Welcoming the stranger i was a stranger and you welcomed me. Because care for immigrants is rooted in church history and teaching, we are spiritually compelled to be in solidarity with them. An astute rethinking of theology and pastoral ministry that o. A fresh, compelling call from scripture to live out the gospel with. Daniel seatvet, christianity in culture examiner, march 20, 2009. Signatories to the matthew 25 pledge agree to protect and defend the vulnerable in the name of jesus. In this book world relief immigration experts matthew soerens and jenny yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a christian response to immigration. Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate by matthew soerens and jenny yang both with world relief is a timely and wellresearched tool for equipping the christian community in the united states to enter the immigration arena with. Strangers, i guess, are especially sowhich makes it hard for us to welcome the stranger god. We believe that obedience to christ means committing ourselves.
The book provides a kind of threepronged approach to thinking about immigration this approach is surmised from the content as opposed to being explicitly noted in the book itself it. Welcoming the stranger is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. We help those who are being persecuted start a new life. Jenny hwang, serves as a primer on the immigration issue from a. Since the first edition of welcoming the stranger, another category of stranger has become particularly controversial. Jan 29, 2009 welcoming the stranger is a timely and important book at a point in americas history where the immigrant population is considerably growing and many americans seek to do something about it. On one level, pohls book is a relatively straightforward call to think about ones own home, work, church and community from the perspective of christs welcoming grace, and to take some concrete steps to practice hospitality in authentically christian ways. Voices on all sides argue strongly for action and change. Welcoming the stranger god god, the bible tells us, comes to us in strangers. If i may start with a strange story, let me tell you why the man in the cell next to mr. Do you sense strong opinions and stereotypes about aliens or immigrants from those around.
Others feel that the law must be obeyed and enforced. Welcoming the stranger is an educational nonprofit that offers free classes in english as a second language esl, computer skills, and united states citizenship exam preparation to adult immigrants and refugees in the philadelphia metro region. The official registration information of welcoming the stranger may be obtained from the pennsylvania department of state by calling toll free, within pennsylvania, 1. Serves as the us director of church mobilization at world relief and is the coauthor of welcoming the stranger. Jun 01, 20 you can turn this list of bible verses on welcoming the stranger into a simple email to your greeter volunteers as a reminder of how they are called to extend an awesome welcome to your visitors and regular attenders. Reminders of israels and the churchs essential call to welcome the stranger, to make a place for the sojourner at table and at worship weave throughout the books chapters. In their justreleased book welcoming the stranger, world relief staff members, matthew sorens and jenny hwang, have stepped up to offer an assessment of this divisive matter from a christianbiblical point of view. I encourage you to read this short book and to reflect on what god is saying about reaching out and. The book seeks to encourage and motivate christians, namely evangelicals, to have a factual understanding of immigration, with the desired result of inspiring.
Welcoming the stranger wts is a grassroots project matching mentors with asylumseekers to help them integrate into the greater portland maine community. Welcoming the stranger is a very helpful book for christians who want to understand the immigration debate beyond the usual partisan talking points and instead to think of it in terms of biblical categories and commands. Unity in diversity was developed by the national conference of catholic bishops committee on migration. Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate by matthew soerens and jenny yang both with world relief is a timely and wellresearched tool for equipping the christian community in the united states to enter the immigration arena with integrity, compassion, and faith. A recent book by matthew soerens and jenny yang, welcoming the stranger, has the phrase in its title. Plus, it offers insights into reading the bible with and as migrants, worship in an intercultural church, food and fellowship across boundaries, and more. Welcoming the stranger women have a strength when it comes to finding common ground says meg eubank, executive director of welcoming the stranger, a twotime marys pence grantee that offers free classes in english as a second language esl, computer skills, and us citizenship exam preparation. The following list of bible verses comes from the new revised standard version. Founded in 1999, welcoming the stranger has taught over 4,000. Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our time. A fresh, compelling call from scripture to live out the gospel with boldness and courage in the twentyfirst century.
The book seeks to encourage and motivate christians, namely evangelicals, to have a factual understanding of. The pastoral statement welcoming the stranger among us. See a complete list of the characters in the stranger and indepth analyses of meursault, raymond sintes, and marie cardona. Meursault, the narrator, is a young man living in algiers. This book is written out of our own personal experiences with this dilemma, tracing through much of the investigation our own questions have led us to in seeking to understand immigration policyand, more important. Welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism. Hospitality in the church is central to the christian tradition. In this book world relief staffers matthew soerens and jenny yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a christian response to immigration. Welcoming the stranger is a timely and important book at a point in americas history where the immigrant population is considerably growing and many americans seek to do something about it.
I was looking for a good devotional last year over christmas and found a hidden gem in a used bookstore. Daily meditations for spiritual living, a compilation of henri nouwens writings by gabrielle. Catholic health care and immigration explains the rich history of catholic health cares commitment to and care for immigrants. In matthew chapter 25 of the christian new testament, jesus says that our welcome, or lack of welcome, for strangers is the same as welcoming, or not welcoming, him.
Welcoming the stranger princeton theological seminary. In this book world relief immigration experts matthew soerens and jenny yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a christian response to. Jan 03, 2018 in matthew chapter 25 of the christian new testament, jesus says that our welcome, or lack of welcome, for strangers is the same as welcoming, or not welcoming, him. The strength of this book is the writers consistent call for christians to look to gods word for direction on immigration. As awkward as it can be to start a friendship with a newcomer, once we do, the term stranger no longer applies. F or most of us, a stranger is simply a person weve never met before. Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our tim. Welcoming the stranger is a very helpful book for christians who want to understand the immigration debate beyond the usual partisan talking points and instead to. Friendship is the face that welcoming the stranger gives to the situation of both legal and illegal immigrants. In this book world relief staffers matthew soerens and jenny yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a christian response. As of february 26, 2020, we have 182 mentors, 202 mentees and 197 matches. Jun 20, 2018 welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism the torah instructs us 36 times to care for the stranger far more than it commands us to observe the sabbath or any other law. And as jim morrison of the doors sang, people are strange. When he arrives, he speaks to the director of the home.
This book, authored by world relief staffers matthew soerens and. Welcoming the stranger print philip garside publishing. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Welcoming the stranger ebooks philip garside publishing. Approximately 12% of residents in lower bucks county and northeast philadelphia. The stranger is a novel by albert camus that was first published in 1942.
You might even consider separating them out one at a time for your reminder emails. Welcoming the stranger is a core principle of judaism the torah instructs us 36 times to care for the stranger far more than it commands us to observe the sabbath or any other law. Welcoming the stranger is a nonprofit organization that offers free english, citizenship, and computer classes to immigrants in bucks county. The official registration information of welcoming the stranger may be obtained from the pennsylvania department of state by calling toll free, within pennsylvania, 1 800 7320999. Jul 29, 2010 in their justreleased book welcoming the stranger, world relief staff members, matthew sorens and jenny hwang, have stepped up to offer an assessment of this divisive matter from a christianbiblical point of view. After receiving a telegram informing him of his mothers death, he takes a bus to marengo, where his mother had been living in an old persons home. The book seeks to encourage and motivate christians, namely evangelicals. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of egypt. A lot has happened in the years since the book was first published in 2009, so yes, there is a lot of new. The second golden rule while we are all familiar with the general golden rule, it can be easy to overlook the second golden rule. It was approved by the full body of bishops at their november 2000 general meeting as a statement of the national conference of catholic bishops and is authorized for publication by the.
The book looks at immigration and offers constructive suggestions for response by the christian faith community. It builds on the concept of welcoming the stranger to support a vision that integrates the migrant into the church and society. Welcoming the stranger by nick regnault overdrive rakuten. Praise for welcoming the stranger in this book nick humbly reflects on the experience of befriending people of different cultures and beliefs, and what it has meant for south west baptist to journey with them through their pain and grief.
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