In Acts 1:8 Jesus says
to His disciples,
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
Presbyterians have heard the call
from Jesus fully commit to being faithful witnesses to the call from God to
transform the world. We are called to be active in social and moral issues as
we engage the world in the public square. Over the years much of our justice work out of
this office has focused on direct advocacy with Congressional offices, the
White House, and government agencies. This year alone we have met with members
of Congress and their staffers on such vital issues as the travel ban, the Johnson
Amendment and the federal budget. Over and over again, members of Congress
insist that they want to hear directly from their constituents while also
building a relationship with representatives of the denomination. While our
presence on Capitol Hill is essential, we see the need to build political power
with the church to advance a justice agenda and know we cannot do all of that
necessary work from Washington D.C. Every member of Congress is elected from
their district and their ultimate loyalties lie with their constituents. It is
indeed true that all politics is local
for politics is originated and determined locally.
It is with great enthusiasm and
excitement that we share with you our Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator Program.
We created this program to offer a higher level of engagement and leadership
development for congregations who want to build power in their communities,
states, and amplify the voice of the faith community on the national level. Our
vision is that every congregation will have a robust social witness ministry
that is deeply involved in local work and has strong relationships with state
and national legislators. Over the course of the next year, the Office of
Public Witness will connect with Grassroots Advocacy Coordinators to offer
team-building workshops, issue briefs and grassroots advocacy and community
organizing trainings. OPW staff will also be available to for regular
consultation by phone to support Grassroots Advocacy Coordinators with the
cohesion of their team and as they prepare for in-state Congressional visits, participate
in local campaigns, and engage in congregational education.
If you are interested in becoming a
Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, fill out this
form and we’ll be in touch with you shortly! For an introduction to the program, please
join us for a webinar entitled “Grassroots Advocacy and Organizing 101, ” :
Please
register here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4797280666033270274
After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
I know there are those among you who
have further questions about the relationship between faith and politics. Should
Christians and people of faith be politically active? If so, how far should
individual Christians go in order to make a difference and not cross lines
separating church and state? These are questions which the church has struggled
with over the centuries.
Our guide first and
foremost is the Bible. Our biblical
understanding of the mission of the church, and individual Christians, is
shaped and established by what God is doing in the world. Since we are created
by a loving God who cares for us, we are to care for the lives of others, as
well for all of God’s created order. God is a God of liberation who covenants
with faithful humanity. God first made a covenant with Israel through Abraham
promising that through him all the families of the world would be blessed.
Abraham responded by showing hospitality to the strangers as he fed them and
granted them rest. God liberated the people of Israel from
oppression: God covenanted with Israel to be their God and they to be God’s
people, that they might do justice, love
mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord...The
prophets proclaimed the Word of God as a word of justice for the people of
Israel and for all nations as Amos 5:24 declares “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an
ever-flowing stream”. God is incarnate in Christ Jesus who preached his
first sermon from Luke 4 as borrowed from the prophet Isaiah (61:1): “good news to the poor, proclaimed release
for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, let the broken victims go
free, and proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor... “
John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, writes
that the sufficient motivation for doing justice lies in the fact that each
human being is made in the image of God: ““The Lord commands all men without
exception ‘to do good’ [Hebrews 13:16]. Yet the great part of them are most
unworthy if they be judged by their own merit. But here Scripture helps when it
teaches that we are not to consider mens’ merit by themselves but to look upon
the image of God in all men, to which we owe all honor and love. Therefore,
whatever man you meet who needs your aid, you have no reason to refuse to help
him.”
A secondary resource
is the Constitution of the PC(USA) as
it informs our faith. The Book of
Order (G-1.0304: The Ministry of Members) reads:
“Membership
in the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment
to participate in Christ’s mission (through): proclaiming the good news in word
and deed; supporting
the ministry of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents; responding
to God’s activity in the world through service to others; living responsibly in the
personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of
life; and working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human
fulfillment,…”
Historically the Book of Order has
stated that
“The
Church is challenged to be Christ’s faithful evangelist... participating in
God’s activity in the world through its life for others by: healing and reconciling
and binding up wounds ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the
lonely, and the powerless, engaging in the struggle to free people from sin,
fear, oppression, hunger, and injustice, giving itself and its substance to the
service of those who suffer, sharing with Christ in the establishing of his
just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world. (G-3.0300)
This is our calling, to work, serve
and minister with and unto others. The Office of Public Witness invites you to
renew and expand the work of your social witness ministry by building a
Grassroots Advocacy Team. More information on the teams and the trainings can
be found at our website:
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/compassion-peace-justice/washington/advocacy-teams/
We look forward to working more closely with you as we lift
our voices to advocate for education, investment in peace and not war, economic
and racial justice, and the whole inhabited earth.
In Faith We Share,
Rev. Jimmie Hawkins
