BEYONCÉ MASS COMES TO SEATTLE – Hosted by The Lecture Series at University Congregational UCC
Beyoncé Mass is a groundbreaking Christian worship service featuring Beyoncé’s music that celebrates the spirituality of Black women.
On Friday, September 24, The Lecture Series at UCUCC Seattle will welcome the online “Beyoncé Mass.” The worship service uses the music and life of Beyoncé as a tool to cultivate an empowering conversation about Black women—their lives, bodies, and voices—and create an experience of story, scripture, and song that calls for the liberation of all people. Beyoncé Mass will begin at 7 pm. The mass is free, and everyone is invited but registration is required.
The Seattle mass will focus on tenuous racial relationships and acknowledges the difficult journey that it will take to reach any form of reconciliation. This womanist ethic that undergirds the mass will explore the ways that communities often attempt to circumvent the long, hard work road of repentance and
relationship building necessary before we can develop beloved community between racial communities. Created and curated by Reverend Yolanda Norton, Visiting Professor at Moravian Theological Seminary and founder of the Global Arts and Theology Experience (GATE), the inaugural Beyoncé Mass drew roughly 1,000 people at its debut at San Francisco’s historic Grace Cathedral in April 2018. Since then, the worship service has traveled to Los Angeles, Calif, Lisbon, Portugal, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and other locations.
“Beyoncé Mass is a Christian worship service that is open to all,” stated Rev. Norton. “This is not a ceremony deifying Beyoncé. The premise of this service is that if we look at the personal life, career trajectory, music, and public persona of Beyoncé, so much of her life reflects aspects of Black women’s
stories.”
The liturgy of Beyoncé Mass includes music from Beyonce’s vast discography, readings from prominent Black female leaders, and a sermon from Rev. Norton, who is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a Ph.D. candidate at Vanderbilt University in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel and holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary and B.A. in political science from Syracuse University.
The Lecture Series is a self-supporting program of University Congregational United Church of Christ, Seattle WA. The Lecture Series mission is to bring leading Christian and non-Christian thinkers, writers, artists, and teachers to the Seattle region to expand our understanding of what it means to be Christian today.
University Congregational UCC welcomes Rev. Norton as Visiting Theologian for the 2021/22 year, utilizing her expertise, training in theological education and spiritual formation, and commitment to social justice to enhance UCUCC’s stated commitment as a racial justice congregation and inclusive community.
Learn more about Beyoncé Mass here
Contact:
Rev. Steve Jerbi, Pastor University Congregational UCC
206-524-2322
Cell: 414-238-7030
office@universityucc.org
Betty Spieth-Croll, Coordinator, The Lecture Series at UCC
206-551-1721
bettys@seanet.com
Rev. Norton, UCUCC’s clergy and congregational members are available for comment.