but the fact that we love our city, and we want to see our city know and love Jesus, the only one who can ultimately make those changes we seek.

We worshiped. We repented. We walked and we wept. We prayed over places where strongholds still exist and saw powerful examples of the walls of division coming down. And every place we went, we saw the Lord at work in power through His people. We saw real desire for change, true hope for change, actual change in progress, and every bit of that rooted in Jesus Christ, our King. Because of Him, we do not lose heart.

Here are just a few moments captured from the events I was able to attend...

Faith in Ferguson 5 Years On

It is now 5 years since the events that erupted out of Ferguson, MO. It's been a while since I've written about my history there and the many things the Lord has taught me around this event, which you can find in my reconciliation and development thread. And he definitely continues to do so.

This year on August 9 and 10 I unexpectedly found myself back in that familiar part of town. I've been praying and working with 10 Days of Prayer St. Louis, and through them learned just days before of a morning prayer meeting I felt compelled to attend. Led by the organization Civil Righteousness, we had a time of reflection and then a longer time of prayer, crying out to the Lord on behalf of the city of Ferguson and the entire region for the peace and unity only Jesus can give.

Ministry Leaders Prayer Gathering

While some of that deep sadness came rushing back on many of us, it remains important to really feel, to care deeply and to bring that sorrow to the Lord, knowing only He can cause the changes we want to see. I am also thankful for the positives and connections that continue to happen as a result, and for ways we do see the Lord working even now.

At this morning of prayer I also learned of several other weekend events, and was able to return later on Friday for a tent meeting on Canfield near West Florissant called "Fragrance Ferguson." This was a time of worship and prayer, again for the city, but also for physical healing for any who requested it, which really paralleled at an individual level exactly what we were praying for the region.

Jonathan Tremaine Thomas speaks inside the tent

Police did request we end a bit early due to "intel" they received, but we were thankful to later hear there were only a few protestors over at the police station, and just a handful arrested for blocking traffic. Overall a very peaceful evening.

On Saturday I returned to the tent. The sounds of worship music and prayer filled the air of that street corner throughout the day. In stark contrast, I was able to participate in The Wall, a mostly silent time of prayer in which each of us wrote a one or two word prayer on a piece of white tape and covered our mouths. Instead of a silent protest, we walked up Canfield to the apartments and stood lined up on either side of the street around the memorial for Mike Brown to silently pray. Occasionally, Civil Righteousness leader Jonathan Tremaine Thomas read Scripture or prayed aloud, but most of our hour there was without commentary. No shouts. No opinions. Just prayer. There was a great show of appreciation in honks and thank yous as vehicles passed by.

From the Mountaintop to the Valley: Reflections on #MLK50

Seeing the Memphis forecast on a stormy April night in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nearly didn't bother to attend a church speaking engagement. He didn't feel well, and given the rain and severe weather he assumed low attendance. Yet a phone call convinced him to go, and King gave his now famous Mountaintop Speech that evening to an over packed house.

"I’ve been to the mountaintop... I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

Fifty years later to the day, April 3, 2018, the warm Memphis air grew similarly thick outside, with severe weather forecast yet again. But this didn't stop a crowd of about 4,000 gathered in the Memphis Convention Center. Only this time, rather than anticipating King's arrival, we mourned his passing and joined together to consider his dream of unity, still looking for a greater fulfillment of that proverbial Promised Land.

The MLK50 Conference was a 2-day gathering of Christian leaders to reflect on Dr. King's life and work, the Gospel implications of that dream, where we've come and where we need to go from here. I first heard of the event at last year's Gospel Coalition Conference, and knew then I needed to be there. I did not, however, know at that time all the events happening in the city or the sheer number of people who would arrive on April 4, exactly 50 years from the day MLK was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel—the very day after that great speech.

Mission: St. Louis 2017 - The Move North

A couple weeks ago we took a team to serve with Mission: St. Louis. A lot's changed since serving with them in 2014, for the organization and the city, so this provided new opportunities to learn.

Before diving in, this is a continuation of my reconciliation and development series. You can click those words to see all related posts and how God's guiding an STL lifer through these concerns. With that in mind, here's where He took me next...

On our last trip we served in The Grove. Founder Josh Wilson told me that neighborhood gentrified (read: the trendy spots got middle class popular), families they'd connected with moved out and they had to develop a more regional approach. In November M:STL moved into the old YMCA building on Grand Ave. in North City's JeffVanderLou neighborhood, and the former home of World Impact. While they're partially renting with hopes to purchase the structure, they just had a grand opening May 11.

MLK 50 Conference, April 4, 2018

In early April I had the opportunity to attend my first conference by The Gospel Coalition. There they announced an event coming to Memphis on April 4, 2018, the date on which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lost his life. The conference, "MLK 50: Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop," will reflect on the 50th anniversary of his assassination.

Conference cost is just $50 for the first 50 days (through May 23) using coupon code MLK50 at MLK50Conference.com. Please view the promo video below.

Christmas 2014: Reconciled

"Hark! The herald angels sing,

'Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!'"

"...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -2 Corinthians 5:17-21

This is my appeal each year, as one now also entrusted with God's message of reconciliation, that you turn to God and be reconciled to Him. Our  "trespasses" or "sins" (doing what God says not to or ignoring what He calls good) separate us from God, earning us death now and eternally. But because Jesus was born on Earth, God in human form who followed His Law perfectly, He was the perfect sacrifice to cover that eternal penalty by His own death on a cross so those who trust Him can be new creations reconciled to God.

This year it seems especially significant to share that this message of reconciliation is not only from God to humans, but also extends from human to human because of what Jesus has done.

In Ephesians 2:11-22, the Apostle Paul discusses how Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), who were historically hostile to one another, are now united in Christ. He informs us:

• Jesus Himself is our peace

• Jesus broke down the wall of hostility with his own flesh

• Jesus reconciles people to God through the cross, also killing hostility between humans

This reconciliation crosses man-made divisions of all kinds. This is what the baby given the title "Prince of Peace" was born to do. A vertical relationship with Jesus directly affects our horizontal relationships with others. The loved can love. The forgiven can forgive. The reconciled are to be reconcilers. Knowing the Creator who came to live among us and made the ultimate sacrifice for His people increases one's willingness to sacrifice for Him and others, and to pursue others as Jesus pursues in love.

I pray the Lord will make clear to each of us His message of reconciliation, whether more deeply or for the first time, so we may not only have peace with God, but can fully extend the hand of peace to every person we know and meet.

Christmas Peace in Jesus Christ to you and yours this season.

______________________________________

The Lord has taught me much since 2008 specifically regarding racial reconciliation, along with community development, through men like John Perkins and serving with Mission: St. Louis this year. You're invited to follow the thread starting here.

Engaging the Conversation

In a previous post I mentioned my hope that St. Louis would begin to have long needed conversations in light of the situation in Ferguson. Clearly that need is nationwide as well, and most specifically needed within the Church. I've heard, presumably originating from MLK, Sunday morning referred to as "the most segregated hour" in our nation. This does seem to remain unsettlingly true in many locations.

Therefore, I'm excited I've been around as a few of these needed conversations have begun.

"Night of Hope"
Last Sunday I attended "Night of Hope" at the historic Third Baptist in St. Louis' Grand Center, which I only learned of thanks to my husband's insistence we visit with friends that day at a largely Japanese gathering. (Yes, it's translated, and small but interestingly diverse.) Many area congregations were invited to worship together with a diverse Christmas choir, along with a few practical ways to make a difference, including partnering with local schools, and supporting the Mission: St. Louis Job and Leadership Training program, which needs volunteers. The organizers mentioned a future conference as well. They've adopted the slogan "The Church: One City, One People."

"A Time to Speak"
Last week in Memphis, TN, The National Civil Rights Museum hosted "A Time to Speak," a livestream which brought together many church leaders from across the U.S. (including St. Louis' own Darrin Patrick) to discuss these issues and where the Church goes from here. The conversation can currently be viewed at live.kainos.is.

"Ferguson Response - Engaging Race"
Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey, took the opportunity to change up their series focus the weekend after the jury announcement and preached on responding to what's happening. His focus was on engaging "the other," as in people who are not like us, citing Jesus' culturally unacceptable approach toward a Samaritan woman at a well in John 4.



The Journey also previously hosted "Forum on Ferguson: Why So Much Anger?," and has shared thus far two "Race Round Table" discussions. None of these were about people having all the answers, but they provide good examples, as did "A Time to Speak," of what having potentially messy conversations looks like.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, it's not all about seeing perfectly eye to eye, but it is about listening, attempting to understand "the other," and remembering we agree in The Gospel because of what our Lord has done. In all these conversations we must remember His is the message we have to share, with each other and the world, if we want to see true change.

All of this just brings me deeper into the importance of presence. We can't have conversation in the first place if we remain isolated and separated. We must engage.

Get in the conversation. Listen. Learn.

Mission: St. Louis 2014 - Bringing it Close to Home

If you're just tuning in, this post is one in a series, so it will help to pick up some background and follow the whole thread starting here: "Racism & the Blessing of Being too Concerned to Understand." 

Following some time in Mississippi with John Perkins in 2012, I knew a local trip with Mission: St. Louis would only make sense. I was familiar with this ministry via The Journey church, and over the years attended several Mercy Quarterlies they hosted to discuss topics such as fatherlessness, foster and adoptive care, service strategies and more. I also enjoy their annual toy drive for Affordable Christmas, and was impressed by the upcycled work of Anew Nature inside the relatively new Revive Thrift shop. I often wished to learn more and work with them directly. 

In the time between the MS trip and this year, we saw the departure of the youth pastor who brilliantly designed both The Advance and Mission: Mississippi, and gained another. Curious as to what he might do for a mission trip, I dropped Mission: St. Louis as a suggestion. To my excitement, he agreed and scheduled us for late July. We, of course, had no idea the significance such a local trip would take just over a week later, but what we learned now seems even more invaluable. 

In order to facilitate groups such as ours, Mission: St. Louis began the AMP initiative, which stands for Authentic Missional Practice. Through the help of our gracious hosts, teachers and guides, our team of 14 covered a lot of ground in just five days.

Mission: Mississippi 2012 - John Perkins, Racial Reconciliation & Community Development

I'm admittedly delinquent in sharing this, my first ever mission trip. However, now truly seems like the right time. If you haven't already, please take a look at my previous post "Racism & the Blessing of Being too Concerned to Understand" for some background.

Prior to this trip, we shared a few details (here modified) to help supporters understand and pray...

Where we’re going: 
• Spencer Perkins Center for Reconciliation & Development,
Jackson, MS
www.spencerperkinscenter.org

• National Civil Rights Museum,
Memphis, TN

www.civilrightsmuseum.org

Why we’re going:

“The John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development (now jvmpf.org) is dedicated to seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ restore entire communities across America. Our work in racial reconciliation & community development demonstrates God’s power to bring true unity and hope to areas across the country.”

We pray the Lord will use this trip to cause a Gospel-centered view to permeate our own hearts in the realm of racial reconciliation and community restoration as in all of life.

What we’re reading:

• “Let Justice Roll Down” by John M. Perkins

What we’re watching:

• "Freedom Riders"
• "The Help" (and visiting Brent's Drugs diner)

Two of our prayer requests:
• Pray for us as we are going primarily as students. Pray the Lord brings us understanding regarding barriers and bridges to racial reconciliation.
• Pray we come away with Christ-centered application we can take with us, especially in St. Louis.

Racism & the Blessing of Being too Concerned to Understand

Racism is based on the biggest lie of all, because we assume there are many races, but there is one human race created in the image of God.
— John M. Perkins (@JohnMPerkins) August 7, 2014

Without actual deadlines, I can be slow to blog. However, given the situation that has erupted out of Ferguson, MO, I have some catching up to do regarding a couple mission trips over the past few years which directly relate to the topics at hand. One was in 2012 with the John M. Perkins Foundation in Jackson, MS. Another was over the summer of this year right in St. Louis with the organization Mission: St. Louis.

But before I share some of the details and photos of those trips in their own posts, a little background...

I was born and raised in the St. Louis region, what we call North County specifically. Now married and living in a more central portion of St. Louis County with fairly quick access to anywhere, I've called this place home my entire life. My grandparents on my mom's side lived in Spanish Lake, which has taken its own share of recent hits in a relatively new documentary I've yet to see. My grandparents on my dad's side lived in Ferguson.

As a kid, I don't recall over thinking "race" unless I was faced with racism, which I could not understand. Diversity to me was a natural thing. I was, and still am, intrigued by other cultures and learning about things different from what I know. So I was always appalled by even subtly divisive remarks from elder family members, and a story my mom told from her childhood about witnessing a segregated drinking fountain which she too could not comprehend.

In high school, with Depeche Mode singing "People Are People," Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" and U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)" in my own cultural backdrop, I was often upset to see a pocket of kids who mostly kept to themselves on the far side of the lunch room. Why was there a divide? The few years I attended an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally at the old Kiel Opera House downtown I was always in the minority with one other friend. Why wasn't a more diverse crowd represented here if the Dream was that "little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers," in Alabama or elsewhere?

As I enjoyed the music and pop culture of various ethnicities, plus the company of friends of many backgrounds, I hoped we were at least part of the solution and not the problem which apparently still lingered. The kids on the other side of the commons, coupled with thoughtless comments from adults to which I increasingly protested, kept that at the back of my mind.

Over time I learned more about our history. A state divided during the Civil War. The Underground Railroad. Divisions caused by segregation or industrial failure. Pruitt-Igoe and so on. In 2012, BBC featured a report on Delmar Blvd. as a major dividing point in St. Louis, and I wondered why this was coming from across the pond as few addressed it here.

So care about these things, along with increasing concern for the cross-cultural plight of poverty (heightened by a job which puts me in frequent contact with those struggling), influenced my participation in these trips before I had any idea how significant they would become. These also flowed from a 2008 trip called The Advance, one I often recall and have certainly grown much since.

I am deeply thankful the Lord made me too concerned about people to be able to understand racism or segregation even before I knew Him. I only knew it was an unnecessary evil. I am additionally grateful He continues to show me greater ramifications from His point of view, seeing people as created in God's image, and that Jesus died to reconcile His people to God and to one another.

There's plenty to say about this, and I hope to develop the trip posts over the coming days.

As a final note, while I am severely grieved at all the recent happenings in and around Ferguson and elsewhere, I pray the situation will cultivate the discussion our region has long needed, for people to be truly heard and truly listen, and for real racial reconciliation which only Jesus can bring.

Keep praying for Ferguson, all of St. Louis and every place both rage and apathy need to give way to listening and love.
_____________________________

Related posts in the reconciliation series. (A thread emerges when the trips are read in order.):
• The Advance, 2008

• Mission: Mississippi 2012 - John Perkins, Racial Reconciliation & Community Development

• Mission: St. Louis 2014 - Bringing it Close to Home

#Ferguson, Justice & Privilege

Following the recent events in Ferguson, MO, I was eager to attend a community prayer event announced by The Journey Tower Grove. I can truly say it was one of the most emotional prayer times I have ever attended, and that without any form of manipulation. We were all there deeply concerned about what is happening in our city, crying out to God for racial reconciliation in Christ, plus healing for the families involved and our community at large. I had stayed up for nights in a row, becoming physically sick over this situation. This prayer night was the first I let the emotions flow.

I recently tweeted, "Can honestly say I never expected my grandparents' old hometown to one day become a hashtag. Or end up on the cover of Time." Now that this is the reality of a town I have spent much time in with both family and dear friends, the words Pastor Darrin Patrick shared at that prayer event, with similar sentiment recorded below, are vitally important. Please take these 12 minutes to listen, pray and respond. Then share this, and have those conversations.


You may also read the entire message here.

UPDATE: I've since developed a series on Racial Reconciliation and Community Development. Click the link to read the series.