Recommended Reading for January
Pray We PrayFreedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor
By Liz Theoharis (Editor), Charon Hribar (Editor)
A book of prayers, rituals, and liturgies that grows out of communities committed to abolishing poverty.
Prayer has long sustained movements for social change. Ritual gives shape to our desire for justice, and liturgy lends power to our work. In We Pray Freedom, we learn from activists and movement builders the songs, stories, and ritual practices that keep them going for the long haul. The Freedom Church of the Poor, called for by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has existed in many forms; today it includes laborers, poor folks, pastors, organizers, and others bound together by a conviction: It does not have to be this way.
Edited by Liz Theoharis, theologian, pastor, anti-poverty activist, and editor of We Cry Justice, and Charon Hribar, song leader, cultural organizer, and social ethicist, this book guides readers through a journey of remembering, healing, mourning, action, and celebration. It is a collection of prayers, resources, and stories from the communities in which they arose, including:
A Prayer to Protect a Sacred Place
A Prayer for Burials
A Black Friday Prayer for Workers’ Justice
Passover Seder
Vigil for the Detained
Healthcare Vigil
A Shinnecock Song of Peace
Earth Liturgy
A Ramadan Ritual
A Poem in the Wake of Police Violence
A Revolutionary Advent Wreath
A Prayer for Diwali
Benediction for Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
Join Chaplains on the Harbor on their Stations of the Cross, Iglesia del Pueblo for Día de los Muertos, Domestic Workers United in their community garden ritual, and an of encampment of unhoused residents in Alabama for their communion service. With more than fifty resources from eighty contributors, We Pray Freedom is useful for individual reflection, corporate worship, and protest and action. Through liturgies of liberation, join a movement that bears witness to the justice of God and to human faith, suffering, protest, and love.ublished in 1936. The Cost of Discipleship is an excellent addition to any Christian library.
Last Week’s Social Jesus Blog Posts
New Beginnings and the Word Becoming Flesh
Part 1 of the series New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
New beginnings require responsible interpretations that take into account historical contexts and couragously reject harmful applications.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2025/12/new-beginnings-word-becoming-flesh
The Gospel of John and the Continuity of Justice
Part 2 of the series New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
Healthy interpretations emphasize continuity: the synoptic gospels continue and intensify the Hebrew prophetic societal justice tradition.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2025/12/gospe-john-continuity-justice
New Year, Same Work
Part 3 of the series New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
A new year calls for a continuing of our committment to a justice work that is sacred, necessary, and, ultimately, life-giving.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2026/01/new-year-same-work/
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 1: New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
John 1:10-18
“These narratives proclaim that life, justice, and love outlast injustice and empire. In this sense, the Jesus story is God’s refusal to validate systems that oppress and do harm. The gospels affirm that the way of Jesus was solidarity with the oppressed, resistance to injustice, and courageous love. This way began in a manger in Bethlehem, traversed the countryside challenging injustice and mitigating harm, and ultimately, after standing up to systemic injustice in Jesus’ own societal context, Jesus’ way was not defeated by a Roman cross, but was resurrected to live on in the lives of his followers. To follow Jesus today is to take his liberating call seriously. It means recognizing that injustice is not only personal but also systemic and woven into economic, political, social, and yes, even religious structures. Discipleship involves naming those injustices, standing with those harmed by them, and working for change even when such efforts are costly. Just as in Jesus’ time, movements for justice will unsettle comfort and provoke resistance. Yet the call remains the same: to seek a world shaped by compassion, equity, and shared thriving. This second weekend of the Christian Christmas season, and the first weekend of the new year, let’s embrace the call to believe and live out the gospel truth that justice work is sacred, necessary, and, ultimately, life-giving.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/new-beginnings-and-our-justice-work-today
Upcoming Events
Januray 17, 2025
Good News Fellowship (via Zoom)
Toronto, Ontario Canada
For info: 304.520.0030
Weekly HeartGroup on Zoom Every Wednesday Night!
Each Wednesday evening, Renewed Heart Ministries hosts a Zoom-HeartGroup led by Herb Montgomery. Our discussion each week will focus on the content in RHM’s weekly eSight articles and the Social Jesus podcast. The time of each Zoom session will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Pacific/10:00 p.m. Eastern.
To receive the link for the Zoom meeting, email us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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