Tim a. Dearborn

Justice, mercy, and the public good all find meaning in relationshipâa relationship dependent upon fidelity, but endlessly open to the betrayals of infidelity. This paradox defines the story of God and Israel in the Old Testament. Yet the arc of this story reaches ever forward, and its trajectory confers meaning upon human relationships and communities in the present. The Old Testament still speaks. Israel, in the Old Testament, bears witness to a God who initiates and then sustains covenantal relationships. God, in mercy, does so by making promises for a just well-being and prescribing stipulations for the covenant partner's obedience. The nature of the relationship itself decisively depends upon the conduct, practice, and policy of the covenant partner, yet is radically rooted in the character and agency of Godâthe One who makes promises, initiates covenant, and sustains relationship. This reflexive, asymmetrical relationship, kept alive in the texts and tradition, now fires contemporary imagination. Justice becomes shaped by the practice of neighborliness, mercy reaches beyond a pervasive quid pro quo calculus, and law becomes a dynamic norming of the community. The well-being of the neighborhood, inspired by the biblical texts, makes possibleâand even insists uponâan alternative to the ideology of individualism that governs our society's practice and policy. This kind of community life returns us to the arc of God's giftsâmercy, justice, and law. The covenant of God in the witness of biblical faith speaks now and demands that its interpreting community resist individualism, overcome commoditization, and thwart the rule of empire through a life of radical neighbor love.

This 2nd edition of Making Life Right explores implications for our current confrontation globally with structural inequities and systematic injustices. Amidst all the conflicting voices of political and religious leaders, how do we discern God's way forward. What is the will of God for our lives and world. This book reviews seven clearly revealed dimensions of God's will. When we live out the will of God we know, it is far easier to discern the aspects of God's will that are unclear.Especially central to God's will for the troubled times in which we live is understanding the nature of justice. Confusion abounds. Is it simply enforcing the laws? Is justice in conflict with mercy--an either/or choice between leniency or fairness?Who decides what is just--those in power, or those who are victims of exploitation and the misuse of power?These brief reflections explore a central text in the Bible, Micah 6:8, in which God outlines the Great Requirement for the people of God: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.Nearly all people want to live life well. We want to contribute to life being made right for others. The Hebrew Prophet Micah declares that God has shown us what is good, and what God requires of us.This short book offers reflections of the dimensions of God's will expressed in Micah 6:8: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, but feel overwhelmed by all there is to do? Do you sometimes doubt that significant change is even possible? There is good news. God isn't worried about the future of the world, nor is God merely bringing minor changes. "Behold, I make all things new," says the Lord. The coming kingdom brings total transformation, metamorphosis. What's more, God doesn't call us to carry the burdens of the world and its transformation on our own shoulders. Christ carries the world and by the power of the Spirit we live in Christ.We do not have a mission for God in the world. Rather, the God of mission has us in the world.Each of us has a vital role in the world. We are invited to participate God's generous love bringing heaven to earth through us, now The seven sessions of BEYOND Duty guide individuals, groups and churches to our places as participants in God's mission in the world.I originally wrote Beyond Duty to help liberate mission fanatics like me from enslavement to a human-centered approach to mission. That liberation is still needed today. In our eagerness to make a difference in the world we can quickly subvert the good news of God's sovereign love into our ambitious, burdensome and at times tedious effort to fulfill our mission in the world. This revised and expanded edition pursues this, seeking God's liberating grace to free us from the vain presumption that the future of God's mission is up to us. Through a combination of our compassion regarding urgent needs, what feels to us like the inactivity of God, and the drive of our own need to make a difference in the world-many of us all too easily take the needs of the world onto our shoulders as our personal responsibility. This sounds so foolish. However, mission narcissism runs deep. Though it may be obvious, it still deserves to be said again: Our central commitment is to God and God's kingdom, not to ourselves or our service for God in that kingdom. To make anything other than loving God and living in God's love for our neighbor-even something as good and noble as God's mission in the world-the central passion and commitment of our life is just plain old idolatry dressed in Christian clothing. I've lived much of my life seeking to serve in God's mission, but I wonder at times for whom I am really working. My suspicion is that sometimes I've spread the unpleasant aroma of my need to make a difference in the world more than the "sweet aroma of Christ." In my more honest moments, I admit that some of "my mission" was to reinforce my sense of significance. It's so easy to become intoxicated by the seductive lies of our society that size determines significance, speed measures impact, and worth depends on success. The gospel frees us to live from the center of God's encompassing love. We needn't live from the burdensome center of "me". It's not about my mission, ambitions, work and weaknesses. We can live as grateful participants in God's love for the world. In the midst of our obedient service, we can sing and play and not take ourselves so seriously.What others are saying about BEYOND Duty: "A refreshing departure from usual mission books." Emmanuel Katongole "I am pleased to recommend this book to you." Bill Hybels "This may be the most important book I've read all year " Steve Haas "An excellent, practical tool for churches." Ron Sider "Read this rich reflection and serve with freedom." Mark Labberton "Inviting, full of stories, Christ-centered." Steve & Sharol Hayner"Substantial and practical. I commend it warmly." Vinay Samuel "This is a wise guide." Tom Theriault