Justice Sunday: Living for Others
This Sunday is Justice Sunday at Oasis. Each year, we set aside a Sunday to stop and think about God's heart for justice and mercy and what it means for us, as people who belong to Jesus, to reflect that heart in the world around us.
The words of Micah 6:8 are familiar to many of us:
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
What does that actually look like in everyday life?
When we look around the world, the needs can feel enormous. We see war, poverty, persecution, trafficking and children growing up without safe homes. We see people affected by natural disasters, famine and displacement. And closer to home, we see homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, loneliness and poverty. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by it all.
What difference can one person possibly make?
The Bible doesn't call us to solve every injustice in the world. But it does call us to be people who act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. And that starts with paying attention to the people and situations God has placed in front of us.
Sometimes that means praying. Sometimes it means giving. Sometimes it means serving. Sometimes it means speaking up for someone who is being treated unfairly. And sometimes it is as simple, and as costly, as noticing someone who is lonely and choosing to draw near.
One of the encouraging things about Justice Sunday is that we get to see some of this already happening among us. Just recently, our church family gave more than $4,000 towards Operation Christmas Child. What an incredible expression of generosity! Thank you to everyone who has contributed. And if you've taken a box to fill, don't forget that boxes are due Sunday, 4 October.
Did you know that one of our three priorities is Life for Others? We don't want to be a church family whose lives are continually turned inwards, focused only on ourselves, our needs and our own lives. We want to be people who are looking outward: looking for opportunities to pray, serve, love, invite and care for others.
And that doesn't only happen through big church initiatives or in response to international crises. It can happen in our street, at school, at work, at a café, among our friends.
It might mean welcoming someone who feels like they don't belong. Helping a neighbour who is struggling. Being generous with our time. Serving someone who has nothing to offer us in return. Or choosing kindness and forgiveness when resentment would be easier.
Justice Sunday is about becoming people who increasingly know God's character and seek to reflect Him. As you prepare for the service, read and pray over Micah chapter 6.
Dave Groenenboom will be preaching for us as we continue to explore these themes from Micah 6. Dave served as a pastor in the CRCA for many years and has also worked with International Justice Mission, so we're really looking forward to having him with us and hearing God's Word together.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.
God bless,
Emma
