I remember when I first heard Jeremiah 29:11. I was in college. So much about faith felt fresh and beautiful.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God has plans for me? There’s hope? And a future? Yes. Sign me up. It was so encouraging. (There’s a reason this verse ends up on so many graduation cards.)

The verse seemed simple enough, and I thought I had a good idea of what it meant. Until I started studying Jeremiah 29 in Scripture Circles. Once we began adding in historical context, the Hebrew language, and a communal voice, a whole new set of questions arose.

What does it mean for Jeremiah to be speaking words about God’s plans to people who have just been taken to exile?
How does it feel to hear about a good future when you know you will die in a foreign place?
What does living into hope look like when you won’t see the fruit of it in your own lifetime?

Suddenly, everything shifted.

Those of us studying together sensed the pain, confusion, and loss the exiled people must have felt. We were both encouraged and challenged by Jeremiah’s words a few verses earlier—to seek the shalom of the places where we live. We struggled to hold onto the idea of a communal and generational hope, instead of just personal happiness.

Jeremiah 29:11 has never been the same for me since.

Though the above story is Steph’s, both of us could share for hours about how the Bible has shifted and expanded for us through this way of study.

Which brings us to today.

In the last few weeks, we have seen several verses on t-shirts, social media accounts, and memes posted in response to the global events.

These verses each offer a certain kind of wisdom and call to action in response to conversations about systematic racism and oppression. We also believe they say more than meets the eye.

We chose three of these verses that we believe can be expanded and enlightened by digging into questions together:

Micah 6:8 – Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Amos 5:24 – But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Ready to dig in?

Join us this summer for once-a-month lunchtime Scripture Circles to study these verses together. You can come to just one session or to all three. We will host them via Zoom.

We believe these verses are already good. We also believe that, after studying them together, they may never be the same.

Sign up here.

Let justice roll,
Steph and Lisa

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Shall We Dig Deep, Together?