News From The Assembly

Social Activist: Gospel Message Intended to Address Problems of the Poor 
July 25, 2007 - Disciples News Service - Fort Worth, Texas

Jim Wallis, editor of "Sojourners" magazine, preached during the closing worship service at the 2007 General Assembly.

With a “Share the Feast” communion table serving as an appropriate backdrop, the closing worship service of the 2007 General Assembly was as exuberant as the opening ceremony five days earlier. Preacher, author and social activist Jim Wallis told the final plenary gathering of 4,000 Disciples that it was their obligation as Christians and Disciples to pursue issues of social justice.
                      
Quoting from the story of Jesus’ first sermon recorded in Luke 4, Wallis, a bestselling author who is editor and chief of “Sojourners” magazine and president and executive director of Sojourners/Call to renewal, an anti-poverty organization, said Jesus’ first priority is the plight of the poor.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised,” said Wallis, quoting Luke 4:18. His sermon was based around the evening’s theme, “A Passion for Justice.”

If we believe the text, Wallis intoned, it suggests that whatever else the Gospel might do about saving our marriages, whatever the Gospel might do about the myriad problems facing our society, and whatever else the Gospel does, if the Gospel does not address the problems of the poor, it’s not the Gospel.

“There’s a whole bunch of people out there who’ve never been to any of our churches, and yet they are hungry for our message,” declared Wallis. He and General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins had recently questioned the Democratic presidential candidates at a forum sponsored by Sojourners in Washington, D.C. Wallis alluded to Watkins’ question to the candidates about their personal prayer life.

“When politics is broken or failing, social movements rise up, and the movements are usually headed by the church,” Wallis said.

Wallis was the headliner for the last worship service of the Assembly, which took place at the Fort Worth Convention Center July 21-25. Prior to his sermon, worship was led by the Association of Disciples Musicians, the All-Assembly Choir and the Assembly Worship Band, which was composed of musicians from Disciples congregations across the United States and Canada. Communion was served at the conclusion of the service.

By: James Patterson, writer