Blessed in the Mess: Rethinking Poverty, Power, and the Kingdom of God
Use these discussion questions with your small group, friends, family, or for individual reflection.
- What does it mean for compassion to “confront comfort?” How can we cultivate a posture of compassion, especially in situations where our comfort is challenged?
- Dorothy Day and the Dalai Lama read the Beatitudes daily and believed they were more than just a list of moral to-dos. What do you think it means to see the Beatitudes as a “portrait of a posture” rather than a checklist for how to be blessed?
- What does it mean to have a “poverty of spirit,” and how does this concept challenge our typical understanding of poverty and blessing?
- How does our comfort prevent us from fully embracing the values of the Kingdom of God (aka life as God intends it)? Is there a connection between discomfort and growth in our spiritual lives? How does the concept of “poverty of spirit” relate to our culture’s value of independence and self-reliance? What can we learn from the Beatitudes about how to live in contrast to these cultural norms?
- Do you agree that “poverty of spirit” is a necessary perspective to embrace the Jesus way?
- If we are not in circumstances that would lead to poverty of spirit how might we actively cultivate it?
These questions are connected to the message, Blessed in the Mess: Rethinking Poverty, Power, and the Kingdom of God, from Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024.