1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,080 Well today's the fifth Sunday of the month this doesn't happen all that often 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,600 But we have all the kiddos with us. It's a little round of applause for all the kiddos that are joining us today 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,240 If you're new or newer usually 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:18,480 fifth grade and in lower would would leave and go to tree house after the songs of 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,120 Worship, but I'm excited to have you guys in the room. All right. My name is Greg Hansen 6 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,200 I'm one of the pastors here at the house if I haven't met you yet 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,520 I would love to maybe grab a coffee sometime 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,960 We are in the back half of a series that's called the church called 9 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:43,760 Tove it's actually based off a book the subtitles forming a goodness culture that resists abuses of power and promotes 10 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:52,480 Healing tove is just a word that means good in the scriptures and we're talking about it because churches are meant to be good 11 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:57,320 Because all of us were created good from the beginning when God created 12 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:03,200 However, you believe that happened at the beginning God looked at what he created and said this is very good 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,760 And that still exists in us the image of God is still a part of who we are 14 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:13,400 And so as we gather as we become a family as a church, we are meant to be good so far 15 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,480 We've discussed warning signs 16 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:22,280 We've discussed nurturing empathy nurturing grace being people first in our culture and 17 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,880 Truth-telling last week with pastor Jen and today keeping in mind that we have all the kids with us 18 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,960 I'm gonna talk about how a church with a goodness culture 19 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,760 nurtures 20 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,200 Justice, so let's jump right in. I'm gonna go to Micah 21 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,520 chapter 6 in our Bibles 22 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:48,320 It it goes Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk in the first testament or what some people call the Old Testament 23 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,880 It goes Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk if you see any of those corners, you know 24 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,200 You're in the right neighborhood. If you don't have a Bible, you're welcome to have one. They're blue 25 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:02,960 They're out on the bookshelf in the lobby. Just take one home with you. It is yours for free and 26 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,560 Otherwise you can download a Bible from any of the digital app stores 27 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:13,760 We have a tradition of giving the scriptures our full attention when they're read during the sermon each week 28 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,280 And so you can do that any number of ways 29 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,880 One way is to stand with me if you'd like and if you'd like to do that now as you are able 30 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,120 I'll go ahead and read the scripture 31 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,920 Micah 6 verse 7 and 32 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:34,200 8 Micah 6 7 and 8 says this will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams 33 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,480 Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? 34 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,560 Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we've done? 35 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,080 Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins? 36 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:53,000 This is all rhetorical the answer is of course not verse 8 the Lord has shown you what is good 37 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:58,400 He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice 38 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:04,720 You must love to show mercy and you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God 39 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:06,920 Let us pray 40 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:08,920 Father God, we thank you for the scriptures 41 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,600 We thank you that we we still have them that they've persisted throughout the millennia 42 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,120 And I pray that whatever you have for us to learn today 43 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:22,480 I pray that it would stick that would become a part of the framework of our faith that our faith would become stronger 44 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,200 And that we would become more like your son Jesus 45 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,680 Amen. Amen. Thanks so I can have a seat 46 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:35,760 All right, so most of us probably have something in mind when we hear the word 47 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,720 Justice we have a feeling or an opinion 48 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:48,320 We think we know exactly what it means or at least we're close and depending on our background our upbringing our education 49 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,080 our age gender 50 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,120 physical abilities our economic status 51 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,720 Culture or ethnicity we may have very different feelings about whether 52 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,280 justice happens 53 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:02,960 always 54 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,960 often or ever at all 55 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,640 So the first thing we need is a common 56 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:10,800 understanding 57 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,080 of what we're talking about when we're talking about 58 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:20,640 Justice when the bible speaks of justice. There's a couple words that get you 59 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,560 Mishpat is one of them. It's a hebrew word it points to 60 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,400 rendering a just decision in a court 61 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,880 Then there's sedagah sedagah is is about a kind of justice that 62 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,040 prioritizes 63 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,040 honesty and community 64 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:43,360 Loyal i'm going to do something that is just for my community. I'm going to be loyal to that community for the sake of justice 65 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,360 But then in the bible justice is also married 66 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,840 to mercy 67 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:53,280 This is what mica is doing 68 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,280 When he's talking about all of these things together because they belong 69 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,080 together justice and mercy 70 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:08,400 Belong together we tend to think mercy is just holding back what god could do to us or what we could do 71 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:14,560 To someone else. I was raised being told that that mercy is god not giving us the punishment 72 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,400 We deserve and grace is him giving us the gift that we don't 73 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:20,480 deserve 74 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:26,320 And so we think often that mercy is just not doling out a punishment if we could dole out 75 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:28,560 a punishment 76 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,200 But mercy isn't just the action 77 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,920 Hear me mercy isn't just the action or what we do mercy is the motivation 78 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,720 Behind what we do 79 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,880 In hebrew the word for mercy is about a faithful 80 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,600 unfailing 81 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,040 steadfast 82 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,040 and loyal 83 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,040 love 84 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:54,560 mercy 85 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,080 Is love that is married to justice 86 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:06,480 Saint thomas sequinus said justice and mercy are so united that the one ought to be mingled with the other justice 87 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,480 Without mercy is cruelty 88 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,640 Mercy without justice is disillusion 89 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:15,280 in other words division 90 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:18,800 Dr. Cornell west said justice is what love looks like in public 91 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,000 Just like tenderness is what love feels like in private 92 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,360 in other words 93 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:32,720 The biblical image of justice is a faithful love that does the right thing 94 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,480 At the right time so that we don't dissolve 95 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,040 And so that we are held 96 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,680 together 97 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,080 Justice expressed 98 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:50,080 through love is often if not always what holds dramatically 99 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:51,840 different 100 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:56,000 People together in unity as one community 101 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,240 People together in unity as one community 102 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,480 When michael was writing these words that you must 103 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,000 Have mercy you must 104 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,320 Have justice you must walk humbly it was around 105 00:07:15,420 --> 00:07:21,200 750 years before the ministry of jesus and the people that were leading israel at the time had 106 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:28,720 Had so warped what they thought of god the way that they thought they were supposed to follow god that they willfully allowed the most vulnerable 107 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,920 In their nation to be taken advantage of 108 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,800 Their women and children were mistreated 109 00:07:35,820 --> 00:07:42,100 Businesses were allowed to prosper from unjust practices and the poor were systematically 110 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:48,720 Exploited the rich got richer the poor got poorer while paying for the powerful to become richer still 111 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,960 Maybe that sounds just a little familiar 112 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,960 It's not all that different from what we experience 113 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:01,360 Today when the richest 10 percent of americans own almost 70 percent of all wealth 114 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:10,720 When the lower 50 percent of income earners own only two and a half percent of all the available funds 115 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,480 50 percent 116 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,040 Two and a half percent 117 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,040 10 percent 118 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:20,880 70 percent 119 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:26,320 When the average ceo makes 400 times the salary of the everyday worker? 120 00:08:27,820 --> 00:08:29,820 400 times 121 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:39,220 When half the people that make our laws in the united states are millionaires 122 00:08:39,220 --> 00:08:48,020 When billionaires can spend endless amounts of money to lobby for legislation and elect politicians that might favor their interests 123 00:08:48,260 --> 00:08:52,580 When money opens doors and defines what is right justice is on life support 124 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:56,900 And mercy goes missing 125 00:09:00,420 --> 00:09:02,420 Today we might 126 00:09:02,660 --> 00:09:05,300 Expect a biblical justice and mercy 127 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:10,580 To be sparse because the u.s. Government as much as some want it to be 128 00:09:11,140 --> 00:09:18,980 Is not a theocracy it is not a biblical monarchy. It is not run by a religion but in mica's day 129 00:09:20,020 --> 00:09:22,900 There was no line between church and state 130 00:09:24,420 --> 00:09:32,740 They were a religious monarchy they couldn't excuse their injustices with explanations of capitalism and individual rights 131 00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:37,540 Because their government was responsible for caring for the vulnerable 132 00:09:38,820 --> 00:09:44,180 Because their government was supposed to be following the laws of god 133 00:09:44,980 --> 00:09:46,980 So what does that mean for us? 134 00:09:48,260 --> 00:09:50,260 It means that we cannot 135 00:09:50,260 --> 00:09:58,020 Impose what mica is saying on the u.s. Government but we can impose what mica says on the church 136 00:09:58,020 --> 00:10:05,300 Now that doesn't also doesn't mean that churches shouldn't speak to the injustices in their country or elsewhere 137 00:10:06,260 --> 00:10:08,260 That's not what it means at all 138 00:10:08,260 --> 00:10:10,260 And hear this please 139 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:17,300 What it absolutely means is that for a church to speak to the injustices they see in the world without also or first 140 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:21,940 Speaking to and caring for the injustices in the church 141 00:10:21,940 --> 00:10:28,180 It is hypocritical and hurtful and is not real justice or mercy 142 00:10:30,260 --> 00:10:33,300 Couldn't tell if that was a sneeze or a say it again 143 00:10:37,940 --> 00:10:39,940 Yeah, what it absolutely means is this 144 00:10:41,060 --> 00:10:45,620 For the church to speak to the injustices they see in the world 145 00:10:46,420 --> 00:10:48,420 without also or first 146 00:10:48,420 --> 00:10:57,380 without also or first speaking to and caring for the injustices that happen in the church 147 00:10:57,780 --> 00:11:03,380 Whether it's by the church or just the things that are happening between people the gaps that are between us 148 00:11:03,860 --> 00:11:11,940 If the church does not address those things it becomes hypocritical and hurtful and is not real justice to only speak outwardly 149 00:11:11,940 --> 00:11:16,980 The first thing they say is to look to the parable of the good samaritan found in luke 10 150 00:11:17,780 --> 00:11:23,620 Because the samaritan rejects the rigid rules of the religious. He embraces empathy 151 00:11:24,660 --> 00:11:29,620 He moves in mercy. He cares for a wound that he didn't create 152 00:11:30,260 --> 00:11:37,300 And pays for healing. He was not responsible for the wounds he was not responsible for the wounds he was not responsible for 153 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:42,180 In fact, he says I will come back and pay any debt that has occurred 154 00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:44,900 While this person stays here and heals 155 00:11:46,660 --> 00:11:50,660 Justice in a church looks like brothers and sisters 156 00:11:51,380 --> 00:11:57,140 Communicating shortfalls and failures that exist even if they are uncomfortable 157 00:11:58,340 --> 00:12:00,340 And responding with mercy 158 00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:07,620 Working to fill the gaps between us with mercy because justice married to mercy is what so often 159 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,060 Holds people that are so radically different 160 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:13,460 together 161 00:12:13,460 --> 00:12:15,460 as one community 162 00:12:17,860 --> 00:12:22,820 It is unjust to be privileged and to ignore the needs of the church 163 00:12:22,820 --> 00:12:30,100 and to ignore the needs of the church that are in the same one community 164 00:12:31,860 --> 00:12:37,860 It is unjust to be privileged and to ignore the needs that are around us 165 00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:41,300 This is how mcknight puts it 166 00:12:42,100 --> 00:12:46,100 There's no law in our legal system that demands love 167 00:12:47,940 --> 00:12:49,940 But jesus does 168 00:12:49,940 --> 00:12:54,180 There's no law that demands grace, but Jesus does. 169 00:12:54,180 --> 00:13:01,860 Jesus is calling us to behave in ways that measure up to and conform with his teachings, 170 00:13:01,860 --> 00:13:07,960 not the teachings of the world. 171 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:15,500 So then McKnight and Beringer say that after we do what is just, after we listen, after 172 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:22,660 we communicate, after we share, after we have mercy among us, that we have to be willing 173 00:13:22,660 --> 00:13:24,500 to press on after the fallout. 174 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:28,360 What does that mean? 175 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:36,020 The very first year that we were at church, Christmas of 2014, that first year we didn't 176 00:13:36,020 --> 00:13:37,220 do foster gifts. 177 00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:42,500 So we've done, this Christmas will be the 10th time that we do foster gifts for DCFS 178 00:13:42,500 --> 00:13:46,920 kids that are experiencing foster care right now. 179 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,020 That very first year we did boxes. 180 00:13:50,020 --> 00:13:54,300 There's an international missions company that sends boxes to parts of the world and 181 00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:56,020 they tell you what to put in it. 182 00:13:56,020 --> 00:14:03,880 And at the time, the president of that company was saying some very xenophobic, racist things 183 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,940 in the public. 184 00:14:05,940 --> 00:14:09,780 And there was someone that had been attending the church that very first year that they 185 00:14:09,780 --> 00:14:12,900 were very excited about doing that. 186 00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:13,900 And so we did it. 187 00:14:13,900 --> 00:14:17,540 The next year was kind of then they started saying those things, not the person at the 188 00:14:17,540 --> 00:14:20,380 church, but the person that was in charge of the ministry. 189 00:14:20,380 --> 00:14:23,300 So I got around and I said, hey, I think maybe we're going to go a different direction this 190 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:24,300 year. 191 00:14:24,300 --> 00:14:27,180 I think we're going to be connecting with the local foster system so that the things 192 00:14:27,180 --> 00:14:30,220 that we're doing are right here, local. 193 00:14:30,220 --> 00:14:31,460 And they kind of pushed a little. 194 00:14:31,460 --> 00:14:36,860 And I said, honestly, it's also because the person that's in charge of that is publicly 195 00:14:36,860 --> 00:14:40,300 saying things that are racist, that are xenophobic. 196 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:46,820 And I don't know that I want us to be directly connected to that. 197 00:14:46,820 --> 00:14:49,180 And so they said, okay. 198 00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:56,180 And a week later, the husband and wife asked me if I would have coffee with them. 199 00:14:56,180 --> 00:14:57,380 So I did. 200 00:14:57,380 --> 00:15:01,420 And the husband showed up and I sat down with the husband and I said, oh, where's so and 201 00:15:01,420 --> 00:15:02,420 so? 202 00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:06,420 And they were going, well, just wanted to let you know, we're leaving the church. 203 00:15:06,420 --> 00:15:08,860 You hurt my wife's feelings. 204 00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:11,620 And I said, oh, how? 205 00:15:11,620 --> 00:15:15,660 Well, because we're not going to do what you said about so and so and we're not going to 206 00:15:15,660 --> 00:15:16,660 do. 207 00:15:16,660 --> 00:15:17,820 And I said, oh, I'm sorry. 208 00:15:17,820 --> 00:15:19,820 That's not at all what I intended. 209 00:15:19,820 --> 00:15:24,780 It's not at all, didn't mean to hurt anybody's feelings. 210 00:15:24,780 --> 00:15:28,460 There's been times that was just the beginning. 211 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:33,220 If you are my friend on Facebook, you can only imagine how many friends and people that 212 00:15:33,220 --> 00:15:39,460 I have lost over the years because of things that I believed were just, that needed to 213 00:15:39,460 --> 00:15:45,820 be said or done, that then were not received in the way that they were meant. 214 00:15:45,820 --> 00:15:48,580 I have responsibility for how I say things. 215 00:15:48,580 --> 00:15:52,220 One hundred, one hundred, one hundred percent. 216 00:15:52,220 --> 00:15:58,980 But the reality is that when a church does what they believe is just, we should not pretend 217 00:15:58,980 --> 00:16:05,980 that there will not be people that leave in the wake of doing what you think is just. 218 00:16:05,980 --> 00:16:12,300 Does not mean that we should celebrate that. 219 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:16,580 I could weep right now for all the people that I've lost. 220 00:16:16,580 --> 00:16:18,980 I want them all. 221 00:16:18,980 --> 00:16:23,260 I want them all. 222 00:16:23,260 --> 00:16:27,300 But I also believe in doing what is right at the right time. 223 00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:30,420 And sometimes that comes with fallout. 224 00:16:30,420 --> 00:16:34,700 Sometimes that comes with loss. 225 00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:40,620 As a church, that will also be true for you as an individual. 226 00:16:40,620 --> 00:16:47,220 If you do what is just, if you offer mercy to someone that someone else does not think 227 00:16:47,220 --> 00:16:56,260 deserves it, you will lose people. 228 00:16:56,260 --> 00:16:58,860 There's no other way to say it. 229 00:16:58,860 --> 00:17:00,660 There's no positive spin. 230 00:17:00,660 --> 00:17:11,140 But at the end of it, there will be times to lament, to be sad, to mourn the loss of 231 00:17:11,140 --> 00:17:12,540 friends. 232 00:17:12,540 --> 00:17:17,080 That's part of being just. 233 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:24,740 The other side of being just is that there will be stories that are positive, that come 234 00:17:24,740 --> 00:17:32,620 from having acted with justice, that come from having acted with mercy, that come from 235 00:17:32,620 --> 00:17:38,740 doing the right thing at the right time. 236 00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:42,820 I could stand here and tell you a bunch of them, but I want you to think about the ones 237 00:17:42,820 --> 00:17:45,980 that you have. 238 00:17:45,980 --> 00:17:53,060 What story do you have of having acted with justice and mercy and seeing what it caused 239 00:17:53,060 --> 00:17:56,620 in your life and in someone else's? 240 00:17:56,620 --> 00:18:02,260 Because I know that not all of you spend your life thinking of stories and writing sermons 241 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:05,080 and immediately just going, oh, this is what that would be. 242 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:10,620 What I want is I want you to have an opportunity to have a story. 243 00:18:10,620 --> 00:18:13,760 So I want to tell you some ways that you can do that. 244 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:22,480 First thing is that every week in this building on Thursdays, the middle of this building 245 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:23,860 is called closet to closet. 246 00:18:23,860 --> 00:18:31,060 They serve not only homeless that need clothes, but it started as a ministry that gave clothing 247 00:18:31,060 --> 00:18:34,380 to children that were experiencing foster care. 248 00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:38,720 And it started that way because Ali, they were adopting twin daughters that had been 249 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,180 in the foster system. 250 00:18:41,180 --> 00:18:45,660 And one day as one of the daughters was getting new clothes, they'd grown out of the clothes 251 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:53,660 they had, she just asked, mom, can I give these clothes to another kid that's in foster 252 00:18:53,660 --> 00:18:55,020 right now? 253 00:18:55,020 --> 00:18:59,300 When I was in foster, I would have killed for clothes like this. 254 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:02,420 And what happened was she said, yeah. 255 00:19:02,420 --> 00:19:06,580 And they collected those clothes and they figured out how to start giving it away. 256 00:19:06,580 --> 00:19:10,540 And then suddenly they had a storage unit that were full of clothes. 257 00:19:10,540 --> 00:19:13,700 And then suddenly they had a room in the Lutheran church that they attend. 258 00:19:13,700 --> 00:19:16,220 And suddenly they had five storage units. 259 00:19:16,220 --> 00:19:19,260 And then suddenly they needed their own space. 260 00:19:19,260 --> 00:19:28,820 And they still have storage units full of clothing because they are really, honestly, 261 00:19:28,820 --> 00:19:38,420 struggling to keep up with the need that started because one kid wanted to act justly for someone 262 00:19:38,420 --> 00:19:44,980 that had been where she was. 263 00:19:44,980 --> 00:19:49,200 You can serve on a Thursday night. 264 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:55,580 You can come and you can pack packages and you can put together outfits and you can fill 265 00:19:55,580 --> 00:20:01,380 up boxes or you can do whatever they ask you to do knowing that you are acting justly and 266 00:20:01,380 --> 00:20:06,940 providing mercy to somebody that needs it here in the Green Bush neighborhood. 267 00:20:06,940 --> 00:20:11,860 You know, I've started going over and helping unload groceries on certain days at the pantry 268 00:20:11,860 --> 00:20:16,220 at the Rock Island Township over on 7th. 269 00:20:16,220 --> 00:20:22,040 Listen, we're not going to have a pantry ministry the way we had before. 270 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,180 We had a pantry ministry before at the school where we organized it. 271 00:20:26,180 --> 00:20:31,260 We are now asking you of your own accord to say that because you are part of this church 272 00:20:31,260 --> 00:20:36,120 that you are going to go and serve at that pantry. 273 00:20:36,120 --> 00:20:41,740 Because the people that come to that pantry from half of our city, South Rock Island Township 274 00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:47,980 has one as well, but this one serves our neighborhood and serves half of Rock Island. 275 00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:52,940 They can come there any day of the week, Monday through Friday between 9-11 and you can be 276 00:20:52,940 --> 00:20:54,640 there too. 277 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,500 You can help them fill up their box with food that they need. 278 00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:01,300 You can help carry that box to their car. 279 00:21:01,300 --> 00:21:09,380 You can learn their name and then you can have a story of justice and mercy, of how 280 00:21:09,380 --> 00:21:16,300 you filled the gap, how you made someone that felt vulnerable coming to ask for food feel 281 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:23,880 like they were your equal because you are and they should not feel less than. 282 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:29,540 The township also has every weekday a meal site at 530. 283 00:21:29,540 --> 00:21:33,780 You can go volunteer and serve in the meal site. 284 00:21:33,780 --> 00:21:37,980 The meal site is also for the people that live in half of Rock Island. 285 00:21:37,980 --> 00:21:43,820 Half of the population of Rock Island is able to go there and have a meal if they need it. 286 00:21:43,820 --> 00:21:45,940 You can serve closet to closet. 287 00:21:45,940 --> 00:21:50,100 You can serve the pantry in the township any day of the week, 9-11. 288 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:55,540 You can serve the meal site any day of the week at 530. 289 00:21:55,540 --> 00:22:04,300 Go serve people, develop stories of justice and mercy so that the next time the Holy Spirit 290 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:10,520 or a pastor behind a pulpit says, hey, do you have a story of justice? 291 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,340 You think of that guy that you carried a box for. 292 00:22:14,340 --> 00:22:20,780 You think of that single mother that you helped fill her box full of clothes. 293 00:22:20,780 --> 00:22:25,380 You think of the person that you served food on a Wednesday night. 294 00:22:25,380 --> 00:22:33,340 You think of the children that you know are going to be served by the plethora upon plethora 295 00:22:33,340 --> 00:22:39,460 of clothing that occupies the middle of this building. 296 00:22:39,460 --> 00:22:48,340 But I also wanted to give you a way to have a story today that before you leave that you 297 00:22:48,340 --> 00:22:50,060 could have this story. 298 00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:54,020 No, I'm not going to give you one of mine. 299 00:22:54,020 --> 00:22:56,740 This past week, Andy Boswell made me aware. 300 00:22:56,740 --> 00:23:03,620 He has a friend that is connected to a really, it's not a ministry because it's not a church 301 00:23:03,620 --> 00:23:12,700 thing, but what they do is they write Christmas cards for women that have been abused that 302 00:23:12,700 --> 00:23:16,500 are also incarcerated right now. 303 00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:22,380 And a large percentage of people that are in jail have trauma or abuse at some point 304 00:23:22,380 --> 00:23:23,380 in their life. 305 00:23:23,380 --> 00:23:28,860 So, 97% of people that are in jail or prison have experienced trauma in their life. 306 00:23:28,860 --> 00:23:34,620 56% of men and 54% of women have experienced physical abuse in their life. 307 00:23:34,620 --> 00:23:38,780 If they're in jail or prison, you can assume that at least half of them were abused in 308 00:23:38,780 --> 00:23:39,780 their life. 309 00:23:39,780 --> 00:23:46,140 And then something like 20, 25% of women that are in prison or jail have been abused in 310 00:23:46,140 --> 00:23:47,140 another physical nature. 311 00:23:47,140 --> 00:23:51,260 I won't say out loud because there's children in the room. 312 00:23:51,260 --> 00:23:57,180 This is an opportunity for us to write them a Christmas card and just give them a tiniest 313 00:23:57,180 --> 00:24:00,380 little ray of hope. 314 00:24:00,380 --> 00:24:07,920 Andy, being the overachiever that he is, he got 50 cards. 315 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:12,900 Just in faith going, I'm going to get all these things filled out. 316 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:18,100 And we have about 40 of them today because he's had other friends fill out about 10 of 317 00:24:18,100 --> 00:24:19,100 those. 318 00:24:19,100 --> 00:24:27,460 And after service, what I want you to do is, if you're willing to, come up and grab one. 319 00:24:27,460 --> 00:24:29,740 There's pens here. 320 00:24:29,740 --> 00:24:35,420 There's going to be instructions on the screen about things that you should not say. 321 00:24:35,420 --> 00:24:36,900 These are not religious cards. 322 00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:40,100 One of these might go to a Hindu or a Muslim. 323 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:44,720 And so they're not like, hey, Jesus is with you in the moment. 324 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:51,140 These are just encouraging cards for somebody that just needs the tiniest ray of justice 325 00:24:51,140 --> 00:24:59,380 and mercy in a moment that they probably never planned to be in. 326 00:24:59,380 --> 00:25:03,580 So right now I want you to sit where you're at and decide right now whether you'll come 327 00:25:03,580 --> 00:25:08,100 up after service and fill out one of these cards. 328 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:12,620 Because I don't know how many people are in the room right now, but we got 40 of them. 329 00:25:12,620 --> 00:25:19,260 So there's 40 women that just need to be told something positive. 330 00:25:19,260 --> 00:25:20,260 Amen? 331 00:25:20,260 --> 00:25:27,580 And then you can have the tiniest story of having acted with justice and mercy. 332 00:25:27,580 --> 00:25:35,460 And it does not let you off the hook for continuing to act with justice and mercy. 333 00:25:35,460 --> 00:25:37,900 Because I mean it. 334 00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:42,660 I'm never going to shut up about you going over to that pantry or that meal site or closet 335 00:25:42,660 --> 00:25:43,660 to closet. 336 00:25:43,660 --> 00:25:45,060 You're going to keep hearing it. 337 00:25:45,060 --> 00:25:49,580 But let's do this today, okay? 338 00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:53,740 We as a church wants to be good. 339 00:25:53,740 --> 00:26:00,700 And that goodness as we care about the things that need to happen within our own walls will 340 00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:07,980 turn into and become the kind of justice and mercy that finds its way out into our city. 341 00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:15,380 It will not be possible to be a healthy church and to not have an impact on the city that 342 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:17,680 you are in. 343 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,260 Because that's the way it's supposed to work. 344 00:26:21,260 --> 00:26:22,260 Amen? 345 00:26:22,260 --> 00:26:24,260 Let's pray. 346 00:26:24,260 --> 00:26:28,500 Jesus, I thank you for what you're doing in us today. 347 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:31,300 I thank you that all these kids are with us in this room today. 348 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:38,900 I pray that they hear that churches, that Christians should be people of mercy, people 349 00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:41,620 of biblical justice. 350 00:26:41,620 --> 00:26:51,300 That they are fully equal, that they belong, that they are worthy. 351 00:26:51,300 --> 00:26:55,180 While we are a church that exists to call prodigals home, to adopt the spiritually homeless, 352 00:26:55,180 --> 00:27:02,420 I pray that by your spirit you would help them never feel like they are either. 353 00:27:02,420 --> 00:27:06,780 That they would always feel like they are daughters and sons. 354 00:27:06,780 --> 00:27:10,340 That they are family. 355 00:27:10,340 --> 00:27:27,020 In the name of Jesus, amen.