Justice and Worship

Nehemiah could not ignore the dangerous state of the city he loved. The gates had been burned and it all needed rebuilding. Nehemiah knew that a city in such a broken state, facing constant threat, would never be able to thrive. He knew the people would struggle and it broke his heart.

So, Nehemiah spoke to his king and asked for permission to go and rebuild the city.

We had a hard week, justice seekers. John Boehner announced that immigration reform isn't going to happen this year.

I’m driving down a dirt road somewhere in Western Kenya. It has been raining heavily in recent days, so the consistency of the surface of the road is something like semi-melted butter. I’m with my friend and colleague, a pastor at a local church. His church has recently facilitated a business training program designed not only to improve the economic bottom line of the businesses within his congregation, but also the social, spiritual, and environmental impacts of the business.  

Did your congregation miss Refugee Sunday this April? World Refugee Day is coming up on June 20. Why not focus on refugees then? 

Reconciliation requires lamentation. An expression of sorrow at the ways we allow oppression to persist is an important step before true reconciliation can take place. Accordingly, this is my reconciliation lamentation…

Instead of giving something up for Lent this year, try walking a new step on the justice road every day. We've put together some suggestions for you, one for each day of Lent.

Let’s reflect together on the God David describes so beautifully in Psalm 103, and how our fear, respect, and love of the faithful God of covenant relates to the call to reconciliation in Canada.

Lord, we lament for a world that does not recognize the value of every life, whether born or preborn. We cry out to you on behalf of the lives lost each day through abortion. We grieve with those who grieve the loss of children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Many people today, not just Christians, have a growing sense of God’s participation in their life. What is interesting is that for many, perhaps even most of the people who can do that, at the same time that our sense of God’s personal  activity in our lives has grown, our sense of God’s activity in the world around us has diminished.

"They said to me, 'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: