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Slow Kingdom Coming

Topic - Learning & Serving Well in the Work of Justice

Aim

To learn five faithful practices for doing justice work and to be able to implement them in your own context.

General Information

We are invited to be a part of deep, lasting change–the slow kingdom coming. As we work for justice, we can press on with a hope that is both patient and urgent. God calls us in many ways to participate in God's kingdom work. No matter your vocation, these practices can help to guide, inspire, and sustain you in your work.

Attention

Attention allows us to see the injustices around us and hone in on what God is calling us to address (Is. 1:17). There are three parts to practicing attention: awaken, focus, attention.

Reflect: How have you awoken to injustice? What is God asking you to focus on? How are you allowing yourself to be renewed?

Confession

Confession gives us the right posture to enter into justice work. We need to be transformed even as we seek to make the world more just.

Reflect
Take time to reflect and confess to God what is or may get in the way of your serving others. How have you seen confession be beneficial in the past?

Respect

Respect slows us down as we humbly enter another's situation.

Reflect: In what ways are you slowing down to listen to and learn from those you serve? How have you seen this build respect between you?

Partnering

Partnering reminds us to work with, not for, those we serve.

Reflect: What do your partnerships look like? How are you building trust? How do you recognize and promote the agency of those you work with?

Truthing

Truthing involves checking big-picture assessment against the reality on the ground.

Reflect: When is a time that you had to adjust your approach due to an act of truthing? What was the outcome? How do you practice truthing? How would you like to see it done in the future?

Other Resources

CITATION: Annan, K. (2016). Slow Kingdom Coming: Practices for doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly in the world. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Download a PDF of this Slow Kingdom Coming tipsheet

 

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