2019
Social Justice with Burke UMC
WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MATTERS
The Hebrew word "shalom" (שָׁלוֹם) has many translations, but, in general, refers to a state of peace, tranquility, wholeness and well‐being. It is a state of being that God desires for all people but is out of reach of many due to inequity in our social systems, marginalization of particular groups, and threat from environmental change. The goal of Social Justice Ministry at Burke UMC is to educate and empower people to act individually or in groups to help change policies, structures and systems so that they work on behalf of the common good. We are called to help build beloved community and bring about God's shalom justice.
Learning Together
With the understanding that the causes and effects of social injustice are intertwined and interrelated, below are links to information, resources and opportunities for engagement in specific areas. These resources were pulled from United Methodist agencies as well as from other organizations and institutions that strive to be a voice and an ally for those affected by injustice. By providing the historical and societal background on social justice issues and some suggested actions we can take, these resources can help us discern whether or not social justice work helps us to fulfill our baptismal vows to “resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”
The Secret to Creating the Beloved Community
Doug Shipman, TedXAtlanta
"Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What if building the beloved community meant taking one phrase and applying it to ourselves and to our actions? The phrase: love thy neighbor.
-Doug Shipman
Prayer for the Side‐lined, Lost and Over‐looked People
Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for the insignificant, unremarkable, over‐looked people of the world; for the unnoticed and simply ordinary people; back‐water sort of people who will never make much impact.
For them MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for those who are lost; who have disappeared or are missing; for the up‐rooted, exiled and enslaved; lost‐rights sort of people who will seldom be seen or heard.
For them MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for the fearful, the terrorized and the abused people of the world; those who are unjustly imprisoned or entrapped; voiceless people who will hardly dare to seek help.
For them MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for the subjugated, silenced and subdued people of the world; for the lonely, the lacking, the faded, the frightened; shadowy people unable to bring attention to their suffering.
For them MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
Holy One, may Your Realm of Love come for the handicapped and disabled people of the world; for the redundant and poorly educated; the timid and unappreciated; struggling people who have to strive for support and respect.
For them, MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
In the dynamic of your Love, may your Realm become a reality for them all. Amen.
© 2011 Glenn Jetta Barclay, Aotearoa/New Zealand
UMC SOCIAL CREED
From the 2016 Book Of Discipline of The United Methodist Church
We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.
We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family.
We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.
We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress.
We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.
