Refiner's Fire - Justice is Passing (Focus 3 of 4)

Can you recall a thoughtfully enforced "punishment" that someone in authority enforced on you to teach you a valuable lesson?

Once justice can be seen simply as a useful tool (and not the goal of all things, because mercy triumphs over judgment), the ways that justice is and isn't used can be examined in daily life. Sometimes, the Bible calls God a "refiner" - not a punisher, in this case, but the one who burns away what is false, clarifies what is true, and brings increased capability to the one being refined. That slow, sometimes unpleasant, process can free us from what dilutes us (i.e. an obsession with fairness) and turn us toward the clarity of Christ's compassion. 

Now that you've answered the Icebreaker, here's another question - this one, about the writing process.

One important note as you dive into this topic: There are times when God is refining people, and when that refining can feel like judgment or even "wrath." There are also times when things are unpleasant - but not because God is trying to refine. The world doesn't always work the way it should, and believers sometimes seek to explain the brokenness by suggesting that God is doing something. Maybe God is. Maybe it's just a bad thing. Learning to discern that is a crucial skill we hope to help you develop a little further in this Spotlight.

Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you started. As you continue into the Worship portion of the Spotlight, pray this prayer together:

Lord,
You love us - of this we can be sure.
You want what is best for us - you've promised as much.
So much gets in between your love and its intended recipients.
Help us notice when it breaks through
and find joy in the purity of your grace.
Amen.

Come Down, O Love Divine is a hymn based on a 14th century Italian poem by Bianco of Siena. The whole text is a prayer to the Holy Spirit of God, asking that the spirit be a "holy flame" that would do all a flame does: give light, burn what needs to be discarded, and refine the pure.

Use the song as a prayer to open this Worship section, either read aloud or sung.

Finish out the Worship section by reflecting on God's relationship with justice using the song "All is Forgiven." You can listen to the song sung by its composer, Pastor Caleb Schmiege, and follow along with the words below. 

Take a look at the participant handbook and ReadMe guide of the "Mentoring a Returning Citizen" course offered by Prison Ministries.

God of truth and tenderness, you see us fully - our wounds, our fears, our hidden places. You reveal what is broken not to shame us, but to set us free.
Reveal in us what leads to life, and heal what keeps us from love.
Where your light exposes the things we’d rather hide, give us courage to stand before you without pretending.
Meet us in honesty, and teach us to trust your mercy.
When your judgment names what harms us, remind us that your purpose is always restoration.
Let your justice be our healing, and your correction our peace.
As we face the truth about ourselves, help us not turn against one another. When we see each other’s struggles, help us not turn away.
Make us companions on the path, bearing one another’s burdens with grace.
Where wrath has revealed our fractures, let mercy bind us together. Where fear has divided us, let love make us whole.
Form us into a people who walk the way of the cross—together, honest, forgiven, restored.
God who brings light out of shadows and resurrection out of ruin, stay with us as we go. Strengthen us to live what we have seen tonight.
Lead us in your truth. Heal us with your mercy. Unite us in your love. Amen.

Close this Spotlight with the prayer "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright."