For Christians, our new year started yesterday when we began the season of Advent. All this month, we’ll be featuring various resources and content related to this important part of the Christian calendar.

One of the most frequently cited “Advent passages,” is Isaiah 9:6-7…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

This verse reminds us that Jesus’ teaching, ministry, life, death, and resurrection were incredibly and irreducibly political in nature.

Such a statement is ripe for misunderstanding and the mere mention of it invites contention, but its truth is inescapable. Far from skirting the issue, for Christians to exhibit faithful witness in mission calls for direct, thoughtful, and sustained dialogue. This was precisely the point of the workshop below. We hope you’ll download, share, and comment on it in the coming week.

Here’s an interesting question for discussion:

How have you/has your congregation come to understand Jesus, the kingdom of God, and the Church as “political” realities?

Workshop Description:

This workshop asks the serious questions of how we lead our churches for God’s justice in relation to national and local politics. We ask whether national politics can be a partner in God’s justice? If so, how do we discern it? Can it be a distraction? Is there a prioritization participation in local issues of justice over nation-wide political engagement? Is there ever a time to withdraw entirely from the nation state politics for the sake of the Kingdom? The presenters will offer divergent perspectives and draw upon these for broader dialogue.

The audio download of this workshop is available HERE and is available for free all day today, 12/2/13 (discount automatically applied when you add the workshop to your cart).

**If you find resources like this helpful, there are many more available here. You might even want to grab a bundle all at the same time.**