CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS
PEOPLES PRESS
Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World
a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches
DESERVING of a SECOND CHANCE,
featured Lifer: Jamie L. Meade
In 1993, at the age of 19, Jamie L. Meade (Prison No. 232516) was charged, tried and convicted of accessory (theory) to felony murder. Jamie was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP), also known as “Death-By- Incarceration,” for his role in the crime. Jamie’s codefendant (i.e. the principal) was found guilty of a lesser included offense and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Jamie’s trial and sentencing judge, [the Honorable] Sharon Travis-Finch (retired) supports his release and called his mandatory life sentence an injustice.
Jamie is presently accepted in the Chicago Theological Seminary Online Master of Divinity (MDiv) program taking online classes at the Macomb Correctional Facility. In May of 2015, Jamie was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies from Adams State University. Jamie also has completed certifications in: Victim Advocacy, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Paralegal Assistant. In addition, Jamie has completed three MDOC vocational trades and over 60 rehabilitation programs.
Jamie is a long-standing member of the National Lifers of America and presently sits on their national board as both the National Resource Director and the Internal State Director. Jamie is a core member of the Chance for Life Organization and is the Inside Director and an advisor to The Adolescent Redemption Project, a trained facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project – Michigan. Jamie also actively participates in the TARPPodcast.com with Emma Axtell and AmplifiedSilencePodcast.com with Kyle Robinson, doing regular interviews about criminal justice reform and everyday experiences of a LWOP prisoner. In addition, Jamie is the editor of the Michigan Lifers Report Newsletter, giving those forgotten lifers a platform to be heard.
Jamie is a Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ Michigan Covenant Association on the path to ordained ministry. He is committed to serving God and the community. Jamie is an activist working hard to end mass incarceration, to reform the criminal justice system, and to tackle the tough social injustice issues people face on the inside and outside of prison. Jamie Meade [turns 49 in August and] is deserving of a second chance.
You can follow Jamie on social media at:
BLOG | FB | TWITTER | IG
(this article was shared by Laura Eufinger)
GOING FLEXITARTAN
Leslie Cummings, for the Creation/Justice
We at Peoples Church have heard a lot about being Vegan or Vegetarian. Some have taken the plunge and love it. Others have had no interest. Some don’t want to change because they don’t want to give up their favorite meat or dairy product. Others feel it is too difficult to come up with new things to cook. I am trying to become a flexitarian! The word is a combination of flexible and vegetarian. It allows one to be a vegetarian some of the time, while also allowing one to give in and eat meat when one feels the urge.
We all know that things aren’t looking good for planet earth. What is coming will be far worse if we don’t slash greenhouse gas emissions. Food accounts for nearly 1/3 of our global emissions, so what we eat matters.
My Nutrition Action magazine from the Center for Science in the Public Interest gives a 4 step plan for becoming flexitarian. It is a guide that I think is worth trying. The EAT-Lancet flexitarian diet allows 1 serving of dairy + one other serving of animal food per day.
Baba Ghanoush Bowls
Baba ghanoush, the Mediterranean puree made from roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic, and herbs is available in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores. If you can’t find it, substitute hummus.
Ingredients
Refrigerated Baba Ghanoush (one 10-oz carton)
Romaine Lettuce (6 cups chopped)
English cucumber (1 medium chopped)
Radishes (4, thinly sliced)
Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (1 ½ cups, halved)
Lemon (1, zested and juiced)
Feta Cheese (1/4 cup crumbled)—Violife makes a great vegan feta
Kalamata Olives (1/4 cup, chopped)
Pita Chips
Instructions
On the side or in the bottom of four bowls, add a generous swipe of baba ghanoush. Add lettuce, cucumber, radishes and tomatoes.
For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper until emulsified. Drizzle over bowls and top with 1 Tbsp. each feta and olives. Serve with pita chips. Serves 4.
Per serving: 305 cal, 22g fat (3 g sat fat), 6 mg chol, 553 mg sodium, 21 g carb, 6 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 6 g protein.
GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US
Travels: Washington DC
Article by Karen Eaton
The Poor Peoples’ Champaign had a rally in Washington DC on June 18th. Jay invited anyone from Peoples Church, interested in going, to ride with him and Leslie. So, I took him up on the invitation. Jay drove and he and Leslie and I had wonderful conversations on the way. If only the president and congress would listen to us! The weather was warm and sunny the day of the rally, but there was a strong breeze that kept us comfortable (not so great for carrying signs however). It was inspiring to see such a variety of people, unions, clergy, young, not so young, racial mixtures, medical people, teachers, so many diverse groups there all pressing for the same thing. Justice. Economic, judicial, social etc. It is easy to forget that others see the same needs and that you are not alone in your thinking. Sometimes our group, who believe that Jesus wants us to include everyone in that justice, feels very overwhelmed. Seeing so many there, especially young people, was gratifying to me. It was also obvious (from signs etc.) that people were there from all over the country. We aren’t alone.
The city is beautiful, and all our mix ups turned out funny when we knew we were all safe. This experience was inspiring and was my last hurrah, as far as these overnight protest trips go. It takes too much out of me physically, but I’ll carry the memory of all those people who know there is enough, and we don’t need to harm one group to protect another group. In fact, we all do better when everyone is doing well. Heather McGhee is eloquent in her expression of these ideas in “The Sum of Us”.
“The narrative that white people should see the well-being of people of color as a threat to their own is one of the most powerful subterranean stories in America. Until we destroy the idea, opponents of progress can always unearth it and use it to block any collective action that benefits us all.”
And
“Since this country’s founding, we have not allowed our diversity to be our superpower, and the result is that the United States is not more than the sum of its disparate parts. But it could be. And if it were, all of us would prosper. In short, we must emerge from this crisis in our republic with a new birth of freedom, rooted in the knowledge that we are so much more when the “We’ in “We the People” is not some of us, but all of us.”
Photo by Karen Eaton
Wetlands
Another beautiful day in an entirely different place. Shiawassee wetlands full of birds and animals. A little cloudy, not too warm, great breeze. A place where rivers meet and all kinds of birds nest and feed. Tom and Mary Ellen invited me to go birding with them, and I jumped at the chance. It’s a good thing I went when they could take me because I wouldn’t have seen 90% of the birds I saw, if they hadn’t pointed them out to me. It’s what Peoples Church people do right? Point things out to one another. Being engulfed in a beautiful setting reminded me of one of our discussions in our Thursday night book group based on the book we are currently reading:
“Only through Nature does this fundamental unity-the wholeness of divinity and humanity-emerge……. The Me and Not-Me are united. God is everywhere.” “A People’s History of Christianity” Diana Butler Bass.
We travel a lot at Peoples Church. Sometimes to different places to join with other like-minded people or to immerse ourselves in nature. Sometimes through reading books that raise our consciousness together or poetry that touches our soul. These travels enrich us and offer opportunities to support our growth as human beings. I love each of you. You, along with my family, give my life purpose and keep me hopeful.
Photo by Mary Ellen Fox
PEOPLES PLAZA SURVEY
Hey Peoples Church! The Peoples Plaza team is gearing up to pursue grant opportunities to bolster this exciting work. To be well positioned to secure funding, we need your help. If you could respond to this brief survey (should take no more than 5 minutes to complete) by July 22nd, we would very much appreciate your input. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Survey link: https://nau.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_24SQ5wKTXx2if0W
TRANSITION UPDATES
Hello Peoples People! I hope that this summer has been a healthy, fun season for you. At Peoples Church, we continue to move forward. Hopefully, you were able to take the survey put out by the Search Committee. If not, there will be more. Please keep your eyes open for all requests from them.
You are invited to join Pastor Dave Sickelka, our so-to-be interim pastor, for lunch on Sunday, July 24th. We will plan to meet at a local restaurant (TBD) and have fellowship time with him. Please RSVP to the office if you can attend.
Pastor Dave’s first Sunday preaching will be July 31st.
If you were in the church these last two weeks, you may have noticed more names added to our memorial walls. The names listed are those of people of color killed by police violence. If you would like to have some names, and some sacred time to add to our walls, please let me know. We can each do our part to make sure these people not forgotten and continue to shine a light on this epidemic.
How can we help you? If you need anything, let us know. We are a community for each other at all times!
Remember, for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:
Jamie Schmidt, Moderator
natesmamajamie@gmail.com; 810-287-8308
SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE
You have been reading every two weeks about this Local Church Profile on which the Search Committee is working. You might think it's taking us a long time to complete, and that is true. Some of the questions are easy to answer, some are not so easy. Even the easy ones may take some digging to get to the correct data or numbers. The harder questions require exploration, storytelling and recollection. Maybe a difficult conversation or two, along with understanding, growth, grace and patience amongst the members of our team.
All of this is good. I dare say each of us enjoys our weekly meetings as we tease out the words and phrases that best represent our beautiful congregation. Our UCC contact reminds us to "trust the process," and so we do. As the Spirit moves us through this process of finding the best way of articulating the heart and passion of Peoples Church of Flint. As always, please continue to pray for this work, the Search Committee members, and for our next pastor.
Thanks so much!
Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee
IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!
Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is reading Heather McGee's, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. Join in by zoom or in person at church. And let us know if you need a book.
Thursday Evening Study Group is reading A People’s History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass. Books will be on the welcome table at church. Need one shipped? Call the church office at 810-767-4911!
Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.
New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!