Doing Justice
Posted on Jun 11, 2020 by
God 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 6:8
When I was ordained in 1989, Bishop Charlie Maahs was the one to preside. He and I talked about what scripture I wanted to use. I told him this passage from Micah was very important to me and my call to ministry.
I feel because of my parents and my ministry in the church I have been faithful in walking humbly with God. In each ministry I have been involved with, I have been prayerful. I have felt a strong connection with God’s word in my study and preparation for sermons. I feel the congregations I have served have also been faithful in walking humbly with our God — Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer of our lives.
In my ministries I have served I have felt we have loving kindness, showing mercy to all those in need. I have served on various boards that feed the hungry, reach out to those who are homeless, prepare quilts and comfort to those who are in need across the world.
But where I have struggled is in the matters of showing justice. Yes, I have been a part of clergy groups that have talked the talk about justice for LGBTQ+ siblings, for racial equality and all changes in our nation’s equality for all people whose voices are often silenced because of their lack of power. But I have been careful in the language I use in my sermons and prayers because of my fear of how members will respond.
As a part of Bishop Candea and the synod’s calling all clergy to be involved in “talk about racism,” I will be speaking out. The book suggested by the synod that I have chosen to read is Preaching about Racism: A Guide for Faith Leaders. Already I see how this book and conversations with colleagues have helped me to see a way to speak about the issues that may make us feel uncomfortable, but we should all hear.
So, I lift up prayers of Salem Lutheran Church as we move forward as a congregation, with all of the changes that are before us from COVID-19, reopening for worship, deciding on our next worship space and Sunday school meetings, and our dreams of our future for Salem Lutheran Church. These are challenging days, but I want to close with a prayer that interim pastors use often in their ministry:
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we
cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.
Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go,
but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Peace,
Pastor Cynthia Schnaath