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Good evening, I am bobby K jones on faculty here at Austin Seminary. How do we want to live together and how will we hold each other accountable . Our next speaker for this year's midwinter lectures,

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Dr Evelyn Parker has been asking and answering that question all her life as a scientist, a student and a scholar Until retirement in May 2020, Dr Parker was the Susanna Wesley Centennial Professor of Practical Theology at

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Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, She is currently distinguished visiting professor at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary , no doubt a joyful reunion with the institution from which she received her PhD How to live together,

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how to hold each other accountable to answer this, she deeply devotes herself to young people's voices, academic research, focusing on religious identity and spiritual formation and african american adolescents, one long term study tracking experiences

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of black, white, mixed race young women and the intersection of race, class, gender and sexuality in their spirituality. As a volunteer with incarcerated teens , Dr Parker noticed as we all could notice the

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natural ability of young people to lead, mobilize and get things done even in a restricted and restricting environment , recognize it. Dr Parker says it's there a Fulbright scholar Parker spent 2019, in Cape Town,

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South Africa focusing on the role of religious leaders in preventing and intervening in teen dating violence, Christians must be a visible sign of love and justice. She was quoted in a 2018 profile, being christ in

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a world that has hurts and failures and places of despair. Certainly Dr Parker has been in the world , she has shaken the hand of Pope Francis. She has assisted in conversations between north and south korean

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councils of churches, struggling with political issues, dividing the peninsula, built community in the midst of diversity and her many leadership roles with the World Council of Churches. She's written a bunch of books, she's

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gotten a bunch of awards. She likes to travel to places with beaches and I hear she makes a mean blueberry dessert Last fall when announced as the 2021 recipient of the Perkins Distinguished Alumna Alumnus Award Dean Craig

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Hill wrote Dr Parker was loved by her students and esteemed by her colleagues. I would say Dr Parker spends her one wild and precious life doing work that needs doing hearing truth that needs hearing, speaking words

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that need saying tonight she speaks on this lessons on courage. But the church can learn from ruby Doris smith dr Parker while some of us have been blessed to know you as colleagues. All of us are

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now your students. We hear you gladly. Good evening. Thank you bobby K for that very um warm, heartwarming introduction and thank you ted for this invitation. I am honored that you have invited me

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to be here. Thank you melissa for being my um welcoming hospitality person and thank you mona for making sure everything works right. It was the summer of 1960 and ruby Doris smith and her sister Marianne were

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among the students from the Atlanta University Center who joined an economic boycott in Atlanta in an effort to maintain the momentum from the spring protests against segregated facilities at Woolworth's and other major downtown stores. Her biographer,

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Cynthia Griggs Fleming's rights among the targets. The targets was an A. And P. Store that benefited from a large black clientele but refuse to employ african americans in any significant position as her protest site.

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18 year old Ruby was assigned this A&P. And on many occasions was the only person picketing the store Fleming's rights. As ruby marched back and forth in the hot Atlanta son, she was very uncomfortable.

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The heat made her sweat and that made her clothes stick to her body. She could feel beads of sweat popping out on her face too. Sometimes a sweat ran into her eyes, making them steam,

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ruby felt like a limp dishrag. She was acutely aware of how she looked because her appearance was all had always been important to her. In addition, ruby experience assists a sense of aloneness. All her

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activist experience, up to this point have been part of a group effort. That is what made this solitary demonstration so hard, ruby thought about how she and her friends had all comforted each other doing marches

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and sit ins in the past. It's not that they had talked to each other, but each had felt the strength and the commitment flowing from the others and it had helped to bolster their courage walking back

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and forth in front of the A and P ruby act for that camaraderie. In the midst of her discomfort though she discovered a strength deep inside herself and unshakeable commitment to the cause of the civil rights that

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kept her coming back day after day when there was no publicity, No 1 to March with her and bolster her courage and almost no recognition of her activity from her own community, walking back and forth in

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front of the A and P. Store ruby eight for camaraderie of her colleagues in the Atlanta movement. Yet in the midst of her discomfort, she discovered a strength deep inside herself, an unshakeable commitment to

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the cause of the civil rights that kept her coming back day after day when there was no publicity and no one who marched with her to encourage her to both of her courage, and no one, almost

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no one to recognize her activity in these lectures. I want to consider the courage that we the Church need to live out our mission to transform the world of the sins that oppress God's people. I want

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to remind us the church to be the body of christ. In a world where people, especially black and brown people experience multiple intersecting forms of marginalization. I want to explore the challenge to the church to

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be unapologetically christian. In a white supremacist society, my template for the courage that the church so sorely needs today are the courageous lives of young women like ruby, I believe they're type of courage can transform

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the ills of our north american society and even the world. The theological, ethical and theoretical practices that emanate from the life stories of african descendant young women are the substance and the method that I offer as

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a lay woman and lifelong committed member of the christian Methodist Episcopal Church and a faithful member of the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Today, I want to argue that are christian congregations

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need courage to live out their prophetic mission. In this first lecture, I suggest that courage and christian faith are twins, that they are intertwined. This theo ethical principle was embodied in the life of ruby

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Doris smith whose formation in christian faith was interwoven with her courage. First allow me to define courage or the type of courage that I'm speaking about. The kind of courage that I mean, is unsure outed

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courage that which our beloved the reverend doctor Katie Geneva Cannon created and wrote about in her book Black Woman Ist Ethics. She writes Unshaded courage is the quality of steadfastness akin to fortitude in the space in the

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face of formidable oppression. The communal attitude is far more than grin and bear it. Rather, it involves the ability to hold on to life against major oppositions it is the incentive to facilitate change to chip

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away at the oppressive structures bit by bit to celebrate and rename their experiences and exploring empowering ways, unsure outed courage as a virtue is the often unacknowledged inner conviction that keeps one's appetite wet for freedom. The

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ethical speculation is that courage is the staying power of the black community, wherein individuals act affirming their humanity in spite of continued fear of institutionalized oppression. I put it like this. Courage is the persistent,

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unrelenting determination to dismantle demonic death dealing systematic oppression. The theo ethical idea of courage that DR Cannon offers us is communal at its very core. It spills forth from the black community who are courageous black men

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and women affirm their humanity even as they recognize that it might demand the ultimate sacrifice. Courageous people are not selfish. Their courage is not for the sake of the self or for the salvation of the self

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, but for the good of the community. That is what Cannon meant when she wrote that. Courage has a communal attitude. Such courage with the communal attitude is the template, the pattern by which I'm

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selecting young people, specifically, young black african descendant women who embody courage. Courage is also dynamic in an effort to change them. It moves towards racism , it moves towards sexism towards classes, it moves

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towards homophobia and towards patriarchy rather than running away from them. People with courage, transformed evil into good for the oppressed and for the freedom of all as DR King said, we are not free until all

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are free as dr Cannon has indicated Unshaded courage is a virtue That keeps one hungry for freedom. Here's another definition that kind of resonates with what canon is talking about and unsure outed courage. And I also

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want to offer another idea that also resonates from Rebecca the young who argues that courage as a persisting disposition , a character trait learned and made firm with time , experience and practice keep in mind that this character

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trait is always for the greater good of the community . The young goes on to argue that courage is an internal pattern of fearing that is disciplined to be responsive to what is good for human beings. The

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courageous person recognizes that there is some good greater than his or her own bodily well being for a quietness , that greater good is our relationship of love with God and others. To recap. Courage is practice

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for the good benefit and welfare of the community. It is dynamic in nature. It's a character trait that is developed over time with experience and practice. It seems to me that ruby Doris smith, a

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black young civil rights activist and leader of the student , nonviolent coordinating committee, embodied, unsure outed courage . Among the many lessons the church can learn from ruby Doris is that christian faith and courage are twins

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. This is to say that they are conceived in the same room of belief and practice. I'll say more about this twin nature of courage. But let me start now and tell you about ruby's story.

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Some of you might know about ruby Doris, but maybe perhaps I'm introducing her to some and re acquainting others with ruby Doris. I learned about ruby Doris as I mentioned earlier from Cynthia Fleming but also from

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woman ist social ethicist Rosetta Ross ruby was born On April 25 in Atlanta Georgia to john and Alice smith of her seven siblings, siblings, ruby Doris was the second child and second daughter In 1945 when she

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was just three years old, ruby Doris insisted that she should attend the church sponsored kindergarten with her older sister Marianne. Her pants agreed And at the age of four Ruby Doris entered 1st grade. Her father

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was a strict disciplinarian demanding appropriate behavior of his Children , both at home and in public because of his strong religious beliefs, he would not allow his Children to attend parties or dances nor be out late on

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dates. I had a grandmother kind of like that . Her mother also religious engaged in forms of social activism, in addition to being a beautician and encouraging her Children to focus on high academic achievement and to

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become socially well rounded. The family were members of the West Mitchell West Mitchell christian methodist Episcopal Church located in the neighborhood of the interdenominational center Clark college and then Atlanta University. They actively participated in worship and

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church ministries as a teenager at West Mitchell ruby diaries saying in the youth choir and participated in the christian youth fellowship, the organization uh that is officially known for the youth group of the C. M.

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E. Church at the local district and annual conference and even connection all levels. The youth fellowship focus on the spiritual formation, christian discipleship and leadership development of the teens In 1956. The socio historical context

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on which one of which was one of increasing racial and social awareness in the United States and in the C. M. E. Church ruby was an alternate delegate to the national Youth conference which is held

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every four years. This conference was in Memphis Tennessee . This was significant because her congregation affirmed her as a person who could represent them on the national level with other young people. I had an opportunity to

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interview one of ruby Doris smith's friends who was also a member of that youth group. In 2004 I met at a restaurant where Carole Stanley, her friend who told me about the experience of being at that

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national youth conference in Memphis Tennessee and how she was so impressed with the preaching as well as a singing and all of the very engaging seminars that they attended as teenagers. She and ruby were together. She

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held up a picture of her and ruby and some other kids who was sitting on the steps of a hotel of the hotel lobby, She talked about the songs that they sang the songs that were so important

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, not only at that conference, but also in the local congregation songs that included negro spirituals had you got good religion was one of them swing low sweet chariot as well as kumbaya and spirit of the living

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god. It was these songs that she talked about that is carol that was so important for her as well as for ruby diaries. So my point here is that this young woman growing up in the church

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was being formed by participating in the life of the church. Its worship, it's youth group as well as being formed with music to ground her in a theology that would later become very important for her in

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her activism, ruby diary. Self reliance and strong will continue throughout her childhood and teenage years. She resonated with her mother's values, but increasingly experienced friction with those of her father. In fact at one

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point in her life she ended up having to go stay with an aunt because this friction was so strong between her and her father. In an interview that's recorded uh in the archives of ruby Doris with the

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media. She talked about her mother, she said this in the interview when I was little, our house was on the escape route of negro men on the prison chain gangs. You know, negroes used

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to be really brutally brutalized on the chain gain not so long ago and they escaped even when they could , it's still pretty bad for negro men in prison . Once or twice I remember a lot of commotion

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in the house and whispering and a strange man in the kitchen in the middle of the night. She took a big risk, didn't matter what he did or who he was, he was a negro man

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off the chain game. And if they caught him he they would beat him to death. So she helped him escape. My daddy was very angry about it. He was afraid we'd all be killed if

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they caught us, ruby Doris emulated her mother's social activism as a young team At the age of 13 , she was strongly influenced by the 1955 Montgomery Boys Boycott each day she would rush home from school to

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watch the events of the boycott unfold on national television . She longed to play an active part in this historical event and recall being impressed by seeing elderly people walking and walking. Although at that point, still

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an armchair activist, she supported the bus boycott and sought ways to resist that form of jim Crow in Atlanta. As her consciousness about racism developed, that fledging civil rights movement had deeply captured her imagination and

00:24:51.960 - 00:25:12.780

her consciousness and Fleming's interviewed her sister Catherine, who's a younger sister and Catherine had this to say. She was recalling what ruby had said, I know what my life mission is and she said, what

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is it? It's to set the black people free , she said, and I will never rest until it happens, I will die for that cause While ruby's activism was being shaped by emulating her mother,

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her christian spirituality was shaped by her involvement in the church, on the local nationals and regional levels in her activism, she approached segregated white churches, segregated white churches, challenged ruby in a different way than

00:26:07.210 - 00:26:27.960

did boycotting clothing and grocery stores, ruby Doris youthful idealism blinded her to the reality of hard hearted, segregated christians. She was disconcerted and stunned when refused admission to white by white ushers. The white members

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of the congregation disappointed her as they turned to see what the commotion was about when they saw her, some quickly turned around as if she was invisible, others gave her hateful and disparaging looks, although she

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wanted to retreat simultaneously, she wanted to shout, but this is the Lord's house, what she actually did will stay there and refuse to leave all by herself. Later, she said about the incident,

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I pulled up a chair in the lobby and I joined in the singing and the worship services, which I enjoyed immensely ruby Doris faith and idealism, we're indestructible, even in the situation of upsetting as when

00:27:26.320 - 00:27:44.410

she was doing engaged in the millions, she was quoted as saying, I feel that segregation is basically a moral problem and for this reason, I feel that the church is one institution where the problem must

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be thrashed out. I think the kneeling movement is an appeal to the consciousness of christians who are primarily good people, even if we were not admitted to worship, as was true in my case, I

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think that the attempt in itself was a success because the minds and hearts of the people who turned us away were undoubtedly stirred, ruby diaries believed in the innate goodness of people, a goodness that results from

00:28:25.250 - 00:28:41.890

their identity as christians. Thus, her actions were based on simply not a critical assessment of people's racial prejudice, but also on the belief that a christian conscience can overcome prejudice. An article in the Atlanta

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Inquirer reported that ruby Doris believed that the minds and the hearts of the people who turned her away were stirred, undoubtedly, she said they were stirred. Her comments indicated her unwavering belief that segregation and racial

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injustice could be resolved. There were other occasions that ruby Doris engaged in civil rights activities. This is an image of her with some others in Atlanta doing a prey in downtown Atlanta. She participated in an

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event that was national call the jail no bail tactics . Some of you might recall the jail, no bail tactics. I won't get into the details of all of that, but there's, there's lots of

00:29:51.330 - 00:30:07.390

stories about it, but there was one place where she was incarcerated after they were trying to desegregate various places across the, the, the south. It's called the Parchman State penitentiary in my home state of

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Mississippi, one of the most deplorable prisons, not only in the state, but in the country while incarcerated there, they were taken there by night and she, it came to her that she could have

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actually been carried to her death Along with the rest of the 300 and some odd students that were participating in the jail, Nobel, she was put into the sale and to make them uncomfortable. They took

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away their toothbrush, they took away the mattresses they took about, took away all the little small things that they could bear. The next two months of being incarcerated. They put a smaller group into the

00:30:55.130 - 00:31:14.170

infirmary that included ruby Doris. In my conversation with her sister Marianne, I discovered that she took her bible with her when she was incarcerated in Parchman prison . While I didn't get an opportunity to actually see

00:31:14.170 - 00:31:33.660

the bible. I believe that in addition to singing those songs that she had learned alone and with the others that she read the scriptures that were very important for her. And I bet she highlighted her ticked

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the scriptures that helped her sustain in that prison four , two months, let me just hasten here and give you a little of ruby viruses life. These are events that are significant in her life. She

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became the only young woman to leave Snick and unfortunately while she was the leader of snake, she went to new york on an occasion to represent the organization and she became ill And she died in 1967 from

00:32:30.950 - 00:32:53.140

cancer. I'm going to hasten now and and uh to make the point that I was saying earlier in ruby Doris, we have this marriage, this wedding of one spirituality, one's faith and courage and I

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want to argue or what I'm saying is that these are intertwined, they are not vibrate located, they are not separated because she believed deep within herself that it was her calling to free God's people, even

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to the point of death that bolstered her courage, even when she was alone on the picket lines as well as in the church, courage and christian faith cannot be separated. They are twins and we know

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this from the example of jesus christ who in his courage took on all those persons who had confronted him all the way to the cross for crucifixion. But courage and his belief that God can transform this world

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through him and he did, he gave us the Holy Spirit That we know from Acts one and 8 . That with the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the capacity to live into our christian calling

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to be courageous because that's what the spirit does. One of my favorite theologians who has talked about this and I'm hastening on here so we can have a conversation is Karen baker fletcher, who is the woman

00:34:31.600 - 00:34:50.250

is systematic theologian at Perkins school of Theology and in her book dancing with the spirit, she helps us understand how courage comes from God. In her talk about the trinity, but the power of the Holy

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Spirit enhances and gives us the ability to live pretty consistently into the practice of courage. Starting off small but moving on like ruby Doris to be bolstered even when we're alone courage, she says that is of

00:35:14.020 - 00:35:40.280

Karen baker fletcher comes from God. Now, here's my questions as I challenge you and the church about faith. This twin christian belief with courage. Here's the lesson we learned from ruby Doris, that one's

00:35:40.280 - 00:36:00.320

life can be The joining of these two christian faith and courage. So the lesson for the christian church , it's not only that these are inseparable, but these traits can be ours. So what does this

00:36:00.320 - 00:36:20.290

mean for the theology and practices of the church? Specifically the P. C. Usa on the local level, you're denominational information or the website as I have peruse. It has an anti racism policy that

00:36:20.290 - 00:36:34.290

states, racism is the opposite of what God intends for humanity. It is the rejection of the other , which is entirely contrary to the word of God incarnate. In jesus christ racism is a lie about

00:36:34.300 - 00:36:47.990

our fellow human beings for it says that some are less than others because of our biblical understanding of who God is and what God intends for our humanity. The presbyterian church of the USA must stand against,

00:36:49.000 - 00:37:15.920

speak against and work against racism. How are local Pc USA congregations engaged in courageous practices that incarnate this statement that reflect the same kind of faith and ruby Doris exhibited. Who and where are the P.

00:37:15.920 - 00:37:36.920

C. Usa local congregations that use the anti racism resources on the denominations website? Who and where are the P. C. Usa churches in texas, north Carolina, Mississippi Georgia and Minnesota that courageously confronted

00:37:36.930 - 00:37:57.950

and confront local white hate crimes, white supremacist marches and the murder of George Floyd. What congregations called out and confronted congregants and members of their communities who participated in the January six insurrection of the US Capitol

00:38:00.620 - 00:38:21.640

. And here's my last question, did the Home Church of one of your members? Retired, Rear Admiral Margaret G Gibbons, the house chaplain and longtime member of the P. C. UsA get a

00:38:21.640 - 00:38:47.150

call from anyone of you. Did they raise their voice in protest at the egregious acts perpetrated on capitol hill beyond your big tent conference in ST louis that lifts up the theme race, reconciliation and reformation.

00:38:47.160 - 00:39:14.070

How are local congregations courageously living out the thing, who are the courageous clergy and lay leaders among you ? Who are these generations ruby Doris smith's? Who are the lay and ordained persons who understand and practice

00:39:14.410 - 00:39:39.130

the inseparable theO ethical relationship between christian faith and courage . I leave this question to you as we engage in conversation and then tomorrow I hope that we can look at some constructive ways of thinking about practical suggestions

00:39:39.200 - 00:40:16.410

for the challenges that we face to live out this twin nature of christian faith and courage, thank you . It was interesting because oh my you have um really lifted up themes that I have Wondered about,

00:40:16.640 - 00:40:34.090

you know, my whole life, Ruby Doris is 10 years, exactly 10 years older than I am and um we were shaped by some of the same music and I I'm really reflecting on my own courage

00:40:34.090 - 00:41:02.510

or lack thereof. And um You can text your questions to 5120 my phone number, you can text your questions to me 512560447 4th. That's me and ah it's kind of been my experience and just my

00:41:02.510 - 00:41:27.140

wonderment if sometimes the words that we link um christian faith rather than leaking christian faith with courage, especially here in the southeast southwest dish. We link christian faith and courtesy, We are nice, we are

00:41:28.010 - 00:41:50.800

peacemakers, we are linking our faith in in some of those ways rather than the courageous ways. There are 116 people watching right now and here are some of their questions and the questions are actually pouring in

00:41:50.810 - 00:42:21.850

to a phone near me. How can or does the institutional church support pastoral and lay courage, especially when that courageous speaking and acting threatens the very life of the local congregations parentheses. This is not a

00:42:21.850 - 00:42:37.520

question I'm expecting dr parker to answer, I simply raise it because I think it is a question that every pastor and lay person in position of authority must wrestle an answer. So um not hunting because I

00:42:37.520 - 00:42:53.340

want to um avoid the question. But what I'm what I want to do tomorrow is truly that I want to explore some practical ways of doing what I'm suggesting to live out this twin nature of christian faith

00:42:53.350 - 00:43:13.680

. And um and uh and courage. I was really intentional uh to look at your literature and look at the website of the Presbyterian Church usa because um I wanted to see what's already available. Um and

00:43:13.680 - 00:43:28.810

that's why I was really specific about some pointing out something that's on the website is uh that you have access to already. Um ah and what I am going to talk about tomorrow is what I didn't say

00:43:28.820 - 00:43:40.310

much about it. I don't think I said it at all. Or even mention the word is fear . Mm hmm. So, uh to invite you to come back and have a conversation with me tomorrow

00:43:40.320 - 00:43:57.480

is I want you to know that I want to deal seriously with white fragility and fear. Mhm. And what that means because I think that is one of the issues now, white folks are not the

00:43:57.480 - 00:44:13.060

only folks who are afraid. Let's just be, let's be honest and clear about that. There are a number of people, people that look like me that also afraid and will say things like and I

00:44:13.060 - 00:44:23.860

can say this because it's my experience while we talk about those things, because they happened so long ago , they know they they did happen a long time ago, but they're happening now. Um that's an

00:44:23.870 - 00:44:43.820

understatement. We all know this. There's all different types of ways that uh that people are being oppressed . Um, so, uh starting at home, um is one way that is starting with your own

00:44:43.820 - 00:44:52.810

resources that you have with your church is one way of doing that. But I I invite you to come and on this journey with me tomorrow, because I'm gonna get a little bit down and deeper.

00:44:53.290 - 00:45:14.140

I'm talking about white fragility fear as well as what might we learn more, specifically, some lessons that we can learn from these young people and how this might have some meaning for you and your congregations as

00:45:14.140 - 00:45:30.020

a church person. I'm I'm really concerned that we live out these uh, these ideas. Um, so, so join me on tomorrow to think about those things. And s specifically, especially when we

00:45:30.020 - 00:45:42.980

give some attention to fear. One additional question, and I'll just drop it out there and you'll see whether or not it's something we have time to talk about tonight or also, but specifically from one of

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the viewers. What practices have you observed among young people that bolster their courage? Yeah. And did I did I see a hand out here. Okay , great. So, you know, with covid

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we we have not I have not had an opportunity to be in close relationship with young people as I have in the past. Um, I think that's that's that's true for a lot of us. But

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, but what I'm going to talk about tomorrow is Black Lives Matter Movement. So this is my I'm going to pitch the question back to you. So , think about the young people, you know,

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who have been active since the Black Lives Matter movement start to emerge and come up. And maybe it wasn't Black Lives Matter, but maybe it was something else where a young person stood up and spoke out

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. And I would also add, while I'm not gonna talk about this tomorrow, maybe you saw a few young people, teenagers that dropped out of the church because they were discontent with the church. Pay

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attention to those who drop out because it could signal a sign of not only discontent, but that the church is irrelevant for what they think is really important for what the church needs to be doing. And

00:47:13.270 - 00:47:30.260

uh, they're searching for ways to actually do that . So, um, I have um, enjoyed poetry and I think it was really important that I paid attention to uh, dr pen, Anthony pen

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when he was talking about creativity and artistic aspects. So, pay attention to, also to what's what the artistic expressions are coming out, not only in poetry, but also, uh, in music and

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, and drama and a number of other things that that young people are producing now as a result of their way of resisting their way of speaking out and being courageous. Anything else? Thank you so much

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for all that you have inspired and engendered in us through this time and how much we look forward to tomorrow. Thank. Thank you. Thank you. All Worship is beginning at 7 30 Central Standard time

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. And we will all look forward so much to being with you, our preacher for this evening and