Matthew 25

Carmichael Presbyterian Church (CPC) is a Matthew 25 congregation.  This means that we know when we respond to the needs of individuals in our community we are responding as if the individuals are Jesus himself.  In addition to the guidance from Matthew 25:31-46,  we have the passage from Matthew 10:24-42 that was the focus of Pastor Ivan Herman’s sermon on June 21 – and if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matt 10:42

Many members and friends of CPC are asking themselves; how should I respond to the events of the past few months? Respond is the key word.  The spectrum of response is very broad and each of us needs to decide through prayer and Bible reading the right response for us.  

Ways to Respond:

• Purchase a CPC yard sign to show your support. Find out how HERE.
• Make a donation to an organization that supports racial justice and equality.  Some possibilities are:
  • Sacramento Area Congregations Together http://www.sacact.org/
  • Carmichael HART (Homeless Assistance Resource Team) https://carmichaelhart.org/
  • Black Lives Matter http://www.blacklivesmattersacramento.com/
  • Loaves & Fishes http://www.sacloaves.org/
  • Poor Peoples Campaign https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/
  • NAACP https://www.naacp.org/
  • Equal Justice Initiative https://eji.org/
  • My Brother’s Keeper https://www.shfcenter.org/mbk-sac/interest
  • and many more.  Check out their websites.
• Read a book, view a video, check resources on line.  See suggestions below.
• Talk to a person of color and listen to their story.
• Support businesses owned by people of color.
• Join and volunteer with an organization that supports justice issues
• Write letters or send emails to the City Council, Board of Supervisors and state and national legislators and express your opinion.  For contact information go to the specific websites. 
• Have conversations, perhaps uncomfortable, with family members and friends about racial injustice, police reform and anti-blackness and white privilege.
• If you are a member of a small group, plan to do a study with one of the resources listed below.
• View the movie ‘Just Mercy’ and use the discussion guide at presbyterianmission.org/story/the- film-just-mercy.

Where to Find More Resources

Where to go for lists of resources:

• Presbyterian Church (USA) Racial Justice Resources https://www.pcusa.org/racial-justice-resources/
• PBS New Hour: What to read, listen to and watch to learn about institutional racism. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-to-read-listen-to-and-watch-to-learn-about-institutional-racism
• African Museum of History and Culture https://nmaahc.si.edu/
• Any of the organizations listed in the second bullet above.