- Target:
- To those who love and are loved
- Region:
- United States of America
”Resolution to Embrace the Margins” passed June 11, 2016 in Westminster, CO by the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference 2016
Even here in the Rocky Mountain Conference, we do not need to look far to find where lines are being drawn and darkened that separate people placing some in the privileged body and the rest in the margins. We, as the faith community and people known as the Rocky Mountain Conference, will no longer perpetuate these behaviors, but instead actively work with intentionality and boldness to be known as demonstrators of God’s unconditional grace and love for all.
We resolve to actively work to eradicate the lines that define margins in our world by moving towards active listening, patient prayer, and nurturing relationships with those with whom we differ.
We resolve that it is not the responsibility of those on the margins or those who actively work alongside those on the margins, but everyone’s responsibility as the hands and hearts of Jesus Christ to hold ourselves and each other accountable to eliminating boundaries that create othering and inequality.
We resolve that God’s call to be in relationships built in love and grace shall motivate us to be intentional in radically engaging the oppression and hurt caused by racism (personal and institutional), classism, nationalism, sexism, heterosexism, cisgenderism, agism, and discrimination based on being differently abled.
June 13, 2016
To those who love and are loved:
We, the faith community called the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, gathered this past week to commit ourselves to ministry with the margins. We pledged ourselves to “radically engaging the oppression and hurt” caused by the -isms in our society. And, we resolved to “actively work” as peacemakers and demonstrators of God’s unconditional grace and love. By making these commitments we recognize that now is the time to act.
We deplore acts of violence against anyone and all people. We recognize and deplore the harm done in the name of God by our church, the United Methodist Church, as we fail to declare homophobia and hate as incompatible with Christian teaching. We commit to being the church, a community that recognizes and loves everyone no matter their race, religion, class, national heritage, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or physical or mental ability.
We confess, that we have been complicit too long, and we will most likely be complicit again. In naming when we have been silent and refusing silence any more, we are working to move forward and closer to a world blanketed in peace instead of hate and oppression.
Please join us in accepting the resolution we took up this past week to refuse to stand by silently, but to actively, intentionally, and boldly labor to eradicate that which diminishes or harms another and instead lift each and every person into the light, love, and grace of God. You are invited to share this commitment to action with your communities, your churches, and your tribes.
With unconditional love and grace for all,
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The Acting on Our Commitments petition to To those who love and are loved was written by In the World and is in the category Religion at GoPetition.