FAITH THAT LEADS US TOWARD JUSTICE

Written By Rev. Sheryl Padgett

Sermon Notes: January 18 2025 Rev. Sheryl Padgett
Key Points for Reflection & Practice

1. Faith Begins with Honest Examination

  • Faith is not blind belief or inherited doctrine

  • Faith requires courage to question beliefs that no longer reflect:

    • Love

    • Truth

    • God as Good

  • Releasing fear-based beliefs is essential spiritual work

Remember: Faith grows when we let go of what no longer aligns with Truth.

2. Deconstruction Must Lead to Action

  • Deconstructing beliefs is only the first step

  • True faith does not end with “better ideas”

  • Faith becomes complete when beliefs shape how we live

Key Insight: Private beliefs must become public practice.

3. Self-Awareness Is a Spiritual Responsibility

Ask Yourself:

  • If God is present everywhere, how do I respond to injustice?

  • If every person is a child of God, how do my words reflect that?

  • If consciousness shapes experience, where is my thinking rooted?

  • If prayer is my practice, does it lead me toward love and responsibility?

  • If Truth must be lived, what is mine to do?

Remember: Awareness precedes right action.

4. Jesus as Way-Shower

  • Jesus and other enlightened masters demonstrates how to live awake to God

  • Faith is living as Jesus lived:

    • Love

    • Compassion

    • Courage

    • Nonviolence

    • Integrity

Key Teaching: Faith moves from belief to embodiment.


5. Love of God and Love of Neighbor Are One

  • Loving God cannot be separated from loving people

  • Love is not abstract - it has social consequences

  • Our neighbor is anyone in need of compassion

Remember: Spirituality without love in action is incomplete.


6. Faith Responds to Human Suffering

  • People of faith must consider the human impact of fear, injustice, and instability

  • The spiritual question is not only “What do I think?”

  • The deeper question is:

    • How do I love my neighbor at this moment?


7. Mindful Action Is Faith in Motion

Faith expresses itself through conscious, ethical action:

Right Speech

  • Speak truthfully and compassionately

  • Avoid dehumanizing language

  • Ask:

    • Is it true?

    • Is it kind?

    • Is it necessary?

    • Is it helpful?

Non-Harming

  • Oppose injustice without becoming violent or hateful

  • Choose compassion over retaliation

  • Let your presence de-escalate fear

Guarding the Mind

  • Avoid addiction to outrage and fear

  • Limit exposure to information that fuels despair

  • Ask:

    • Does this help me act wisely and lovingly?

8. Nonviolence Is Spiritual Strength

  • Justice rooted in faith does not dehumanize

  • Nonviolence heals rather than wounds

  • Love remains the guiding force, even in resistance

Remember: How we seek change matters as much as the change itself.

9. Faith Requires Alignment

  • Faith is not about heroic acts

  • Faith is about inner and outer alignment

  • When consciousness aligns with divine love:

    • Right action naturally follows

Key Truth: Justice is part of the good God desires.

10. Living the Faith

  • Faith invites us to notice where belief calls us into action

  • Actions may be:

    • Small

    • Quiet

    • Unseen

  • When rooted in love, they matter


CONGREGATIONAL AFFIRMATION

Let us affirm together:

We affirm that love and justice go hand in hand.

We see every person as a beloved child of Spirit.

We stand for dignity, compassion, and accountability for all.

We act with courage, wisdom, and mindful love in the world.

And so it is. Amen.

Rev. Sheryl Padgett
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