Institutional discrimination and systemic oppression negatively impact marginalized people in myriad ways, from racism to sexism and classism to heterosexism. It can be dizzying to sort out all of the ways in which dominant groups leverage power that damage disenfranchised groups. It can be even more challenging to build connections between different oppressed groups.  Because of these concerns, last Sunday…

This Advent season, we have been reading the Christmas story through the eyes of the oppressed, which continued on Christmas Eve with a service of music and meditations focused on reading the Christmas narrative through the lens of Jesus as liberator.  We gathered for a simple worship service at the beautiful Pilgrim Chapel in midtown KC. For a prelude, we…

Jesus was a person of color who was born under an oppressive Roman regime, and when Jesus launched his ministry at age 30, he started by declaring freedom for the captives!  This message of liberation and hope has animated the church in poor and marginalized communities all over the world.  This Advent season, we are continuing our series on race…

I don’t see race–I’m colorblind. So where are you really from? You don’t speak [Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, etc.]? You’re so articulate! I’m not racist, I have black friends! Many would deny being racist, but our speech and actions can communicate a different message.  For our third gathering in our series on race, we invited Rev. Jose Martinez to facilitate a…

Colin Kaepernick took a knee on an NFL field to protest structural racism, which sparked a national debate about what racism is, especially in the post-civil rights era.  We recognize that taking a knee is not about the flag, or veterans, but about “liberty and justice for all”.  It is vital for communities to have a common understanding of what…

Racism has been deeply embedded in both society and religion, so how can we take part in the righting of the wrongs of generations both past and present?  At our last gathering on Sunday, Oct. 22, The Open Table community began a series of conversations on race, which will feature diverse voices from the greater Kansas City area over the next…