What It Means to Follow Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-26
By Rev. Mary Kay Totty

March 24, 2020 will be the 40th Anniversary of the assassination and martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero. Romero has long been one of the saints that members of Dumbarton UMC look to for inspiration and encouragement.*  For Lent this year we will have a worship series that pairs Biblical stories with words from Romero.

For many years, Romero was a status quo, don't rock the boat guy. He was firmly part of the establishment, respected by the government of El Salvador. Folks in power considered Romero "safe," However, Romero's heart was broken open when he stepped away from the shelter of his offices to attend the wake and funeral of a priest in one of the villages. There, in the midst of impoverished people, people who time and again were innocent victims of state condoned violence, there Romero awakened to the injustice and the needs of ordinary people living on the margins. Once enlightened, Romero became a fearless and steadfast advocate for justice, for an end to violence, for better conditions for the poor. Romero used his position and privilege to challenge the injustices and to call for change. 

Many of us may have a similar path. We are simply living our lives, doing our jobs, taking care of family, going to church when we can, and to the best of our ability being kind, decent people. Then something we experience, or something we read, or something we witness, breaks open our hearts and we experience an overwhelming call to DO something. What are the events in your life that compelled you to become an advocate for justice? for inclusion? for peace? 

For me, reading "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates brought me a renewed urgency to confront racism. For a friend, the domestic terrorism attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as their own close encounter with gun violence, motivated their decision to become involved with "Moms Demand Action." When has your heart been broken open? How is God calling you to be an advocate for justice? What can you do? How might you leverage your privilege for the common good?

Romero is an inspiration to me. His story, his words embolden me for the work of justice. Who inspires you? Who provides an example of what it is like to follow Jesus? 

How are you working for justice, inclusion, and peace? What more might you do? 

*In October 2018, the Roman Catholic Church officially designated Romero a Saint.

Prayer: God of our Weary Years, God of our Silent Tears, renew us by your Holy Spirit for the work of justice, inclusion, and peace. Thank you for faithful ones who follow Jesus, may their examples motivate us to follow Jesus more fully. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. 

For further information about Archbishop Oscar Romero:  "Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writings." Marie Dennis, Renny Golden, Scott Wright. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 2000. 

Rev. Mary Kay Totty serve as the Pastor of Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Washington D.C.  Dumbarton UMC is a Justice Seeking Community.

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving. Please consider making a gift to MFSA. 

Join fellow Justice Seekers on a National Call to learn more about the ways Palestinian rights are being violated and learn about General Conference legislation that will reduce harm. Review the legislation. We will be joined by the leadership of United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR).

Our call will be one hour and will consist of visuals. We encourage you to sign on by video so you can follow along. Reviewing the Kairos Palestine Document before the call will be helpful for some background information.

We encourage you to invite your Annual Conference's General Conference Delegates to this call. (They will be voting on legislation related to Israel/Palestine and the background provided on this Webinar will be very helpful to them.)

The Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) is a partnership of 14 United Methodist Church-related Caucus groups working for a just, inclusive and grace-filled denomination. For generations, we have named God’s grace for all of God’s children and cried out for justice. We call the denomination to end harm in every place where the Gospel of love is preached. We commit to love each other and stay in relationship with the global Body of Christ. MFSA is a LYNC partner and is honored to be the fiscal sponsor. 

Click here to sign up to be a volunteer with the Love Your Neighbor Coalition at General Conference.

If you are planning to be at General Conference we have a block of rooms at a group rate at the Hilton Garden Inn across the street from the convention center and from where the tent will be. Click here to reserve your hotel now!

Organized by the Coalition for Immokalee Workers, Alliance for Fair Food, and the Student/Farmworker Alliance, farmworkers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, their families, and consumer allies will flood the Big Apple for the 3-day “Follow the Money” March through New York City’s bustling boroughs from MarchMarch 10-12. The fight for farmworkers’ fundamental human rights is being brought directly to the doorstep of those with the power to ensure that the workers that pick Wendy’s produce can labor with dignity, safety, and respect on the job. Here’s more on why march. Click here to register for and participate in the 3-day march, and click here to learn more about how you can take action to fight alongside farmworkers for justice.

The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) organization is holding its 6th Annual Palestine Advocacy Day and Training from March 22-24. Conducted by Capitol Hill staffers and subject matter experts, the training will include two full days of legislative advocacy and local advocacy training along with one full day of Capitol Hill meetings. Click here to register and join activists and organizers from more than 32 states to lobby for Palestine and Palestinian human rights.

The Sabeel Ecumenical Theology Center in Jerusalem is holding its First International Young Adult Gathering June 17-25, 2020. This gathering provides an opportunity for young people from around the world, ages 18-35, to engage first-hand with local young Palestinians and hear their stories, learn more about the current realities on the ground, explore and discuss together liberation theology, nonviolence, engaging Christian Zionism, and to work together to take action. Click here to learn more about and register for the International Young Adult Gathering.

MFSA is working in coalition to raise awareness and pass legislation that advocates for the equal pay of all women. Here are a few resources to learn more about this important work. 

Fact Sheet: Asking for Salary History Perpetuates Pay Discrimination from Job to Job

Since 2016, 13 states have passed laws prohibiting employers from relying on salary history to set pay - all with bipartisan support. Six of these laws were passed just last year. Legislators and employers are increasingly realizing that "What is your current or prior salary?" is not a neutral, objective question but one that forces women and people of color to carry wage gaps from job to job.

Fact Sheet: Requiring Salary Range Transparency Reduces the Wage Gap

California, Colorado, and Washington recently passed laws requiring transparency around salary ranges and similar legislation is being considered in states from Indiana to Massachusetts this session. Why? Because we know that when an employer asks job applicants what their salary expectations are without providing applicants any information about the pay, women lose out.

Fact Sheet: Progress in the States for Equal Pay

In the past few years, states are leading a rapidly growing movement to finally close the wage gap. Lawmakers have introduced legislation in over two-thirds of the states and many of these bills have become law. This fact sheet highlights states that enacted equal pay legislation in 2018 and 2019.

Access the recording of January's MFSA National Plumbline Call on Filipino Human Rights legislation to General Conference hosted by MFSA the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines US network (ICHRP-US).

Church and Society has launched a new website for the Social Principles that features the revised Social Principles document in eight different languages (English French, Spanish, Kiswahili, Portuguese, German, Ilocano, and Swahili; Korean and Tagalog translations coming soon!) along with videos and educational resources.

Every 3-4 weeks they will be discussing a different section of the revised Social Principles and introducing new resources for how you can use the Social Principles in your ministry context.  Want to learn more, please sign up: https://www.umcsocialprinciples2020.org/updates.

GCORR presents a free online course
Implicit Bias: What We Don’t Think We Think

Based off of the popular Implicit Bias Workbook, GCORR has created an online course for anyone who is interested in learning and teaching others about implicit bias.

GCORR invites pastors, teachers, and anyone who is interested in learning and teaching others about implicit bias to take this free on-demand online course. This course is designed for you to take at your own pace and includes bonus content specifically for preachers.

As a former LGBTQ reverend in the UMC and an interdisciplinary scholar, Elyse Ambrose offers a unique lens to sexuality and gender justice in faith communities. Her trainings consider robust meanings of the word “inclusion” as participants examine biblical, theological, and ethical foundations of Christian approaches to sexuality and gender, and focus on aligning their praxes with just ways of relating.
She is available to visit your faith community for half-day trainings for spaces seeking to approach gender and sexuality in more intentional, intersectional, and justice-focused ways. Learn more about Dr. Ambrose and her work at elyseambrose.com.