2018 PWV Bible Study Confession of Belhar
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PRESBYTERY OF WABASH VALLEY BIBLE STUDY FOR 2018 USING SCRIPTURE AND THE CONFESSION OF BELHAR Bible Study for February 2018 They said it couldn t be done. That the violence, pain and disregard for human life ran too deep. That people so far apart could not be reconciled to one another. Yet, in 1991 Apartheid legislation was abolished and with the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 a remarkable and fantastic movement of forgiveness and reconciliation started in South Africa. Out of that grace came the Confession of Belhar which touches us with the biblical understanding of Reconciliation and Unity. Violence is part of the human experience, as we understand all too deeply in our world today. And, while violence enters the very pore of our culture, such destruction is not the last word. Even as we hope and pray for peace, we are required to take the next steps to come together as the human race, both individually and through our institutions and put actions to our words. Jesus shows us ways to be reconciled to God and one another and this Bible Study will point to specific ways we can reach out and make a difference with those close and those afar. Based on scripture and The Confession of Belhar, we will explore how we can accept the Grace God offers by extending grace to one another. May God guide us into a new understanding of reconciliation, peace, and unity. The Rev. Dr. David Smook, 2017 Council Moderator and our brother with family ties to South Africa. Scripture for consideration: There is no God but one. - I Corinthians 8:4 Reflection notes: 1. The full version of the Confession of Belhar was originally published in September 1986. This version was added to the Book of Confessions in 2016 by the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at its meeting in Portland, Oregon. Please share or reflect upon your memories of the years surrounding apartheid, particularly its end, or the recent adoption of the Confession of Belhar by own denomination. What do you think of when you think of apartheid? 2. Can you think of a time in your life or ministry where you have seen a dramatic resolution to conflict or wrongdoing? Tell a story about such a time. 3. Our scripture for reflection comes from First Corinthians and speaks of unity. And yet, the Confession of Belhar was written in opposition to the ways in which the white Dutch Reformed Church had justified apartheid with scripture and the confessions for over four centuries. On what issues has God s Spirit worked on you to change your mind and adopt a new stance?
Bible Study for March 2018 Justice as Reconciliation and a Call to Unity Book of Confessions 10.3 Confession of Belhar We believe that Christ s work of reconciliation is made manifest in the church as the community of believers who have been reconciled with God and with one another; that unity is, therefore, both a gift and an obligation for the church of Jesus Christ; that through the working of God s Spirit it is a binding force, yet simultaneously a reality which must be earnestly pursued and sought: one which the people of God must continually be built up to attain; that this unity must become visible so that the world may believe that separation, enmity and hatred between people and groups is sin which Christ has already conquered, and accordingly that anything which threatens this unity may have no place in the church and must be resisted; 2 Corinthians 5.14-19 NRSV 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. On the morning I graduated from Muskingum College in 1998 I was given the gift of a cross necklace. I am sure such a gift is not unique among college graduates but this one was special, it had been worn by Lew Hays when he was the moderator of the Synod of the Trinity. Lew Hays, the man who had been a grandfather figure to me my whole life, and whose legacy still guides me to this day. Lew Hays, a long time Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church who had served at one time or another at every level of Presbyterian government. Lew Hays, who exactly 60 years prior had graduated from that same college and in 1972 with John Glenn and two others was in the inaugural class of Muskingum Alum honored with the Distinguished Service Award. Lew Hays, founder and first Commissioner of PONY Baseball. Lew Hays, who had died just a year or so before had worn this necklace and now it was being gifted to me, and what a gift but what an obligation and responsibility too. There were no stipulations expressed when it was given to me but I knew, I felt the obligation to preserve and protect this treasure. There was more being handed on to me than a piece of jewelry the sentimental value of which far exceeded the cash value. I was receiving also the responsibility of living up to Lew Hays s legacy. The second letter to the Corinthians and the Confession of Belhar both remind us that we have received a great gift from God, the gift of Grace, and that gift comes with a responsibility. God s grace having been bestowed upon us has reconciled us with God and with each other. This gift of reconciliation comes with the obligation of further reconciliation
(especially with other people of faith) and must be earnestly pursued and sought. The pursuit of this reconciled state does not come naturally because the people of God must continually be built up to attain it. Moreover, the church must behave in a unified manner in order that the world may know that Christ has already conquered the sin that separates people one from another. The church has an obligation to live in unity not just for unity s sake but so that the whole world might know that Christ has already concurred sin in our world and in our lives. That is a pretty big obligation for sure but it is the obligation that comes with a most excellent gift of Grace. Questions for reflection: 1) Have you ever received a gift that came with an obligation? How does that experience inform your understanding of the obligation that comes with the gift of grace and reconciliation? 2) In what ways has the church fulfilled the obligation of reconciliation to which we have been called and in what ways have we fallen short of the glory and obligation of God. 3) The confession of Belhar speaks of reconciliation and unity of people primarily across the divide of race in the context of post-apartheid South Africa. What are the divisions that inhibit the unity of God s people in our particular culture and context? Kevin Bowers, Bethany Presbyterian Church, Lafayette
Bible Study for April 2018 VISIBLE SIGNS OF JUSTICE The accompanying letter which was written upon the adoption of the Confession of Belhar by the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa contained these words:. Moments arise in the life of the Church that it may feel the need to confess its faith anew.along with many we confess our guilt, in that we have not always witnessed clearly enough in our situation and so are jointly responsible for the way in which those things which were experienced as sin and confessed to be sin have grown in time to seem self-evidently right and to be ideologies foreign to Scriptures.... Are we now in such a time? Confession of Belhar, Sec. 10.3 WE BELIEVE that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice, and pursue community with one another; that we are obliged to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Jesus Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another s burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ; that we need one another and up build one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness, pray together, together serve God in this world, and together fight against all which may threaten or hinder unity. Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6: I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (RSV).. Questions for reflection: 1) Imagine you are about to begin a congregation-wide study of the Confession of Belhar in your congregation, but the Session is not 100% sold on doing it, stating that they do not believe there is really a need in your congregation to address the issues that faced The Reformed Church in South Africa. Discuss how you would defend the need to study the issue of unity in your congregation.
2) Imagine you are constantly grappling with several members in your congregation over your differences of politics, until one or more have become angry or offended. How might you use the Confession of Belhar to breach that gap? For an in depth Bible Study of this section, here are other passages to consider: Colossians 3:12-17; Philippians 2:1-5; I Corinthians 1:10-13, 16 & 17; 1 Corinthians 12: 24b-28; Ephesians 3:14-20; 2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4; Galatians 6:2 Louis A. Sandos, Retired Minister of Word and Sacraments
Bible Study for May 2018 Unity, Gift and Obligation I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, Ephesians 4:1-2 We believe that unity is, therefore, both a gift and an obligation for the church of Jesus Christ; that through the working of God s Spirit it is a binding force, yet simultaneously a reality which must be earnestly pursued and sought; one which the people of God must continually be built up to attain. Confession of Belhar 2.2 If only Paul had given himself a different label, soldier in the Lord perhaps, or community organizer in the Lord. Those, it seems, would have given us more interpretive liberty on how we go about living out our calling. But alas we are prisoners, captives to Jesus message of mercy, peace, reconciliation, and hope. And as such, we walk a different way. We re not given the option of picking and choosing how and where we walk worthily we are with all, and before all. I distinctly recall a class with Darrell Guder in which he defined neighbor as: someone with whom you must do; the person who is standing right in front of you, who you must go out of your way to avoid (think Parable of the Good Samaritan). Unity of the body and walking worthily with one another is not something we can think about merely as a lofty theological concept, or a societal ideal to which others should aspire. Unity of the body is the present reality of the Holy Spirit of Christ living within us as we are connected to Christ, the head. It manifests itself in very practical terms: humility, gentleness, patience, a willingness to lean into unity when it would be so much easier to write someone off. We re all familiar with the notion of what I ve heard called, VNPs (Very Needy People even, Very Needy Parishioners). These are the individuals God sends into our midst for what might be called to borrow another phrase from St. Paul training in righteousness. We all know them, and if we don t, then maybe we re one ourselves. I believe these are the people Jesus sends to us to continue the spiritual refinement of our lives. They often don t share the same viewpoints, lifestyle preferences, political affiliations, and so on. But they are essential to us, we need them. Because we don t get to pick and choose with whom we carry out that pesky first commandment to love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Unity lived out in practical terms is immensely challenging, it will take us to the end of our patience, it will leave us frustrated, confounded, and ready to throw up our hands. But as Eugene Peterson puts it, the place where we meet Jesus is always at the end of our ropes... Questions for Reflection 1. What do you think it means to walk worthily and pursue unity in the social climate of our day? 2. Later in Ephesians 4 Paul says, Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ s gift. How can we draw from the reality of Christ s actions towards us to inspire peacemaking and reconciliation in our lives? 3. Do you nurture relationships with people who do not share your same beliefs: politically, religiously, socially, etc.? How have you grown or been shaped by them? Jonathan Cornell, The Presbyterian Church, Wabash
Bible Study for June 2018 The Absence of Justice Confession of Belhar, 10.4 Therefore, we reject any doctrine which absolutizes either natural diversity or the sinful separation of people in such a way that this absolutization hinders or breaks the visible and active unity of the church, or even leads to the establishment of a separate church formation; which professes that this spiritual unity is truly being maintained in the bond of peace while believers of the same confession are in effect alienated from one another for the sake of diversity and in despair of reconciliation which denies that a refusal to earnestly pursue this visible unity as a priceless gift is sin which explicitly or implicitly maintains that descent or any other human or social factor should be a consideration in determining membership of the church Acts 10:34-39, 42-48 34 Then Peter began to speak to them: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout all Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced; 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were possessed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses in Judea and in Jerusalem 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. 44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days. Reflection: As an observant Jew, Peter had been trained since birth to avoid certain foods and to avoid eating with Gentiles, for that would make him ritually unclean. Imagine his surprise at experiencing a vision commanding him (three times!) to eat such foods. Then came the invitation to go and visit the household of a Gentile, Cornelius, where Peter preached to the gathered Gentiles, expressing his surprise that anyone who revered Christ and did what was right was acceptable to God. Imagine his astonishment that the Holy Spirit also fell upon the Gentiles and the astonishment of those Jews with him when Peter offered to the Gentiles the same baptism in Christ they had experienced. This had not been covered in the Book of Order or The Directory for Worship! No one had yet overtured the General Assembly to include the Gentiles in church membership! What was God up to now? And how might the church get on board with this confounding new development?..
Questions for Discussion 1) Up to this point Belhar has been happily listing beliefs that unite us. Things suddenly take a nasty turn in 10.4 when these common beliefs call out the separation of believers into different churches by race, gender, language or social class as sin. How does calling such separation sin strike you? 2) How might the Church have developed differently if the early apostles had not insisted that it be a fellowship of both Jews and Gentiles, men and women, slaves and free people? 3) In what ways do you see the Presbytery of Wabash Valley embodying a diversity of race, gender, social class or background, and in what ways have we sinned by failing to encourage that kind of diversity? What do Acts 10 and Belhar 10.4 demand of us? Jeff Cover, First Presbyterian Church, Rensselaer
Bible Study for July 2018 Justice as reconciliation as exemplified in the life of Christ Confession of Belhar: Section 10.5 To prepare for consideration of this section of the Confession, return to the beginning and reread Sections 10.01 and 10.02, and then read 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21. We begin with the bold and powerful belief that it is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that gathers us into the church since the beginning of the world and will continue to the end, and that God gathers us from the entire human family. Draw in your mind a picture of what this looks like to you. Let the expansiveness and beauty of that picture fill your soul with joy and longing. Now read Section 10.5: We believe: that God has entrusted the church with the message of reconciliation in and through Jesus Christ; that the church is called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that the church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker, that the church is witness both by word and by deed to the new heaven and the new earth in which righteousness dwells; The use of the word reconciliation implies that once humanity was whole and together and at peace and creatively growing and now is not. And that what is now broken and in turmoil and pain CAN be mended; that harmony CAN be restored; that a return to peace CAN happen. And better yet, WILL be restored because it is the will of God. What words come to your mind as you state these truths? The words of this Confession ring out to us in the churches of Wabash Valley Presbytery: we are not bystanders, waiting for someone else to do the work of reconciliation. No! God has called us all of us to set our heartbeats in harmony with God s own heart and live the reconciliation and mercy of Christ Jesus sacrificial life. This is a change in the total state of our lives, and it is made possible by the cross of Christ, but only when we apply Christ s cross to our lives and relationships...
Questions for Reflection: 1. What does this call on our lives mean to you personally? What feelings compel you to be a reconciling person? What in your past and present fuel your desire for this reconciliation to happen? 2. What energy toward reconciliation actions do you see in your church? What part of the move toward healing, mending, resolving, and loving do you see in the work of your church s leadership and congregation? 3. Where do you believe the Presbytery can be salt and light and makers of peace and witness to reconciliation? What are your hopes and dreams for these roles our Presbytery has before us? Where will you put your own hand to the plow? Donna Enersen, CLP Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, Frankfort
ed Bible Study for August 2018 Cultural/Social barriers to Justice Confession of Belhar, section 10.5 and James 2: 8-9 that the credibility of this message [reconciliation in and through Jesus Christ] is seriously affected and its beneficial work obstructed when it is proclaimed in a land which professes to be Christian, but in which the enforced separation of people on a racial basis promotes and perpetuates alienation, hatred, and enmity; that any teaching which attempts to legitimate such forced separation by appeal to the gospel, and is not prepared to venture on the road of obedience and reconciliation, but rather, out of prejudice, fear, selfishness, and unbelief, denies in advance the reconciling power of the gospel, must be considered ideology and false doctrine. James 2:8-9 (NRSV)-8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. Questions for Reflection/Discussion 1. How do you understand an enforced separation of people on a racial basis in your context? How does this covert racism affect the message of the church? 2. If saying or doing nothing about those sinful forces of prejudice, fear, selfishness, and unbelief grants them legitimacy, how does the church prepare herself to confront them and emphasize her message of reconciliation? 3. What are ways in which the church can deal with evil behavior or words that run contrary to the gospel message of love and reconciliation, both inside and outside the congregation? David Lawrence, Auburn Presbyterian Church
2018 Bible Study for September God s Plan, Will, Desire for Justice Read Isaiah 42:1-7 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. Isaiah 42:1 We believe that God has revealed God s self as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people; Confession of Belhar 10.7 A Imagine the hope that the Prophet Isaiah brought to the exiles in Babylon. They had been taken from the nation, the land and the Temple that they loved. They wondered how they could possibly sing the Lord s song in a foreign land. (Psalm 137:4) It was a dark time of sorrow, suffering and separation. But God speaks into the darkness. Isaiah declares a different future. There was a plan which would bring about redemption. God had the will to save the people and bring them home. God desired justice for those who had suffered mistreatment, exploitation and abuse. God s servant had received the Spirit. The servant would establish justice in the earth. (42:4) The eyes of the blind would be opened. Prisoners would be brought out from the dungeon. Theologian Allan Boesak writes out of the darkness of South African oppression. He spoke truth to power when he challenged apartheid policies which kept the majority under the control of the minority. Boesak pointed toward hope when he quoted St. Augustine: Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the same. Reflecting on this, Boesak writes: The Anger of Hope means that one refuses to accept something that is wrong, to put up with what is driving one to despair. The Courage of Hope means to have the firm resolve to pull oneself to one s feet and attack injustice, even if one has to pay a price for doing so. (Dare We Speak of Hope? Boesak, pages 44-45) Injustice is all around us. We continue to witness our sisters and brothers who are marginalized and mistreated because of gender, nationality, skin color or sexuality. There is injustice in food distribution, medical treatment, housing and education. But we believe that God has revealed God s self as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people. We are God s hands and feet in the world. We are called to speak and act in ways which bring justice and true peace. Will we respond? Dare we speak of hope?
Questions for reflection: 1. What injustices make you angry today? 2. Describe the courage that God gives us to speak and act? 3. What can we as individuals and as the Presbytery of Wabash Valley do to bring God s justice to the nations? To our nation? To our presbytery? Jamie Miller, Sunnyside Presbyterian Church, South Bend
Bible Study for October 2018 Belhar Devotional God s Active Role in Bringing About Justice Scripture Reading Amos 5:18-27 "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24). The prophet Amos was an extraordinary man. He lived among a group of shepherds in Tekoa, a small town approximately ten miles south of Jerusalem. Amos appears to have been a humble man claiming not to come from a family of prophets, nor did he consider himself one. Rather, he was a grower of figs as well as a shepherd. However, Amos connection to a simple life found its way into the Bible as he showed a heart for the oppressed and the voiceless in the world. Amos was called by God to confront and challenge those who abuse the powerless and poor. Through Amos, God reminded the people of the day that if they do not pursue justice, then worship, praise, and offerings are detestable to God. God calls us to "hate evil, love good," and "maintain justice in the courts" (Amos 5:15). Amos was basically fed up with the behavior of many people. More than almost any other book of Scripture, the book of Amos reveals that God holds people accountable for their ill-treatment of others. The people in the days of Amos treated needy people as a commodity. Drunk on their own economic success and intent on strengthening their financial position, the people had lost the concept of caring for one another. Amos rebuked them because he saw in that lifestyle evidence that people had forgotten God. Our relationship with God is supposed to bring righteousness and redemption to the world. The people of God are called to promote God's righteousness. In essence, as the Belhar Confession reminds us, we are to join God in taking an active role in bringing about justice in the world. There is no shortage of ways to get involved in the world and join God. 1. How might we join God in breaking down the walls of poor performance by leaders as disgraced long-time USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced on Wednesday (January 24, 2018) to up to 175 years in prison for molesting young female gymnasts? Leadership in many institutions across the United States (Baylor, Penn State and Louisville to name just a few) seems suspect these days as sexual exploitation is
allowed to continue. What would God say about a lack of timely action on the part of our leaders? What would God say to each of us as we watch and listen but fail to comment publicly? 2. How might we join God as the discussion of the building of a wall between Mexico and the United States continues to be put forth by President Trump? Does God build walls? Is a wall a demonstration of justice? 3. What might God be saying to us through the prophet Amos about the harmful abuse of power and the inappropriate sexual behavior of the powerful, giving birth to the #MeToo cause? The prophet Amos reminds us to take an active role in justice because God finds our worship detestable if we don t. Where is God calling you to become more involved? Prayer: Eternal God, you created us and called us good, but sin has warped our mind. There is much injustice in the world. We admit our guilt and complacency. Lord, we pray that you will right all the wrongs that are taking place in our world and vindicate those that are being treated unjustly. In your grace, give justice and peace to all those that have been cruelly and unfairly treated. Spur us on as your faithful people to seek justice in all areas of our lives. In Christ we pray, Amen. Mark Mueller, First Presbyterian Church, Valparaiso
Bible Study for November 2018 The Church s Partnership with God In Establishing Justice Micah 6:8 (NRSV) He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Amos 5:14-15, 23-24 (NRSV) Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph... Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Confession of Belhar We Believe: that God wishes to teach the church to do what is good and to seek the right; that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream; Some Thoughts The Belhar confession arose as a cry from the heart in response to a concrete historical situation (South African Apartheid). The confession admonishes us to seek the right and strive against any form of injustice. And yet faithful people often seriously disagree over what is the right and what constitutes justice in a given historical situation. In our times nations, communities, even churches fracture over these questions. An appeal to the Bible as the Word of God as our only grounds for what is right and just only begs the question: Whose interpretation of which parts of the Bible?
Some Questions 1. He has told you, O mortal, what is good... How do you think God teaches the church to seek and do what is right and just? 2. What does the LORD require of you but to do justice... What form of injustice in your world causes your heart to cry out? Why? What do you intend to do about it? 3....walk humbly with your God. What role does humility play in doing justice? Steve Quinlan, First Presbyterian Church, Peru
Bible Study for December 2018 Confession of Belhar A Call to Justice even at the Risk of Peril in the face of Adversity From 10.9 We believe that, in obedience to Jesus Christ, its only head, the church is called to confess and to do all these things, even though the authorities and human laws might forbid them and punishment and suffering be the consequence. Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus told his disciples, If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? F-1.0301 The Calling of the Church The Church is the body of Christ. Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world. The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life. The church is to be a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ God is making a new creation. This new creation in a new beginning for human life and for all things. The church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation. The church is to be a community of love, where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down. The church is to be a community of witness, pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Monsignor Oscar Romero was assassinated, for speaking out against injustice in San Salvador, while saying a funeral mass. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hung as a war criminal for acting and speaking out against Nazi Germany. In 2017 Colin Kaepernick lost his job and was essentially blackballed for taking a stand or should we say a knee against injustice in 2016. How many of us remember the photo of a lone college student taking a stand against oppression by standing in front of a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square, China. In Minnesota there are churches supporting both the families and imprisoned Somalis convicted of plotting to leave the United States and join Isis. Many believe the men were entrapped by a federal authority (FBI) posing as a jihadist. In Israel organizations supporting boycott, divestment and sanctions are being banned from entering the country. Also in Israel, rabbis are offering sanctuary to refugee Africans, seeking asylum from deportation. These refugees face certain death or enslavement should they be returned to their home country. One rabbi, also in Israel, has also been jailed for demanding women be allowed to read the Torah at the Western Wall, and the list goes on.
Our calling to discipleship may come at a cost to both the church and its individual members. That cost includes a willingness to put aside our self-centeredness, goals, interests and even perhaps our life and become an agent of Christ calling for justice in a world full of injustice. That cost can also include us being not so concerned about how pure our church is or how right our doctrine, but in that we are willing to follow Christ into the world and to the cross. Ours is not a cheap grace but a grace that calls us to take a risk, a risk that may include bleeding, weeping, sweating, intolerance, abandonment and even death... Questions for reflection: 1. What injustices have you witnessed that have moved you to take a stand and risk suffering, pain or the intolerant opinions of others? 2. In what ways has your church home actively worked against injustice and for reconciliation in the face of adversity? 3. Reflect and share your thoughts as to how we the body of Christ live out our faith in today s culture. Are we willing to live into our call of discipleship in the face of walking counter to public opinion? Marjorie Reinsch, Stated Clerk