Juneteenth

Dear Beloved Christ the King Community,

As we approach Juneteenth, I invite us to reflect together on this profound moment in our nation's history—a moment that began just a few hours from us, in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, Union troops arrived in Galveston to announce that all enslaved people in Texas were free. This delayed justice reminds us that freedom is not always immediate, and that the work of liberation—spiritual, social, and systemic—is ongoing.

Scripture teaches us that freedom is central to God's desire for humanity. In Galatians 5:1, we read: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Juneteenth calls us to celebrate freedom won—and also to examine the places where that freedom remains incomplete. The Gospel invites us not just to rejoice in liberation but to become co-laborers with Christ in the ongoing work of justice, healing, and repair.

As people of faith, we are called not just to remember but to move in solidarity and service. This Juneteenth, let us honor our shared history by showing up—in presence, prayer, and purposeful action. I encourage you to:

• Attend local Juneteenth celebrations, such as the Juneteenth at Miller Outdoor Theatre and Discovery Green, or the Juneteenth Fest in Freedmen’s Town;

• Walk learning paths through Houston’s historic Black districts, including the Third Ward tour with stops at Emancipation Park, Project Row Houses, and the Buffalo Soldiers Museum;

• Support Black-led ministries and institutions like the Community Artists’ Collective, SHAPE Community Center, Kindred Stories, Project Row Houses, and The Ensemble Theatre;

• Give toward racial equity initiatives through Black Impact Houston's Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Giving Guide.

Additionally, on June 17, 2015, Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Lee Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson were murdered by a self-professed white supremacist while they were gathered for Bible study and prayer at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (often referred to as Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina. Pastors Pinckney and Simmons were both graduates of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. A resolution to commemorate June 17 as a day of repentance for the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine was adopted by the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on August 8, 2019.

In observance of the 10th anniversary of the tragic shooting of nine martyrs at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Eaton calls on us to “lament the wounds of the sin of racism that sow seeds of fear, division, and hatred. Remembering the nine murders in Charleston is a commitment that our church must never forget.  As the ELCA, our story is forever bound to the story, people, and community of Mother Emanuel AME. They are us, and we are them.”  

Let us honor Juneteenth and the Emanuel 9 not only in word and worship—but through faithful action, generosity, and presence.

Grace and peace, and even more hope!

Pastor Jennifer (and Rachel, Dir. Digital Ministry)