The poor in spirit, mourners, meek, hungry, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, the persecuted. These are the blessed. (Matthew 5:2-11) From one vantage point, these reflect societal classes or segments of the population. From another viewpoint, this listing reflects attributes of a rooted and fruitful faith. From the societal perspective, when we revile, mock, ignore, […]
Tag: Prayer
On Marveling
Our modern society is information driven. We seek out facts, desiring to know the answers to everything. We rarely step back and simply marvel. In the Gospel narratives, those encountering Jesus frequently find themselves in wonder when they hear Jesus’ teachings or see His actions. Different translations have used different words for this: astounded, amazed, […]
On Speaking Out
Yesterday, the reflection was about silence as an opportunity for self-discovery. There is more to be said about silence though, as it not only provides us with a deeper understanding of ourselves, but also a deeper understanding of God and what He is pushing us towards. Eventually silence reaches a tipping-point and we have to […]
On Silence
We know little about the first 30 years of Jesus’ life. History is mostly silent on the matter. I sometimes ponder about the Jesus of his teens and 20s: What did he do when he was a young adult? Did he do the work of his earthly father, Joseph? (A carpenter.) Or did he do […]
Relevant Reformation 