By Alan Bean
You are invited to Broadway Baptist Church, 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 20th for the second convening of our Common Peace Community. There you will catch your first glimpse of JustFaith, a we-ain’t-playin’-games study that will help you look at the world through the eyes of the poor and ask why. Here’s the way the program is described on the JustFaith website.
JustFaith is a 30-week Scripture-based adult formation program that looks at poverty and compassion for the poor through the lens of the Christian call to compassion and justice. JustFaith empowers participants to develop a passion and thirst for justice, and prepares them for the work of social ministry. Through prayer, experiences, books and videos, participants encounter the face of poverty in such a way that they experience transformation and are drawn to respond to the needs of our broken world. The JustFaith program is about opening people to the Spirit of God, who is at work transforming people to transform the world. The intent is to provide a tapestry of learning opportunities that emphasize and enliven the healing work of God’s compassion found in scripture, church history and teaching, and faithful witnesses.
JustFaith is a rigorous program that asks people for their time each week. It is a deep spiritual journey that offers an opportunity to experience conversion of hearts and minds in the context of a small faith community of 10-15 people. During the 30 weeks, participants learn the value of dialogue, sacred listening, and one-on-one encounters with those living on the margins of our communities. JustFaith grads emerge from the program with a new level of understanding of the systemic issues of poverty, those families living in poverty, and a discerned compassionate response to the world around them. As a result, these graduates are more engaged in their church and in the communities.
Although JustFaith was originally produced by Roman Catholics for Roman Catholics, they have introduced a Protestant-Ecumenical version as well. We will be watching a 15-minute introductory video and there will be plenty of time for questions.
We will also be singing, reading Scripture and pondering Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail written exactly fifty years ago in response to concerns raised by moderate white clergymen (don’t worry, we won’t be reading the whole thing). Since many of us are white folks who identify as “moderate” I thought we should listen to Dr. King with fresh ears.
A Common Peace Community starts when you look at the world through the eyes of the poor and ask why. If you have any questions please call me at 817-688-6765.
Alan Bean
