Dear Friends

Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars.
– John Lewis

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.“
– John 6:68 (from this week’s gospel)

Thank you to everyone who supported or participated in last Sunday’s Rally and March in Central Park. We were well represented in the turnout, and several of you told me that you joined in prayer. To me, the most moving speech (and there were many) was hearing Mercy, Rev. Penny Nixon’s teenage daughter, describe her experience of being a student in public high school currently and a resident of City of San Mateo as a young black woman today. She is a person close in age to Emmett Till, whose life we will remember this Sunday.

I hope to have a video of Mercy’s speech to show you on Sunday. We will also have a specially commissioned for us musical piece by one of our favorite guest musician/pastors, Rev. Dr. D. Mark Wilson. I’ll preach on the gospel for this Sunday, John 6:56-69.

Please join us for what I know will be a powerful service and invite your friends. For everyone’s safety, we continue on Zoom for the time being.

Yours in faith,
Rev. Jim Mitulski

P.S. Please keep the US personnel conducting evacuations and the whole people of Afghanistan in your prayers using your own prayers or this one, as an example, from The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church:

Eternal God, hear our prayer for the peoples of Afghanistan. There is a profound humanitarian crisis. Countless people, mostly women and children, are now fleeing and vulnerable. The lives of many are now endangered. The hopes of many are forgone. Send your Spirit, Lord, to rally the resolve of the nations of the earth to find pathways to save human lives, protect human rights, and to resolve the hardships of those seeking refuge, asylum, and safety. Hear our prayer for the peoples of Afghanistan. This we pray as followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

P.P.S. To read more about Emmett TIll’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, and her actions after the death of her son, read this article: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/emmett-biography-mamie-till-mobley/ or watch these interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvijYSJtkQk.