Although justice has been served – a murderer has been convicted and tougher regulations and inspections enforced in Pennsylvania – this case has become the latest battlefield in the abortion debate, but it is unclear why.

Both those who oppose abortion and those who support it find the illegal and immoral actions of Dr. Gosnell reprehensible. The biblical teachings of the 10 Commandments is quite clear: "Do not murder." (Deuteronomy 5:17)  What he did was not just against the United Methodist Social Principles; it was against the basic laws of this country and edicts of humanity.

Christians should not use this case as an opportunity to point fingers or cast stones at one another. Rather, all members of The United Methodist Church must take seriously our shared responsibility for the sanctity of all human life – at all stages of life. Each of us must give an account to God for what we do (or do not do) for our fellow brothers and sisters.

The Spirit of God is calling us to put down our stones and get busy doing the hard work of transforming the world for Jesus Christ.

"When I pray for peace, I pray not only that the enemies of my own country may cease to want war, but above all that my country will cease to do the things that make war inevitable."
Thomas Merton

As I walked through my neighborhood pharmacy to pick up a prescription, I began glancing at the Mother's Day cards to send to family members. I love my identity as a mother because, most of the time, it is a joyful, life-giving role. I will do anything to advocate that my children receive the best that there is to experience in life. The challenging part of what I just wrote is that "my children" can be defined in many ways. As someone following Jesus, I have to recognize that all of the children in our world have been entrusted to me and the communities of which I am a part. In a society that promotes individualism and fuels the marketing machines of greeting cards and chocolates, it is easy to forget that Mother's Day was originally a plea for an end to war. Julia Ward Howe knew that all of God's children were suffering. Rather than advocating only for those in her immediate family, she chose to advocate for all people — mothers, fathers and children — impacted by war.

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.
Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons
of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe (Boston 1870)

As you prepare to celebrate those who have mothered you, how will you honor Jesus' call that we keep watch and pray? This month's resource written by Wesley Seminarian Lauren Blitz focuses on a children's book titled, Because of You. As I read the book to my children, I know that it is because of them that I share with so many the identity of being a mother. I cannot seek justice for my children and not do the same for the children caught in the horrors of war, children being abused and trafficked, children in our prison systems… all those who suffer because of the ways that we have ordered our world.

Jesus brought good news to us all. To whom are you a witness to the liberating power of Christ?

"What leads to peace is not violence but peaceableness, which is not passivity, but an alert, informed, practiced, and active state of being."
American essayist Wendell Berry

Resources

Asian/ Pacific Heritage Month

"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake."
Jeannette Rankin

• Round is a Mooncake (children’s book)
• Whale Rider (movie)
• SEARAC — Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (website)
• AAJC — Asian American Justice Center (website)

Mother’s Day

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."
Indira Ganhdi

• Because of You (children’s book)
• Mother’s Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe (speech)
• Moms for Moms — A Petition for Global Health Funding
• Healthy Families, Healthy Planet — A United Methodist initiative to educate and mobilize United Methodists in the U.S. on the importance of maternal health and international family planning.

Mental Health Month

"The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind."
Maya Angelou

• Faith and Menthal Health — Bulletin insert with mental health infographic and information, produced by the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society.
• Mental Health Ministries — Provides educational resources to help erase the stigma of mental illness in faith communities (website)
• Mental Health America (MHA) — The country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives (website)

Peace with Justice

• Peace on the Land by Steve Sprecher — This article gives examples of what the Bible says about some of the environmental issues which impact the world today.
• Seven Blind Mice (children’s book)
• When the Horses Ride By: Children in the Times of War (children’s book)
• The Body of War (movie)
• The Interrupters (movie)
• Peace, Peacebuilding and Peacelearning: A Holistic Introduction — A 90 day study guide for peace builders of all ages

"…All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. Men and women did not weave the web of life; they are merely strands in it. Whatever one does to the web, one does to oneself."
Chief Seattle

This month as we celebrate Earth Day and raise awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Chief Seattle's words remind us that there is a ripple effect with all of our actions — that when one part of creation or one person is injured, the implications of that injury are felt far beyond our limited view. Wangari Maathai's vision and leadership weave this month's themes together and exemplify the interconnectedness of the strands of the web noted by Chief Seattle. Dr. Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Laureate, led the Pan African Green Belt Movement impacting 40 countries because she been raised to understand the importance of trees as a sustaining force in the environment and she was troubled by the deforestation at the hands of companies seeking inexpensive lumber. The movement rallied women because as the people responsible for collecting firewood, the further women had to travel the more likely they would be to experience sexual violence.

The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
Isaiah 24:4-5

In the profound and entertaining documentary, Dirt, Wangari Maathai tells this story: "The story of the hummingbird is about this huge forest being consumed by a fire. All of the animals in the forest come out and they are transfixed as they watch the forest burning. And they feel very overwhelmed and very powerless, except for this little hummingbird. It says, "I'm going to do something about the fire." So it flies to the nearest stream, takes a drop of water and puts it on the fire. It goes up and down, up and down, up and down as fast as it can. In the meantime, all of the other animals, much bigger animals, are standing there helpless. And they are saying to the hummingbird, "What do you think you can do? You are too little. Your wings are too little and your beak is too small. It can only bring a small drop of water at a time." But as they continue to discourage the hummingbird, it turns to them and tells them, "I am doing the best that I can." And, that to me is what all of us should do. We should always feel like a hummingbird.

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
Helen Keller

As a parent, I have to teach my children to become critical thinkers and to name the fires that they see – no matter how big or small. The seemingly small act of naming begins to demystify the way that a person or institution perpetrates or promotes harmful and potentially oppressive behavior or policy. And, once named we can actively choose to stop being complicit and advocate against the oppression. There were many times when the messages I received from friends, media, teachers and others were counter to how I believed Jesus wanted me to live. My parents made many decisions based on their faith that were ridiculed by friends and strangers alike. I learned from their faithful responses that stopping fires requires commitment and courage; and, I knew from an early age that that following Jesus was not always risk-free.

Having recently celebrated the Resurrection, we have claimed the hope and promise that Jesus brought to our world. Now, it is our time to become full-time disciples committed to extinguishing the fires in our world so that the integrity of our earth and our communities can be healed and become whole.

"Along with all the rest of the world's people, we have inherited ancient instructions for the stewardship and good husbandry of the earth, with clear warnings, now significantly verified, of the disasters that will (and already do) attend our failure. We have responded by continuing our elaborately rationalized destructions."
Wendell Berry, contemporary American writer

Resources

Environmental Justice

• Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? (children’s book)
• DIRT: The Movie (movie)
• Story of Stuff, Story of Bottled Water (video clips)
• Ecological Footprint exercise
• Faith and Facts Cards — Environmental issues
• Seeds of Change (children’s book)

Human Trafficking

• Polaris Project- myths and misconceptions about human trafficking (website)
• Faith and Facts Cards – Human Trafficking

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

• Men Can Stop Rape poster series and online resources (website)
• Healthy Masculinity Action Project — A two year national movement to develop new male leadership that role models strength without violence (website)
• Power and control diagram — offers some warning signs of an abusive personality (article)
• Faith and Facts Cards — Domestic Violence
• Faith Trust Institute — a national, multifaith, multicultural training and education organization with global reach working to end sexual and domestic violence. Includes articles, statistics, fact sheets and what you can do to help end sexual and domestic violence.

On April 9 people of faith will come together and ask for something rare in Washington, DC: leadership.

We want our Senators to lead us into a new day where our children and our communities are safe from senseless gun violence. But they will not lead unless they hear from you. YOU, YOUR congregation, YOUR networks are all key to ensuring that sensible legislation targeting gun violence is enacted. So, on Tuesday, you can call 1-888-427-0484 twice, one for each of your senators, and ask them to support two pieces of legislation.

Call Your Senators on April 9 - It's time to end gun violence!

Call your Senators and urge them to keep our communities safe, pass:

• S. 150 (Assault Weapons Ban) and
• S. 649 (Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act)

Call-In Day Sample Script

"Hi, my name is [Name] and as a United Methodist and someone who believes in ending gun violence, I urge Senator                              to support S. 150 (Assault Weapons Ban) and S. 649 (Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act). We need safe communities, safe schools and a ban on assault weapons." 

Encourage Others to Make the Call

Remember to call twice for each of your Senators and then contact members of your congregation and networks. We need all people of faith to raise their voices to call their Senators to enact gun violence prevention legislation. In addition to calling, you can also send them a letter — but don't forget to call!

Make the call and urge your family, friends, coworkers and church members to do the same. Just call 1-888-427-0484 or use our online tool (above) to make the call to both your Senators. Join with people of faith from across the United States to prevent gun violence from happening again. If our elected leaders will ever lead, it will be because we held them accountable and raised our voices together. April 9 is that day for us to tell them to lead. 

Yesterday, as we do every Wednesday, residents of the Methodist Building gathered to worship in the Simpson Chapel. Having celebrated communion, we had remaining consecrated elements with which we could extend Christ’s table. Across the street, the Supreme Court was hearing arguments on DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, a case which could forever change US policy on same sex marriage. We decided to cross the street and offer communion to those gathered outside the court.

Working our way through the crowd, Michelle with the bread and I with the cup, we asked, “Would you like communion?” Some averted their eyes and ignored our question. Others smiled, eagerly partook, and thanked us. One man gestured toward the elements and exclaimed, “I don’t even know what that means!”

Among all the different responses, there was one that continues to trouble me. It was from a woman who at first seemed excited and then stopped herself and asked, “Wait a minute…is this poisoned?”

This question, asked in complete seriousness, did not emerge from some paranoia on the part of the woman. Just steps away were persons who claim Christianity as their faith holding signs declaring, “God Hates Fags.” As Michelle and I started to explain in more detail who we were and where we came from, the woman added, “Well…you never know.” Unfortunately, I knew exactly what she meant.

“So, where does the United Methodist Church stand on the issue of gay marriage?”

Her question was a mirror, reflecting how many of those who fight for marriage equality view Christian believers. While there were certainly many Christians among the marriage equality crowd and many respected Christian leaders who spoke out publicly on behalf of justice, the fact remains that the perception many hold of the church is that we are small minded, bigoted haters.

As we continued to explore the crowd offering the bread and cup, I found myself quickly adding, “We’re Methodist…” to those we encountered. Our denominational affiliation seemed to offer some credibility to other Mainline Protestants. “Oh! I’m Episcopalian!” they’d share. At the same time, I feared the question, “So, where does the United Methodist Church stand on the issue of gay marriage?”

A Spectrum of Beliefs

We recognize the detrimental effects of privileging one class of people over another and pledge to fight discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice, or sexual orientation.

As many times as I have fielded this question, it’s a difficult one to answer. On one hand, our Social Principles state that, “We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman” (BOD¶ 161B). At the same time we passed Resolution 2042 in Opposition to Homophobia and Heterosexism, in which we recognize the detrimental effects of privileging one class of people over another and pledge to fight discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice, or sexual orientation.

Like these statements of the church, individual disciples and United Methodist congregations hold a spectrum of beliefs about marriage equality. Ask any two United Methodists how they feel about same sex covenant, and you can get two completely opposing answers. Unfortunately, most conversations that take place on this and other issues that relate to homosexuality are had within groups of folks who hold similar beliefs, and attempts to bridge these gaps have often ended in the kind of malicious speech and behavior that truly does poison the body.

Months ago, GBCS was invited to sign on to the major religious amicus brief in support of overturning DOMA. The brief was excellently written. It noted that different religious traditions have different opinions on gay unions, but that persons of faith have a fundamental belief in equality and justice. In signing on to the brief, we would have acknowledged that Edie Windsor, after having spent a lifetime in faithful and loving partnership with Thea Spyer, should have been afforded the same surviving spouse privileges as if she’d spent her life married to a man.

Ultimately, no matter how much individual members of the United Methodist Church or the General Board of Church and Society believe in justice, our Book of Discipline kept us from signing on to that brief. We can’t publicly support marriage equality or the basic human rights provisions of civil unions. Heck, we will probably even get nailed by anti-marriage equality Methodists for offering bathrooms and a warm room in our building for some of those participating in the rally.

Ultimately, the progress toward justice will advance as Spirit moves in the world. Whether the cases heard before the Supreme Court the past two days are the ones that change our law or not, the inequality suffered by same sex couples will be rectified. The question for United Methodists is whether or not we are willing, even with our different understandings of Scripture and different views of homosexuality, to be part of the fundamental arc of justice.

I keep coming back to what the woman asked, “Is it poisoned?” and asking myself the same question. Is the body of Christ poisoned? Has the hatred born by its members made it unsafe? Or can the body nurture us beyond this schism and take us all to a new level of understanding and loving one another? Because we serve a powerful and just God, I’ve got to believe that the body isn’t poisoned, it’s just broken, which is the exact state through which God can make us stronger.
 

Jesus said, “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance” (5:32). Our world is filled with younger and older sons and daughters. What will it take for all of us to have enough? As our Lenten journey draws to a close and Easter approaches, my hope is that all of us would ask God to transform the desires of our hearts beyond these forty days.

The Belly Soliloquy is a story of two brothers faced with worldly temptations that cause them to reach for abundance, which threatens right relationship with God and community; but this parable is filled with good news too! Hope accompanies the possibility of forgiveness and transformation. Christ’s passion and resurrection is foreshadowed through the beautiful compassion that the father displays through the patience and love that he extends to both of his sons, even while they continue struggling to understand and fulfill the responsibilities that come with right relationship.

God hasn’t given up on us... Hope lives in and through us when we realize the way we interact in relationship with the rest of creation matters today.

Though we have made mistakes in the past and continue to wander from right relationship individually and collectively, God hasn’t given up on us. Because of God's grace, we don't have to be who we were yesterday, or even this morning. Because of God's mercy, we are not entirely defined by our mistakes, but how we learn and grow from them. Because of God's love, we are constantly in the process of becoming who we are. Hope lives in and through us when we realize the way we interact in relationship with the rest of creation matters today. This very moment offers up an opportunity to forgive and be forgiven - to love and be loved - to decide how we are going to respond to the joys of life, and yes, also the disappointments.

The Belly Soliloquy: The Faithful Response

The belly scarcely understands Compassion.
In selfish pursuit, it wanders from the land of reconciliation
the belly betrays itself as it chases after abundance.
            “…one does not live by bread alone…” (Deut. 8:3, Luke 4:4)           

                        Enough!
                        Keep your belly led famine
                               “…I will get up
                                and go to my father…” (Luke 15:18)

                        I will join the household feast,
                       seek to reconcile relationship,
                       and welcome all into your fellowship.
                      I abandon my past claims:
                     “all that is mine is yours.”(Luke 15:31)

Lord Hear Our Prayer

God of mercy and grace, be present in our lives as we journey beyond this Lenten season. Continue to transform the desires of our hearts so that we are not distracted by the world’s temptations. Reveal to us the particular challenges that we have yet to recognize jeopardize the health of our personal and communal relationships. Forgive us for seeking abundance. Teach us to be content so that everyone may have enough.

Reflection Questions

• How do you think the concepts of “abundance” and “enough” fit into your personal faith journey?
• What do you think this parable has to say about social justice? Are there particular issues that come to mind after spending time with this parable?
• Do you think you live in right relationship with God, family, and neighbors near and far? If not, what are the obstacles getting in the way?

All who hunger, sing together; Jesus Christ is living bread. Come from loneliness and longing. Here, in peace, we have been led. Blest are those who from this table live their lives in gratitude. Taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good.
FWS 2126, All Who Hunger: verse 3

[He] will have to do with less for his brother to have enough.

We are told that the father had two sons. Both of them have different weaknesses. Although they aren’t tempted by the same things, they both seem to reach for more than right relationship with God and the rest of God’s creation can afford to allow them. Whereas the younger son reached for new experiences because the desires of his heart didn’t match the life and blessings he was given, the older son claims to have “been working like a slave” for his father while the younger son strayed, obeying what he interprets as all of his father’s commands. (Luke 15:29) The older son is upset that his father has forgiven his brother and wants to celebrate his return. The inheritance has already been split once. The father’s forgiving embrace of his youngest son means that the older son will have to do with less for his brother to have enough from this point forward.

Thirst for Abundance Chokes the Good News

But it is not only that the older son will have to learn to do with less material things in order for his brother to have enough. There is more to this story. The older brother’s complaints echo the grumbling of the Pharisees and Scribes that we find in the beginning of this chapter: “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1-3) To understand the gravity of this type of complaint, we must place this parable in the context of Jesus’ ministry. Luke’s gospel tells the story of Jesus’ proclamation that the good news is for the poor. The truth is that for the poor to have enough – for the oppressed to be set free – for the lowest rungs of society to be lifted up – some people will have to learn to be content with less. Abundance in all of its forms chokes the good news that Jesus is opening up the Love Feast to everyone.

For the Love Feast to be open to all, adjustments in everyone’s lifestyles are necessary.

Right relationship is about more than an individual’s relationship with God. The restoration of relationship between any child and their parent carries implications for siblings. The older son is quick to see his younger brother’s sins, but struggles to see his own shortcomings. For the Love Feast to be open to all, adjustments in everyone’s lifestyles are necessary. The table in this parable celebrates reconciliation and is open to both sons, but also requires them to search their hearts for impure desires that must be overcome for right relationship to flourish in community.

The Belly Soliloquy: Part II – The Older Son

The belly scarcely understands Compassion.
With pursuits of pious title and righteous recognition
the belly betrays God’s worthy harvest.
            “…for you have received your consolation…” (Luke 6:24-25)

                        No. Your gratitude is deficient.
                        Keep your wheat-fed feast

                                    “…this fellow welcomes sinners
                                    and eats with them…” (Luke 15:2)

                        Your blessings are wasted on the needy.
                        Taste the salty sweaty tears of my toil
                        that I may one day relish in my rank.
                        I stake my claim: what’s yours is mine –
                        do you think there aren’t other places I’d rather dine?

Reflection Questions

• The older son considered himself to be faithful and obedient, even while his brother strayed. But his own self-righteousness caused him to question an open table where all who seek right relationship can repent of their sins and be forgiven.
  • What do you think true faithfulness and obedience look like?
  • Where do you see strands of faithfulness and obedience in your faith community and the world?
• What do you think an open table that celebrates reconciliation would look like in the world today? Can you think examples outside of your context?

All who hunger, never strangers; seeker, be a welcome guest. Come from restlessness and roaming. Here, in joy, we keep the feast. We that once were lost and scattered in communion’s love have stood. Taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good. –FWS 2126, All Who Hunger: verse 2

[W]e are called ... each time we sit down to Scripture ... to shed our preconceptions.

How is your Lenten journey going so far? Have you been tempted to break the new spiritual discipline you adopted, or once again taste the sweetness of whatever you have given up during this season? We have all given in to temptation and strayed from the spiritual practices that sustain us at some point, but drowning in a sea of despair isn’t the purpose of Lent. Self-examination and repentance draw us closer into relationship with God so that the possibility of new life can be rekindled in us as we recall Jesus’ ministry, passion, and resurrection. Once again we call upon God so that our hope can be reignited. These forty days remind us of our collective memory: the covenantal story of deliverance, wanderings, and redemption. Just as the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness learning to rely on God’s divine provision of holy manna, the Son of God was led into the wilderness where he endured the devil’s temptations for forty days. In the midst of this long period of prayer and fasting, Jesus was challenged to prove his divine status by turning a stone into bread, to which he responded, “it is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone’.” (Deut. 8:3; Luke 4:4)

An alternative look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son

[H]is privileged status afforded him the possibility of abusing abundance.

There is a well-known parable from the gospel of Luke that has begun to illuminate this verse for me. Most people have heard it presented as the “Prodigal Son,” but I think there is much more to this story than the popular title acknowledges. As with all stories that are well known, seeing it with a new set of eyes can be challenging, but that’s what I think we are called to strive for each time we sit down to Scripture – to shed our preconceptions and hear the word it has to offer us in our particular context as individuals and members of community. As we embark on a fresh reading of the parable, I would like to propose an alternate title to the parable to help us see it with new eyes: The Belly Soliloquy.

The younger son in this parable breaks tradition by asking for his share of inheritance while his father is still living. The desires of this son’s heart cause him to hurt his father deeply by walking away from family relationship and responsibility. The text says he squandered his property by adopting a wasteful (asotos) lifestyle. As someone who grew up with more than enough to get by each day, I am aware that it was his privileged status that afforded him the possibility of abusing abundance. The famine that this passage refers to occurs after he spends all of his inheritance. In the Hebrew Bible, famine is a sign of God’s judgment when covenant laws are broken. The severed relationship between the younger son and his father echoes the disconnection that occurs when we, as God’s children, stray from right relationship with God.

It doesn’t take long for the younger son to complain that he is dying of hunger. But what kind of death is he really experiencing? What our English translation reads as “dying,” the Greek expresses as apollymi (“perish”). This particular term points back to its Hebrew equivalent abad, which once again conjures up the people’s covenantal rebellion against God. I wonder what part the son had in causing the famine he suffered from. Is it possible that the younger son wasn’t dying from a physical hunger? Could the younger son have destroyed himself by breaking right relationship and reaching for more than the “enough” that holy manna affords God’s children?Apollymi appears twice more in this passage. After the younger son humbles himself by returning home to his father and admits his shortcomings, his father celebrates because “he was lost (apollymi) and is found.” (Luke 15:24 and 32)

The Belly Soliloquy: Part I – The Younger Son

The belly scarcely understands Compassion.
With pursuits of unacquainted tastes,
the belly betrays God’s worthy harvest.
“You may eat bread without scarcity…” (Deut. 8:9)

No. Subsistence is insufficient.
Keep your cultivated
          “wheat and barley…
          olive trees and honey…”(Deut. 8:8)

I am still hungry.
Loosen the ground beneath my feet
that I may escape relational obligation.

​​I stake my claim: what’s yours is mine –
            there are other places I’d rather dine.

Reflection Questions:

• How has worldly hunger led you away from right relationship with God and neighbor?
• What are the worldly things that tempt you to reach for more than God’s holy manna, or “enough”?
• What do you think Jesus means when he claims that “one does not live by bread alone”? (Luke 4:4) After taking some time to contemplate the possibilities, read Deuteronomy 8:1-3.

All who hunger, gather gladly; holy manna is our bread. Come from wilderness and wandering. Here, in truth, we will be fed. You that yearn for days of fullness, all around us is our food. Taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good.
FWS 2126, All Who Hunger: verse 1

We are all given the opportunity to plant the seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that something will grow out of them. We lay foundations that need future development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond what we can do or dream.

The last few weeks have been a time of planting seeds and watching those seeds grow. Our board of directors met last week in Washington, DC., and part of our time together focused on understanding the legislative priorities and speaking truth to power. Board members were prepped for meetings with Members of Congress (something we do for our seminar program, familiarizations and national training event participants). It was a chance for United Methodists to share their faith and the concerns of the church with policymakers - planting seeds for future action locally and globally.

From Seeds to Fruit

It's important to celebrate how United Methodists are helping to transform the world for God. Let us give thanks for:

• The many voices of United Methodists and other people of faith were crucial in passing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It was reauthorized on Thursday, February 28 and signed into law on Thursday, March 7 by President Obama.
• The 7000 voices of faith that called Members of Congress urging them to take action to prevent further gun violence. 
• The work of thousands of United Methodists calling for just and human immigration reform is beginning to bear fruit. Bishop Minerva Carcano joined other faith leaders in a meeting with the White House today.
• The glocal advocates that met at the Church Center for the United Nations to begin developing a global resource tool for advocacy.
• The Board of Directors for the General Board of Church and Society affirmed the work of our grassroots organizers in 2012 and have committed funds for the next 3 years to support and develop grassroots advocates.

Here are some stories and blog posts you may have missed. May they inspire you and take your justice ministry into new and unexpected directions.

• 2013 legislative priorities
• Making the African voice heard
• Expanding the local-global connection
• Palestinian pastor’s advice for Obama
• Ready or not
• Seeking Justice: Everyone can be great!

"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone…and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something."
Sandra Day O'Connor, United States Supreme Court Justice (retired)

"Captivate me, Lord
Till the last of my days,
wring out my heart
with your hands
of a wise old Indian
so that I will not forget your justice
nor cease proclaiming
the urgent need
for humankind to live in harmony."
Julia Esquivel

As we celebrate Women's History Month in the United States, it is tempting to focus on the extraordinary women like Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks and Delores Huerta. They are indeed great people who were part of movements that changed the world for us and on whose shoulders we stand. When we approach history focusing only on extraordinary individuals, we forget the movements that enabled them to claim the leadership roles that God created for them and we forget the thousands of other women and men — allies — who participated in the movements to liberate women who were oppressed.

I grew up learning about these women and the strides they made to win the right to vote for women and to tear down the systems that were excluding women and people of color from experiencing the full rights endowed by the Constitution of the United States. Today, my children are learning about Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Wangari Mathai whose leadership has been recognized more recently for their work for justice on the continent of Africa.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12: 1-2

I knew the names, but I thought that greatness was reserved for a small number of people who were extra-ordinary. Growing up in North Carolina, I was focused on and committed to anti-racism work. As a White girl and woman, I saw the pervasive, sinister forces of racism impacting people around me on a daily basis. As a result of conversations with my parents about following Jesus, I was certain that Jesus abhorred racism and wanted me to live differently than what was modeled by my community and our broader society.

Looking back, I see plenty of examples of oppression of women and internalized oppression that my friends and I dealt with every day. I did not, however, turn my activism toward ending sexism until my 20s and 30s. I began to see more and more the interconnectedness of oppression. No longer was I concerned about perceived self-interest if I advocated for girls and women.

Today, raising two daughters and working with young people throughout our church, I use Jesus' teachings, especially the parables, as a model to enable us to become critical thinkers and agents of change. As people of faith, Jesus calls us to see through the lies and systems that value some over others and work to dismantle them.

"Until the killing of Black mothers' sons is as important as the killing of white mothers' sons, we must keep on."
Ella Baker

During Women's History Month, let's commit ourselves to celebrate the women who are named in history books and research and identify those who are not named. Those unnamed heroines are as significant in changing history and actively nurture our girls and boys to create a world where God's kindom has come and there is an end to oppression.

• What actions will you take today and each day to nurture the girls in your community so that they are learning to love themselves despite the hypersexualized and dumbing messages that flood our lives every day?
• How will you promote justice for girls and women today through your day to day actions and ways of being?
• What will you do today to promote the counter story of masculinity so that boys understand the inherent worth of girls and women -- becoming allies rather than bystanders?

Everyone can be great! Everyone can lead!

Step by Step,
Susan

"Each individual woman's body demands to be respected on its own terms."
Gloria Steinem

Resources

Women's History Month

• Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters (children's book)
• Extraordinary Girls (children's book)
• I Like Myself (children's book)
• Packaging Girlhood (book)
• GCOSROW: General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (website)
• MissRepresentation.org is a call-to-action campaign that seeks to empower women and girls to challenge limiting labels in order to realize their potential, and to encourage men and boys to stand up to sexism.

Healthy Families

• I Like Myself (children's book)
• Healthy Families, Healthy Planet initiative works to educate and mobilize United Methodists in the U.S. on the importance of maternal health and international family planning. (website)
• Sex and the Church is a series of articles that address critical aspects of human sexuality. (articles)
• Campaign for Healthy Kids aims to accelerate state and local policy change to increase children's access to affordable healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. (website)
• Let's Move is dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. (website)

Health Care Justice

• Health Care Justice Sabbath provides resources, information and action for thosed focused on God's desire for human beings to enjoy good health, both physical and mental, and that God wants society to actively help restore good health when it is lost. (website)
• John 10:10 Challenge are grassroots advocates from across the country, promoting health care as a basic human right for all people. (website)