In Chicago the following weekend, besides being Easter, people who have been looking to the Occupy movement as a source of community will gather on Saturday to "Occupy Spring".
And Chicago has a longstanding tradition of getting into the street during Holy Week, with the Good Friday Walk for Justice.
I've been thinking about the Occupy movement and what it has to do with Christian witness. The conclusion I've come to is: a lot! In fact, I think it's central to our understanding of what Christ's life and death meant. What would Jesus do? Occupy!
So I propose that churches across Chicago -- and elsewhere! -- plan on a real Palm Sunday this year -- and Occupy it!
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| Palm Sunday |
What will people be doing when they Occupy Palm Sunday? It could be anything really, but for starters I'm imagining they will:
* get outside their churches and into the public spaces in their communities
* celebrate Jesus' teachings
* enjoy a meal at which everyone in the community is welcome
* talk with each other about what's really important
Who knows? There may even be palms .... ;-)
Those are my ideas for how to Occupy Palm Sunday. Anyone else got any ideas?
Related posts
Think
back on everything that has happened in the last year. Is it time for
things to quiet down? To have a "nice" spring? To sit back and be
entertained by the usual presidential campaign circus?(See Occupy Palm Sunday in 2016)
Chicago, March 29, 2012 -- Members of congregations from across Logan Square and
Humboldt Park streamed from their respective houses of worship
to the Logan Square monument at the end of services on April 1 to
Occupy Palm Sunday! Participants sang and chanted songs of
protest and praise as they occupied the green space at Kedzie, Milwaukee
and Logan Boulevard . . . . (See Occupy Palm Sunday! in Logan Square)
On Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013, people who long for peace and justice in our city gathered at St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square to begin to talk about what real change would look like. It was a joyous and hopeful event as we aimed to eliminate all violence in our community in 10 years! Zero in Ten.(See Photo Gallery: Palm Sunday 2013 - "I Will Be a Remedy for Violence!" )
(See What do we want? SALVATION! When do we want it? NOW!)
"Missa dos Quilombos" asked for forgiveness and sought healing for the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Dom Helder celebrated the Quilombo Mass. He said: "Mariama [Mother
Mary], we aren't here to ask that today's slaves be tomorrow's slave
masters. Enough of slaves! Enough of masters! We want liberty!" The beating of the drums was overpowering, they exploded like the screams of our souls!(See Hélder Câmara and Liberation Theology 101: Where? When? Why? Who? )
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea! Are you planning a central event on Palm Sunday afternoon, or are you recommending that we all do decentralized occupy events in our own communities? I led an exorcism of Wall Street's demonic greed and stupidity down on LaSalle and Jackson back in November. I would be glad to do that again on Palm Sunday. How are you planning to advertise and follow up on these events? We will do what we can to help.
Rev. Rod Reinhart
St. Clement's Episcopal Church
Harvey IL
Hi Pastor Rod -
ReplyDeleteThanks for your enthusiasm! I attend St. Luke's Logan Square, and there is a robust community that congregates on the green in Logan Square on Sunday afternoons during the warm months, so my initial thought was to encourage multiple congregations to converge on their local green spaces.
I also think there is potential for these dispersed assemblies to move toward some more central location.
But these are just initial thoughts. I know many people will have wonderful ideas to contribute.
Thank you so much for your offer to help advertise and follow up - I think I may set up a Facebook page shortly so that we can all start to connect with each other. What other thoughts do you have?
Thanks again!
Joe Scarry
Thanks, Joe. Great idea... The 8th Day Good Friday Walk for Justice took it's theme with the Occupy movement in mind...."Live Out Loud - Awaken, Create, Transform."
ReplyDeleteTo quote on our flyer reads "When TIME Magazine names the person of the year, 'The Protester' what choice do we have but to celebrate the 'Living Out Loud' energy that has swept the globe?"
All to say...hope the Palm Sunday Occupy idea sparks the energy to "Occupy" 8th Day's Good Friday Walk for Justice, too.
Thanks again. Kathleen Desautels, SP
Thanks, Kathleen!
ReplyDeleteI think a very interesting possibility would be:
* Occupy Palm Sunday in a public space in one's own neighborhood (ideally together with neighboring congregations)
* Join with people from all over Chicagoland for the 8th Day Good Friday Walk for Justice
* Join with people coming from around the country to "Occupy Spring" the next day in Chicago.
This raises the very interesting question of how churches (in Chicago and elsewhere) and the Occupy movement (in downtown Chicago as well as a growing number of neighborhoods throughout the city, and elsewhere) can share in each other's initiatives and collaborate and be in dialog with each other!