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A CALL TO PREACH...
AND TO HEAR
by Kelly Gallagher
Justice and Witness Council, Staff
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King wrote: "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool...if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of [humankind] and fire the souls of [people], imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. [All people] far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travelers at midnight."
We at the Justice and Witness Council realize the difficult task placed upon our clergy to preach week in and week out in a time when we are, more than ever, called to be "the guide and critic of the state." And we recognize the challenge to hear what the Holy Spirit may be saying through our clergy when emotions are high, fear is real and the culture is at odds with one another. And yet it is imperative that we find words to engage the Gospel and the Spirit in this time - that we open our hearts to what is being said.
We must listen to one another - and be in prayer together.
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Called to Be the Church: 100 Days of Action and More
Massachusetts Conference leaders have received scores of requests for "help" as our pastors lead their congregations and step into their pulpits in a time such as this. A new section of the website is now dedicated to this topic.
Visit this page
to read "100 Days of Action" from the
Center for Progressive Renewal, and more.
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Hundreds Prepare to Join Washington, Boston and Greenfield Rallies for Women's Rights
People from all over the Massachusetts Conference are planning to take part in the upcoming Women's March on Washington, as well as in sister marches in Boston and Greenfield.
The Women's March is planned for the day after the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, and was started by women alarmed by the harsh rhetoric during the Presidential campaign.
"We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families -- recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country," national organizers of the event say on their Facebook page.
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by Nancy Taylor
Senior Minister, Old South Church, Boston
When Jesus had something to say to the powers and principalities he staged a march upon a capital city. Admittedly, it was a wobbly thing. A donkey. No stomping, snorting stallions. No weapons or armor. They didn't march neatly, in line, in step. There was nothing crisp about it. It was a wobbly thing, this un-assault or anti-assault upon the seat of power. Yet, these 2000 years later that march still speaks, defies, and clarifies."
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A New Era in the Climate Justice Movement Begins on January 20th at Noon
Minister and President
Interfaith prayer vigils focusing on climate justice will be held all across the nation over the course of 100 hours beginning on noon January 20th. This is a prayerful antidote to the climate denying fossil-fuel promoting administration that will be sworn into office at that time. Pam Arifian, Director of the Northeast Regional Environmental Justice Center at Silver Lake, provides background and details below.
If you and some members of your congregation together with others in your community can "show up" - even for an hour - as part of this national effort, please do so and be sure to register here
. Call a neighboring congregation, synagogue or mosque and invite them to join you in a one hour vigil after worship. Thank you for your ongoing witness - now and in the months ahead.
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INTERFAITH ACTION AND ECUMENISM
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UCC 'Trading Places' Video Emphasizes Interfaith Unity
If you listen to most news cycles or political speeches of late, you would be left with the clear impression that people of different faiths not only hate each other, but they do so because their faith leaves them no other option.
We want difference to be perceived as beauty and not as threat.
"Trading Places" shines a light on religious bigotry in a unique way-by depicting religious leaders of different faiths experiencing the power of walking in one another's shoes -and into one another's houses of worship.
This video is intended to tell the world who we are in the United Church of Christ and what we dream of.
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IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE CONCERNS
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Following the Lead of Immigrants
Immigration and Refugee Concerns Task Team
One day this winter, I got a message from an old friend. Can we stay with you tonight? She's a community organizer working with the Alliance for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. She was in town with three other people from the CIW, and their original housing plan had fallen through. I said, of course, and so it was that a few hours later I was leading four women up the stairs to my third-floor apartment.
Two of the women were farm workers themselves, and know first-hand the horrible conditions that many migrant workers face while they pick our vegetables and provide the food that ends up on our tables. They know the slavery, the unfairly low wages, the consistent exploitation. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, from its very beginning, has been about farm workers organizing themselves to improve conditions for themselves and their neighbors.
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by the Immigration and Refugee Task Team
The Christmas season has ended, but the Christmas story has not. If we imagine that the Magi indeed did visit the Holy Family on January 6
th
, the Day of Epiphany, then is today the day that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt? Is this the day that they quickly packed their meager belongings and fled to the safety of a foreign land? Is this the day that the cries were heard in Ramah? Our reading of the holy family's escape to Egypt in Matthew 2:13-15 is very brief. We know little of their escape and nothing of their reception. We do not know where they settled in Egypt or how they survived when they were there. We are left to our own imagination.
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Sanctuary and Welcoming Immigrants
Has your church voted to become a sanctuary church - or is your congregation currently hosting refugees? Please
let us know.
For links to the UCC Sanctuary Toolkit and Sancturary Tactics, and to the proposed "Resolution on Becoming an Immigrant Welcoming Church" that will come before the 31st General Synod, visit the Immigration and Refugee Concerns web pages.
Learn more
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Never Again! Stand Up Against Torture
From the Justice and Peace Action Network
We live in an era when fear and anger have eroded the common concern for human life and human dignity. Too often lines are drawn between people of different ethnicities, religions, and cultures, and some use those lines in an attempt to justify killing, torture, and other immoral acts of brutality.
Torture harms not only those who are tortured; it also damages the souls of those who torture and of those who turn aside and allow people to be tortured.
As a new administration comes into power, and our country reflects on the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Prison at Guantanamo Bay, we must stand united and declare that torture, in all its forms, is unacceptable. Rev. John Dorhauer, UCC General Minister and President, joined interfaith leaders in calling on President-Elect Trump to defend people from torture, genocide, and other assaults on human dignity. Now it is your turn to act.
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7 Ways to Jump-Start Your Advocacy in 2017
The time is always right to do what is right." Martin Luther King, Jr.
The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoken decades ago, are as true today as they ever were. Moving into a new year, one that holds tremendous challenges and opportunities, your faithful advocacy is now more important than ever.
The United Church of Christ is here to partner with you, to support you, struggle with you, celebrate with you and share your story as we work for justice and peace in 2017 and beyond.
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