A Time for Burning
remembering a remarkable documentary about Christians in the Civil Rights era
Breaking my Twitter silence for an #MLK Day 🧵 on the 1966 Lutheran documentary, "A Time for Burning" (spoilers ahead).
Every white moderate Christian like me ought to watch this film. Every white moderate Christian ought to then read MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
I am not saying this as some kind of expert. I am saying this as someone, who at age 54, is late to the game.
I am also saying this as someone who to follow Jesus, not the culture warriors from either side. To follow Christ first, even if it costs me.
You can find the film here and on youtube. It's 60 minutes long.
Directed by Bill Jersey, this documentary is one of the trail blazers of the cinéma vérité style.
Do you enjoy The Office or Parks and Rec? Then you can thank Bill Jersey.
A Time for Burning : Lutheran Film Associates : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive A study of racial conflicts and understanding as portrayed in Omaha, Neb., when the pastor of an all-white Augustana Lutheran Church took an initial step... https://archive.org/details/atimeforburning
Per its style, the documentary plunges right in to the story without explanation, leaving the viewer somewhat confused.
As we should be. It was a confusing time. Like now.
Revisiting “A Time for Burning” and the Spiritual Crisis of Racism In William Jersey’s 1966 documentary about the efforts of a Lutheran minister to break the racial barrier, church is “a hospital for sinners,” a place where the scourge of white supremacism must be ad… https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/revisiting-a-time-for-burning-and-the-spiritual-crisis-of-racism
It documents the efforts of Lutheran minister Rev. Bill Youngdhahl to lead his congregation in efforts to build personal relationships with African Americans in Omaha, NE.
Youngdahl led the large, prosperous, all white Augustana Lutheran Church (LCA).
Youngdahl studied under Reinhold Niebuhr and brings a "Christian realism" view of social change to Omaha.
He was trying to encourage members of his church to have African American Lutherans from Hope Lutheran Church (LCMS!), over for dinner. That's all.
But his plan was disrupted when the youth group of another black church, Calvin Memorial Presbyterian, came to worship at Augustana as part of their education. That was not received well.
The rest of the film documents the conversations Rev. Youngdahl has with members of various committees in the church.
To a man, they are "white moderates." Not racist themselves of course, but concerned about "timing," and about how it will be received by "other members."
Do you see why this might be helpful for us to watch today?
Through it all, Rev. Youngdahl remains calm and quiet spoken, arguing that having folks over for dinner is the most mild of steps a church could take. And yet it was still opposed fiercely.
Youngdahl also meets with other ministers. They bring up things like property values and maintaining budgets.
As one person commented, there was almost no theological reflection in the whole film. Not by the whites.
The best theology came from two African American teenagers discussing how they ought to treat these moderate whites.
And then at the end, the very inarticulate Ray Christensen, a moderate who boldly states that a follower of Christ must sometimes stand alone.
That is the best scene in the documentary, along with the soliloquy by the black barber at the beginning, Ernie Chambers.
Chambers, an atheist, eviscerates Christian hypocrisy when it came to race. Rev. Youngdhahl listens.
America Against Itself: A Time for Burning (Again) In 1966, the legendary documentary filmmaker Bill Jersey, one of the pioneers of cinema verité, made a film about an all-white Lutheran church in Omaha, Nebraska, whose idealistic pastor was trying… https://thekingsnecktie.com/2020/07/07/america-against-itself-a-time-for-burning-again/
Now turn to #MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
Every American should to read this letter. Every American Christian should read this letter.
Why? For one, it's history. Like this documentary, we should read and watch primary sources.
africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/L…
Second, it is English at its highest level. I am biased towards that era of English prose, but I think it can be said English peaked in 1963 with this letter.
But mostly, because it was directed towards white moderate clergy. The reasonable ones:
web.archive.org/web/2018122905…
Like these clergymen, many of us are moderate because we are not overtly racist. But we also don't like trouble. Let things develop on their own, give it time, etc, etc.
And that also means we may not always listen well to the other side and hear their frustrations.
Whatever you think of the politics of the time, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is a call to courage, a call to a distinctly non-violent Christian love.
You may not agree with all of it, but read it, and ask: am I following Jesus in these matters, even at a personal cost?
I don't have any silver bullet solutions. I am no expert on racial reconciliation. But I do think we should know our history, and listen well before quickly reacting and becoming defensive when we hear terms like, "white supremacy."
Some follow up to the documentary. First, the churches. Augustana Lutheran church continues and appears to be a progressive, inner city white church.
Hope Lutheran also appears to continue and has helped lead @thelcms in its outreach to African Americans.
Calvin Memorial Presbyterian began as an integrated church in the 1920s, became all African American as white flight occurred in the 1960s, and eventually closed and sold its building to another church:
A History of North Omaha’s Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church was a short-lived attempt by a fleeting denomination to maintain a significant presence in North Omaha. Despite the hard work and commitment by African American … https://northomahahistory.com/2019/08/03/a-history-of-north-omahas-calvin-memorial-presbyterian-church/
Bill Youngdahl was fired within two weeks of beginning his initiative at Augustana. He went on to pastor several more Lutheran and UCC churches, known for his social justice and peace work. He passed away in 2012.
Obituary for Rev. Luther Youngdahl Youngdahl, Rev. Luther "Bill" age 85, passed away August 15 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after a long illness. A native of Minneapolis, Reverend Youngdahl was the son of former Minnesota Governor… https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/13565977/
Ernie Chambers went on to serve in the Nebraska State Legislature where he still serves. At one point, he was known as the only atheist state legislator in the U.S.
How State Sen. Ernie Chambers Helped Keep Nebraska's Electoral College Votes Split Longtime progressive state Sen. Ernie Chambers has been instrumental in keeping Nebraska's Electoral College votes split by district. Joe Biden won one Electoral College vote in Nebraska. https://www.npr.org/2020/11/09/933215552/how-state-sen-ernie-chambers-helped-keep-nebraskas-electoral-college-votes-split
I don't know what happened to Ray Christensen, the layman who tried to persuade his fellow Lutherans to break free from their fears about upsetting the apple cart.
And of course, I have no idea what happened to the black teenagers, discussing what Christian love should do.
That seems about right. For many who are last will be first.
The most Biblical Christians in this film are the black, teenage Presbyterians and Lutherans.
It's a shame they were not listened to. It's a shame we don't listen more today. FIN
By the way, the mid-60's fashion styles in this documentary, as well as all the smoking during the meetings, are worth the watch alone.
For easy reference, here is again. It's broken into two 30-minute segments.
A Time for Burning : Lutheran Film Associates : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive A study of racial conflicts and understanding as portrayed in Omaha, Neb., when the pastor of an all-white Augustana Lutheran Church took an initial step... https://archive.org/details/atimeforburning
Here's a wonderful discussion guide on the film from @L4RacialJustice . HT: @katingawollman