Small but mighty-- this book is beautiful, simple, and very motivating. We've had to order this back into my store several times. The cover grabs readers, but the content holds them.

We Are Called to be A Movement is a sermon by Reverend William J. Barber II, who is known for his political activism in the face of modern America. As co-chairman of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, he uses his position to elevate the voices of the working class and those on the fringes of society, using biblical references to reinforce the idea that outcasts in the Bible, and throughout history, have been the ones to bring about societal change.

Throughout, the real driving force of the sermon is Barber’s clear and well-presented passion for the movement, evident in his political activism and the changes he’s made in his community throughout the years. The relevance of his sermon today, especially in America, where he preaches, is explicit from the beginning. It would be difficult for the listener to experience this speech in isolation to current events and while the origins of the sermon might not stem from the events of 2020, the content only reveals how timeless his message is and how Christian teachings can be applied to many situations.

If anyone is afraid to seek out this sermon because of your experience of Christianity, or because you may not feel accepted in that community, I urge you to attempt to read his Sermon because the message and the orator are like no other. The praise and love towards people of all races as well as the LGBTQIA+ community is indeed refreshing, especially from a man with such a wide following. I would wholeheartedly conclude that if every religious person we met was as loving, compassionate, invested, and dedicated like Barber was, the world would be a far better place.

His oration skills, as mentioned earlier, are exemplary. The message he conveys and the emotions he inspired after made me want to invest even more time into my own activism; donating more than before and reading as much as I can to educate myself. Experiencing a message that evokes and motivates you to help others is quite an achievement in my eyes.

Overall, this short speech is recommended if you’re in the process of educating yourself following the Black Lives Matter; or if you’re Christian; or if you’re religious; or if you’re American or if you just need to hear some good words and feel a lot of love during this time.

Based on one of his sermons, Rev. Barber calls on Americans to aid in the fight for racial freedom and equality. It was a short read, but one that shouldn't be missed. It was such a great and inspiring read

Amen and amen. Rev. Dr. Barber's words are heart wrenching, thought provoking, and necessary for this time period. He brings not only theological truth, but also humane bare bones truth and ask that we not discount the poor and turned away. It is time for America to unite for equality for all, not just some. Powerful messages that will have some researching the biblical passages he mentions.

I am not an overly religious person, but Barber's sermon, while couched in religion, is also a call to humanity. The passion and and oratory style drives home Barber's views, which almost seem prophetic given current events in the country.

This sermon from a preacher and member of the national NAACP board of directors is an impassioned, thought-provoking call to action that is sure to challenge the long-held tenets of evangelical Christianity. It's a must-read for anyone looking to better understand what Jesus, who was despised and rejected for our sake, meant when He said that the last shall be first.

In 2017, William J. Barber II preached a sermon that is even more relevant today than it was then. Published in book form as We are Called to Be a Movement, Barber evokes Martin Luther King, Jr., continuing his tradition of prophetic preaching. As MLK's followers know, at the time of his death, King was broadening his appeal from racial equality to efforts to lift the poor. Barber points out that "Jesus's reconstruction project begins with good news to the poor and the brokenhearted and the bruised and the battered and all of those made to feel like they are not accepted. Jesus is explicit in his commitment to begin with the rejected."

Barber calls on Americans to reconsider the foundations of American culture and economy that have led to disparity. "I love America because of her potential. But I know that America will never complete the work of reconstruction--will never even get close to being a more perfect union--until we are honest about her past and the politics of rejection."

Barber draws from the Old Testament prophetic tradition, but draws almost as deeply from politically left-leaning talking points. He's doing good work with the Poor People's Campaign, and (I assume) preaching the gospel regularly, but I'd like to see less partisanship, less liberalism, and more Jesus.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Power call to action by Rev. Dr. William Barber. This is a sermon! Dr. Barber is preaching and we who are reading who heed and listen. When you finish reading this powerful piece, woven brilliantly with scripture, you will be looking to sign up and be a part of the movement!

I really wanted to enjoy and appreciate this more than I did. I found the message compelling but a bit disjointed at tines.

The beginning of the sermon was text/scripture heavy and didn't really connect to the sermon's message in a meaningful way.

While I appreciated the message, it felt redundant -- perhaps that is because it was written to spoken but not read? Either way, reading it was hard to get through. Additionally, the excerpts from Dr. King's speech made the simplicity of the prose especially stark.

I think the strongest part was the specific examples and stories about real people rather than relying on repeating what could come off as a platitude.

Also, a note on the formatting: the random pull-quotes placed throughout made it very confusing to read. I don't know if this is a kindle issue or not but the ARC was via kindle so that's the format I read it in.

I'm giving 3 stars because the message resonated even if the medium did not.

Imagine, if you can, a Black preacher preaching a sermon about the "rejected" ones being at the center of the kingdom of God and of the movement of justice. Imagine that he pulls in startling statistics about governmental spending and the abandonment of the poor, and that he uses inspiring quotes from Dr King and other leaders. Imagine that the sermon begins with scripture passages and ends with a rallying cry.

THAT is this book. It is a transcription of a sermon Rev Dr Barber preached in 2017, and if anything, it's even more applicable today.

My thanks to #NetGalley, the author, and publisher, who gave me this book in exchange for my honest opinion. #WeAreCalledToBeAMovement

This is a sermon turned into a short book that can be read in a couple of hours. The original version of the sermon was given June 3, 2018 at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. The sermon is prophetic as we are witnessing a movement in America two years after the initial hearing of these powerful words. Dr. Barber weaves biblical text, historical accounts, personal narratives and research to show who is called to be a movement. His commanding oratory style comes through on the pages as he delivers points about the movement America needs to move forward from its harmful past sins.

I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Having never read/heard a sermon before, and being non-religious and having no religious background I was incredibly sceptical to pick up this read, although I don't regret it in this slightest. This sermon radiated passion and I loved it, I felt so inspired by the words and feel as though I have a new education of the bible and religion through this text. The passion concerning the inequality in modern day America is so prevalent here and I would have to recommend this text to anyone who is also concerned.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

"We Are Called to Be a Movement" is a short (for a Kindle read) sermon calling people to action who have been discriminated against, underserved, and underresourced by American government and society. I love listening to William Barber speak, and I have never felt like I have wanted to listen to an audio version of a written work until reading this. I'm not sure when in 2020 Barber compiled the sermon that is featured in this book, but I could not have read it at a more pertinent time - when the health of many poor Americans is ravaged by Covid and there are major protests across America as a result of continuing police brutality. Barber exclaims that it is time to organize those who have been unjustly served and demand things like equal human rights, health care, quality education, and a nonviolent society. I hope everyone who reads this hears Barber's message and is motivated to act.