The Sanctuary CDC

So What?

thesanctuarycdc — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:09:12 +0000

Faith. Justice. Place. Race. So what? The class last night is typically a pivotal time for City Matters participants. Up to this point we have been venturing inward (probing our own experiences and thoughts, and backward (looking into the past to better understand the present). The next few classes will have some of these same components, however they will also begin to take us down the path of “where we are” and “what we can do”. BUT – the goal of the class is “no three point plan to bliss” – but to get us closer to the issues, asking the right questions, and BEING who we are called to BE. We believe when you begin to “BE” in this way, God will show you WHAT to do.

One of the comments I have heard several times in the last few weeks is, “why have we never learned this before?”, and this is not just a questions white students make.

So, what do you think?

What are some reasons this kind of information has been suppressed? What are results of this information void?

Also – a current event that fits with our discussions

(Attorney General Eric Holder, encouraging Americans to use Black HIstory Month as a way to enter into conversations on race)

Here is a link for you to you to react to and consider -

http://blog.sojo.net/2009/02/19/eric-holder-on-america-and-race-a-nation-of-cowards/

at the above link you can read Pastor Eugene Cho thoughts, as well as more of Holder’s speech and other related article.

What do you think?

Are we cowards, when it comes to talking about race?

Why? what feeds our cowardice?

Does this fear have anything to do with the exercise Seth did with us, (on what we see and observe)?

How can we move from fear into dialogue and community?

Race Matters

thesanctuarycdc — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:19:54 +0000

Reading for Next Week…

week-5_hiphopgeneration

week-5_thehiphopchurch

I recently read this on the Sojourners Blog talking about why race is such a difficult topic and issues for us to discuss…
Anything you’d add to the list? What else are you thinking/feeling/wondering about from last night?

It’s hard work. And people can be lazy. And talking about racism is an exhausting conversation because it brings up some deep questions. Reconciliation is hard work.
Something called ‘Life.’ There’s lots of other things going on — umm, like the financial recession.
Confusion. People don’t like confusion. Folks like clarity and certainty. We like answers.
Conflict. People don’t like conflict and, well, the conversation of racism provokes conflict and strong opinions.
Fear. People are afraid. Afraid to consider the possibilities that we’re racist, prejudiced, or implicated by our silence. Afraid to consider that we live as victims in a “victimized” mentality. Afraid to consider that we need to “give up” something. Afraid to “count the costs.”
Apathy. People don’t care. We’re apathetic. And this is probably the scariest reason.
What? We don’t think it exists. What racism? What prejudice? And this is probably as scary as #6.
How? People don’t know how to talk about racism. We don’t have an agreed upon framework to engage the conversation and move toward peace and reconciliation.
We want to forget the past and just “move forward.” It’s over. Heck, Obama is president. It’s a new day.
[Insert additional reasons].

National Fair Housing Alliance

neeraj mehta — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:47:13 +0000

This is a great website documenting various issues related to fair housing..

http://www.nationalfairhousing.org/

Check it out!

Place Matters

thesanctuarycdc — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:18:44 +0000

Next Week’s Reading: heartofracialjusticech3-4-1

We always wish we had more time together each night! It seems like we could talk and discuss forever! I think the Place Matters class is one of the most important of City Matters. It opens up the door for lots of thinking and questions. The information provided in the video often gives us a wider perspective of ‘the city’ and teaches us about some of the injustice that has happened in our past to create some of what we experience in the present.

For Christians living in an affluent and orderly civil society, this act of remembering the injustice and abuse in the world is not an easy one. But it is not a new challenge either. In the 3rd Century St. Cyprian wrote to his friend in North Africa about the trouble he was having remembering the true nature of the world into which Christ had cast his disciples.

This seems a cheerful world when I view it from this fair garden under the shadow of these vines. But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out over the wide lands, you know very well what I would see. Brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the ampitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds, under all roofs misery and selfishness. It is really a bad world Donatus, an incredibly bad world.

Like this quote from the 3rd century, did last night’s class take you to a place that offers a different perspective then just what is in front of us? Are you asking different questions?

I’d love to know what you’re thinking….

Reading for Week 3

thesanctuarycdc — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:08:57 +0000

Urban Injustice: How Ghettos Happen

urban-injustice-ch1-21

What is Justice?

thesanctuarycdc — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:40:28 +0000

Last night we had an amazing conversation about justice, power and the role of the individual and church. It was one that touched on so many different ideas and principles. One question that I think is important to wrestle with when we think about justice is this question of what is justice in the first place? To Christ and to His followers, what is it that we are working towards?

If you had to answer the question, “What is Justice?” What would you say?

Here are some examples of how it is used in the Old Testament.

Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.

Ecc 5:8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.

Mal. 3:5 ”So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.

deprive the innocent

rights denied

defraud wages

oppress widows and orphans

What does Justice mean to you?

Integral Mission

thesanctuarycdc — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:05:54 +0000

I once read a book entitled, “Integral Mission”. It was put together as a result of a global gathering of Christians concerned about poverty and injustice throughout the world. While at this summit gathering, they came up with phrase, ‘integral mission’.

The definition they wrote about is as follows:

Integral mission or holistic transformation is the proclamation and the demonstration of the gospel. It is not simply that evangelism and social involvement are to be done alongside each other. Rather, in integral mission our proclamation has social consequences as we call people to love and repentance in all areas of life. And our social involvement has evangelistic consequences as we bear witness to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. If we ignore the world we betray the word of God which sends us out to serve the world. If we ignore the word of God we have nothing to bring to the world. Justice and justification by faith, worship and political action, the spiritual and material, personal change and structural change belong together. As in the life of Jesus, being, doing and saying are at the heart of our integral task.

What do you think about this idea of ‘integral mission’ as it relates to our conversation about how and why FAITH MATTERS?