Skip to main content

Occupy Shalom during Advent

Dr. Michael J. Christensen and Bishop Alfred Johnson
Here's a copy of my Occupy Advent Prayer and Statement of Support for Occupy Wall Street, delivered as a Call and Response at Zuccotti Park on December 4, 2011 for the Second Sunday in Advent: 

Communities of Shalom
is a network of community development sites—
known as Shalom Zones—scattered across the country.

We are here today to Occupy with Faith
in direct solidarity with OWS
because we share your frustration with the System--
the possessed structures of oppression and domination 
that Bible calls “Principalities and Powers...”
at work for ill in the world...

We are here today because we agree with you who are occupiers:
that our democracy has been coopted and corrupted,
that the few are enriched at the expense of the many,
that greed is wrong, and selfishness is sin.

We are here today—occupiers and allies—together proclaiming
that a new world is possible, a new world is coming, a new world of God's Shalom!

Occupy Advent
is about being willing and waiting,
waiting and working,
watching and praying,
for the coming Change,
the pending Shift,
the sure Turning,
and long-Dawning
of the Age of the Spirit!

Advent is a time of new Beginnings.
We're hoping and praying
working and waiting
for the Change that must come,
so that the scripture might be fulfilled:
“those that gathered much did not gather too much,
and those who gathered little did not gather too little,
so all may have what they need.” (Exo 16:18)

“How long, O Lord, how long?"  I hear the Psalmist David say.
How long must we wait for the the world to Turn?
For the Shift to take hold and the Wrong made right?
How long, O Lord, how long?
For the valleys to be exalted and the mountains brought low?
How long, O Lord, how long?
Will the wicked prosper and the poor live in despair?

“How long?--Not long!” I hear the prophet Martin say:
because “the arc of the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice."

For thus it is written, and thus is shall be:

On the mountain of greed
ON THE MOUNTAIN OF GREED

From the ashes of despair
FROM THE ASHES OF DESPAIR

In the chaos of these times
IN THE CHAOS OF THESE TIMES

Will arise
WILL ARISE


New communities of hope and faith
NEW COMMUNITIES OF HOPE AND FAITH

New communities of love and daring
NEW COMMUNITIES OF LOVE AND DARING

New communities of God’s Shalom
NEW COMMUNITIES OF GOD’S SHALOM

AMEN. (adapted from original Shalom Litany of first Shalom Team in Los Angeles, 1992)





Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue Lecture Notes: Presented by Michael J. Christensen, Ph.D.,  Associate Professor in the Practice of Spirituality and Ministry,  Drew University;  and  International Director, Communities of Shalom, The United Methodist Church Introduction “There is a little man in Peru, a man without any power, who lives in a barrio with poor people and who wrote a book.   In this book he simply reclaimed the basic Christian truth that God became human to bring good news to the poor, new light to the blind, and liberty to the captives.   Then years later this book and movement it started is considered a danger by [the USA, or Rome], the greatest power on earth.   When I look at this little man, Gustavo, and think about [the President of the US, or the Pope], I see David standing before Goliath, again with no more weapon than a little stone, a stone called A Theology of Liberation (Henri Nouwen
Read more

First Generation Lambs Club Reunion

Fifteen of us gathered Saturday night at the Lambs Club for a 35 th year reunion of those who helped start the Lamb’s Church in Times Square in the mid to late 1970’s, including: Rev. Paul S. Moore , Founder of the Lamb’s Church of the Nazarene, and his wife, Tamara Dr. Michael J. Christensen , charter member and former associate pastor, and his wife Dr. Rebecca Laird Fr. William (BJ) Webe r, former Associate Pastor and Director of the Lamb’s Residency, and his wife Sheila who lived at the Lamb’s Jim and Dustee Hullinger, who were on staff together and made the Lamb’s their home for over 25 years Effie Canepa , who was the church pianist under 3 pastors, and her husband Peter Shirley Close, who attended the Lamb’s in the late 1970’s while studying, performing  and teaching music and voice Carl "Chappy" Valente , former associate pastor Rev. Bob DiQuatto , lead singer of the Church’s “Manhattan Project” and staff member of the Lamb’s, and his son Jason Rev. Gabriel
Read more

Not Afraid of Death by Julia Esquivel

In reading your blog, Michael, I immediately think of these two poems is poem by Julia Esquivel, from Guatemala, whom I had the pleasure of meeting years ago.  Un abrazo, Ada Maria I AM NOT AFRAID OF DEATH I am no longer afraid of death I know well Its dark and cold corridors Leading to life. I am afraid rather of that life Which does not come out of death, Which cramps our hands And slows our march. I am afraid of my fear And even more of the fear of others, Who do not know where they are going, Who continue clinging To what they think is life Which we know to be death! I live each day to kill death; I die each day to give birth to life, And in this death of death, I die a thousand times And am reborn another thousand Through that love From my People Which nourishes hope! THREATEN WITH RESURRECTION They have threatened us with Resurrection There is something here within us which doesn’t let us sleep, which doesn’t let us rest, which doesn’t stop the pounding deep inside. It is the s
Read more