Worship And Social Justice
Christian teaching has always challenged believers both to offer worship to God and to demonstrate love for others. Yet at times the church has unnecessarily separated these two dimensions of the Christian life, limiting worship to Sunday morning and leaving acts of social justice for everyday activities. This section demonstrates how liturgy and social justice are, in fact, importantly related. In liturgy, we sense anew the importance of justice and peace in God's coming kingdom and we offer gifts and prayers in response to the needs of the world. In acts of justice, we bring to God the worship of our lives and point the world to the love, peace, and justice that ultimately are rooted in the person of Christ. Without acts of justice, worship is meaningless and repugnant in God's eyes. Without worship, justice is mere activism and self-promotion. Worship and justice are not two separate ministries, but are vitally linked dimensions of the lives of Christ's followers.