Creating COMMON GOOD FEBRUARY 19-22, 2015 | FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH - LAS CRUCES,NM
Purposes and Goals The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18–19 For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals – they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way… Amos 2:6–7 America has an enormous reservoir of resilience and common sense… Whenever we have faced the moral urgency of living up to our ideals– to recognize the rights of blacks, women, and the disabled, for example – we have risen to the occasion. Robert B. Reich, Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future Purpose To raise awareness and offer practical advice to help churches address the fact that our society is increasingly made up of have and have nots. This consistently widening gap represents a condition decried by the prophets, forcefully addressed by Jesus, and singled out by a number of contemporary voices in economics and public policy as a serious but correctable obstacle to human thriving. The perspective of this conference is that, far from being too big to tackle (or, as some will argue, nothing to worry about) income inequality represents a core justice issue that can be a vital focus for preaching, teaching, and social action. Goals By the end of this conference, participants will: • Gain a deeper understanding of the mandate in scripture and tradition to make this issue a focus of mission and ministry • See more clearly how our society got to this point • Understand and be able to articulate alternatives to the status quo that are consistent with biblical values and contemporary understandings of human flourishing • Learn about ways communities of faith are successfully addressing this mission focus • Identify ways in which the above can be used to engage in public theology through preaching, teaching, witness, and community leadership • Emerge with knowledge and networks for continued action and mutual support Approach • Humanize a subject that can get lost in statistics and politics • Theologize by offering perspectives from scripture and tradition to support preaching, teaching, and social action • Strategize so people in churches will know how to make this a focus of ministry in practical ways