Listen to Your Mother

Growing up I would hear these words: “listen to your mother.” Listen usually meant “obey,” and if things were going to go well for me that was usually the best plan of action.  For this Mother’s Day I would say that the “Mother of Methodism,” Susanna Wesley has a few words to say to us during our journey right now. May we listen to that mother as well and follow her good example.

Born in 1669 in London, England, Susanna was the youngest child of Rev. and Ms. Samuel Annesley, a devout Puritan couple who had no less than 25 children.  She grew up in a very religious family, but they also had the kind of religion that was open-minded.  They taught their girls how to read Greek, Latin and French and allowed them to decide what to believe about things.

Susanna compared the Puritan religion to the Church of England and decided to convert to the Church of England.  Religious freedom and equality for women!  Listen to your mother!  How we could benefit from a plurality of thought that allows people to follow their heart around matters of faith.

Susanna married a priest in the Church of England, Samuel Wesley, and they had a tumultuous life, to say the least.  They had 19 children in 20 years of marriage, but only 10 survived to adulthood.  At one point all of them had smallpox. Their parsonage home at Epworth was destroyed in a fire that some believe was intentionally set by a disgruntled church member. 

From left: John and Charles Wesley, Samuel and Susanna Wesley

Our founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was almost killed in that blaze but was miraculously delivered by a group of brave men who created a human ladder.  Samuel Wesley spent a good bit of time in debtors’ prison because he was a poor financial manager.  The family also claimed to have had a ghost in the house that was constantly banging things around.  The Wesleys lived through unimaginable hardship and trials.

Through it all Susanna had a strong faith in God that sustained her.  She wrote in her journal “Help me, Lord, to make a true use of all disappointments and calamities in this life, in such wise that they may unite my heart more closely with Thee.” 

Listen to your mother! The times we are living through now can use a bit of her advice. Offer our trials to God to be used of God and to strengthen our faith.

Susanna was a diligent teacher of her children.  She invented “home schooling,” and like her parents before her, she educated all of her children, both girls and boys.  She taught them reading, writing, history, and various languages but her greatest passion was teaching them about faith in God.

Susanna had a private “spiritual direction” meeting with each child every week.  They strictly read scripture, prayed, observed the Sabbath, fasted and took communion every day.  She taught her children the practice of tithing and helping the poor.  She even led worship in her kitchen when her husband was away to continue her Christian witness to family and congregants.

Susanna followed well the scripture in Deuteronomy 6:7, which says, “You shall teach them (the laws of the Lord) diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  

Would that we would be more intentional about Christian instruction of our children in our homes, our neighborhoods and our churches.  Listen to your mother! Our future church depends on the work we do today.  How I appreciate the churches that are providing Sunday school on line right now. Everyone can be ministering to young people in some way.

Susanna aged graciously. After Samuel died she would visit with her children, but not staying too long in any one place. She helped John and Charles Wesley in the Methodist revival that was springing up in London.  Often John would come to her for advice and even words of challenge. 

She died at age 73 and requested that at the moment of her death, a psalm would be sung.  She died as she lived, in service and praise to God in all the seasons of her life.  May we who are seasoned follow her example of encouragement for our younger leaders in the church.  Listen to your mother!  Experienced voices can assist greatly in the work.

Happy Mother’s Day!  I celebrate this “mother of our faith” but also the many mothers of my faith who led me to the Lord, taught me the Words of Life, and journeyed with me on the way.  The best gift we can give them is to “pay it forward” in our witness and support.

Resources:

For more quotes by Susanna Wesley, visit her page on our UMC General Commission on Archives & History’s website:  Susanna Wesley.

Also:

The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional by Randy Petersen and Robin Shreeves

Susanna Wesley by Eliza Clarke (1886)

Wikipedia: “Susanna Wesley”

Open My Eyes: Reflections on Immigration

One of my favorite Sunday School songs when I was growing up was “Open My Eyes.”  That was partly because it was easy to play. At age 9 I was the piano player for my church’s Sunday School junior department.

Its lilting melody and the allusion to the eyes, ears and voice also made this hymn ideal. Having sight in just one eye since birth made eyes very important to me. Hearing music and singing were also high on my list of favorite things. I was singing solos in church as soon as they could get a robe on me in the Cherub Choir.

The words and tune to this hymn were written by Clara Scott (1841-1897) She was a 19^th century Midwesterner who taught music at a Ladies’ Seminary in Lyons, Iowa. Ms. Scott wrote and published many such hymns before her untimely death in a buggy accident.

According to Dr. C. Michael Hahn, “Scott has not only given us a list of organs (of the body) through which we may receive and project truth and love, but she also provides the method in her refrain: ‘Silently now I wait for thee; ready my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, (ears and hearts), illumine me, Spirit divine.’”

When I began serving an all-Deaf congregation in Baltimore years ago, I quickly learned that talking about the use of ears, voices and mouths in hymnology did not translate so well for people who did not physically hear or speak verbally.  We substituted words like “understand and proclaim” in order to be conceptually accurate.  However, it is a fact that for all of us, no matter our physical abilities, the eyes, ears and mouth offer little more than mere senses without the discernment of the heart and mind. These allusions in poetry and hymnody actually speak of the deeper sense of spirituality and response.

Plight of immigrants in this country

Recently, I have been “seeing” with my eye’s heart the plight of immigrants in this country. This week our administration halted all immigration to the United States.  Our country is also excluding all DACA recipients from COVID-19 relief packages.  (DACA recipients are those young people with only temporary legal status in the United States, who were brought here as children by their undocumented parents.) 

I am seeing that a large number of people on immigration journeys in this country are doing menial jobs and providing “essential services” in this country now during the “stay at home orders.” Many are doing the difficult and dangerous labor of cleaning, preparing and serving for long hours and getting sick themselves.  I see the injustice here.  The hymn is calling for us to see “glimpses of truth.”

Then there is the concept of “hearing voices of truth.” Recently I saw a documentary film titled “The Unafraid” which traces the lives and struggles here in the U.S. of three young adult DACA “Dreamers.” I heard their voices of pain from not knowing what their future will be.

Our federal government proclaimed an end to the DACA program; and the U.S. Supreme Court will announce any time now (by June at the latest) whether it was legal to end this program. Or the court could also say that they have no standing to rule on this case. 

If the program ends this group of about 800,000 young people, who have grown up in our country with no prior knowledge of their birth country, may face the unthinkable specter of deportation or endless years of being processed in our immigration system at best.

In this documentary I heard the voices of undocumented parents who came to this country illegally because of impossible oppression in their countries of origin. I heard their fear of immigration authorities, their dire poverty, their inability to get lifesaving health care, their sadness for their children who face extreme difficulties getting into institutions of higher education, their difficult and low-wage employment options.

Voices of truth, compassion, justice

The “voice of truth” of their situation called me to the “voice of Truth” in the Word of God that in numerous places calls the people of God to show compassion and justice to immigrants.

Leviticus 18:33-34 says, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.  Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.  I am the Lord your God.”

Similar wisdom is found in Exodus 23:9, Malachi 3:5 and numerous other places in Scripture. Could the Word of God be any clearer?  We often quote Leviticus with great veracity when dealing with other social justice issues. I wish this one could be seen as equally worthy of our obedience and creative response.

Then there is the mouth.  “Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.”  The warm truth of salvation through faith in Christ is our Great Commission.  I would say using your mouth to speak truth about the plight of immigrants is also a responsibility of the sons and daughters of John Wesley. His movement was based on personal and social holiness.

Social holiness calls us to work for justice. Wesley fought against child labor, prison evils, slavery and any place where money and greed trumped mercy and equality. We can open our mouths by speaking to our lawmakers and our churches about the plight of people in our country who are literally starving for food but also dignity and respect.

Finally, this hymn would be complete if it included a verse about hands.  Hands are a symbol for Christian service.  We often call ourselves “the hands and feet of Christ.”  Our hands can give from our abundance financially to those who are without the things that are needed for sustenance and good health. 

Justice for Our Neighbors

Our hands can comfort and support those whose immigration struggles have left them with emotional stress and mental health concerns.  Our hands can extend welcome into our churches’ fellowship and loving embrace neighbors in our communities who do not look like us.

We can support the UMC immigration services known as “Justice for Our Neighbors,” which is beginning a new chapter in the Delaware Valley soon.  The possibilities are endless.  Every one of us can do something.

Open my hands that I can do acts of compassion, grace and truth.

Give me the wisdom that’s from above, to give our neighbors Christian love.

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God, thy will to see.

Open my hands and I will be partners with Thee.

NOTES:

1. Bishop Peggy Johnson is a member of the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) and has participated in some of its efforts to address immigration justice and mercy. She went with GBCS members to the U.S. Southwest border two years ago and saw first-hand migrant detainees locked in cages. She has talked with DACA “dreamers” she met through the Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodriguez, a deacon in the Peninsula- Delaware Conference and GBGM Hispanic Ministries Missionary. He works with the DACA community and leads his conference’s immigration justice Rapid Response Team.

2. View an April 22 GBCS panel discussion about DACA in a webinar that included viewing of film Unafraid. Bishop Johnson viewed the film and the panel discussion.

3. Here's a few other ways you can take action:

·       Host a virtual Storysharing event in your conference! Please be in touch with us if your conference is interested in hosting a Virtual Story Sharing event with DACA students.

·       Donate your stimulus checks to support immigrants. Many immigrants--documented and undocumented--are excluded from COVID-19 funding, including college student financial aid. Consider the national undocumented worker fund or a local fund organized by your neighborhood immigrant justice network, such as this one in the D.C. area.

·       Learn about DACA and educational opportunities in your state with this College Guide for Undocumented Students.

·       Purchase the “The Unafraid” documentary to share in your congregation or community.

The U.S. Supreme Court typically announces rulings on Mondays. Here are two recent articles on the DACA case:

• DACA community braces for a Supreme Court ruling, By Regina Day Langhout, Santa Cruz Sentinel Monday, April 27, 2020
• Democrats turn to public opinion as Supreme Court decision looms over DACA, By Rafael Bernal, April 27, 2020

We will report the court's decision when it is announced.

Praying Mantis

By Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

They greet me at the back door of my house on summer days, these long, green insects that appear to be in a posture of prayer.  Commonly known as “praying mantis,” these pre-historic, dinosaur-looking bugs are known to “eat almost anything, including each other,” according to “Gardening Know How” by Bonnie L. Grant.  Their front legs, in their classic prayer position, are such that they can capture unsuspecting insects that pass by. 

At summer’s end, the female praying mantis lays a sack of eggs on a branch of a bush or a tree before the first frost.  She covers them with a frothy foam known as “ootheca.” This foam hardens into a shell that protects the eggs from predators, winter cold and parasites. Through the cold winter the young praying mantis inside the cocoon feeds on this protein substance of the ootheca. There are as many as 400 praying mantis babies in each cocoon. (“Amazing Praying Mantis Egg Case” by Debbie Hadley).

Last week while walking around the front yard of the house, I spotted a cocoon on the bare branch of a Rose of Sharon bush.  In the late summer when the mother insect laid her eggs, it was hidden by the green leaves of the bush.  When all the leaves of the bush came down in autumn, the cocoon was easy to see, but it took this sequestered time of sheltering in place for me to take notice of it. 

Lately I’ve noticed a lot of things I was too busy to see. With warmer weather on the way, a new batch of these praying insects will soon be greeting me. And on and on, the circle of life continues.

During this time when we are ordered to stay at home to prevent the spread of this COVID-19 pandemic, there are myriad emotions swirling inside my head.  These include:

·       sadness for the continual escalating number of COVID-19 cases and deaths;

·       concern about church finances and the potential remedy of bank loans;

·       adjustments to a new way of leading churches and conducting personal affairs;

·       concern for vulnerable family members and friends; and

·       wondering about the future of the church with the postponement of our 2020 General Conference. 

It feels like we are in a cocoon some days, not able to get out, except for trips to the food store and other essential places.

The God who tenderly cares for the praying mantis cocoon with nourishing proteins and a protective cover is there for you as well during this time.  I Peter 5:7 reminds us “Cast all your anxiety on God because God cares for you.”

Spend time in prayer and study of the Scriptures. Read devotional materials, and view some of the many photo and video postings on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Feed on the Word of God for nourishing insights, direction, and encouragement. 

Pray fervently for those who live or work in harm’s way, for the isolated, for the confused and depressed, and for those experiencing domestic violence behind closed doors. Practice fasting, give generously to help others, and adhere to the necessity of a healthy Sabbath rest.  This imposition of sheltering can be a workshop for spiritual growth in the protracted “cold winter” of this unprecedented, crisis.

I am aware of the many among us who are not able to stay at home, those who are employed in serving their communities in many self-sacrificing ways.  I say to you as well: Remain strong in the Lord, and draw from your practice of faith disciplines the spiritual and physical resources you need for your tasks. 

Like the praying mantis in the summer sun, be a prayerful presence wherever you go, witnessing to the love of God among people who are in pain and under stress.  Praying mantis insects “catch” their prey with their praying legs. We Christians are not predatory; but Jesus calls us to be “fishers of people.” (Matthew 4:19)  We can “catch” people for God with our loving acts of mercy, patience and gentleness out in the world. 

May God bless you all!

Doing the Next Right Thing

I watched the movie “Frozen 2” over the weekend because I ran out of things to do as everything has been closed and canceled. The advice that came up frequently in this Disney film were the words, “When you don’t know what to do, do the next right thing.” 

I like this quote because it is practical and doable. Life is full of times when we don’t know what to do as we face an overwhelming problem or fear-inducing situation. Doing the “right” thing speaks of moral integrity during hardships and suffering. The “next” thing speaks of taking it slow, one step at a time, and seeing the good in every small effort. That step often leads to the knowledge of what to do next. 

This is good advice for us, as we respond to the coronavirus pandemic. We may not know what to do to solve this challenge globally, but we can do the “next right thing” locally.

The “next right thing” in practical terms includes the following:

• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Sanitize high volume surfaces.
• Observe protocols about social distancing.
• Keep informed about state and governmental directives.
• Get tested if you are feeling sick, and observe a quarantine if you believe you have been exposed to the virus.

The “next right thing” pastorally brings a new window of opportunity like never before. I have been observing our churches responding to this pandemic in many creative and effective ways. It is an exciting time for the church! 

Some are reaching online unchurched people that have not been physically attending church services. People are seeking God at this time. Here are some things that are happening around our connection: 

• Worship services webcast using livestreaming video, or Zoom videoconferencing or recorded and posted on Facebook, church websites and YouTube.
• Print versions of sermons e-mailed or posted on church websites.
• Daily morning devotions livestreamed.
• Churches providing sign language interpreters in the screen box during live-streamed services, so that Deaf people, who use American Sign Language can see the sermon/devotions.
• Starting or continuing Bible Studies, prayer meetings and congregational care groups on conference calls and videoconference calls. I even observed one church using YouTube to offer sewing directions for making protective face masks.
• Drive-thru food pick-ups and drop offs at food banks for distribution.
• Drive-thru donations and Communion elements.
• Pastoral Care Window Visits, where a visiting team comes to the home of a person who has been sick and holds signs outside read “Praying for you.”

In these times of uncertainty many are concerned about the potential drop in funding for church support and ministry. Some churches are handling this concern through electronic giving, and some are mailing stamped envelopes to church members to encourage ongoing giving. 

We should be about the business of giving sacrificially and not hoarding. It seems counter-intuitive but giving when you feel vulnerable is the basis of Christian stewardship. 

Generosity proclaims your faith in God like nothing else. Jesus said, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

Give in faith at this time, and trust that God will supply all of your needs. One of our greatest tools for ministry is our concern for the poor during times of need.

Do “the next right thing” each day, and may God continue to direct your paths and use you to bless many people.

A rock in a weary land

Mick Dubose photo, UM News

The gospel song lyrics “Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land. Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm” is singing in my head as I ponder the life of Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, who passed away March 27 at the age of 98 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Abingdon Press photo

Like our Lord, Dr. Lowery was a rock.  He was a rock in the weary land of racism and discrimination for decades in this country.  Among his many rock-hard accomplishments was heading up the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during a time of deep financial stress. He helped birth and lead that pioneering civil rights organization with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and later led it again, back from the brink.

Moreover, when The United Methodist Church was formed from merger and racial desegregation in 1968, Dr. Lowery served as a board member of the newly created General Commission on Religion and Race (1968-1972). He played a pivotal role in working with annual conference merger committees to establish new, racially inclusive conferences. I’m told he was a relentless, effective negotiator, tough as a rock perhaps. But for him, I suspect it always amounted to a labor of love—Christ’s love—for this new church and for all its people.

Anti-racism work—the work we are all called to do in Christ’s name—is difficult and unglamorous work. But Dr. Lowery succeeded because of his conviction about the importance of the mission. 

Kathy L. Gilbert photo, UM News

He never wavered on his commitment to racial justice, be it in his church or in his country or worldwide, as he took even stands for those suffering under South Africa’s racist apartheid regime.  He put himself in the path of criticism and harm for years, speaking out against bigotry, discrimination and racism. That is how rocks are!  They are firm, and they stay the course.

As rock-solid were his convictions, Dr. Lowery had a down-to-earth humility that drew people to his message.  Back in 2009, Tindley Temple UMC in Philadelphia hosted the first “Charles Albert Tindley Awards,” and Dr. Lowery was one of the honorees. Though unable to come in person, he received the honor by live-streamed video. 

His gracious, approachable spirit was evident to all.  That is the “secret sauce” for those who are “rocks in a weary land.” As we remember this giant of the civil rights era, may we commit ourselves to that same mixture of strength, endurance, and compassion.

May we be the fulfillment of Dr. Lowery’s benediction at President Obama’s inauguration, so that, in his colorful words, “Black will not be asked to get in the back, brown can stick around, yellow will be mellow, the red man can get ahead, man, and white will embrace what is right.”

Also, be sure to read Bishops mourn Rev. Lowery, beloved pastor and Dean of Civil Rights Movement, Bishop Woodie White’s fond remembrance of his “mentor, confidant and friend.” He particularly emphasizes Rev. Lowery’s first love: being a United Methodist church pastor.

'God’s Microphone’ In Remembrance of Bishop Oscar Romero

I have always bristled when a preacher or a workshop leader, who has access to a microphone, says something like “You can hear me, can’t you?  I don’t like using microphones.” 

No one seems to object, and they proceed to put aside the sound system to the detriment of someone out there in the audience who cannot hear well.  The non-hearing folks rarely speak up, but they sit in silence, missing much of what is being said by the speaker.

Providing amplification for physical hearing is vitally important, but not as important as amplifying the voice of people suffering on the margins of life.  Often we are “deaf” to the cries of the victims of injustice, and thus, we need to hear the voice of “God’s microphone” for justice. 

The most shining example of one who spoke loudly for justice in our time was Bishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero (y Galdámez).  We remember the 40^th anniversary of his March 24, 1980, assassination this month.

He was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador, during a time of widespread violence and oppression of the poor there because of an evil dictatorship.  When he first became the fourth bishop of San Salvador he shunned the work of justice in favor of maintaining church order and sacramental ministry. 

However, in 1977 a Jesuit priest, Rutilio Grande, Romero’s personal friend, was assassinated for speaking out for the poor.  This profoundly affected him, and he prophetically wrote at the time, “If they have killed him (Grande) for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same path.”  From then on, he became a bold proponent for social justice, speaking out against poverty, injustice, disappearances and torture.

According to Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org) “Bishop Romero publically denounced violence and injustice and urged people to live out Christ’s Gospel message of love for one’s neighbor.” 

As his “microphone” continued to amplify the message, he encouraged others to join in his justice ministry, and there was a groundswell of support.  As a result, the church began to experience a swift push-back of persecution from the government that legitimized terror and murder.  This included threats, intimidation, community raids and bombings.

There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried.
Bishop Oscar Romero (1917-1980)

Romero continued his ministry despite it all. But he was assassinated by gunshot in the church while celebrating Mass on a Sunday morning. No one was ever convicted of his murder.  

Romero was canonized as a saint on October 14, 2018, by Pope Francis.  The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 24 as the “International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims,” which recognizes the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. (December 2010). 

His voice was not silenced on the day of his death. Indeed, his words are still an inspiration to many. These words, for example:

A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the people, will never perish. I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me, I will rise again in the people of El Salvador.

God’s microphone never stops proclaiming justice!  Because of his martyrdom, many have been inspired by his work, and countless Christians across the globe continue to be voices for the poor and mistreated to this day.

You too can join this vital Christian ministry of outspoken justice.  As microphones enhance physical hearing, God’s microphones speak a loud word of justice and relief for a world that is bruised and broken. Every day you have a chance to do something or say something that will make a difference.

In the good bishop’s own words:

Here there is a challenge from Christ to the goodness of humankind. It is not enough to be good. It is not enough to not do evil. My Christianity is something more positive; it is not a negative. There are many who say, “But I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t do anything bad to anyone.” That’s not enough. You are still lacking a great deal. It is not enough to be good.

Dr. Edgardo A. Colon-Emeric (Assistant Professor of Christian Theology at Duke University Divinity School and author of Oscar Romero’s Theological Vision) quoted Romero as saying, “In this hour, when one feels like trashing everything, leaving the country and abandoning everything, remember this about Christ: ‘A bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.’  Let us keep stirring.  Let us keep building.”

Look around you for the bruised and discouraged people and do what you can to call attention to the systems that create and maintain their suffering. Commit yourself to engaging in ministry to alleviate their pain. 

“They who have a voice,” said Bishop Romero, “must speak for those who are voiceless.”

‘Thursdays in Black’

March is Women’s History Month, and many women have changed the course of history by their excellence in science, social justice, religion, medicine, environmental concerns and just about every field of endeavor. I could name many stellar women, many well-known “she-roes.”

But this year I would like to lift up the countless, unnamed women who have spoken out against sexual and gender-based violence. They can inspire us to continue speaking out for justice and mercy for women around the world.

These unnamed voices of social justice inspired the “Thursdays in Black” campaign of the World Council of Churches.  According to the WCC “it grew out of the Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women (1988-1998), in which stories of rape as a weapon of war, gender injustice, abuse, violence and many tragedies that grow outward from such violence became all the more visible.  But what also became visible was women’s resilience, agency and personal efforts to resist such violations.”

Some of the women who inspired this campaign included:

“Mothers of the Disappeared” in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who on Thursdays protested at the Plaza de Mayo, against the disappearance of their children during the violent dictatorship of their government;

“Women in Black” in Israel and Palestine, who protest against war and violence in their land, women in Rwanda and Bosnia who protested against the use of rape as a weapon of war; and

Women of South Africa’s “Black Sash” movement who protested against apartheid and violence committed against black people.

These brave sisters all are calling for “resistance and resilience.”  This is a serious global issue according to the WCC.  One in three women today experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner.  Globally, more than eight out of ten girls experience street harassment before they are 17 years old. Women and girls represent 70 percent of exploited human trafficking victims.

Everyone can play a part in drawing attention to these issues and doing something about them.  The campaign calls upon us to:

• Wear black on Thursdays.
• Learn more about this movement and share what you learn.
• Order, wear and share Thursdays in Black pins and other resources to declare you are part of the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence.
• Show your respect for women who are resilient in the face of injustice and violence.
• Protest against systems and societies that encourage violence in any form and work for legislative and social solutions.
• Become knowledgeable about the challenges of sexual and gender-based violence.
• Encourage others to join the movement.

The 348-member churches of the World Council of Churches, including a number of inter-religious partners, have adopted this campaign.  All of us can “be ambassadors in our words and actions for respect, security and justice for women, men, girls and boys.”

At our UMC’s 2020 Session of General Conference in Minneapolis there will be a “Thursdays in Black” reminder.  We don’t have to wait until then. Let’s make our churches into places of peace, justice and learning about these issues during Women’s History Month and beyond. Let’s honor those brave women who have resisted cruel exploitation, violence and injustice and who remain resilient in their efforts.

Hymn writer Rev. Carolyn Gillette reminds us in her hymn: “God of Love, We’ve Heard the Teaching”:

By your Spirit may we witness to your peaceful, loving way

May we share your love and justice every moment, every day

May the people hurt by violence know they’re valued by your grace

And may all who are in crisis find a refuge in this place.