Introduction to Shalom Richmond: Pre-field Training • January 15, 2012

SHARED VOCABULARY

• Justice: “From the Hebrew mishpat – aquitting or punishing every person on the merits of the case, regardless of race or social status … but mishpat means more than just the punishment of wrongdoing.  It also means giving people their rights.” (Tim Keller, Generous Justice)
• Shalom: “Most know that the Hebrew word shalom is understood around the world to mean “peace.” However, “peace” is only one small part of the meaning of shalom. “Shalom” is used to both greet people and to bid them farewell, and it means much more than “peace, hello or goodbye”…. According to Strong’s Concordance, Shalom also means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” (therefinersfire.org)
• Prayer Walk: “Prayer walking is the practice of praying on location, a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. Prayer walks are taken by individuals, groups, and even whole churches. They can be as short as a block or as long as many miles. The idea is to use the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to concentrate and direct prayers more effectively by walking near the people and places you are praying for.” (Gotquestions.org)
• Mercy Umbrella: Term coined by Lori Bailey to describe a place where one is completely free to express a risky thought or idea.
• Richmond Region: The city of Richmond, plus the surrounding counties of Chesterfield and Henrico.  The Richmond Planning District extends to the counties of Powhatan, Goochland, Hanover, New Kent and Charles City.  The metro region includes 2,136 square miles, of which Richmond city makes up only 3%.
• The Kingdom of God:“At its simplest, the kingdom of God is the result of God’s mission to rescue and renew his sin-marred creation. The kingdom of God is about Jesus our king establishing his rule and reign over all creation, defeating the human and angelic evil powers, bringing order to all, enacting justice, and being worshiped as Lord.   The kingdom is both a journey and a destination, both a rescue operation in this broken world and a perfect outcome in the new earth to come, both already started and not yet finished.” (Mark Driscoll) “The Kingdom of God is the sphere in which God manifests his unrivaled royal power, carries out His holy will in righteousness and judgment, and sovereignly bestows all of his gracious gifts to the end that he be honored and glorified as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and all temporal affairs, ethical activities and spiritual experiences are ordered according to His will and good pleasure.” (Geerhardus Vos)

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HOMEWORK

“Why Cities Matter” by Tim Keller
(Approx 40 minutes; topic begins at minute 11)

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UPCOMING CLASSES

• Sunday, January 22 • An Historical Overview • Bill Martin, Director of the Valentine Richmond History Center
• Sunday, January 29 • An Overview of Poverty, Race, and Jurisdiction in Metropolitan Richmond • John V. Moeser, Senior Fellow, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond and Professor Emeritus of Urban Studies and Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University

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