Hello friends,
I’ll be wearing an orange stole on Sunday.
Every year at the end of September, churches across Canada wear orange to remember and honor Indigenous children who were sent to residential schools — most run by Christian organizations — where dominant national culture, language, and religion forcibly replaced Indigenous culture, language, and religion.
Between 1819 and 1969, over four-hundred residential schools operated in thirty-seven American states too (source).
This day of acknowledging the past helps Canadians learn from history; it brings attention to residential school survivors, their families, and their communities, as well as the children who did not come home from these institutions.
Americans are justified to follow the lead of our Canadian neighbors by wearing orange.
As we know at Newman, knowing history is empowering; it’s part of why we are reading the ancient stories in worship this month.
On Sunday in worship, we’ll dive into the story of Moses and the burning bush as we learn more about the relationship between God and the people God draws near to in their time of suffering.
And several of us will gather tomorrow morning (10 a.m. to noon) to spruce-up the church for fall, and to make sure the grounds are looking good before the Sunday afternoon Family Square Dance!
Traveling together,
Sam