In a worship service opening the “Churches against Racism” conference in Doorn, Netherlands, 14-17 June, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia said the Bible was the “ultimate immigration handbook”.

Kobia asked Christians to apply the parable of the “good Samaritan” to the current context in which they live.

“It speaks to us in this week after virulently anti-immigrant parties made unprecedented gains in European elections”, he said. “This parable of Jesus calls us again to consider, ‘Who is my neighbour’ and how are we to live out that relationship? Christ calls us to be neighbours of immigrants, of oppressed minorities within our own nations, of all who are in need of a neighbour.”

The service was held to give thanks for the WCC Programme to Combat Racism. Launched 40 years ago the programme assisted the victims of racial discrimination in different parts of the world, most prominently in South Africa under the apartheid regime. Some fifty church leaders, activists and theologians are attending the international conference.

Expected outcomes of the conference are theologically founded strategies and networks to advocate against racism within society and the church. A message of commitment will be read during a closing worship service 17 June in the presence of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

The conference was organized by the WCC in cooperation with the Council of Churches in the Netherlands, the association of migrant churches in the Netherlands SKIN, the missionary and diaconal agency KerkinActie, the interchurch organization for development cooperation ICCO and the ecumenical advocacy group Oikos.

Get the full text of Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia’s sermon here.

Peace!

This video depicting the brutal killing of Jesus draws heavily on the movie the Passion of Christ – so be careful if you are watching with children.

Blessed Easter,
Marvia

The Water That Gives Life
[Extract of World Water Day Sermon]
By Dr. Anthony G Reddie

Mark 1: vv 10: Jesus’ Baptism
Water is perhaps with air, the most elemental of entities in the world. Put simply, we cannot live without water. Water is essential to life. It is perhaps because of the basic elemental quality of water that many cultures and religions have placed particular importance on it as a way of representing the divine.

The importance of water as a metaphor or analogy for talking about the essential qualities of God become all the more pronounced when the context in which such conversations are located are those that are particularly arid or desert like in their appearance. So it was with the ancient land of Israel and Judea. The so-called Middle East as we have been taught to call it, is an area that is particularly arid, where rain fall is sporadic; making water a very precious commodity indeed.

Especially in this context, perhaps, it is no wonder that water took on a special importance as a way of highlighting the central importance of God as the provider of the very means of life and the continuing sustenance of that life.

In the early Church, when converts were being put through their paces, being trained to understand the Christian life (often called the Catechumen); the culmination of this process was Easter Sunday, the traditional end of Lent. In the service on Easter Sunday, converts would be baptized into the family of God, in the name Christ, echoing Jesus’ own baptism as recorded in Mark 1: 9-11.

Baptism involves water, which symbolizes the new life in Christ for the Christian believer.  The church does not believe that the water is to be literally understood as God nor is there any magic qualities in the water per se, but it does symbolizes an essential quality of God as both the giver life and the new resurrected life of hope in Jesus the Christ.

And yet for all its importance both as a natural, real resource for life or as symbol for God’s life-giving presence within creation, there is always a tendency to take water for granted; so much so, that it is only in its absence that we see the true potency of significance of it our lives – both individual and collective.

Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus challenging those who would, through their enforcement of unjust rules and structures, deny the free access to God that is the right of every human being, especially those who are poor and on the margins of society. Just as access to water must be given to all,  so too does God seek to restore all those who are denied access to God’s own self through the life changing presence of Jesus.

On this World Water Day when we remember the central importance of water as an elemental force in the world that is essential for life and well being, let us consider all those people who are denied access to safe, clean water. All those who cannot afford to buy water. All those who find their access to water rationed and controlled by those with the power to do so. Jesus’ baptism at the start of his ministry, with water, in the river Jordan, marked his commitment to an ongoing ministry, both within his initial life and in his continuing life that seeks to offer all people the full and abundant life (John 10:10) that is symbolized by water (baptism) – the new life in Christ, which is available to and for all people – free of charge and without restriction.

May all those who are denied access to water – an essential element for life, find not only the water they need, but God’s very self, who is often symbolized by water and is the creator of all things, including water.
Amen

Women and men united to end violence against women and girls is the International Women’s Day March 08, 2009 theme of the United Nations. It is an ambitious and hopeful theme. However, ff seriously put into action, it has the power to disrupt the present violently oppressive status quo in many societies across the world.  I welcome the disruption.

Yesterday, I attended a worship service put on by a church related women’s organization. Their theme for IWD was Women Of Courage. Given the increasing incidences of violence against women and girls in this country, women of the church (who are not exempt from being viciously beaten) do need a lot of courage.

The woman who preached the day’s message encouraged women to regain their courage. Women should know their value, strengthen their faith, and recover their determination. She used as her focus Hebrews 10:38-39 & Genesis 3:15.

When she started with the Genesis passage, I grew very tense. That’s my usual mode when I hear preachers from a conservative background tackle the story of Eve and Adam in the mythical Garden of Eden. I am yet to hear any woman from her conservative church background preach anything liberating for women from Genesis 1-3.

Therefore, I schooled my features as I know my members are very keen on watching my reaction to any teaching/preaching that suggest that women be passive under oppression. I was pleasantly surprised. Not blown away now mind you. But pleased she did not forever damn Eve and all her daughters. Of course she ignored the inherent difficulties in the text but that aside she did a great job at encouraging women to action.

It was to call women to regain their courage to choose and to make the best decisions they can. Sometimes those decisions are disobedient ones, made with the best intentions such as to provide for your family. When such moments occur, women should never begin to devalue themselves because God has not devalued us. Her encouragement was not suggesting that God condones wrong. Her point was that where society so easily write people off for making mistakes – God never gives up on us.

She went on about how the offspring of Eve will bash the enemy’s head. I confess it does sound like fighting violence with violence. We hardly need more of that in an already violent world. Especially, when most of that violence is directed against the weak and powerless like women and girls (children on a whole). Once again, though she was encouraging women to affirm their victory over their enemies and challenges in their lives even when it looks like you are losing the battle. So she was not advocating literal violence.

But one woman commented afterward, that she used to take a battering from her husband. One day she got fed up of the beatings, and fed up with herself for taking it. She got the courage and hit him right back. When she saw his surprise, she got closer to him and said, and if you hit me again I’m going to break your hands. He never hit her again. She divorced him shortly after that incident she said. Now I wonder how many women really feel like that – tired of being told not to go the route of violence.

Every woman knows her circumstances and what she can put up with. Some never live to respond like Jennifer Lopez  in the movie Enough. They were killed or murdered in a violent relationship. And some women who suffer are too afraid to do anything about their situation. It is for ALL women that the call comes today – get the courage to make a change. Regain or develop the courage to do something about ending the violence not only for yourself but for other women and girls as well.

For the preacher, Eve’s offsprings were both daughters and sons and the promise for the son is the promise for the daughter. I’ll suspend my ‘trained’ Biblical exegesis for a while and go ‘Hooray’!! Yes. Women its about time we exhibit the courage that this promise gives us. We have the strength to crush the head of the adversary who continue to deceive men (and even other women) to perpetuate violence against women and girls.

Historically, and still in too many places today the daughters of Eve are treated like the enemy. It is our heads that continue to be bashed in, battered, and traumatized by Eve’s male offsprings. So when will men – who stand to benefit from the institution and practice of violence join with women to to bring about its end?

Like the sister said – We are not of those who shrink back (Heb 10:39a ) So let’s have the courage to keep the faith. Stand on the promise that the faithful will be rewarded and even though some perish along the way, there are signs that the present order of things is changing.

Blessings of Grace and Peace to all my sisters across the world – Take heart and be courageous the Divine is on your side.

Marvia

Preaching at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on 21 January, Watkins, a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee, said: “Even in these hard times, rich or poor, we can reach out to our neighbour, including our global neighbour, in generous hospitality, building together communities of possibility and of hope.”

In a 20 January letter to President Obama, representatives of WCC member churches in the United States, declared that they wanted to “roll up [their] sleeves and partner with [Obama] to help bring about the changes that are so desperately needed for the United States and the world to more closely reflect God’s vision for humankind and all of creation.”

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia assured Watkins of the Council’s joy and pride over her role as preacher in the inaugural service. Watkins is the first woman to fulfill this responsibility in US history. With regard to domestic and international challenges that will have to be addressed by the new administration, he wrote in a 19 January letter: “Your prayers will be much needed.”

Watkins’ sermon took on a recent suggestion by Muslim scholars worldwide for love of God and love of neighbour as “common basis for building a world at peace”, explaining that the best way to express love of God “is by facing hard times with a generous spirit: by reaching out toward each other rather than turning our backs on each other.”

Download the full text of Rev. Dr Sharon Watkins’ sermon Harmonies Of Liberty here.

The above is a World Council of Churches – News Release.

And so say all of us…
Marvia

So Epiphany fully establishes the start of the New Year, and announces a sense of renewal. In Christ, the new has come! In that Spirit, I wish you a Happy New Year! I also encourage you to join me in this Epiphany prayer. Make these words your prayerful offering to God this year not just in saying them, but in how you will live in order to make God known to the world.

King Jesus,
We bring you our gold:
talents God gave us,
skills we acquired,
a little money, a little power,
a little success perhaps,
and plenty ambition.
These we offer to you,
so that you many make them really worth something
in your kingdom.

Jesus, great High Priest
we bring you our frankincense:
deep needs and longings,
which are sometimes easier to admit in church:
the need for forgiveness and peace,
the need for friendship and love
the wish to do good
and the knowledge that we must have help
if we are to do it.
Lord, help us,
pray for us.

Jesus, crucified Saviour
we bring you our myrrh:
shadows on our path,
weakness, illness, limitations,
grief for ourselves and others,
our knowledge of parting and pain.
These we offer to you
so that what we bear
may be touched with the holiness
of what you bore for us;
and so that, by your grace,
we may have part
in the world’s redemption

Amen.
[Taken from Baptist Praise and Worship]

I pray that 2009 will be a fulfilling year for you and your loved ones. Serve God with even more joy as you serve your sisters and brothers and make known the Glory of God in your life, workplace, home, community and church so that the kingdom of God may grow through your blessed efforts. Therefore, live a life that announces the Kingdom of God is here.

Shalom!
Marvia

The Decade to Overcome Violence:Churches Seeking Reconciliation And Peace simply called DOV is an initiative of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The decade long observance began in 2001 and will culminate in 2010. Each year the DOV focuses on a particular region. In 2009 global ecumenical eyes will turn on the Caribbean.

The Caribbean theme for 2009 is One Love: Building A Peaceful Caribbean. I recently attended a gathering of religious leaders in Panama City, Panama from various Christian Councils across the Caribbean region and Europe where I witnessed the launch of the 2009 campaign. I continue to pray that the exciting plans shared might be successfully implemented.

The Caribbean religious leaders at the launch made it clear that they wanted the world to know that the Caribbean is more than ’sun, sea and sand’. I’ll add to that, the region is more than a string of all-inclusive resorts. There are real people with real issues and a history of violence that has for too long been suppressed for the sake of tourism and investment.

The DOV’s Caribbean focus aims to strengthen and resource churches and movements working for peace in the region, and deepen the churches’ understanding of the violence involved in issues such as migration, human trafficking, food security, HIV and AIDS, drugs abuse and trafficking, amongst others.

DOV’s Annual Focus Schedule
2001:Launch of the Decade to Overcome Violence
2002: Palestine / Israel
2003: Sudan
2004: USA
2005: Asia
2006: Latin America
2007: Europe
2008: Pacific Islands
2009: The Caribbean
2010: Africa- Closing of the Decade to Overcome Violence

After the DOV ends in 2010, a special convocation, the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) will take place May 2011 in Kingston, Jamaica. I am as pleased as punch that Jamaica is the chosen location for this event.

In the newsletter “Bits and Pieces” Nan Braunschweiger the coordinator of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) had this to say:-

I am particularly pleased that the convocation will take place in Kingston, one of the seven cities in which the Peace to the City Campaign was grounded in the late 1990s, at the time sowing the seeds of an ecumenical peace movement. Additionally, with the DOV annual focus highlighting the Caribbean in 2009, we truly hope the convocation will be a poignant, enriching and significant event for all concerned but especially for the region.

Keep abreast of what is happening with the DOV by signing up for the newsletter Bits and Pieces at the official website Overcoming Violence.

Connect with your sisters and brothers in the Caribbean at the website of the Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC).

And more than anything else keep the region in your prayers for 2009 and find ways to establish and deepen your mission partnerships in the region for 2009 and beyond.

Peace,
Marvia

Advent or Christmas
Celebrating Advent was never a big part of the calendar of many Protestant denominations. It’s been catching on in recent years. I probably became more conscious of Advent celebrations about 20 years ago. Since then, it has become my lifeline to Christmas. I’ve grown truly sick and tired of the commercialization of the season, aided of course by Christians who are just as big consumers (if not more so) as ‘the world’. Thus, Advent helped me to recapture the meaning of Christmas and to keep the celebration in proper perspective.

Advent has been largely neglected in Protestant tradition as is many of the celebrations during the Christian calendar year. It is still quite common to see the surprised reaction of members of some Baptist congregations I’ve served when I use words like ‘Liturgical Calendar’ or invite them to focus on Advent and not just Christmas. I see the restless shifting until one brave soul asks the question I knew they were dying to ask, ’so are we turning into Catholics ?’

Thankfully its not like that everywhere. With the hardworking efforts of some pastors at educating their membership that attitude is changing. Moreover, through the Ecumenical movement and the exposure gained from sharing fellowship with others, we sometimes see the rich traditions of the Church that are being neglected by some sections of the Church. Advent is like that.

Nonetheless for those of you who observe this season in your congregations, or wish to introduce it to bring greater focus to what Christmas is all about then I suggest that you use some Advent resources over the course of 4 weeks of the Advent calendar leading up to Christmas.

The dates of the Advent Calendar 2008 are listed below:

• November 30 – First Sunday of Advent
• December 7   – Second Sunday of Advent
• December 14 – Third Sunday of Advent
• December 21 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

WCC Advent Liturgical Resource 2008
For those of you who use Liturgical resources and have not yet decided on what to do for Advent here is a great resource from the World Council of Churches (WCC). The theme for the Advent resources they are sharing with Christians worldwide is Imagine: Peace.

My worship leaders fell in love with it (as I thought they would). Packed with complete liturgies (patterns and actual content for a complete service), this is a refreshing change for Advent. It brings a Latin American flavour including songs in Spanish. The worship was prepared in Matanzas, Cuba and if you don’t have any hang-ups about Cuba then you should be able to enter into the worship experience with joy. The focus on peace is definitely timely, given how hostile and unfriendly the world has become.

There is still time to change what you were planning to use. Go ahead and download a copy from the WCC website here.

Peace!
Marvia

It’s nothing new. People are still trying to figure out who exactly Jesus is. Recently, Discovery Channel shared the story of a bowl discovered by a diver off the coast of Alexandria bears the title Christ the Magician. The discovery is being touted as the earliest known reference to be discovered that makes reference to Christ as a magician. Theories posited exposes the close interrelation between early Christianity and paganism.

No doubt that story might have offended the sensibilities of some very good Christians. It got me thinking about who and what Jesus means to us today.

Imagine what some of you think of Jesus depicted as a Rastafarian as in the image below. The image is a reproduction of the famous, Black Jesus Montage by Brazilian artist Vincent Barzoni. Jesus as Rastafarian prophet and messiah is one way that some persons experience him. Others reject the very thought of such a thing.

Jesus as a Christic figure was always surrounded by a lot of bad perceptions, wrong assumptions, misconceptions about his nature, life and ministry. It was all a part of his mystery. He meant many different things to different people. Furthermore, there were those who weren’t quite sure his powers were genuinely miraculous works of God or if he was tapping into demonic “powers” like that of Beelzebul (or Beelzebub). See the accusation in Luke 11:15, “He casts our demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.”

But you know something; there is a thin line between one person’s magic and another’s miraculous and mighty works of God. I don’t know about you but it is getting more and more difficult in this hype-hungry age to differentiate between the two. Moreover, It is difficult not to make a judgment call on some of the things I’m seeing these days in some church settings. Is it Magic or power of God?

Look at Christianity today. Some Christians depict a Jesus who looks like suspiciously like a cross between Santa Claus and a skilled conjurer. He has a big bag of material blessings just waiting to dish out on individuals – if they only believe. Poof! God just hands out wealth, wonderful health and peace. Heaven right here on earth!

But this Jesus is very selective. He only blesses the few not the many. Why? Because the many have no faith or they have some sins in their lives blocking the blessings. Somehow whole communities in Africa, and Asia for example never gets community wide blessings. Yet there are the few examples of ‘abundance’ that keeps the dream alive.

And this Jesus seems to be blind to the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, or even the new emerging deadly strains of cancer that seem to target certain groups of people. The lives of bright promising children and youth without a parent named Jairus are being cut off daily. And they are staying dead.

While some make Jesus out to be a selective magician, others prefer the Messiah who is present amidst the suffering, walking with the hungry, the poor, the marginalized, and the powerless. I’m not sure that we his followers, especially those of us who follow in his footsteps in a prophetic ministry, are representing him very well at all. And who we say we are, and how we treat others tell people something about the Jesus we proclaim.

So Peter declared, “You are the Messiah”. I agree.

And you, Who is Jesus to you?

Marvia

Photo Credits: FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Hunger and Food Crisis In Whose World?

So Jesus said, I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink ..(Matthew 25:42)

And they objected, answering, Lord when was it we saw you hungry or thirsty?

I mean come on. How could we forget if we encountered the Lord? Surely, we’d remember that. And if the Lord would ever return now and invited himself to our house for a meal we’d never turn down such a request. In fact, no matter how busy we are we’d seek him out and badger him until he grew weary and agree to come sup with us.

We’d break out all the china we have been saving for just this occasion. We’d serve the finest most scrumptuous meal ever and we’d start preparing early so that we don’t keep Jesus waiting. After all, this is royalty coming!

Oh yes, back to the question. Lord how could I have missed you. Hungry? Thirsty? Never! I would never do such a thing. Without any anger, only sadness on his face Jesus replied, You did. You overlooked me completely. Many times. For I am ever before you in the hungry around the world, especially in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa

According to Feeding Minds,Fighting Hunger

The overwhelming majority of the undernourished are in developing countries, which account for 95% (798 million) of the undernourished; 34 million people in countries in transition and 10 million in industrialized countries are estimated to be undernourished. At the regional level, Asia and the Pacific account for three-fifths (505 million) of the world’s undernourished; India alone has 214 million undernourished people. Almost one-quarter (198 million) of the undernourished are in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is also the region with the highest proportion of its population undernourished.

Jesus’ answer is a reminder of the Mission to which we have been called. But, but, but Lord they argued, surely you aren’t blaming me for ALL the millions of hungry people in the world? And what can I do anyway? I’m only one person! We are just one church!

Many of us are so comfortable with the kind of theologizing that teaches us that Jesus is dead, resurrected and is coming again and that’s it. We get ’saved’ and we go to church. We worship and we wait for his coming again. We are ok. So there is no need to be concerned about the needy in the world.

On the other hand, some are seized with ‘evangelistic fervor’ and a passion to ’save souls’. It is all about preaching repentance to the lost  “Third World natives”. [You know, it never fails to irritate me to hear 'missionaries' in this day an age calling people 'Third World natives'. For those who do not know, it is demeaning!!]. There is concern about ’souls’ not a whole human being.

Photo Credits: FAO/Giulio Napolitano

So issues of global poverty, hunger, diseases and inequities in the spread and use of the world’s resources and wealth do not register on their evangelistic radar. Social justice as an essential part of the church’s mission mandate, is still taking sometime to catch on especially among very conservative Christians.

To that I’d say, start by becoming ‘conscientized’. Allow your social consciousness to be opened to the harsh realities of people outside of your neighborhood and your country. Even better, start paying attention to the hungry and homeless in your neighborhood and then you’d be better able to consider what is happening in the rest of the world.

If you haven’t been doing so, now is the time to develop a keener social consciousness of the conditions of your sisters and brothers across the world. They are not just ‘them’ out there. They are the ones in whom Christ dwells – as the hungry, the destitute, the oppressed and powerless. They are the ones to whom we have been sent to announce the Kingdom of God as breaking into their real, lived, depressing conditions.

So World Food Day ends, but our mission to the needy continues. An organization called World Hunger suggests the following ways to take action:

* Influence public policy to support poor people – For me it is not enough to send off tons of Food Aid to starving people, when chances are your country is engaging in unfair economic and trade policies that guarantee that the hungry will stay hungry and become more and more dependent on hand outs!

* Contribute financially to reducing hunger and poverty -  While it is, in general, not possible to support individual poor families, it is possible to contribute to organizations that do support poor people.

* Work directly with poor people - ‘Adopt’ as in provide assistance to a poor family, or their family members such as children in need of food, health care and better educational opportunities; look out for needy persons in your neighborhood and stop thinking that poor people are all lazy people who do not want to work!

So What are you doing now, and what more can you do from your little corner of the world?

Do share your thoughts with us.

Peace,
Marvia