God’s Plan is Greater than a Concept

A “concept of a plan” is unacceptable in faith based social justice work because God calls us to intentionality and commitment. Proverbs 29:18 reminds us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." This verse emphasizes the need for a clear direction in our efforts to transform unjust systems and uplift the oppressed. Social justice requires more than good intentions; it demands organized, actionable steps rooted in God’s call to love our neighbor.

 

Inviting our church members to work with community partners allow us to embody the body of Christ where every part contributes to the whole. We cannot do this work alone; by partnering with others—be they other churches, activists, or local organizations—we combine our strengths and resources to bring about meaningful change. Together, we reflect God’s justice more fully, showing the world a witness of faith that is both purposeful and powerful.

 

Below are many ways you can be involved in the work of social justice with partners we are in relationship with. Invite a fellow Riversider to join you, preferably someone who is not already involved in other activities. By sharing these opportunities, we get to invite their participation in God’s movement of justice.

On Monday, September 16, in Memorial Church at Harvard, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists will welcome Rev. Dr. Brandon Crowley as our 2024 guest lecturer. 

 

Dr. Crowley has recently published  Queering Black Churches: Dismantling Heteronormativity in African American Congregations and will lecture on "Black Queer Homiletics & Hermeneutics." He is a Lecturer in Ministry Studies at Harvard University’s Divinity School and the Senior Pastor of the Historic Myrtle Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts.

How We Do Freedom: Rising Against Fascism on Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 am, for a day long educational and inspirational event of speakers, poets, artists, activists to fuel us with information, strategies, solidarity and energy to ignite the movement we need right now. Throughout the day, we will unpack what fascism is in the US and globally and what we can do to combat it. We will explore the impact on all of us from women’s bodies to anti-Blackness and the suppression of LGBTQ+ and the disabled, to the banning of books, erasing history and immigration bans, union busting, increasing violence and expansion of the police state, and the destruction of the Earth. We come together in solidarity, the antidote to loneliness and alienation that are fundamental to fascism.

During these urgent and critical times, Riversiders will join the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival will be canvassing in poor and low-income communities across the country this weekend. In New York our canvassing will be on Saturday, September 14th in front of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, located at 1040 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, where we will be distributing flyers between 10:30 am to 1:30pm. Following the canvassing we will hold a press conference at 2:30 pm at the same location, where Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis and impacted people will speak. We will be talking to infrequent voters and we can use your help to swing the vote towards a future where we can all thrive! 

Join David King, convener for Mission and Social Justice’s Earth Focus Group for a rally with Comptroller Brad Lander in support of Local Law 97, New York City’s Green New Deal for buildings.

 

We’ll be urging the City Council to oppose Intro 772, legislation that would gut our nation-leading jobs and climate law.

 

The rally is on September 26, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, after which we'll lobby council members both in scheduled meetings and as they enter City Hall until 1:30 pm.

 

Passed in 2019, Local Law 97 is already fulfilling its potential to create jobs, cut air pollution, and reduce energy bills, while helping meet our urgent climate goals.

Register interest by clicking below and let Rev. Mira Sawlani-Joyner know if you’ll be there.

 

Join the Interfaith Center of New York, Columbia University's Earl Hall Center for Religious Life, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary for an Interfaith Service and Community Gathering. It will be an evening of sacred music and reflection to welcome students, faculty, staff, and community members in Morningside Heights. 

 

Monday, September 16, 6:00 pm

475 Riverside Drive @ 120th Street

 

All are welcome!  Kosher and Halal food provided.

 

And if none of these appeal to you, check out the New York Progressive Action Network Calendar for many others ways to engage in action across the city.

While I have your attention, are you ready to vote?

 

1. Check your registration. Even if you’ve voted in a recent election, it’s good to double check, and to make sure that you’re registered to vote at your current address.
2. Put your plan to vote on your calendar. Every state is different: see if your state has early voting, and add a calendar reminder.

Gracious God,

 

We thank You for the vision You place in our hearts. Without it, we wander and lose our way. Guide us to see Your will clearly and to pursue justice with purpose and conviction. May our steps be aligned with Your vision of love and justice, and may we work together to build a world that reflects Your kin-dom. In your many names we pray,

 

Amen.