Canton Church of the Brethren

This month, the Canton Church of the Brethren will be recognizing the contributions of African Americans and their central role in U.S. History. Please enjoy the following audio recording from our service from Sunday, 2/21/21.

THEME: Dreaming

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What dreams do you have for humanity to exist peaceably and justly? If these dreams are realized, what do you envision this reality looking like? What can we do to ensure a more just and equitable co-existence?

• Welcoming Words from Pastor Kevin
  • History, we learn, is too frequently absent of African American accomplishments, successes, and significant contributions. That the individuals who shared so much are denied recognition is an injustice. The loss to humanity of knowing about the impact of these lives is an injustice as well. Black History Month offers an opportunity to pause and allow this absent history to rise up and instruct us about people who have made this world a better place to be. Not only are African American contributors excluded from our history books, but many were also denied opportunities to freely do what they dreamed of doing. Still, they continued to dream against heavy odds. Where would we be today without their dreaming? What might the way forward be like without the continued dreaming of the African American community? How can we engage in solidarity with those dreams? Do we, as white people, have the audacity to stand in solidarity with African American dreamers?
• CALL TO WORSHIP
  • Ashe (pronounced ah-shay) is a term that will be used in the call to worship each Sunday in February. Ashe is a West African philosophical concept through which the Yoruba of Nigeria conceive the power to make things happen and produce change
• Theopoetic contribution: WORDS by Pauli Murray
• SONG – “Glory” from the film “Selma” performed by John Legend and Common at the 2015 Oscars
  • Lyrics to the song “Glory”
• PRAYER – “I Have a Dream” (excerpt from MLK speech)
• SONG – Ant Clemons & Justin Timberlake: “Better Days“
• Scripture reading, Proverbs 18:15-16, Matthew 7:7-11, Habakkuk 2:2-3, Joel 2:28-29
• Spoken Thoughts – Pastor Kevin Kessler
• Theopoetic Contribution – Carol Davis
  • Ray Charles performs “America the Beautiful” at the 2001 World Series