Faith may be a personal thing, and often is a private experience. Yet it's also public and impossible to divorce from the life that we live in the public square. And in that paradox, living our faith in the public square isn't merely a question of how loud (or softly) we may try to proselytize others. It's our faith, the biblical mandate that we have encountered in Jesus the Christ to love God with all of who we are and to love others along our path in the same ways.
In our community of faith we're seeking to empower each person to live their faith also in the public square in how they spend their time and money, how they articulate their moral imagination and ethical values and how we stand in solidarity with each other and all of creation. Our Faith in the Public Square is the small group format in which we seek to do just that.
Talking about Hopes for a Ceasefire in Gaza
Following a small group conversation last Sunday, a small team has organized an online gathering for our interested community to talk about a concrete way in which we might advocate for peace via a ceasefire in the death & violence in Gaza.
Many of us have talked individually about how we might respond to the ongoing death and violence in Gaza.
We’re going to discuss together the Ceasefire Interfaith Statement created by the the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity & American Friends Service Committee, which are inviting faith communities across the Bay Area to be part of a coordinated, multi-faith effort to put our beliefs into action for a just peace and a permanent ceasefire.
We’ll gather on Zoom on Thursday, 29th at 7pm for no more than an hour to discuss this statement and call to action.
You can read Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity Ceasefire Interfaith Statement HERE.
The national Presbyterian Church (USA) is also addressing the destruction and death of this ongoing conflict. In our system of church government we have a bi-annual congress meeting of the whole church, which we call the General Assembly. This year is the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) taking place June 25 - July 4, 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT. [Official 226 GA Webpage]. Part of that process is the work of motions put forward by diverse presbyteries to be considered for formal adoption by our national church in this representative form of government. Our own Presbytery of San Francisco is considering and acting upon 4 such motions in February 2024. If you’re interested in learning more about these motions, and the work of our shared larger church you can read them below:
MOTION #1 The Presbytery of San Francisco overtures the 226th General Assembly to the PC(USA) 2024 to update and expand on the Resolution confronting Christian Zionism approved in 2004. Titled: “Confessing our Complicity in Christian Zionism Today.”
MOTION #2 The Presbytery of San Francisco overtures the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to: Direct the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) to begin focused engagement with General Electric (GE) and Palantir Technologies, Inc. in the 2025 and 2026 proxy seasons and to report back to the 227th General Assembly (2026) with possible divestment recommendations for the companies that are not moving toward compliance with established General Assembly policies. (LINK)
MOTION #3 The San Francisco Presbytery overtures the 226th (2024) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to: Inform members, congregations, presbyteries, and national staff of the following two educational resources that can be used to equip PCUSA members and entities on understanding Israeli apartheid in the broader framework of European colonialism. Titled: “Educational Resources for Seeking Ways to End Israeli Apartheid”
MOTION #4 DETAILED DOCKET - 4 The San Francisco Presbytery overtures the 226th (2024) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to: Receive with gratitude and endorse the distribution of “A Call for Repentance: An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians:” Titled: “Endorsing Distribution of Palestinian Christians’ Open Letter to the Western Church.”
Som of our Past Actions include
Banner Engagement
In our divided, disaffected and politicized culture we're seeking to be a community that is other-inclusive and affirming not from any political perspective or politically correct language, but rather from our hearing of scripture which teaches that we are all created together in God's image, that we are called to love God with all of who we are and to love others in that same way; and that when we encounter the poor, the widow, the orphan, the broken, the refugee, the immigrant and the asylee, that we are encountering Jesus.
In that vein we've curating an articulation of faith in the public square byhanging a banner that proclaims such biblically-based neighborly love, created by fellow Presbyterian David LaMotte. You can learn more about his inspiration and his goals for community engagement on his website.
The (re)Emerging Sanctuary Movement
Are you interested in learning more about how to stand nonviolently both for the protection and safety of immigrant and refugee neighbors, as well as how to act to protect them? Here are some concrete helps: local trainings, downloadable information and other links.
What is the modern Sanctuary Movement? What does it look like and involve [download packet]
