Every summer for the last thirty years, the Renovaré Ministry Team — a group of writers, pastors, and musicians from all corners of Christendom — have gathered to worship and pray together, to laugh and cry together, to sing and listen together. 

Several years ago at this retreat — not long after Trayvon Martin had been killed — Chris Hall asked Donn Thomas to express his feelings about racial injustice.

An African-American pastor and worship leader with a powerful voice, Donn stood up in that moment and did something no one present will soon forget. Head tilted back, he released a soul-deep bellow, a roar of lament and anguish, followed by, I think, a prayer for justice — but it’s the sound of the roar that I remember. 

This year COVID disrupted our decades-long retreat tradition. Three days in-person became three hours on Zoom — a kind of compromise you’ve likely also experienced in this season. Yet even in this inferior gathering space, 27 little video squares separated by multiple time zones, we were able to be with one another. We talked and prayed and worshipped and listened to each other’s stories — including Donn sharing a personal account of racial injustice which opened my eyes in a new way.

This week, Carolyn Arends will host a webinar with Donn, Willie Jennings, and Chris Hall, to discuss resilience in times of trouble, with Harriet Tubman serving as a case study. We hope you can join the conversation this Tuesday.