Juneteenth – Bethel Church of the Nazarene

Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced to the remaining enslaved African Americans that they were free. It was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. That day became known as Juneteenth, a sacred reminder that freedom delayed is still a wound in the soul of a people. Juneteenth is a day that reminds us that freedom, even when declared, must be enforced, embodied, and proclaimed over and over again.

Sunday, I will be preaching from Luke 8:26-39. In this story we meet a man who is possessed by a legion of demons. He is banished to the tombs, chained up by the community, and denied his humanity. Jesus meets him not with fear, but with faith and compassion. The demons name themselves “Legion,” echoing imperial violence and control. But Jesus does what empire cannot. Jesus restores, liberates, and heals the man.

This story is about more than personal healing. It is about communal restoration. When the people see the man clothed and whole, they are afraid. Liberation is always unsettling to those who benefit from chains.

Juneteenth reminds us that there are still “legions” in our systems in the world. They include mass incarceration, economic inequality, police brutality, and many more. But the Gospel is a gospel of liberation. Like the delivered man, we are called to “return home and declare how much God has done for us” (Luke 8:39).

So today, as we honor Juneteenth, we also proclaim a deeper truth. The God who cast out legions is still at work, breaking chains both seen and unseen. And that is Good News worth sharing. Amen.

For more on the history of Juneteenth, click here. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth

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Pastor Mat

Pastor Mat (he/him) came to Bethel in the Fall of 2003 to serve as the youth pastor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Eastern Nazarene College in 2005 and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Northwest Nazarene University in 2010. Currently, Mat is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Nazarene Theological Seminary in the Black Leadership and Ministry track. Mat married the love of his life, I’Esha, on July 11, 2009. They have three wonderful children. Mat is ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Mat has been serving as Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s lead pastor since 2015. Mat served as an instructor of philosophical ethics, church history, and theology in the Religion and Culture program at Eastern Nazarene College for over ten years prior to the school’s closing. Currently, Mat teaches religious studies as an adjunct at Regis College in Weston, MA and theology as an adjunct at Northwest Nazarene University. In addition, Mat volunteers on several non-profit boards and is a co-leader for Quincy4Justice, Quincy Interfaith Network, and Quincy for Transformative Change. He enjoys reading, riding his bicycle, traveling, swimming, stimulating theological discussions, and cold brew coffee. Mat is passionate about the intersections of theology and justice. He is committed to dismantling white supremacy and patriarchy in the church and society. Mat’s specific areas of ministry at Bethel include church leadership, worship coordination, staff development, and pastoral care.