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Subject: Who's side is Jesus on?

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ProudDog

Posts:468

08/28/2007 10:08 AM
T. Michael has an excellent blog entry in the prayer chapel area. (Who's Side is Jesus On?) I'd love to hear a discussion about the points he brings up. Here's my favorite part from the entry: "We are followers of Jesus. We are the voice for justice for the poor. We are the ones called to feed, comfort, and provide good news for the poor. A $10 handout does not solve the problem. What are we going to do to change the system so that housing, health care, and education can be made affordable for all people? How are we going to continue the prophetic ministry of the United Church of Christ in the next 50 years?"

-Kirk Moore

Stekala

Posts:46

08/29/2007 5:26 PM
Wow, those are intriguing thoughts indeed! I must say, I'm very, very, very happy to read this. I'm actually hoping to get into the field of International Development, as in issues of global extreme poverty and disease, and the solutions. I believe that the emergency of global extreme poverty -- as well as, of course, the failures of our own social services and safety nets -- is the great justice crisis of our time. It is the underlying factor in so many world problems, and addressing it is not only a moral imperative, but a strategic imperative. As we live in a time of growing isolation and dwindling esteem, it is what we need to be doing if we wish to live up to our noble name in the eyes of the world. As Americans, we have promised the world by signing onto the Millennium Development Goals that we would commit ourselves to the fight of the millennium, to end the stupid poverty that has no business existing in the 21st century. As Christians, we have really promised God the same. Many churches around the world taking this to heart, and are moving well beyond the platitudes of helping the poor to being truly on the front lines of carrying this issue into the international political arena. I believe I read that -- and am absolutely estatic by it -- the UCC is beginning to encourage churches to become Jubilee congregations, in support of debt cancellation for poor countries. I've also seen in the UCC newspaper articles on fair trade, etc. I would love to see the UCC continue to grow into greater participation and leadership in this movement. For example, many denominations are partnered with The ONE Campaign (or, 'ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History' www.one.org), which I'm very much involved in. It would great to see the our church among those! Either way, I think most members have a great idea about being Christ's hands and feet for justice, and I hope more of us will find an opportunity to translate that into real action. Thanks so much Kirk for bringing this topic to light and giving me a chance to rant a little! Many blessings and love, Kathy

"The shackles are undone/The bullets quit the gun/The heat that's in the sun..will keep us when there's none The rule has been disproved/ The stone it has been moved/ The grave is now a groove/ All debts are removed" - "Window in the Skies" - U2 (third world debt relief - visit www.jubileeusa.org)

keyless.chuck
51-100 posts

Posts:58

08/30/2007 10:57 AM
Thanks, ProudDog, for bringing this to the attention of the readers of this board (I never venture into the Prayer Chapel board, so I hadn't seen this posting until you linked it here...) The author, and Bill Moyers as quoted by the author, make some excellent points. I found the following comment by Moyers particularly helpful: "It is kindness and mercy that prove the power of faith, and it's justice that measures the worth of the state..." This is exactly what I have been trying to explain to family and friends who don't understand why it is necessary for Christians to be involved in justice issues through social and political change. Many of my friends and family members believe that, as long as one is "saved", that is all Christianity is about. Donating to a charity that helps "The Poor" (a term that is used so frequently that it actually dehumanizes the families and individuals that struggle in our society) is just an elective to the core requirements of being personally saved. Something that I have believed strongly for a number of years, and that Moyers hits on, is that we are also called as Christians to build a state/society based on justice. This is not an elective -- it is a key foundation to our faith. And justice is not just giving a temporary fix to a problem -- it is finding the causes of that problem and fixing those problems. For example, donating to a food pantry is laudable, but that is not justice. It helps a hungry person to have something to eat that day, but does not get to the cause of why that person is hungry. An analogy to this is a river on which a dam breaks and a flood is threatening homes alongside the river. There are two ways to fix this problem: First, a dike needs to be built to immediately protect the threatened homes. Second, you need to go upstream and fix the dam so the flooding stops. Feeding a person is kind and merciful charity; getting to the cause of hunger is justice, and both are expected of Christians. That is one reason I feel called to be a member of the UCC. The UCC's history clearly shows its role in justice -- in fixing the dam, not just in building the dike. I would like to see the UCC stress issues of hunger and poverty more than it does, especially at a local level. I am surprised by the fact that I don't hear much in my local congregation or nationally about such justice organizations like the ONE Campaign as described by Stekala or Bread for the World. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it's just my locality that isn't as involved as others are, but I hope to address this locally. Thanks again for bringing this post to our attention here.

"We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it." --Madeleine L'Engle

goodstoryteller
51-100 posts

Posts:58

09/01/2007 7:51 PM
Here is a parable I wrote several years ago which is intended to deal with the mercy justice issue. I have used it several times. I wrote it while living in Door County Wisconsin and while the content is entirely fictional the imagery is local. Parable of the Village and the Cliff . BY Karl Hallsten . In a time not so long ago and in a place not so far away there was a small village nestled on the shores of a bay between the wide expanses of a large lake and a towering cliff. The quaint village had a turn of the century charm about it, and the people who lived there were gentle, caring folk. People loved to come and stay in their Inns, dine in their eateries, and shop in their boutiques.. However, what really drew the people to the small village were the breathtaking views from the towering cliff. From there you could see for miles around. Whether at dawn, when the sun cast its light across the sky and the waters below, or at dusk as the sun slipped below the horizon and the red sky silhouetted the white sail boats gliding across the blue waters, the views were inspiring. Even at night the views were spectacular. One felt you could reach out and touch the stars, and the village below looked like one of the tiny lighted Christmas Villages sold in one of the shops below. Even in the height of a storm the views were awesome and people came from around the world to look. . In the midst of all of this beauty there was a problem. It was so tempting to get close to the edge of the cliff to gain a better view, that many a person young and old slipped from the lofty heights, hundreds of feet to the village below. . This story had repeated itself as long as people in the village could remember. Several years ago some of the towns people got together and developed a first responder team and a fine ambulance service to pick up those who had fallen off the cliff and bring them to the hospital in the nearby city where they were skillfully cared for and rehabilitated. The people in the village felt good about their ambulance service and had invested greatly of their resources to insure that it was the best available and because the demand was so great had just purchased a second ambulance. . It must be noted, that many did not survive the fall and others in spite of the care they received did not recover or were severely crippled for life. Though the dangers were well known it did not prevent people from coming to the bluff and from trying to get a closer look. . One day a man who had recently moved to the village, made a suggestion. It had occurred to him that while the ambulance service was very good after you had made the fall, a fence at the top could prevent nearly everyone from falling and would cost less to maintain. . Great discussions filled the streets the cafes and halls in the village. There were those who thought the fence was such a good idea they wondered why it had not been thought of long ago. There were those who thought the fence would destroy the natural beauty of the terrain and have negative effects on the natural run-off from the snows and rains. There were others who thought what they had been doing was excellent and that it was peoples own responsibility if they fell and the village should not get involved in it. There were those who worried about what would become of those who worked in the ambulance. How would they be employed and yet others wondered how the new ambulance would be paid for if it were no longer needed. It was to paid for by the users insurance companies.. The debates raged and people got so involved that two parties were formed the Rescue Party and the Prevention Party and the conflicts shattered the peacefulness of the quiet village as neighbor turned against neighbor and families were divided over the issue. . Meanwhile the tourists and even a few residents continue to climb to the top of the cliff to get a view and some venture to close to the edge and fall from the top to the village below. Some are fortunate to survive with the loving care they receive, others do not make it and are soon forgotten.

iucc

Posts:250

09/03/2007 2:44 PM
If you use the "Quick Reply" box at the bottom of every thread (where I'm typing now), you'll automatically be able to enter a space between paragraphs by hitting the ENTER key twice. If, on the other hand, you use the text-only box (which unfortunately is what shows up when you hit "Reply" or start a new thread), you can create a space between paragraphs by typing the HTML code: < BR / >< BR / > (I've placed a space between the brackets and the code, which isn't suppost to be there; otherwise, it wouldn't show up on the screen. So the code is LEFT BRACKET BR DIAGONAL SLASH RIGHT BRACKET, with only a space between BR and the diagonal slash.) Sorry for the inconvenience.

Andy Lang Minister for Web Community and Communication Local Church Ministries United Church of Christ

goodstoryteller
51-100 posts

Posts:58

09/04/2007 2:08 AM
Thanks I edited the entry and it worked. . Karl

ProudDog

Posts:468

09/04/2007 4:41 PM
Hey wait -- we're supposed to build a fence? :)

-Kirk Moore

goodstoryteller
51-100 posts

Posts:58

09/05/2007 1:13 AM
Posted By ProudDog on 09/04/2007 4:41 PM Hey wait -- we're supposed to build a fence? :) So let's get started. Karl

Theophilus
51-100 posts

Posts:82

10/28/2007 10:44 AM
I can think of two important steps: 1. Get pumped up...do something like read Globalization at What Price by Pamela Bruabaker (available through Pilgram Press). Then get others pumped up...buy it for everyone you know for Christmas (its cheap, only $11.20 online, go to Buy It on the UCC.com website, then to the Pilgram Press)...and talk about it...ALOT...keep people pumped up... 2. Talk about when good things happen, share the inspiring stories...this keeps motivation up. Look at the UCC news article on the website from Oct 17th, what a hopeful inspiring story! Talk about this stuff. We need to change hearts to make changes on a big level. When people are unaware, they see no motivation to be an advocate. Lets talk about the problem. Then people will recognize their hearts need to be changed (or woken up). And talk about it when good changes happen, that helps overcome the idea of "what can lil ole me even do about it?" Lets share other inspiring stories...i.ucc may be a great place to do that! i really appreciate your stories Stekala!

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us Rejoice and Be Glad in it

ProudDog

Posts:468

11/03/2007 6:59 PM
Thanks, most excellent one! Great steps -- I talked up i.ucc.org at the Prairie Association UCC meeting today in LaSalle, IL.

-Kirk Moore

MaryonthePrairie
New User

Posts:2

11/06/2007 12:54 PM
Yes, Kirk, you did, and as a result, I have signed in. For those who don't know, Kirk also participates live in our clergy support group that meets on the prairie, or near it. Glad you're here! Thanks for the info on Saturday. As for who's side Jesus is on - everyone's? And that ticks off people who want a "sided" world. How might some of you see us moving beyond the binary of the righteous people who get it and the others, however you define them?

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