“What does it mean to follow God in working to end structures that curtail and limit material, social, and spiritual freedom? What does it mean transform social norms, cultural values, and institutional arrangements that unjustly incarcerate people? How can we reimagine our use and consumption of resources so that every person can have what they need to thrive? How can we become co-conspirators and collaborators with others in following God in ushering in the ‘kin-dom’? How can we be open to new ways of worshiping, preaching, and teaching to proclaim with integrity the year of the Lord’s favor?”
Jessica Vazquez Torres
Lenten Reflections on the Confession of Belhar
This Lenten season I am using a new resource to explore the Belhar Confession: Lenten Reflections on the Confession of Belhar, edited by Kerri N. Allen and Donald K. McKim. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in which I serve as a teaching elder (pastor), added the Confession of Belhar to our Book of Confessions in 2016. This confession came from the Dutch Reformed Mission Church during its historic struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
See you along the Trail.
“We deliberately and intentionally practice giving ourselves to one another because we realize we belong to each other. We need each other. We are inextricably tied together. We pursue this unity like a brutal physical regimen. It is not something we come by perfectly, all at once. It is terribly messy, awkward, and fully human. In many ways, it brings out our deepest insecurities and vulnerabilities if we are doing it faithfully and hopefully.”
“We are blessed saints by God. Bound in God’s grace, we live within God’s mercy. In God’s mercy, we need to build up instead of tear down. We show God’s mercy to each other through forgiveness. Lent reminds us of the important role forgiveness plays in unity. To forgive others is crucial in situations of conflict, as is accepting forgiveness offered to us. Mercy and forgiveness are essential.”
“I love that we Presbyterians have embraced the Belhar Confession. With it we confess the global evil which is also our particularly American evil. We claim our hope that in the church, Jesus Christ’s reconciling work has reconciled us with God and and with one another.”
dia Peak.
Along the Graybeard Trail 