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Newsletter OSLC Faith & Justice

11335

Happy Mother’s Day! Many mothers in our world are suffering today. So as we honor those who are close to us, let’s also say a prayer for each and every mother near and far. Also,  the 13th is the end of our CO legislative session. See below for the town hall wrap-up on the 17th. A thank-you email to our hard-working reps. would also be a good idea! Here is the LINK to find their email addresses.

EVENTS THIS WEEK AND NEXT:

  • Tuesday, May 12, 6-8 pm – Faith250: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, 408 Mason Court, Fort Collins. Click HERE to read the text and discussion questions. REGISTER HERE Local actor and activist Michael Anthony Tatman will present Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? This reading was selected by the national faith250 initiative as a core text of American democracy. (flyer attached)
  • Wednesday, May 13:
    • 11 am:  Sojourners Webinar: Practical Strategies for People of Faith How Faith Communities Can help safeguard democratic values, bridge divides, and counter authoritarian trends, with Dr. Maria J. Stephan, a leading political scientist and globally recognized expert on nonviolent civil resistance and pro-democracy movements.
    • 6:15-7:15 pm:  “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as Biblical Values” OSLC Bible study in the North Meeting Room led by Chuck Hubbard begins and continues 5/20, 5/27, and 6/3. The bulk of the study considers equity as an expression of “justice” and “fairness” from a broad ancient middle eastern perspective and examines a few teachings of Jesus that can be challenging to embrace. The practical and even the eschatological (far out!) implications of diversity and inclusion will be discussed. 
  • Thursday, May 14, 10-11 am: “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as Biblical Values” Bible study with Chuck Hubbard. See description above! Continues 5/21, 5/28, and 6/4.
  • Sunday, May 17
    • 9:40-10:20 am: OSLC Faith & Justice Forum: Path to Citizenship: History and Reality for Immigrants with immigration attorney Jodi Ziesemer and ISAAC Director Arpi Miller in the East Meeting Room immediately after 8:30 worship.
    • 3-4:30 pm: End of Session Local Legislator Town Hall at Old Town Library. Hear all about what happened over the 2026 legislative session at the state Capitol.
  • Monday, May 18, 6:30-8 pm, on Zoom. ISAAC Reads and Views: Building Allyship by Exploring Books and Films. Topic title: “The Tragedy of Detention” Check  HERE for more information and a registration link.
  • Tuesday, May 19, 5:30-7 pm – How Elections Work, a joint presentation by The League of Women Voters of Larimer County, Tina Harris, Larimer County Clerk & Recorder and Michele Mihulka, Elections Director, at Larimer County Administrative Services Building, 1st floor, 200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins. Free and open to the public. (see attached flyer) Register to Attend. 

FUTURE EVENTS:  (mark your calendars)

  • Saturday, May 30, 5:30-8 pm – Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, free screening and conversation, St. John the Evangelist Church, Loveland. See attached flyer for more information and register at THIS LINK
  • Sunday, November 8, 2-3 pm: Fort Collins Reads hosts Omar El Akkad, author of One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. at the Hilton in Fort Collins. Buy a ticket for the event here and purchase his book from Old Firehouse Books with a 20% discount here. Pastor Leta notes that she bought a ticket and plans to go. She is also offering to hold a discussion before or after if there is interest. Stay tuned!

ADVOCACY ACTION:

  • From Bread for the World: Speak Up for SNAP Ask Congress to delay implementing the new cost-share requirements for SNAP. States across the political spectrum are not fully prepared to absorb the changes from H.R. 1 on the current timeline. If they move forward as planned, families—including those with children—will fall through the cracks and not receive the nutrition they need.
  • From Indivisible: After the SOTUS ruling this week gutting the Voting Rights Act, we are fighting back. Mark your calendar for July 17-19. Pledge: Good Trouble Lives On Weekend
  • Interested in protecting our election security? Apply to be a Larimer County election judge: HERE

WORTH SHARING:

From CWS: 

April refugee data released. Yesterday, the State Department released refugee arrival data for the month of April. The data shows a total of 6,069 individuals have been resettled through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) since the start of the fiscal year.  6,066 of these arrivals have been from South Africa, as all other populations remain subject to the refugee ban and unable to access any exception process. 

From NY Times Nicholas Kristof: What Happened When Trump Abandoned the World’s Poorest Children 

  • In the face of new daily news crises, we tend to forget what happened early in this administration and continues to kill children in the poorest countries. Please read this important article.

Let us  not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9