This weekend, we’re unpacking a bit about what it means to live SENT.  There are a number of ways to look at it, but at it’s core being SENT is about being WITH.  Its not simply going out and coming back, but rather going and being WITH.  Like Jesus, who was sent to be Emmanuel, God with us, we too are SENT. (ref. John 20:21)

As we continue to conversation about how we live SENT in practical ways and how that intersects with the issue of justice, here are some further thoughts from Beth and links to additional resources.

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The roots of Biblical Justice go deep into our history as Wesleyans and are anchored even deeper in the heart of God. As we once stood against the tide as Abolitionists and tackled the issue of slavery, so we must again take a rising tide of injustice we see all around us. The Wesleyan Justice Network (WJN), a developing initiative within the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Department, is focused on calling The Wesleyan Church to Awareness, Advocacy, and Action. The network serves to connect practitioners, leaders, pastors, and advocates with each other and with you – to equip you to engage with God’s heart for justice. Our prayer is that greater collaboration would lead to even greater impact for the Kingdom of God.

WJN has four primary streams of engagement that it facilitates – Orphans and Vulnerable Children; Slavery/Human Trafficking; Ethical Consumption; and Gender-Based Violence. Additionally, the WJN collaborates with the Immigrant Connection as The Wesleyan Church continues to be deeply involved with the Immigration Reform conversation.

While the issues of injustice may seem overwhelming, there are ways that each one of us can engage right where we are.

:: The first step begins with education. A great way to start that journey is to go to the Wesleyan Justice Network website – wesleyan.org/wjn and begin to interact with the resources there.

:: Additionally, there is a great opportunity to connect through social media – like the Facebook page, Wesleyan Justice Network, and follow WJN on Twitter – @WesJusticeNtwk.

:: Spend time in God’s Word! Do a word study on “justice”, “righteousness”, “fatherless” and “stranger”.

:: Use your voice on behalf of those who are voiceless, marginalized, and vulnerable.

:: Pray as the persistent widow did in Luke 18 – begging the God of justice to intervene in the pervasive injustice all around us!

We invite you to pray this prayer with our Heritage Church Family in the coming weeks and months as we seek to increasingly reflect God’s heart for justice to the world around us!

A Prayer for Heritage Church

God, Lead us to hear the cry of the vulnerable and oppressed,

lead us to care for the weak and needy, and to see others as our own brothers and sisters. Help us appreciate goodness, to love well and not hide our hypocrisy with rhetoric. Let us embrace justice and compassion. Grant us humility and supply us with enough faith to give our lives away. Bless us with strength when we grow weary. Lord, let the sweet knowledge of your Love fuel our commitment. Inform our passions, stir our gratitude for the message of the Gospel, and help us be ambassadors of hope and healing in the world. We pray for the ‘shalom’ of our city – that transformation would start in our own hearts for You and Your glory ~ Amen

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Also…Here’s another look at the video in the message this weekend.