SCRIPTURE

Isaiah 65:17a, 19-23

PRAYER

This prayer is an adaptation of the Orthodox Jewish prayer and should be prayed three times before you begin reading this session.

Holy One, make haste to help me.

Holy One, make speed to save me.

Holy One, enable me to find the depth and the stillness to embody your wisdom in the world

THE SOCIAL CREEDS

If we look at the Social Creed for the 21st Century as a way to honor the church’s important prophetic tradition, we can only offer a resounding yes to the questions raised in Session 1-A. The creed makes us aware of many places where people are held in bondage today. It points toward practices and policies that bear the potential to bring God’s vision for a new earth into conversation about social and economic justice.

The Social Creed for the 21st Century celebrates the centennial of the 1908 Social Creed and was adopted by both the P.C.(U.S.A.) and the National Council of Churches in 2008. A creed is one of the ways Reformed and Presbyterian Christians promote social righteousness as one of the Great Ends of the Church. Like the 1908 creed, this creed calls for Christians to work collaboratively and ecumenically in response to the great challenges of globalization and sustainability.

To begin, carefully read the 21st Century Creed. Take a moment to reflect on the relevance of Isaiah’s words for the social and economic problems we face in our own time. The first session invites you to begin exploring, just grazing the surface of the social, economic, and political problems named in the creed. We will consider the theological basis the creed provides for a contemporary Christian response to problems we face today.

RESOURCES

Information about the background, context and the connection the two creeds can be found at this National Council of Churches site.

More images from and information concerning the Library of Congress’s National Child Labor Committee Collection can be found at this site.

For more information regarding the makers of the video on child labor in India, see World Vision India’s site.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION

What are some of the destructive patterns and behaviors named by the Social Creed for the 21st Century? Where do you see evidence that these destructive patterns and behaviors are threatening the health of your community? Where do you see churches addressing these destructive patterns? Using the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of this Session 1 Post, please share your personal reflections with the study group, and respectfully comment on others.