November’s Recommended Reading
Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine
by Richard A. Horsley 
This comprehensive critical analysis of the historical Jesus examines his mission and involvement in the conflicted politics of ancient Palestine. In Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine, Richard A. Horsley brings the context and implications of recent historical research to bear on our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth. Based on a critical reconsideration of the Gospels and contemporary sources for Roman imperial rule in Judea and Galilee, Horsley argues that Jesus was deeply concerned with the politics of his day. Drawing on anthropological studies of peasant politics, Horsley discerns how Jesus, as a Moses- and Elijah-like prophet, generated a movement of renewal in Israel that was focused on village communities. Following the traditional prophetic pattern, Jesus pronounced God’s judgment against the rulers in Jerusalem and their Roman patrons. This confrontation with the Jerusalem rulers and his martyrdom at the hands of the Roman governor, however, became the breakthrough that empowered the rapid expansion of his movement in the immediately ensuing decades. In the broader context of this comprehensive historical construction of Jesus’s mission, Horsley also presents a fresh new analysis of Jesus’s healings and exorcisms and his conflict with the Pharisees, topics that have been generally neglected in the last several decades.
We want to take this moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our supporters for your invaluable role in the Renewed Heart Ministry community and for your dedication to our mission of fostering love, justice, compassion, and healing. Your support is the bedrock of our work. Your support empowers us to do what we do. At a time when ministries like ours are being asked to achieve more with fewer resources, your support is incredibly important, and we want to simply say thank you. Whether in our larger society or within our local faith communities, Renewed Heart Ministries remains committed to advocating for change, working towards a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for everyone, and being a source of love in our world. From all of us here at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you for your generous support. We deeply appreciate each and every one of our supporters.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Marching Donations Till End of Year
As we are seeking to reach our ministry goals here at the end of 2024, we are excited to share that all donations to Renewed Heart Ministries for the remainder of year will be matched! Every dollar you give will have twice the impact, helping us further expand the work of Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025. Join us in making a difference—together, we can maximize our collective impact!
We are excited to announce the return of our annual Shared Table event! This year, we invite you to become one of our monthly sustaining partners for 2025. By selecting the “Check this box to make it a monthly recurring donation” option when you donate online, you’ll receive a special thank-you gift: a handmade Renewed Heart Ministries Shared Table Pottery Bowl crafted by Crystal and Herb.
Becoming a monthly sustaining partner helps RHM plan and budget for our ministry projects throughout the year. To sign up, simply visit renewedheartministries.com/donate and choose an automated recurring monthly donation of any amount. If you prefer using PayPal, you can also select the “Make this a monthly donation” option.
As a token of our appreciation, we’ll be sending out these beautiful pottery bowls to our all of monthly partners at the start of the new year. Our hope is that these bowls, whether displayed or used, will serve as a reminder of Jesus’ message of love, care, and shared table fellowship. They also make wonderful gifts or conversation starters! If you’re already a sustaining partner for 2024 and you would like to continue your support for 2025, we deeply appreciate your ongoing support and you will also receive one of our Shared Table Pottery Bowls as a thank-you gift, as well.
Regardless of how you choose to support Renewed Heart Ministries at the end of this year, we are profoundly grateful for your partnership in furthering Jesus’ vision of a world rooted in compassion, love, and mutual care. Together, we strive to create a safer, more compassionate, and just world for today and for eternity.
Last Week’s Social Jesus Posts Articles posted each week at https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/
When Faith Does Societal Harm, Part 1 Our reading this week contains one of the most misunderstood stories in Mark’s gospel. The intent was faith, the result was societal harm.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2024/11/faith-societal-harm/
Teachers of the Law in Mark 12 (Part Two of When Faith Does Societal Harm) “Devoted to God” meant devoted to the State, and it didn’t trickle down to the poor, but into the pockets of those in positions of power.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2024/11/teachers-law-mark-12/ 
The Widow’s Mites of Mark 12 (Part Three of When Faith Does Societal Harm) Like the widow’s mites, does our religious practice cause societal harm or bring healing, life, renewal, restoration, and liberation?
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2024/11/widows-mites-mark-12/
New Episode of “Just Talking
Season 2, Episode 35: Mark 12.38-44. Lectionary B, Proper 27
`Each week, we’ll be talking about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be “just” talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week we’ll be inspired to do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out.
Watch at:
https://youtu.be/WImwchwi5UU?si=42vyGOOY406zB-56
The Social Jesus Podcast from RHM!
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.
Last week:
Season 1 Episode 30: When Faith Does Societal Harm
Mark 12:38-44
“Whenever I heard the story of the widow’s mites growing up in church, it was always held up as an example of the piety and fidelity we should follow. She gave so much with the little she had and we should sacrificially do the same. But nothing could be further from the point of why Mark’s gospel is actually telling this story. The widow’s mites story is not a story to applaud the widow’s dedication to giving but a story that critiques how the widow was being exploited. The widow is not an example for the poor to follow but the system that exploits her is an example for the wealthy and powerful not to follow. ‘Devoted to God’ meant devoted to the Temple-State, and it didn’t trickle down to the poor, but rather into the pockets of those in positions of power who already possessed so much. It gave them even more at the expense and harm of those from whom these resources were being taken, all while they piously said lengthy prayers in public to add religious influence to their economic exploitation. Standing in the Hebrew prophetic tradition, Jesus like the prophets of old who spoke truth to power, declared that these teachers of the law would be “punished most severely.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/when-faith-does-societal-harm
Upcoming Events
November 16, 2024
Good News Fellowship (via Zoom)
Toronto, Ontario Canada
For info: 304.520.0030
Weekly Zoom HeartGroup on Wednesday Nights
Each Wednesday evening, Glendale City Church will be hosting a Zoom-HeartGroup led by Herb Montgomery. Our discussion each week will focus on the content in Renewed Heart Ministries’ weekly eSight articles, The Social Jesus podcast, and RHM’s Just Talking YouTube show. The time of each Zoom session will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Pacific/10:00 p.m. Eastern.
For more information and for the link to participate each week, contact RHM here.
Audiobook Available Now on Audible
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels (2nd Edition)
by Herb Montgomery, Narrated by Jeff Moon
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. Readers will journey through the Gospel narratives, discovering the ways in which the Jesus of these stories challenged the political and religious establishments of his time. Herb Montgomery draws parallels between the societal issues faced by the people of Jesus’ era and the challenges of the present day, sparking reflection on the role of faith in addressing contemporary political and social issues. 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. Available now on Audible.
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