Blessed are the Pure in Heart

During my summer of teaching the Beatitudes at camp this was perhaps the best beatitude to teach.  As Knights of the Beatitude each of us had a construction paper heart pinned to our breastplate.  The idea was that each time our words or actions were not pure in heart we would receive a tally mark on our heart. This was such a great visual for our campers as well as a great reminder for all us counselors.

My heart was beautiful!  I covered it with glitter and jewels so it sparkled and shined…all to cover up my tally marks, in hopes that no one would notice the bold marks.  Of course my beautification only caused more marks against me!  No matter how hard I tried to present a beautiful heart on the outside…it was the inside that mattered.  My motivation, my thoughts, my actions, my self-centered focus…all of it kept my focus away from God.  This Beatitude reminds us that our outside needs to match our inside. 

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7) 

The heart is at the core of who we are, even in the secrecy of our thoughts and feelings, when nobody knows but God, it matters. Those invisible roots matter as much to God as what others see with our visible branches. From the heart flows all the issues of life.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.
Then you can see God in the outside world.” (The Message)

To be “pure in heart” means to be single-minded for the glory of God. It is to have God and his kingdom as your ultimate priority, with no competitors. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no deceitfulness, no hidden motives. A pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than our outward thoughts and behaviors; it is our internal thoughts and behaviors that matters most.

How pure is your heart?  Does your outward appearance match what is on the inside?  Or are you working to make your heart and your life pure, holy and solely focused on God?  It isn’t an easy task but one that is worth the effort!

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Blessed are the Merciful 

There is something about the word mercy that always makes me pause and ponder.  I think it might be because mercy is not a word that comes up often in our everyday conversations.  And sadly, mercy is not something we see enacted regularly in our world.  Yet, mercy is a key attribute of God and a virtue we as believers are called to emulate. 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentation 3:22-23)

This was one of my memory verses earlier this year.  The NIV uses the word “compassions” instead of “mercies,” and I love this translation because I see it as a reminder that God’s compassion will never let me be consumed by the world around me.  God is faithful and God’s mercies are new every day!   Even though I might deserve God’s wrath or judgement…I receive God’s mercy instead!

Which again causes me to pause and ponder about my own actions or rather re-actions…are they filled with mercy?  Is my response to those God puts in my path one of compassion? Empathy? Forgiveness?  Mercy?

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’
you find yourselves cared for.” (The Message)

Mercy involves compassion, forgiveness, and kindness, especially towards those who are suffering or who don't deserve it. Mercy is not just something we feel; mercy is something we do.  Mercy is not optional. Not if we want to be shown mercy. Mercy begets mercy.  What we say or how we act towards others is what we get in return.  I learned that as a child…the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  It is a virtue that has stuck with me, but it doesn’t mean I have always lived it out.  I try, and I try, and I try again.  That is mercy at work, we know we fail but we get up and try again – God is faithful, God is full of mercy towards us.  So, we need to show mercy to others. 

So how is your capacity for mercy?  Are you living a life that emulates mercy?  Me, I am always a work in progress.  God’s mercies are new every morning and so are mine.  Mercy is a habit of the heart. 

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

If I were to ask you what are your most basic needs, how would you answer?  Food, oxygen, water, shelter?  What about relationships?  I have said many times, we as human beings have been created to be in relationships.  Back in the Garden, God said it was not good for man to be alone, so God created a helpmate.  Adam and Eve walked in the Garden with God!  We were created for companionship.

In fact, Relationships are the third level in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  You remember the triangle that has five sets of basic needs – starting at the bottom: physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. In order to progress to the higher-levels one must first satisfy the lower-level needs. 

“How good is life for those who hunger and thirst for right relationships (righteousness), because they will be satisfied” 

(BibleProject Translation)

In thinking about this week’s Beatitude, it is helpful to think about righteousness as more than our own personal desire for holiness. Instead, righteousness, according to Jesus and the rest of the Bible, is about right relating in the ways of love. Jesus is suggesting that loving others is a basic human need like eating food or drinking water.

I find this Beatitude is a great reminder of where our focus should be, and what our priorities should reflect.  Jesus calls us to push aside our craving for personal gain and become like him. He promises that our hunger for his way of life will not leave us wanting. And over time if we become hungry for right relating with others, we will eventually be satisfied.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matt 6:33)

Think again about the triangle of needs, are your basic needs being met?  What is it that you are seeking?  What are you hungering and thirsting for?  What are you craving?  Friends, may our most basic needs to met as we hunger for righteousness.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Blessed are the meek

So imagine you are in a room with 80 elementary school kids.  You are dressed as a knight along with a few of your summer camp co-workers.  You are teaching about the third Beatitude…blessed are the meek.  You begin your dialogue – as the not-so-meek knight – every time un-meek statements come out of your mouth, all those 80 campers plus the other 12 counselors in the room make the loudest “buzz” sound possible! This continues on for a few more minutes as my wonderful, brilliant and amazing monologue keeps being interrupted every few words.  Getting more and more frustrated I finally look to the crowd and realize the error of my words. My final line as I run from the stage…”Eek!  I am not meek!”

There is really nothing more humbling than teaching kids…they are brutally honest!  It only took one time for the counselors to “buzz” me before the kids caught on to their task (and continued for the rest of the day to catch me in my boasting).  Sometimes I think it would be nice to have that reminder, though a gentler version, when my words or actions are not so meek.

“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.”

I think there is a misunderstanding when it comes to the word meek.  It is defined as being quiet or gentle.  And I think we often associate meekness with someone who is easily imposed upon or submissive.  But, meekness is not weakness.  Meekness is having controlled strength and humility, being willing to put others needs before our own. 

This week we look at this third Beatitude and what Jesus meant when he said, “blessed are the meek.”  It is a great reminder of the posture we are to have as followers of Jesus.  See you Sunday…oh, and you can leave your buzzers at home!

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.