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Matthew 5:3-10 (The Message)
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. (Poor in spirit)
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. (Mourn)
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. (meek/humble)
"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. (Justice)
"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'carefull,' you find yourselves cared for. (Mercy)
"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. (Pure in heart)
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. (Peace-making)
"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
Jesus led off his Sermon on the Mount with the full extent of how upside-down the Kingdom of God is. I get the Ten Commandments. The commandments provide the context for order in relationship with God and neighbor. The Be-Attitudes draw back the curtain on a world of pure grace and abundance that makes no sense when I use the accepted measurements of how the world works.
Try taking a few of Jesus’ Be-Attitudes and rewrite them for “real” life. Here’s what I came up with…
Life is good when I’m in control—bad when I’m overwhelmed—so fight for control!
Loss is too painful, so it needs to be managed by denial and numbing—or avoided altogether by never being in a position to grieve.
If I try harder and do better, I will be enough. Weakness is to be avoided at all costs.
If the outside world (people and things) are meeting my expectations, then I’ll be OK on the inside. If I’m not OK on the inside, I need to fix what’s outside first.
I’ll maybe consider justice for you once life gets fair for me. Since it never really gets fair, I never really get around to seeking justice for you.
Once again, it’s easy to understand the temptation to dumb down the Sermon on the Mount by making it about Jesus making sure we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we don’t measure up to God’s standards, and therefore reinforcing the need for God’s grace. I do believe that’s true. But I also believe Jesus was calling me to a surrendered life in which God’s blessings are experienced in the places and circumstances I least expect. Ironically, these are the situations I’m doing everything I can to avoid.
More on Sunday…until then this what I know…
Town Hall Update
Denis Green will be back with us the weekend of April 14-15 for some targeted interviews and further assessment of our willingness and capacity to tackle the facility repairs and improvements, as well as the commitment to our Mission Vision to support hands-on connections for all of us.
I am pleased to report we’re proceeding with…
- Improving the lighting at the entrance off of Arnold Drive.
- Upgrading the sound and media for the Sanctuary. We are also installing video surveillance on the property as we continue to experience acts of petty vandalism.
- Creating a new and more user-friendly website.
- Installing tile in the Fellowship area and kitchen.
- Planning more fellowship events and working to improve our connections with each other.
- We are currently waiting for the County to approve our use permit so we can proceed with the construction of the columbarium. In the meantime, plans are being prepared to be submitted the minute that happens.
- The air-conditioning project is in the “engineering” phase, but needs to be coordinated with the first phase of the septic repair. While so needed, the current rains are pushing both projects back into May, and maybe even June. The ground needs to dry out so we can install new tanks. I’ll keep you posted.
COLLECTING CLOTHING FOR F.I.S.H.
Thank you for the bags and bags of clothes for F.I.S.H.
JOIN OUR WELCOME TEAM—We’re looking for a few friendly faces to join our Welcome Team! It’s a great way to meet more people and introduce our visitors to St. Andrew. We have a few open spaces, particularly for our 10:30AM service. If you are available one week per month, please check the box on your Prayer Card this Sunday, or contact the Church Office. If you have questions, please contact Ellen Shepherd at heshep@shepenter.com / 938-0938.
- ANDREW’S GOT TALENT!—SUNDAY, APRIL 15TH
5:00-6:00 PM—All Church Potluck 6:00-7:00 PM—Talent Show
Please RSVP for the potluck and let us know if you are preparing an act by checking the box on your Prayer Card this Sunday or contacting the Church Office
Potluck Assignments
A—K Main Dish
L—T Salad
U—Z Dessert
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