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Scripture from the Margins: Untold Stories

The Bible shows us again and again that God is on the side of the poor and the oppressed. People on the margins.

In a thread that runs through all of scripture, God is concerned first and foremost with people who have been excluded from society by poverty, oppression and injustice. Laws like Jubilee in the Old Testament are designed to ensure that no one is left behind and exploited… The prophets stand up constantly against the rich and powerful who would oppress people in poverty… Mary sings of a God who has “brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly”… Jesus says “Blessed are you who are poor … But woe to you who are rich.”

But too often, when we read scripture in our churches, we forget that perspective. We focus on other aspects of the story, or we become so familiar with the text that we don’t notice the challenging things it has to say to us.

The five Bible studies in Untold Stories focus on the Gospel of Matthew, and highlight different perspectives. We look at Jesus’ teachings and miracles through the eyes of minor characters in the margins of the story. We remind ourselves that the original audiences for Jesus’ teaching, and for the Gospels, were primarily people who were themselves marginalised by poverty, living under military occupation.

The five studies in this resource look at different passages. Most of them also include an ‘unheard voice’ – a piece of creative writing, imagining the perspective of a minor or marginalised character in the story.

We hope that these Bible studies will help you find fresh perspectives on scripture, and challenge you to put your faith into action in the world today.

 

 

Support for the Right To Food campaign is growing

What is the Right To Food?

SPARK newsletter winter 2021–22

Annual review 2020–21

Why End UK Hunger?

Read our new report, laying out the evidence supporting our call for urgent action to End Hunger in the UK.

In 2018, Church Action on Poverty’s report for End Hunger UK Step Up to the Plate called for comprehensive government thinking on responding to hunger in the UK. Household food insecurity is now being measured in the UK – but comprehensive policy responses are still lacking.

Our new report Why End UK Hunger?, published in November 2019, emphasises again why action is so urgently needed.

 

We worked with the University of Sheffield, King’s College London and ENUF to produce the report. Edited by leading food poverty experts Dr Hannah Lambie-Mumford and Dr Rachel Loopstra, Why End UK Hunger? newly brings together leading thinkers to make renewed arguments for why it is so important to address the root causes of hunger on the basis of seven key ‘cases’:

  • the moral case;
  • the child’s case;
  • the health case;
  • the secure income case;
  • the human rights case;
  • the political case;
  • and the public opinion case.

This report supports End Hunger UK’s new goal: to persuade all UK political parties to develop serious action plans to halve household food insecurity by 2025, and to make good on our existing commitment within the Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger by 2030.

Church on the Margins reports

Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24

Stories that challenge: Sarah and Rosie’s health

Dreams & Realities: welcome to an incredible exhibition

Building hopes and dreams in Bootle

This outrageous, counter-productive Budget marginalises people with least

A sermon for Church Action on Poverty Sunday

Stories that challenge: Emma’s road to church

SPARK autumn 2024

Time to scrap the two-child limit

From churches to the Government: end this great sibling injustice

SPARK newsletter autumn 2019

Click to download the latest issue of SPARK,our newsletter for supporters of Church Action on Poverty.

London voices: poetry, photos and unheard issues

A church with people at the margins

Weed it and reap: why so many Pantries are adding gardens

Epsom voices: It’s a lovely place – but many feel excluded

Stoke voices: We want opportunity and hope

SPARK autumn 2024

Time to scrap the two-child limit

From churches to the Government: end this great sibling injustice

Spread the word

Use our posters to spread the word in your church or community.

Click on an image to download a printable PDF file. Or contact us to ask for printed copies.

Other resources

Support for the Right To Food campaign is growing

What is the Right To Food?

SPARK newsletter winter 2021–22

Annual review 2020–21

Transforming Poverty

Six sessions for churches and house groups: use the film 'I, Daniel Blake' to engage with God’s heart for poverty in your community.

Transforming Poverty is a course by Revd Gayle Greenway, a curate in the Diocese of Lichfield.

In six sessions, the course will bring church or house group members together to talk, think and pray about the struggles that local people, maybe including yourselves, have today or have had in the past because of having little money. Alongside this, it will help you look at how the Bible and your faith in Jesus guide you to respond to these issues.

The course uses Ken Loach’s film I, Daniel Blake to inspire conversations and apply scriptural insights to everyday life issues relating to socioeconomic deprivation.

If you would like a printed copy of the course, just email us and ask.

We know that in most parishes there are people whose low income makes choices between heat, light, food and health a daily challenge. This course will help people to talk together about these things, and hopefully to move beyond talk to prayer, and to action and loving sharing.

———— Canon Dr Christina Baxter, St John’s College

The truth about poverty?

IMG_0617Last year, we took members of several Poverty Truth Commissions to the Greenbelt festival for the first time. It was an exciting and inspiring experience – especially the opportunity for us to reflect together with Clare McBeath, our friend from the Centre for Theology and Justice. Clare collated and shared these theological reflections on the experience of being part of Poverty Truth Commissions.
Read more “The truth about poverty?”

Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2019

The 2019 annual report of our local group in the North East.

Support for the Right To Food campaign is growing

What is the Right To Food?

SPARK newsletter winter 2021–22

Annual review 2020–21