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

Put away your notes, gather up your thoughts and reflections, and take the quiz for Lesson 1, Let Justice Roll Down: The Vision and Theology of the Kingdom .

Quiz

Scripture Memorization Review

Review with a partner, write out and/or recite the text for last class session’s assigned memory verses: Amos 5.20-24.

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

God’s Social Network

At a time when so many nations are struggling to provide even the basic needs for their own citizens, more and more churches are experimenting with ways in which they can provide ongoing care for their members. In every way from shared insurance plans to coops for food and goods, churches are finding ways to take care of their own members’ basic physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of the body. In your opinion, what is the responsibility of the local church to care for and meet the basic physical needs for its own members? Ought the church experiment in finding new ways to not only meet the spiritual needs of the people of God but also the tangible needs of the each individual and family, including health care, employment, even retirement?

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The State as Sinister Structure or as God’s Minister?

Throughout the history of the Church, believers have debated the role of the state. Is the state an evil institution that in its godless and often times reckless way oppressed its citizenry and mowed down those seeking to change it? Or rather, is the state an institution ordained by God to punish evil doers and recognize those who do good, God’s very own minister to serve the most vulnerable and guarantee the oppressed their basic human rights? What do you believe about the role of the state in executing justice and demonstrating mercy to its own citizens, and to its allies?