Justice Devotional - God's Love Song

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

God’s Love Song
Luke 5:16

Jesus’ prayer life was honed in the wilderness among the wild beasts during the temptation and in the wilderness he was most at home. As the Incarnate Word through which all Creation was called, Jesus had an affinity for the wild like a Seagull has for the ocean breeze or a dolphin for the waves. There he drew close to God and in God he discovered himself.
To draw close to Jesus is to be drawn close to the Creation he loved. There we come into contact with the Word in ways nowhere else available and learn lessons nowhere else taught.

The Psalmist sings, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge (19:1-2). Creation is a love song between the Creator and the Word. Are you listening? Creation is a window into the wonder of God’s Love. Are you looking?
The birds, animals, plants, and even the earth itself, are sacred words speaking the wonder of God; if we but pay attention and listen. Clearly, the author of Job listened to Creation speak as he concluded Job’s demand for a reckoning with the Lord of Life.


Chapter after chapter of the best of human argument failed to convince Job of the mystery of life before God. He is finally silenced in the ashes and dust of repentance by the immensity of the Master’s wisdom inescapably displayed by one wonder of Creation after another. Where human argument and reason fail; Creation succeeds. Perhaps the humbleness before the Master of Creation this sacred text teaches is something we can learn more easily than Job. We will if we enter into the wild places and there listen to the Word of Life speaking.

Rev. Frits Haverkamp: Northside Christian Church, Knoxville, TN
Green Chalice Congregation Read more!

Justice Devotional - Church and Children

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Church and Children
Matthew 12:18


In 2004, the National Council of Churches put out a Comprehensive Policy Statement, “The Church and Children: Vision and Goals for the 21st Century”.

The statement focuses on and encourages churches to
• include children in their full worship life;
• support loving and safe families;
• advocate for access to excellent public education, health care, economic security;
• work for a violence-free society that is emotionally and physically safe; and
• nurture healthy child development by ensuring that all children have access to the arts, culture, and recreation.

So often when churches think of pursuing justice, we think of liberating those in prison, feeding the poor, pursuing peace...all very good things. But are churches thinking of how they can find justice for children? Are they taking the steps to ensure the goals stated above? If so, how? If not, why?

The study guide offered here: http://www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/churchandchildrenbrochure.pdf is a resource for congregations to start looking at the question of justice for children and what amazing implications might follow if the church embraced these goals. It is my prayer that all churches will look at children as full members of the body of Christ, that they might take seriously what children have to teach us about the Kingdom of God, and that they might strive to bring justice to children in situations where it is so desperately needed.

Rev. Olivia Stewart Robertson: Minister of Family and Children’s Ministries
Disciples Home Missions Women and Children Read more!