Towards a Theology of

Race: Radical Jesus

Honorable Reverend Everett D. Mitchell, M.Div., Th.M., J.D.,

Senior Pastor, Christ the Solid Rock Church

Dane County Circuit Court Judge

AGENDA

• BRIEF DISCUSSION OF CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK

• TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF RACE

• A LENS

• RADICAL INCLUSION OF JESUS MODEL

• RACIAL ANALYSIS

• SERMON—THERE IS MORE ON YOUR SIDE

• A MOMENT OF HOPE

CHRIST THE

SOLID ROCK

BAPTIST CHURCH

“A Church Where

Everybody is

Somebody. We

believe it and live

out our

commitment to all

of God’s children.”

Christ the Solid Rock Limited Partnerships

• Joint Bible Study Groups

• Joint Women’s Retreats

• Joint Men’s Ministry and Retreat

• Joint Choir Ministry

• Pulpit Exchanges

Christ the Solid Rock Limited Partnerships

• Joint Vacation Bible School

• Joint Fundraisers

• Joint Activities

• Sewing Classes

• Urban Gardening Farm

• Jail Ministry

“It is appalling that the most segregated

hour in Christian America is eleven

o’clock on Sunday Morning”

A Theology of Race

Requires that churches confront

the impacts that racism has upon

a church’s thinking and practice

of theology.

A Theology of Race

Racism both infects and limits the

capacity of a church to fully

embrace the radical ministry of

Jesus and for a church to live out its

commitment.

A Theology of Race

Jim Wallis, America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the

Bridge to a New America

“The churches have too often “baptized” us into our

racial divisions, instead of understanding how our

authentic baptism unites us above and beyond our

racial identities.”

A Theology of Race

Jim Wallis, America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the

Bridge to a New America

“Racial healing is a commitment at the heart of the

gospel…What does racial healing and reconciliation

mean in the face of America’s racial divide over

policing and the criminal justice system?”

A Theology of Race: A Lens

Radical

Inclusiveness

of Jesus

Hang Out Principle

Matthew 9:10-13

And as Jesus sat at dinner in the house, many tax

collectors and sinners came and were reclining with

him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this,

they said to the disciples, “Why does your teacher

eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he

heard this, Jesus said, “Those who are well have no

need a physician, but those who are sick. Go and

learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not

sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous

but the sinner.

Radical Inclusiveness of

Jesus

Hanging Out/Reclining

Principle of Ministry

• In Their Home

• Fellowship Time

• Healing the Sickness--

Race

• Learning Mercy

Racial Narrative: Rooted Deep in the American

Consciousness

• Race the Power of an Illusion

“I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that the blacks,

whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time

and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the

endowments both of body and mind.”—Thomas Jefferson

• Whiteness

Racial Narrative: Rooted Deep in the American

Consciousness

• Racial Division is considered natural

• Natural Quality to Race (Notes on the State of Virginia)

• Natural State of Slavery (The Birth of a Nation)

• Scientific Proof of Inferiority (The Bell Curve)

• Legal Definition (Dred Scott Decision (1856))

“People of African, slave or free, black people had no rights white people were bound

to respect”

Racial Narratives: Stereotypes

Racial stereotypes are constructed beliefs that all members of the same race

share given characteristics and the false narratives that accompany them to

justify the social marginalization of a particular group.

These racialized false narratives are deeply held by those of a different race but

is also internalized by those of the same race. These internalized false narrative

messages often reinforce one another leading to destructive outcomes.

Racial Narratives: Stereotypes

Radical

Inclusiveness

of Jesus

The “One” Thing Principle: Mary or Martha

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain

village, where a woman named Martha welcomed

him into her home. She had a sister named Mary,

who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he

was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many

tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you

not care that my sister has left me to do all the work

by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But Jesus

answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and

distracted by many things; there is need of only one

thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will

not be taken away from her.”

Radical Inclusiveness of Jesus

The “One” Thing Principle: Mary

or Martha

• Discerning the Right Moment

• Activity does not equate to

relationship

• Find the ‘One’ Thing: Focus on it!

Martin Luther King Jr

White Moderate (Liberal)

“ I mu s t c o n f e s s t h a t ove r t h e p a s t f e w y e a r s I h ave b e e n g r ave l y d i s a p p o i n t e d w i t h t h e w h i t e m o d e r a t e . I h ave a l m o s t r e a ch e d t h e r e g r e t t a b l e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e N e g r o ' s g r e a t s t u m b l i n g b l o ck i n h i s s t r i d e t owa r d f r e e d o m i s n o t t h e W h i t e C i t i z e n ' s C o u n c i l e r o r t h e Ku K l u x K l a n n e r , b u t t h e w h i t e m o d e r a t e , w h o i s m o r e d e vo t e d t o " o r d e r " t h a n t o j u s t i c e ; w h o p r e f e r s a n e g a t iv e p e a c e w h i ch i s t h e ab s e n c e o f t e n s i o n t o a p o s i t i ve p e a c e w h i ch i s t h e p r e s e n c e o f j u s t i c e ; w h o c o n s t a n t l y s a y s : " I a g r e e w i t h yo u i n t h e g o a l yo u s e e k , b u t I c a n n o t a g r e e w i t h yo u r m e t h o d s o f d i r e c t a c t i o n " ; S h a l l o w u n d e r s t a n d i n g f r o m p e o p l e o f g o o d w i l l i s m o r e f r u s t r a t i n g t h a n ab s o l u t e m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g f r o m p e o p l e o f i l l w i l l . L u ke wa r m a c c e p t a n c e i s mu ch m o r e b e w i l d e r i n g t h a n o u t r i g h t r e j e c t i o n .”

White Church Missionary Approach

• Maintain Social Boundaries/Distances • Often Project Based—Can create work

projects to do good work but with no relational bi-product

• Rooted in a save them approach to ministry and relationships

• Lack of Reciprocity

Before You Reach Out

For Connections

1. Initiate a conversation within

your local congregation;

2. Answer the question: What is

the one thing?

3. Create an internal action plan

that strengthens the areas that

need improvement;

4. Discuss how to evaluate when

the congregation is prepared for

reaching out for relationships;

5. Visit Before Your Leap!

6. PRAY

Radical

Inclusiveness

of Jesus

Reversing the Power

Matthew 19: 27-30

The Peter said in reply, “Look we have left

everything and followed you. What then will we

have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the

renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated

on the throne of his glory, you who have followed

me will also sit…And everyone who has left houses

or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children

or fields for my name’s sake, will receive a

hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many

who are first will be last, and the last will be

first.”

Radical Inclusiveness of

Jesus

Reversing the Power

• Race: Power

• Participate in returning

power back to

communities of color

• Creating space for mutual

sharing

Building Relationships That Matter

You Have More On Your Side

2 Kings 6: 15-17

When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out,

an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said,

“Alas, master!” What shall we do? He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are

more with us than there are with them!” Then Elisha prayed: “O Lord, please

open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant,

and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around

Elisha.”

The Possibility of Change