Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Mentor's Guide, MG16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

Amazingly, God has promised to give wisdom to those who ask him for it in faith. James makes this clear in his epistle: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1.5-8). If we expect to represent God with honor and integrity in the city, we must go to the source, ask the Lord for wisdom, and follow his instructions after he provides it. Herein is the key to effective ministry: only through daily reliance upon the wisdom of God in Christ will we be able to represent his interests in the places where he has called us.

Have you gone to the source lately?

After reciting and/or singing the Nicene Creed (located in the Appendix), pray the following prayer: O God, in the folly of the cross you reveal the great distance between your wisdom and human understanding. Open our minds to the simplicity of the gospel, that, fervent in faith and tireless in love, we may become light and salt for the world, for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Nicene Creed and Prayer

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~ Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Theology and Worship Ministry Unit. Book of Common Worship . Louisville, KY: Westminister/John Knox Press, 1993. p. 210

Put away your notes, gather up your thoughts and reflections, and take the quiz for Lesson 2, Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: The Urban Congregation .

Quiz

Scripture Memorization Review

Review with a partner, write out and/or recite the text for last class session’s assigned memory verse: Ephesians 2.8-10.

Turn in your summary of the reading assignment for last week, that is, your brief response and explanation of the main points that the authors were seeking to make in the assigned reading (Reading Completion Sheet).

Assignments Due