Acknowledging failure is not easy to do in any circumstance. This is specifically true when it comes to discussing the Church’s failure to live up to its call from God to do the work of justice. Reckoning with the failure of Christians to make justice efforts more than mere words may be a hard pill to swallow for some, yet it could also be the most faithful next step on the road to change. Are not confession and repentance essential parts of the Christian life? 

Joining us to discuss this is Rev. Jasper Peters who serves as Lead Pastor of Belong Church. Belong is a United Methodist community in Denver, Colorado with an orientation towards the work of justice, a work that has animated Jasper’s life and calling. Jasper leads with an acute recognition of the ways that the Church has not lived up to goals of invitation, embracing, and personal/societal transformation. With the marriage of mercy and justice, Jasper and Belong seek to help people grow in faithfulness to the work of the Kingdom of God.

Chris and Eddie talk to Jasper about the need for the Church to recognize both its failure to do the work of justice and the unique opportunities that exist to repent. Specifically, they talk about the importance of recognizing the true, non-romanticized state of our past and present as we press on towards a more faithful future. This conversation is one worth engaging multiple times as we learn from Jasper’s story, wisdom, and vision for the people of the Body of Christ.

Resources

Eddie references a video of Jasper’s where he reflects on why the term “racial reconciliation” is not an accurate representation of the work that the Church needs to take on. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH3OyppyaRE

Jasper speaks to the diversity and justice work of Rev. Dr. Stephany Rose Spaulding and her organization Truth and Conciliation. Learn more about their work here: https://truthandconciliation.org/

Jasper is the Lead Pastor of Belong, a United Methodist congregation in Denver, Colorado devoted to drawing people into the work of the Kingdom of God. Follow them online: https://belongchurch.org/

Follow Belong Church on Social Media:
https://twitter.com/belongdenver
https://www.instagram.com/belongdenver/
https://www.facebook.com/belongdenver

Follow Rev. Jasper Peters on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2EPuVgt

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