Amos 5 (NRSV)
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
The only sacrifice worth making is the embodiment of justice.
Here are some questions for reflection:
1. Gatherings of Justice can take many shapes and forms. What are some types of Gatherings of Justice outside of church and large, organized protests? In what ways can you encourage and nurture Gatherings of Justice in your life? Who would be invited?
2. What are some small ways that you can orient your life to the justice God desires? What are the bigger changes you can make, the bigger ways you can orient yourself and your life with His desire for justice?
3. While it is important to let go of those things that we have inherited that increase our likelihood of incurring God’s wrath, it can be so hard to unlearn and untrain such ingrained things. Have you experienced this? If so, has anything in particular been helpful to you?
4. How do you believe we are called to encourage and walk alongside those who are seeking to let go of inherited theological baggage? What might that look like?
5. Amos calls for a deeper, more authentic and intentional faith, beyond just going through the motions. What steps could you take today to make sure your relationship with God is grounded in sincere, living faith instead of empty rituals or routines? What do you think stands in your way?
6. In what ways might the church today fall into the traps of focusing more on the form of worship (think music, attendance, events) rather than the sincerity of the heart? How can it avoid becoming complacent in its rituals or inward focused activities and instead focus on tangible actions that promote justice, equality, and care for the vulnerable in the world?
7. With no physical brick & mortar presence and a vast amount of distance between us, what can we do collectively to help be that gathering that actually does reflect that outpouring of spirit over all barriers?
8. The offerings, festivals, and assemblies can be offensive in presentation. What role does the intentionality of our gatherings play in making them less offensive?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. How might the scripture of Ezekiel 47:1-12 and its flowing river further illuminate and inform this week’s readings?
2. How do you recognize or characterize the difference in motivations within your actions that separate doing something because it’s the right thing to do as opposed to because it’s on a list of prescribed religious behaviors?
3. The question posed was in regards to how we (plural) avoid the wrath of God, how we steer this massive ship in that way. In what way does the wording of this question help guide us in actually answering the question?
4. In Amos 5:24, God says, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” What do you think this image of justice and righteousness flowing like water represents? How can this call-to-action challenge both the church and individual believers in terms of how we pursue justice and live out righteousness in our communities?
5. God’s mercies are ever expanding and never depleting, of course our’s are far more limited by our sin nature and humanity but what does it mean for our going forward that even God’s mercies are expanding? What can you and I do to grow in our mercy and love?