Justice, Pt 9: Wholistic
Note for the Leader: In light of this week’s announcement about Pastor Ryan’s transition out of pastoral ministry this summer, you may find it appropriate to check in with your group before (or instead of) doing tonight’s practice.
If you are led to do that then:
Name the time as a space of safety.
Remind one another that this is not a time to “solve all the world’s problems,” but to care for one another as disciples, as humans, as souls.
Ask, “How are you doing?” and take time to listen in love without comment or correction.
End the time by praying prayers of petition and gratitude—for one another, for the Bestelmeyers, and for our Refuge family.
If there is time and bandwidth, then move on to the practice below.
Read this Teaching Recap
Over three weeks in the middle of the Justice series, we are distilling what we’ve explored so far into guiding values for Justice & Mission at Refuge. In this second week we look at the value wholistic.
To have a wholistic view of ministry is to recognize God's care for the whole person and to bring a gospel that is good news to the physical, spiritual, emotional, and social well-being of the person, and to the whole community.
1. Whole gospel to whole person
In Luke 8, Jesus says to the bleeding woman, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Jesus brings physical and spiritual healing, but he also brings emotional and social healing. He redeems the whole person. We too are invited to see poverty, well-being, and redemption wholistically. This not only shapes our view of ministry, but opens our eyes to see that people in other countries, who we may think are poor, are rich in resilience and community and generosity.
2. Whole person to whole community
“How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad,” said a young girl to a shocked anthropologist after a group of children “raced” hand-in-hand to a basket full of candy. This is ubuntu, a South African idea about human identity: I am because we are. If the goal of justice is Shalom, we have to think about the whole person within the whole community. If we are not careful, our good intentions can do more damage than good. We can interrupt relationships. We may think our work or ministry is making someone richer, but they might end up in deeper poverty.
Do this Practice Tonight
Reflection.
Begin by reflecting on the gospel, the good news in your own life story. How have you noticed or experienced this value “wholistic” in your life? How has your story of redemption affected the lives of those around you (family, friends, co-workers, etc)?
Share briefly words, phrases, or short stories that come to mind.
Discussion.
What resonated with you about the idea whole gospel to the whole person? What can we learn from other countries about becoming whole?
Do you have any stories from your own experience related to this idea, whole gospel to whole person, you’d like to share?
What stood out to you from the second idea, whole person to whole community? What are the challenges in our current culture that keep us from this? How might we as followers of Christ live more closely to seeking shalom for everyone?
Read the Practice for the Week
Spend some time this week with the question, “What about you?” Journal what you are noticing so you can go back in a month or so to see where God might be slowly and faithfully transforming your life.
What areas in your life need God’s restoring power to be made whole? (Marriage, relationships with family, workplace, school)
Where do you wish Jesus would calm the storm inside you?
Where does the language of love need to expel voices of pain in your life?
Remember God sees you as His son or daughter. End the practice by reading Psalm 139. Where do you see God’s delight in you?
Close in Prayer
Let’s sit in prayerful silence around the phrase “whole community.” Then I will break the silence and we can offer prayers out loud around the words shalom and community.
