... joy and justice in congregational life offer community and grace in the midst of a disconnected world ... offer hope in the search for wholeness and purpose ... offer courage in the face of darkness. That’s exactly why God de-


lights when we are creators of both justice and joy. Our joy can never be complete until all people have a place at the table of the Lord and are able to become all that God created them to be. Shirley Erena Murray’s 1998 hymn “A Place at the Table” expresses a Christian version of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Drinking clean water and having enough food and shelter; receiving a quality education; sharing power; making one’s voice heard; enjoying the right to sup- port one’s family through a job that offers dignity and creates value; the justice of living free of racism, sex- ism, ageism, and discrimination of all kinds: this is what brings joy. At the same time, justice


grounds us in our call to make a difference in the world. The prophet Micah cries out, “How can I please the Lord? What does it mean to be God’s people?” With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8, NRSV)


Worship is telling Joy without justice is a breed-


ing ground for selfishness and isolation. And justice without joy


can lead to disillusionment and hopelessness. Whenever I walk into worship in a local church, I can tell whether justice and joy are present. It’s an intuitive sense of whether this particular body of Christ has a mature spirituality that elicits joy in its congregational life or whether a depression has set in because of conflict, decline, fear, or spiri- tual malaise. Joyful congregations honor differences at the same time as they worship God and serve others with one heart and mind. Do you want to be part of a joyless congregation? Most of us don’t. I can also tell when I walk


into worship whether a congre- gation is outwardly focused on service and mission or is preoccu- pied with self-preservation. Sadly, churches that turn inward and neglect the weightier matters of social justice and transforming the world often lose their joy as well and experience collective depres- sion and fear. Justice-seeking and joyful


congregations convey high energy, 5


expectation, and the eager antici- pation of the presence of the Holy Spirit. They experience the joy of the Lord, inspire others with a deep desire to seek justice, and invite guests and all those seeking a rela- tionship with God to join them on the adventurous journey of faith.


No greater gifts Why are justice and joy the


greatest gifts that Christians can offer to others?


First, joy and justice in con-


gregational life offer community and grace in the midst of a discon- nected world. Anyone who has volunteered in a homeless shelter, has received dozens of cards from church folks during a serious ill- ness, or has had the privilege of teaching our children and youth about the love of Jesus cannot fail to be filled with joy and a desire to do justice. Both immigrant families and the congregations that welcome them with open arms experience the joy of human con- nection in the midst of language, cultural, and religious differences. Church members who volunteer to participate in work teams after a hurricane or tornado, sew dresses for children in Haiti, or travel to Mexico to rebuild after an earth- quake are inspired by the very people they serve. Joy and justice


ways to bring a call to “justice and joy” into worship:


1. Have gift-wrapped boxes and words as a visual centerpiece to illustrate everyone having a place and a gift.


2. Display a scale of justice with big words “Justice” and “Joy.”


3. Have dancers or others attach shapes that resemble puzzle pieces to a large bulletin board. The pieces could have words like joy, justice, help with disaster relief, food kitchen, etc.


4. Invite youths or others to share expressions of gratitude and joy for the nurturing they have received from the congregation.


5. Offer cards that worshipers can take with them that list ways to become involved in ministries of justice.


__________________________________________________________________________________________________ January-February 2018 • WorshipArts • www.UMFellowship.org


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