So when Kent said that for him and many other men, an interesting Bible study was one that resulted in something tangible, it made a great deal of sense. It has been my observation that women appreciate a practical application of what they study too. It was the gospel imperative that fueled those efforts.
Isn’t this when we sense that we are at our best—when the Spirit moves us so deeply that we act because we simply must? Prophets Amos and Hosea remind us that real worship is defined more by actions than words. The call to keep our worship authentic and to maintain the link between faith and social justice springs from these teachings even today.
Literally a boundary-crosser from Judah into Israel, Amos was also a prophet who crossed several metaphorical boundaries: the boundary between religion and politics; the boundary between “us”—God’s favorite people—and “them”—those whom God “has it in for;” and the boundary between a worship that has become rote and self-serving rather than one that is based in service. God’s message is most relevant for a society such as ours—polarized on issues of theology, politics, economics, government, and morality—a society in which it is so easy to demonize those who differ from “us” on these issues.
Hosea confirmed Amos’s assessment of his people, and we may sadly agree that it could be equally fitting of us today. For a people of faith, they had a pretty poor track record when it came to acting like they remembered to whom they belonged. Their behavior instead reflected their obsession with wealth, defending their turf, and keeping others out. If it sounds familiar, then Hosea’s wake-up call to “do the right thing” is perhaps still a reminder that change is not only possible, but necessary. Always certain that justice will prevail, the Lord continues to extend amazing grace and “tough love” to a people who have many times broken the divine heart.
The Kerygma Program’s newest study, Amos & Hosea: Boundaries, Tough Love, Amazing Grace, by George W. Ramsey, will invite your study group to not only dig into scripture, but also change themselves, their community, and their world. This is a Bible study that ought to come with work gloves and steel-toed boots.
Theologian Karl Barth said that a Christian was only equipped to travel through life if he or she had a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. After this study, you might also suggest adding a toolbelt complete with a cordless drill and a keyhole saw! Happy building!
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