Woke Church Fasting from ‘Whiteness’ During Lent
The wokesters at First United Church of Oak Park, Il, have come up with a new way to virtue signal
The wokesters at First United Church of Oak Park, Il, have come up with a new way to virtue signal twerk their anti-racism by announcing that they are “fasting from whiteness” during the Lenten season. Part of the LGBTQ-affirming PCUSA, they explained on their website that they won’t be using any worship or liturgy created by white folk, but rather only those with darker skin.
“For Lent this year, First United is doing a mix of “giving something up” and “taking something on.” In our worship services throughout Lent, we will not be using any music or liturgy written or composed by white people. Our music will be drawn from the African American spirituals tradition, from South African freedom songs, from Native American traditions, and many, many more.
For Lent, it is our prayer that in our spiritual disciplines we may grow as Christians, united in the body of Christ with people of all ages, nations, races, and origins.”
While fasting from whiteness is a new one to us, the idea of giving racism or fasting from racism for Lent is not. In fact, the Necessary Trouble Collective recently released a guide for pagan churches to help them give up racism for Lent, which includes the following gems to grow one’s spirituality and deepen their faith during this sacred time.
DAY 3: Give up ignoring why race was constructed and who benefits from it
DAY 5: Give up believing that white people can experience racism
DAY 9: Give up believing that land ownership is straightforward
DAY 22: Give up denying white privilege and how you benefit from it (if you are white)
DAY 27: Give up centering your experience when involved in a racial conflict