Acting Out Our Justice Prayers at St. Luke Baptist Church, New York, NY

摘要

St. Luke continuously prays for justice matters nationally and locally. Yet we needed to strengthen those justice prayers in a public way that would reach and help grow new disciples. In seeking to meet this area of concern, a Community Justice Day was held on April 23, 2016 at St. Luke. A core group of dedicated church disciples and the doctoral candidate made a firm commitment to owning this area of concern and effectively responding to it through prayer and community meetings about four identifiable justice areas that impacted Harlem.;The core group who formed the Lay Advisory Committee was invaluable to the overall success of the project and to the doctoral candidate. We grew together as we learned more about these four identifiable areas: eco-justice, strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the community, world consciousness and unity in the community. In the planning phase, there were various community meetings where the focus was on how the project would take shape. Moreover, guest speakers came to provide substantive information on the four identified areas mentioned. At each meeting, there was an opportunity to ask questions of the invited speaker and determine if the speaker would add a significant impact to the Community Justice Day. The speakers returned to participate in the actual project.;There was a theological component and biblical rationale behind the Community Justice Day as well. Prior to the day of the project, a bible study was held based upon a reading of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12; the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20; God's justice concern in Micah 6:8 and the idea of being gathered and of being sent found in Luke 4:18-19. We discussed how these scriptures spoke to us through faith sharing and community justice.;The project effectively responded to stewardship over the environment, strengthening relationships between the community and law enforcement, world consciousness and coalition building by actively partnering in a day of communal gathering for humanity in and outside of St. Luke.