1. Throughout his sermon, Cole framed his teaching around the idea of Jesus’ first words in the book of John, and James K.A. Smith’s assertion that we might not want what we think we want. 

In the course of his teaching, he asked those of us engaged in resistance to empire to reflect on ourselves and reflect on who we are. Then, he said, ask yourself: what am I up to? Is it possible that I might not love what I think I love?  

Consider these questions, and answer them one at a time. 

Then, discuss where you have questions, hesitations, or confusion about how to answer these two questions. Curiously consider what’s surfacing for you as you ask yourself these challenging questions. What do you make of what you are finding?

2. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote about the questions he & his fellows asked themselves in order to discover & examine their motives as they prepared to take direct action. They asked themselves and each other: 

Are you able to accept the blows without retaliating? 

Are you able to endure the trial of jail? 

In whatever ways you find yourself working to resist the tide of empire’s power, ask yourself these two questions (or versions of them that make sense in your context). How do you answer them? How do you feel about answers?

3. Cole started his sermon asking a couple questions he wanted us to reflect on as he spoke. Take a few moments to consider & reconsider what you’ve learned, and answer them - either individually, or as a group, through discussion:

What is being revealed?

How might we respond?