Unity Through the Practice of Justice: How Genuine Reconciliation and Justice Are Interconnected Review the Accusations of Pastor Ronnie Garcia, PCA at : www.ronniegarcia.org How can we build genuine unity and reconciliation in the church in America? Or for that matter, the church in Rwanda, Congo, Togo, Kenya, India, Burma…? Using cultural or ethnic or gender identity markers to define ourselves off against each other will not promote deep reconciliation. Quite radically, and quite stunningly to our flesh, God reminds us that rich oppressor and poor oppressed, those with cultural power and those without, have now become the one people of God - now, all of us, are equally identified as “one in Christ” through our faith in Him, and through the unity achieved and purchased by the Cross and Resurrection of Christ. We are praying the 2020 Reconciliation and Justice Conference will fan the flames of our unity and heighten our witness of the reconciling power of Jesus Christ to a watching world. Proposition: Justice is a concrete response triggered by unity. MP1: Just affection: Unity directs our affection towards those who God loves (vv11,15; cf. Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:12-17) MP2: Just endurance: Unity gives perseverance for justice (vv12-14; cf. Luke 11:11-12) MP3: Just worship: Unity produces deeper worship that God receives (v16; cf. Isaiah 58) questions for discussion: 1. Have you ever been in a situation in which you were forced to be around someone that you were sure you would not like? (Or perhaps you were simply nervous and anxious because you did not know what that person was like.) What changed after you spent time together, or worked together? How does ‘proximity’ (i.e. unity) give occasion for a new relationship? 2. When you watch the news, do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of injustices in the world? Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘why bother?!’ Working for justice is like filling up leaky buckets. The work is endless. If the common ingredient is not super-spirituality, then what is the difference between a person with endurance, and a person without? How does unity give us endurance? How does the Spirit want to give you a new endurance to love others? 3. What is going on in our hearts when we seek an experience of love for God while not equally seeking an experience of love for those who are dear to His heart? Why do we do that? What are the fears that hold our hearts hostage? What is God teaching you about the worship that God receives? Reverend Ronnie Garcia – Pastor, La TRAVESÍA Church, San Juan, Puerto Rico http://www.reconciliationjusticenetwork.com/2020-conference/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TndxB_q8gow

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