MBCC Blog

get your social justice on!

"Our (working) definition of Social Justice: 

    v.   a process, not an outcome, which 

    (1) seeks fair (re)distribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities; 

    (2) challenges the roots of oppression and injustice; 

    (3) empowers all people to exercise self-determination and realize their full potential; and 

    (4) builds social solidarity and community capacity for collective action."

The UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare is hosting a free and open-to-the public event to raise awareness of social justice issues and inspire people to act for social change through action-oriented workshops. 

The event will be held on Saturday, Feburary 6th at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Click here for more information or to register. You can email Megan with any questions.

 

Making ministry real at the Excelsior Community Food Pantry

    

Last Saturday I had the privilege of FINALLY being part of the Excelsior Community Food Pantry that MBCC folks have been organizing the past six months.  Along with people from Ocean Avenue PC and some other churches and groups, this ministry has been gradually picking up steam and energy.  

The day was filled with great meaning for me as I simply participated in the well-oiled machine that is the ECFP.  I reveled in watching a few of our young folks find joy in the experience as they helped carry, sort and distribute food; I was touched when folks I knew personally came through the line bridging the awkwardness of the moment with a hug; and I was moved by the general sense of gratitude and thoughtfulness that everyone had in doing this important work in the community.

As I reflect on the big picture of this part of what we do as MBCC in this part of San Francisco, I do not forget that there are larger systematic issues that we must confront when it comes to issues of economics, hunger and the working poor, but I am also reminded that there is a great deal of power that will come from communities gathering together to distribute food, compassion and presence. 

For the small part that we are doing, I am grateful.

And now the ask . . .

• YOUR TIME - We would love to have more people involved and even to have a group take over a Saturday or two.  While there would be a good deal of work to be done, the SF Food Bank would LOVE LOVE LOVE for us to go weekly.  We are hopeful that we could do this, but only if we can guarantee the people-power to make it happen.
• YOUR MONEY - It takes less than $3.00 to feed each family.  Yep, three hundred buckaroonees,  a $300 donation, basically feeds 100 families for the week.  So, above and beyond what you would also give to other organizations and your church, please consider making a designated gift to the Food Pantry.

Here is the info that you need to make a difference:

• To volunteer, ask questions, be part of the Steering Committee etc: foodpantry at missionbaycc dot org
• To donate online (one time of regularly): eGive
• To donate via check/corporate matching:
  Mission Bay Community Church
  ATTN: Food Pantry
  32 Ocean Avenue | San Francisco CA 94112
• on Twitter: @ecfp
• on Facebook: FB Group

Lastly to those who, out of grappling with God's call on our collective lives, really helped this thing get off the ground and continue to provide energy as the ministry expands, thank you.  You know you who are!

07/22 - PODcast

Welcome to MBCC Podcasting of Sunday Sermons:

Download and Listen to the parts of the Sermon Series called "That's in the Bible? really?" at MBCC. Listen to our thoughts on...

07/15 – The Book of Amos and the Process of Prophecy :: Nick Larson

The Rock This Saturday

Hi All - I forgot to submit a note for the ezine this week, so I thought I'd put up a post and invite you all to the Rock this Saturday.

We'll gather from 6:30 - 7:30 this Saturday evening to spend some time focusing on the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. Larissa Clark from Temple Baptist Church will be leading the music for us this go 'round; she's very gifted and has a passion for worship leadership and has put together a kickin' band.

It's early enough that you can go out after and it's family friendly, so you can bring the kids and get them home to bed at a decent hour. Also, bring some snacks to share and if you can, spend some time hanging out after ward. Hope to see you there.

Unconditional Forgiveness?

I’ve been reflecting and thinking a lot about what Bruce had to say on Sunday and I wanted to raise a question or thought around this idea of forgiveness, especially unconditional forgiveness. In this season on Lent I’ve been contemplating a lot about the saving work of Jesus Christ and what it means to me and how I understand what happened in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus both in the context of society and personally.

In light of that, I’ve just recently finished a book called Proverbs of Ashes  that shook me to the core. It is about what we as the church may be telling people about how to live out their lives. The book focuses on how the use of the Christian theory of atonement can perpetuate the cycle of violence in relationships. The classic view of atonement is critiqued by these two women’s experience with violence and abuse. So my question is, does the idea of “unconditional forgiveness” tell people (especially women) to forgive without change in action (by the other) to stay in an abusive relationships?

Do we get too caught up in trying to tell people that God wants to have a relationship with them "how they are now" that it leads us to do damage? I believe that we have to be extremely careful when we talk about unconditional forgiveness especially when we are doing it within the Christian framework. I appreciated Bruce talking about how forgiveness is reconciling relationships and I agree that Sin should be talked about in terms of broken relationships not moral miss-steps or laundry lists of bad deeds. I agree that we should do our best to reconcile relationships with one another regardless of the horrific atrocities that we can impose on one another as human beings. But how do you tell someone who is being dominated by another human being that forgiveness should be unconditional? 

How does “unconditional forgiveness” display itself in scripture? Is Jesus unconditional in his forgiveness? Is God? Looking first back through scripture I’ve come to understand that God acts in covenants with humanity, the covenant with Noah, with Moses, and even Jesus talks about the “new covenant.” If God is a covenantal God does that make God conditional instead of unconditional? Covenant means a solemn contract, oath, or bond. So what does it mean for us to understand God as having conditional oaths with Israel in the times of the Hebrew Scriptures? And how does that affect our view to offer unconditional forgiveness? What might be our role in a two-sided covenantal agreement?

I agree with Bruce who used some great passages (Matthew 26: 14-30, 47-55, 69-75) to talk about denial and forgiveness from Christ. Based on what I read in the Gospel accounts I think that Christ shows us someone who acts with unconditional forgiveness. He is someone who is more interested in the healing and creating right relationships than swearing them to uphold an oath (or even doctrine?). 

But this all brings me back around to Rebecca Parker and Rita Brock in Proverbs of Ashes and their experience that being told to forgive unconditionally just drives people to stay in abusive relationships. How can we talk about this Christian unconditional forgiveness without telling people to stay in abusive broken relationships?

The Least of These

I feel strongly that we should treat animals in a way that reflects our love for them as part of God's creation and our position as their protectors. I realize that may mean different things for different people, but I think that such a view establishes clear standards for what constitutes mistreatment, even when the reasons for that mistreatment are very complex.

I posted the following on my personal blog:

Several months ago, Paul McCartney refused to perform in China because of their absolutely abhorrent treatment of dogs and cats, which includes slaughtering them for fur - much of which is sent to the U.S. on clothing and passed off as faux fur.

 

Now, the Humane Society has done follow-up work that reveals that the practice continues. This AP story summarizes.

A Different Kind of Street Evangelism: My First Protest Video

       With the current focus on “difficult topics” (gender, race, environmentalism, etc.) in our church’s pulpit, I thought it would be a good time to share my first protest video. Last week I finally finished editing my video of a protest that took place in front of Tiffany & Co. in San Francisco.

       This demonstration, which took place in October 2006, speaks out against the diamond industry that exploits African miners/workers who barely make about 30 cents per day while millions of people in wealthier parts of the world enjoy the fruits of their hard labor. The recently released movie, Blood Diamond (starring Leonardo DiCapprio), highlights some of the bloodshed and violence that surrounds the diamond industry. 

       The protest was organized by my co-worker, Ricky (the main speaker in the video), who belongs to the African People’s Socialist Party. I’m neither African nor a Socialist, but I tagged along with my digital camcorder to learn more about the issue and, frankly, to see what my co-worker was up to outside of the work environment. I don’t know if I agree with all the tenets of my coworker’s political views, and I certainly don’t share his religious views (he despises the church), but I sure admired his courage, passion, and conviction.

       As a Christian, I found it strangely at home among a bunch of people whose passion for social justice and righteousness strike at the heart of biblical conscience. There was something Jesus-esque (to borrow Bruce’s term) about my atheist friend whose concern for the well-being of an oppressed people drove him to the streets to “preach” against decadence at the expense of the poor. If only more Christian street evangelists would do the same instead of just preaching “hellfire and damnation,” I’d join my fellow Christians out in the streets as well. But until then, I’d rather go out to the streets with my Socialist friends.

       Hope you enjoy the video.

Worship Series: No easy answers . . .

Series Details for February 4, 11, 18
In this three-part series we are going grapple with a few of the issues that effect us each and every day as individuals and community.  We hope not to give pat answers but to help guide and nurture folks as they to engage in discernment about what Christ calls them to do and be in the world.

Main Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

February 4 - "The Dynamics of Power"
Preacher: Nick Larson, Intern
2nd Scripture: Mark 7:24-29 and Romans 2:1-4
Topic: "Christian Response to Racism and Sexism"
Focus: We will travel through the telling story of the dynamics of sexism and racism throughout the history of the church and how these compelling topics affect your lives more than you realize.

February 11 - "The Economics of Creation"
Preacher: Bruce Reyes-Chow, Pastor
2nd Scripture: Psalm 19:1-4 and Isaiah 42:5-7 
Topic: "Christian Response to the Environment and Economics"
Focus: We will explore the complex and interconnectedness between economics and environmental justice.

February 18 - "TITLE TBA"
Preacher: Derrick Weston, Intern
2nd Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 22:17-21 
Topic: "Christian Response to War and Politics"
Focus: TBA

On Being Rich

Choiry's post about the richest 2% got me to thinking ... what are we supposed to do about inequality?  I will make the assumption (I think a reasonable one) that most people reading this blog or attending MBCC find themselves in the richest 10% of the world (assets of $61,000), or can reasonably expect to be in that group once student loans are paid off. :)  Some of us probably already are, or will some day be, in the top 2%.  Even if we do not feel wealthy in our day to day lives, clearly we enjoy a remarkable standard of living compared to many in the world.  So, this raises a couple of questions for me.

Is it morally wrong to be wealthy?  The Bible seems almost unequivocal at times, telling us that if we want to be perfect, we should sell our possessions and give to the poor.  Interpreted literally, we would probably all have to become monks and rely on charity for our daily bread, and maybe there is something to that.  But it's probably safe to assume that most of us will be content with falling a little short of perfect, and will want to help others while still making a living, buying a house, and supporting a family.

I also wonder how to reconcile my belief in capitalism and free markets with statements like these from Jesus.  I tend to be a bit of a libertarian, and I really think that if people are given the opportunity to work hard and succeed (which many lack due to poor governments or poor education), they will.  Wealth in the long run, fortunately, is not a zero sum game.  In fact, the opposite is true.  So, it may be overly simplistic to say that the more wealth I have, the less someone else has.

In the short run, however, it seems wrong that so few have so much, while many starve and live in poverty.  In my own little vision, I think we are called to help alleviate real need in the present (which I think was sort of implied in Choiry's post), but also to think about how we can create a situation where there are less people in need each day.  While the poor will always be with us, I think we can also try to help people raise themselves out of poverty (through micro-loans, for example).

The Richest 2%

A sobering reminder: Pioneering Study Shows Richest Two Percent Own Half World Wealth

The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of global household wealth according to a path-breaking study released today by the Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER).

The most comprehensive study of personal wealth ever undertaken also reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. In contrast, the bottom half of the world adult population owned barely 1% of global wealth.

PRESS RELEASE in ENGLISH (PDF)

Yes, I know it is Christmas. Yes, you can call me a Kill-joy. But as a reminder to what Christmas is about (not to be pedantic), humility in the form a vulnerable baby, born in meager circumstances (i.e. manger), and expression of God's love and sacrifice……. not clubbing your fellow shopper at a Christmas sale. For those of you who have met the bottom half, you would probably agree, we have a lot of work to do.

On another note, early exposure to farm animals probably decreased Christ’s risk of asthma based on the hygiene hypothesis, but that is for another discussion.