St. James Lectionary Bible Study for 11 02 2025

Bible Study Companion Guide
“Faith That Sees Beyond the Moment: When God Meets Us Where We Are”
Week of November 2, 2025 – St. James Presbyterian Church, Harlem, NYC
Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen, Pastor

Opening ReflectionThis week’s readings ask us to hold faith when sight fails. Habakkuk cries out over injustice; the psalmist clings to righteousness amid affliction; Paul blesses a church enduring persecution; and Zacchaeus climbs a tree, desperate to see what hope might look like. Each passage invites us to trust that God is already moving—even when the world feels unjust, uncertain, or incomplete. Faith, in these scriptures, is not passive waiting; it is an active, seeking posture that lifts us higher, like Zacchaeus, until grace finds us and calls us by name.
Centering QuestionWhere in your life—or in our community—do you need to look again, to see what God is already doing just beyond your line of sight?
Psalm 119 : 137 – 144 — “Your Righteousness Is Everlasting”The psalmist proclaims that God’s justice and law remain true, even as trouble surrounds them. Their faith is not rooted in comfort but in conviction: God’s word sustains life amid distress.
Key Verse: “Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.” (v. 142)
In times when injustice seems to win the day, this psalm reminds us that God’s righteousness is not a passing moral code—it is the heartbeat of creation. The psalmist teaches resilience: faith anchored not in changing outcomes but in the changeless character of God. What does it mean to root our peace not in circumstance but in divine consistency?
Habakkuk 1 : 1 – 4; 2 : 1 – 4 — “Write the Vision”Habakkuk laments the violence and injustice of his time, demanding to know where God’s justice has gone. God’s answer is patient yet profound: the vision will come—it awaits an appointed time—and the righteous shall live by faith.
Key Verse: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.” (2 : 2)
Faith is not denial—it’s endurance. Habakkuk’s honesty models a mature spirituality that brings our outrage before God rather than hiding it. The divine response teaches that hope sometimes walks slower than we wish, yet it is never absent. God’s promises may tarry, but they do not lie. How might we “write the vision” of justice and mercy for Harlem, trusting that it will find its time?
2 Thessalonians 1 : 1 – 4, 11 – 12 — “Faith Growing, Love Increasing”Paul praises the Thessalonian church for its endurance and mutual love amid hardship. He prays that God will make them worthy of their calling and that Christ’s glory will shine through their perseverance.
Key Verse: “We always give thanks to God for you… because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (v. 3)
Paul’s vision of community is dynamic: faith that grows, love that multiplies, endurance that strengthens. He names their perseverance not as survival but as testimony. What would it look like for St. James to be known not only for historic faithfulness but for continually growing love—a witness that shines brighter with every challenge?
Luke 19 : 1 – 10 — “Zacchaeus Climbs to See”Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, climbs a sycamore tree to glimpse Jesus passing by. To everyone’s shock, Jesus stops, calls his name, and declares that salvation has come to his house.
Key Verse: “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (v. 10)
Zacchaeus’s story reveals a faith that acts before it understands. He doesn’t wait for worthiness; he climbs for sight. Jesus meets him halfway—turning curiosity into conversion and isolation into welcome. True faith transforms not just belief but behavior: Zacchaeus restores what he took and opens his home. Where do we need to climb above fear or shame to meet grace that already seeks us?
Community ReflectionAcross these readings, faith becomes movement—lament that speaks, eyes that lift, hearts that grow, and hands that reach. Habakkuk teaches us to name pain without losing trust. The psalmist shows us steadfastness in the face of trouble. Paul celebrates growth amid struggle. And Luke reminds us that God’s grace is always looking up the tree for us. Together, they call us to faith that sees beyond the moment—to a future already being written in God’s mercy.
Practice• Climb for Vision: This week, take one concrete step to “see higher.” Spend time in a place—spiritual or physical—that helps you gain new perspective. Pray for eyes that notice where God is already at work.
• Write the Vision: Journal or post one short statement of hope for our church or neighborhood. Keep it visible this week as a reminder that God’s promise still speaks.
• Grow Faith Through Action: Like Zacchaeus, express repentance or generosity in a tangible way—restore, give, or serve where God nudges you.
​• Anchor in Righteousness: Each morning, repeat Psalm 119 : 142 as a breath prayer: “Your righteousness is everlasting, and your law is true.” Let it steady you through the day’s chaos.
Closing PrayerSteadfast God, when the world seems unjust and hope runs thin, teach us to see as you see. Lift our eyes like Habakkuk on the watchtower, strengthen our hearts like the Thessalonians, and meet us as you met Zacchaeus—with mercy that calls us down to love again. Let our faith rise beyond what we can see until your justice fills the earth and your joy makes our homes your dwelling. Amen.

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