LET’S TALK JUSTICE Session 2

Westwood Vision Statement From the Westwood Council ► Section 3) We are called to be a vital and necessary part of our world. ► OUR VISION IS TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY BY…

 Meeting basic needs and actively seeking ways to end poverty.  Strengthening all forms of families.  Working and advocating for justice, striving to eliminate inequalities that remain in our society.

ASSUMPTIONS ► Everyone in this room cares about issues of justice as a person of faith. ► God is present in our conversations and at work.

GROUND RULES ► That we view each other and speak to each other as fellow members of the body of Christ. ► That this is an exercise of the body of Christ not a platform to defend a political party. ► Luther’s explanation of the 8 th commandment is an expectation of the conversation.

GOALS ► That we have an experience of the church and grow together in Christ even on issues about which we may disagree. ► That Westwood moves toward further defining what we mean by working for “justice” by seeking common ground. ► That as different definitions of justice emerge individuals are allowed space to have their own integrity intact. ► That engagement in the work of justice continues to increase at Westwood.

Signs of Success ► We have an experience of the church and grow together as people of faith. ► Individuals and groups are more fully engaged in living out Westwood’s vision whatever their definition of justice is. ► We make some decisions about direction in regards to working for justice as a congregation.

RECAP OF SESSION 1 FEEDBACK  1 st exercise- Using 3 criteria from Micah 6:8 placed letters next to 14 Outreach partners we support.  Observations from results ► While Service (S) and Congregational/evangelism (C) support had strong similarities, clear that definitions of justice (J) vary widely. ► The question for us at this stage is where is there significant common ground in our collective definitions/understandings.

RECAP OF SESSION 1 FEEDBACK 2 ND EXERCISE- In this exercise we focused on scriptural views of justice. After looking at 3 examples from scripture, table groups discussed and reacted to 9 statements of the scriptural view of “justice” according to Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda from the Lutheran Voices series book called “Public Church, For the Life of the World” (pg. 30).

RECAP OF SESSION 1 FEEDBACK Observations from exercise 2- In the 9 statements there are statements with significant common ground and some that need more clarity and possibly some that would not be considered common ground for Westwood at this time. Suggested lens for viewing the feedback- If you get 3 out of 4 Lutherans to agree on the type of communion bread let alone statements describing justice is next to a miracle.

RECAP OF SESSION 1 FEEDBACK ► Common Ground statements- While we may not all mean exactly the same thing, these 4 statements seem to begin to get us close. “The scriptural view of justice…  #2 “is based on and corresponds to the justice of God which is seen as liberating the oppressed, identifying with the vulnerable and upholding their rights, judgment, and mercy.  #6 “aims at freeing the oppressed, sharing food with the hungry, housing the homeless, and more.  #7 “aims also at dismantling the sources of oppression and the political, cultural, and economic arrangements that contribute to hunger, poverty, and homelessness.  #8 “is understood to be both demand of God and gift from God.

RECAP OF SESSION 1 FEEDBACK ► Statements needing more clarity/Not common ground  #1  #3  #4  #5  #9

GOALS OF SESSION 2 1. Look at the social statement on “Church in Society” to stimulate discussion on what the ELCA has said about the church’s role in society. 2. Discuss, react, and get feedback on “A Common Foundation: Shared Principles for Overcoming Poverty.”

TABLE DISCUSSION ► Discuss Section II A. and B. from the ELCA social statement. Focus especially on those things after “this church shall therefore…” in each section.  Share which statements seem most appropriate/helpful to you.  Share which don’t.  These were written 20 years ago. Would you write any of them differently to be more helpful today (change/subtract/add a word).

FEEDBACK EXERCISE ► Read through the “A Common Foundation: Sufficient, Sustainable, Livelihood for All”. ► Discuss each point in your table group and share agreements, where you lack clarity, and where disagreements are BEFORE YOU FILL ANYTHING OUT. ► At the designated time please fill out the feedback form on this document.