A church in Oak Park is drawing attention after controversy erupted last week over a phrase it used related to Lenten observances.
The First United Church of Oak Park, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA and United Church of Christ, on Thursday issued a news release explaining its use of the term “fasting from whiteness” during the 40-day period of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday.
The phrase had appeared on lawn signs outside the church since March 2 and only last week came under the national and international spotlight when television crews began reporting that First United had banned music written by white composers.
Social media reaction to the church’s “fasting from whiteness” theme has been a mixture of supportive messages and criticisms. Some commenters on an Oak Park Facebook group said they liked the church’s idea of introducing music by composers of color, but felt “fasting from whiteness” was the wrong phrase to use.
In fact, the church’s decision to not use music by white composers, according to the news release, was to “lift up the voices of Black people, Indigenous people and people of color.”
“For decades, our church has done substantial anti-racism work of one kind or another,” said the Rev. John Edgerton, First United Church of Oak Park’s lead pastor. “This is a continuation of that tradition.”
Following the 1968 passage of the Oak Park Fair Housing Ordinance, prohibiting housing discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or sex, Edgerton said founders of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center —which included several village trustees — held formational meetings at First United.
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“This is not something new to us, but rather a continuation of work that must always be taken up anew,” he said. “We are committed to doing anti-racism work like this every year because this is the Gospel. The values of Oak Park are to be a diverse village in the midst of a segregated city.”
First United partners with St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church on a six-week children’s program called “Tell Me the Truth About Racism.”
“It’s all about teaching God’s love for all people and about the lie that some people are better than other people,” Edgerton said. “It’s open to all ages, and the youngest who has participated is my daughter, who is 4 years old. It’s a six-week program, and so is Lent, so we held them together at the same time.”
Church organizers then decided to merge all their Lenten programming with an anti-racism theme, including music selections that utilize gospel music, South African freedom songs, Spanish songs and others.
Some critics on Facebook objected that in the church’s “fasting from whiteness” phrase, use of the word “whiteness” is divisive. Others applauded that attention was brought to the topic.
“If people have a problem with that specific phrase, they need to understand that the programming around it is so much more,” Edgerton said.
Following the television news broadcasts Thursday morning, First United removed the lawn signs containing the “fasting from whiteness” phrase. The church office was receiving five voicemails per minute and hundreds of emails, Edgerton said.
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“There is no way to talk about racism in the country without the topic making people uncomfortable,” he said. “Your choices are to have honest conversations about race and racism, or to be silent. We will not be silent about this, because that is not true to the Gospel.”
Edgerton compared the 40-day period of Lent to other Bible references.
“It’s also relevant to the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the desert, the 40 days that it rained during the big flood and the 40 days of Jesus fasting in the wilderness when the devil tempted him,” he said. “It’s a time set aside for transformation and deepening of spirit.”
Responding to those who felt it racially divisive to exclude service music written by white composers, Edgerton invited the public to simply watch a church service online.
