Date/Time
Date(s) - February 6, 2016
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location
Carey Centre
Categories No Categories
Just Life: A Biblical Framework for Practicing Justice in Everyday Life
Date: Saturday, February 6, 2016 Time: 9:00-3:00 Location: Carey Centre Cost: $79/person includes lunch Presenter: Jonathan Bird, Executive Director, City Gate Leadership ForumAbout the workshop:
Biblical justice is less about engaging in a project or campaign, than it is a way of life and of being in community. It is less about concern for the plight of people far away, and more about attending to the person right in front of you and joining God in re-establishing the healthy relationships – personal and systemic – he intends for his Creation. In this workshop, we will explore how the practice of Sabbath is the root both of Christian spirituality and of Christian economics – how we can be sustained in our acts of sacrificial sharing and advocacy. We will examine how Scripture links righteousness and justice, so that by admitting our own spiritual and emotional poverty we can allow Jesus to bring the fuller richness of his salvation to us even as we seek to offer it our neighbours. And we will interact with practical examples of forging justice by discovering and building on the assets already present in the people and places of our neighbourhoods.About Jonathan Bird:
Jonathan holds a MA in Old Testament Studies from Regent College (Vancouver) where he paid particular attention to the ethical thrust of Torah and the Prophets and to the implications of ancient Israel’s story – from Exodus to Exile – for Christian mission in the postmodern era. He also took a MA in Literature from Miami University (Ohio), where he studied critical theory and the aspirations of Avant-Garde artists to become the prime force for social justice and harmony after the “death of God.”Prior to founding City Gate in 2004, Jonathan helped establish Crossroads Community Project out of Grandview Calvary Baptist Church in East Vancouver, as their Program Coordinator and Chaplain. Before entering the nonprofit sector, Jonathan taught at the university level. When not in ministry or academia, Jonathan has enjoyed working with his hands as a self-employed home renovator, an installer of high-end custom cabinetry for a Beachy Amish shop, a maintenance man for a social housing complex, and a crew member for a custom homebuilder.