Pastor Laurie and Pastor Dan will be leaving Wednesday afternoon to travel to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, where they will take part Thursday morning in a clergy action in solidarity with our Native American brothers & sisters. Pastor Laurie will be officially representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at the Thursday morning gathering. Pastor Melissa Pohlman from Central Lutheran Church will be traveling with us. As of noon today, 477 clergy from across the nation are registered to be part of this, with more expected to come.
Why are we going?
An excerpt from the Clergy Call to Solidarity, October 26, 2016, Rev. John Floberg, supervising priest of the Episcopal churches on the North Dakota side of Standing Rock:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I write to my fellow clergy of all faiths today, to invite you to join me on Standing Rock Sioux nation on the banks of the Missouri River on November 3rd. We will gather to stand witness to water protector’s acts of compassion for God’s creation, and to the transformative power of God’s love to make a way out of no way…our duty as people of faith and clergy could not be clearer: to stand on the side of the oppressed and to pray for God’s mercy in these challenging times.
Also, from the Churches United in Christ (CHUC) Statement of Support for the Standing Rock Tribe, of which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a member:
Therefore, we stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other tribal nations and indigenous peoples in support of their children, their tribal sovereignty, natural resources, cultural heritage and sacred places. We pray that the federal government will continue to halt pipeline construction on Corps land so that a more thorough review of applicable laws and that thorough and transparent tribal consultations be conducted. Above all, we pray for a peaceful resolution that brings forth a new and more equitable chapter for tribal nations and a just transition towards a carbon-free future.
Please keep all of us in your prayers. We will update on Facebook as possible.
