December 6 - I'll be home for Christmas |
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Matthew 21:13-15When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him.”
So Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the child and his mother Mary. They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, “I brought my son out of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:33"When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God."
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Mass Incarceration in the US
Refugees in the US
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After Jesus' birth, the wise men come to visit the baby. When they leave, Joseph has a dream in which he's told to flee Bethlehem and go to Egypt where the baby, Jesus, will be safe from Herod.
That night, as Mary, Joseph, and their new baby flee their country of origin for a bordering land, they become refugees - asylum seekers crossing borders into a new land.
Each year, the United States receives an astounding number of immigrants who are refugees fleeing from the King Herod's of their home lands. Even more come the the US simply looking for a better life for their families. Many of those fleeing persecution end up in prison facilities accross the southern US.
Question for Reflection:
That night, as Mary, Joseph, and their new baby flee their country of origin for a bordering land, they become refugees - asylum seekers crossing borders into a new land.
Each year, the United States receives an astounding number of immigrants who are refugees fleeing from the King Herod's of their home lands. Even more come the the US simply looking for a better life for their families. Many of those fleeing persecution end up in prison facilities accross the southern US.
Question for Reflection:
- What does it look like to respond to immigrants as Christians? Should our response be guided, in some way, by our remembrance that Jesus himself was an migrant and political refugee at one point during his life?
- There's a great deal of setimentality about being "home for Christmas." But for many immigrants, going home for the holidays is impossible. What's one thing you could do to help an immigrant feel more at home here for the holidays?
Austin Theological Seminary - A Focus on Immigration and Mass Incarceration
At Austin Theological Seminary, students are able to take a number of courses focused on immigration and detention, and are encouraged to engage the topics covered in these courses outside of the classroom as well. Students often visit detainees imprisoned at the Hutto Detention Center, which is located approximately 40 miles from the campus.
The seminary often houses groups of immigrants and others who are in town to march on the State Capitol to raise awareness and lobby legislators.
Additionally, Education Beyond the Walls and the Dean's Office sponsor training for allies of immigrants, including panel discussions with legal aid.
The seminary often houses groups of immigrants and others who are in town to march on the State Capitol to raise awareness and lobby legislators.
Additionally, Education Beyond the Walls and the Dean's Office sponsor training for allies of immigrants, including panel discussions with legal aid.
Field Education Connecting Faith and Justice:
Church-Based Social Justice Outreach
Field education placements include urban congregational settings, such as Central Presbyterian Church of Austin, which has a strong outreach ministry to Austin’s homeless population, refugees, and immigrants. |
Policy Making
Texas Impact is an educational organization that connects members of the Texas Legislature with resources on issues of significance to members of religious traditions within the state. Seminary students placed there coordinate resources around issues addressed by the legislature, such as gender-related legislation. |
Travis County Correctional Center
Recent students have also served as chaplain at the Travis County Correctional Center. In this capacity, students provide pastoral care and counseling support to inmates awaiting trial or in post-sentence holding awaiting transfer to state prison. |