Bringing the Beatitudes to Life (our Life)

Today marked our final Beatitudes small group~we contemplated ways to take Jesus' very personal message to us in the Beatitudes with us in our lives.  The beatitudes are the opener to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the longest message Jesus is reported to offer in a single setting.  For most of us though, as familiar as we are with them--and perhaps in part because of our presumed familiarity with them--we read them, contemplate them, appreciate the poetry of the words but see them as something to strive for but unattainable, close our bible, and we may not see them again for another decade.  This small group sought to change all of that and introduce us to the deeply loving, more personal, more accessible and practice messages in these words from Jesus than we have perhaps ever heard before.

So today, as we prepared to close our group, we challenged ourselves--invited ourselves really--to consider ways we could lift the message of the Beatitudes off of the pages of the bible and truly plant them in our hearts, in a way that they may help light our daily lives.  

A a daily dose of Vitamin JC, who in these words seeks to show us the keys to the ultimate happiness--the highest, most serene bliss of the spirit, unaffected by outward events, that can only be known when we come into communion with God.   See below for some of the creations of our group.

[Bryan]

[Louis saw a sun with 12 rays beaming the Beatitudes (with each word abbreviated), complemented with resonant words emanating from the interspersed beams.  Warren's hand helped to render this luminous vision]

[Doris]

[April]

How will you take the Beatitudes with you in your life?  After all, recall that Jesus came that we may have life, 

and have it fully.  

FINAL HOMEWORK:  :)

I encourage each of you to take an hour and do the same--consider writing them in your own words, or draw them, or paint them, or sculpt them, or collage them, or sing or dance them or create a poem around them. However crazy it may feel, open yourself to an unexpected way of imprinting them on your heart in a way that will allow them to steer your heart all the days of your lives.

Whatever you decide, make them personal--after all, they are a beautiful love letter to us from the One who loves as no other, Jesus Christ.  Feel His love for you anew everytime you read or hear the Beatitudes.

As we close this blog, I want to thank each and all of our Beatitudents, near and far, who shared their presence, perspectives and life experiences with our fellow journeyerrs, and through whom and because of whom, each of our walks with Jesus was enriched.

Makaria,

April