My friend Robert, who is the director of our local Direct Action group, CLOUT, sent this out this morning. You're familiar with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, well, today is Confrontation Monday in the Holy Week Calendar...
Happy Confrontation Monday!
This is the day in Holy Week on which Jesus confronted the powers-that-be in the religious-political system of the temple in Jerusalem for their economic oppression of the poor and marginalized. It was a premeditated, strategically thought-out direct action, which shut down the temple for the day.
It is my hope that someday Confrontation Monday will be added to the list of special days during Holy Week, alongside Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, etc.!
May our work together make confronting the powers-that-be for justice so much a part of our congregations’ annual ritual, along with our other many religious observations and celebrations, that someday our Annual Action Assembly will be on Monday of Holy Week!
Blessings on your Holy Week.
14 comments:
I'm the Social Action chair of our United Methodist Women's unit. I e-mailed this to our group, including to my pastor. This is the reply I got back from him....
"This is pretty cool..I like it. Let's talk about it as a possibility for next year."
You may be hearing from me to get some ideas as we plan this next year.
How cool! Thanks for the note, Marty.
I had never heard of Confrontation Monday until you wrote this post. But it makes sense. There's a hole in the liturgical calendar, and it's completely Biblical.
Dan, I sent you an e-mail did you get it? I'm not sure if I have your right e-mail address or not.
Got it, Marty. Thanks. I passed that on to Robert and he was thrilled.
Mebbe this is the beginning of a Movement or even a Cause...
With just a little violence thrown in for grins.
Violence? Who? Jesus? No, making a cord and driving out the animals and turning over the tables is not the sort of violence that people generally talk about when they talk about violence.
No lives were threatened, no physical harm done. Public disorderliness would be a better description.
Actually, he used the bundle of cords, a field expedient whip if you will, to drive out both people and animals. The fact that you accept the text so literally that you can confidently state that no one was hurt is so out of character for you. I guess you could say it was a violent public disorderliness done out of love and compassion.
Don't you just love anoymous commenters.
Yes, I do. Almost as much as I love commenter who set up a blind blogger account, behind a pseudonym so they don't have to be anonymous. That is a much more honest approach. Maybe they should be driven from the internet with a bunch of cords and have their computers overturned.
Touche. Although, at least sister Marty has someway of tracking her and responding to her - including an email listing. So, while she may be a bit anonymous, she is a step away from total anonymity. A step in the direction of courage.
I have to agree with her that anonymous commenters don't especially excite me. Even if you wish (or need) to remain anonymous, providing a name (even a pseudonym) and a way of following up is a HUGE step away from total anonymity.
Well my name is Marty. It's not a pseudonym. When I first started blogging I had my last name on my blog, but then removed it when I began receiving death threats.
I have actually met a few of my blogger friends if that's any of your business Anoy-mous.
Hey Dan, don't be surprised if I should show up at your church some day.
It is also no secret that Dr. Bruce Prescott - Mainstream Baptist - used to be my pastor here in Houston.
I've signed my last name on e-mails to Dan and others. And just the other day e-mailed Dan a link to my church's blog.
So if you're talking about me Anoy-mous...try again.
No I actually wasn't, although Dan's buddy Feodor comes to mind. Nonetheless, my work is done here. Much like Col Flagg from M*A*S*H, I'm the wind...
The Wind just broke his leg...
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