A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. - 1 Corinthians 12:7

Forward, Acknowledgements, Introduction pp. vii. - 5

“The big ‘political’ questions that face us ultimately have to do with how we are to live together in human community.  As we examine what the Bible has to say about the nature of God, we can draw lessons that help us answer those questions.” - p. viii

“We must first seek to discover the sorts of characteristics that societies satisfying God’s intentions should have.  We must then examine policy options that might enable and empower societies to conform to the divine intent.” - p. 13

“The attraction of power is both subtle and enticing.” - p. 20

“Politics is about the life of community, how communities are to be formed and structured.  Individualistic conceptions of salvation  fail, as we would expect, to deal adequately with the subtle nuances and complexities of public life.” - pp. 27 – 28

“If we are to avoid prooftexting and come to see Scripture holistically, we must learn to see the grand, overarching narrative of Scripture.”
- p. 41

“…reading scripture is a bit more complicated than we are often led to believe.” - p. 52

“The characteristics we develop in imitation of God influence how we engage with others at every level of social interaction.” - p. 57

“…to imitate the triune nature of God in our interactions with others is to realize that we are enjoined to live in communities of mutual interdependence characterized by the self-giving love embodied and expressed in the life of God.” - p. 60

“The term that perhaps best captures God’s interaction with humans throughout the biblical narratives is ‘love.’ We are told that God’s love extends to all his creation and we are given an image of God as one whose every action is guided first and foremost by his unfailing love.” - pp. 60-61

One can see why it has often been said that the incarnation turns our normal way of thinking about life, community, and power completely upside down.” - p. 65

“The life that pleases God, then, involves human stewardship of God’s good creation.  The responsibilities that attend this assignment must be kept in mind as we argue for this or that public policy.” - p. 84

“How will I please God? How will I live in accord with his expectations? And when I do not, how shall I make my relationship with God right again?” - p. 102

“…the Good News has to be good news for those on the margins, those for whom God consistently shows concerns.  To imitate God, we must embody that concern at all levels, public and private.” - p. 110

“The question is not ‘Did Jesus say that governments are responsible for the poor?’ but rather ‘Does it follow from Scripture that governments have a role to play in creating and sustaining social justice?’ ” - p. 124

“When Christians say, on one hand, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and on the other that governments should not be involved in the realization of a kingdom agenda, they stand in profound contradiction.” - p. 129

“The form and content of any governmental system for which Christians should argue, then, should be framed as serving the common good of human flourishing.” - p. 134

“Keeping the right balance between a proper set of expectations for the manner in which public policies and institutions can serve a kingdom agenda on one hand and putting too much trust in them on the other hand is often difficult.” - p. 136

“…societies that are aligned with a kingdom agenda must take seriously the need to fund the safety nets required to tend those who fall on hard times.  A progressive income tax structure makes sure that funding for those safety nets falls to those who are most able to afford it.” - p. 152

Dec. 30

WATCH NIGHT

“…we must seek to develop an understanding of what would constitute a biblical view of community – what do communities (local, national, international) that please God look like?” - p. 170

Jan. 1

EPIPHANY SUNDAY
Attend, Learn From, &
Educate A Faith Community