Hearing the Music

Golden Chain for Life

The last two Sunday mornings we have spent looking at the Sermon on the Mount in general and the Beatitudes in particular. We have observed that the heart of the sermon has to do with a righteousness that is greater than the scribes and pharisees (Matthew 5:20), a foundation on which we can really build our house (Matthew 7:24-27) and a righteousness to be thirsting for (Matthew 5:6). Last week we noted that the character of those who long for this righteousness is like a golden chain around their neck comprised of being poor in spirit, mourning over sin and brokenness, producing a meekness that is not unlike our Savior (Matthew 5:2-5, also cf. Matthew 11:28-30). The fruit of this golden chain will be mercy toward others, purity of heart and peacemaking (Matthew 5:7-9). The world will not appreciate these characteristics and will oppose them both physically and ideologically (Matthew 5:10,11). 

The final thought I want to share with you on these Beatitudes (perhaps this came out in preaching, perhaps not) is that this golden chain of Beatitudes is not something that we only approach early in our Christian life, or at some point more or less mastering it and then moving on to the graduate classes of discipleship. No, this golden chain is a lifelong pursuit and is a school from which we never graduate. Daily I am to trace this path through my life. I was reminded of this fact this week in the way my own heart responded with pride and arrogance to various situations. I wondered if those I interacted with saw the meekness of my Savior in me. I also was on the receiving end of some harsh interactions with those who claimed Christ yet definitely lacked a meekness. The Beatitudes are a way of life, a deep well from which we will always be able to draw. They are a path to walk daily, and a path that always leads us closer to the heart of the Savior.

The Beatitudes are the gateway. This week we will see Jesus moves from the character of the Christian to how the Christian is to engage the world. Pastor Addison will be looking at Matthew 5:13-16 in helping us contemplate these crucial questions.

Photo by Vishnu Prasad on Unsplash

Failing While Succeeding

I recently was reminded of an aphorism that states, "Failure is being successful at the things that don't matter." We feel the weight of this truth when we take time to reflect on the hours and minutes of our lives, especially in light of eternity. We recognize that there are things that "matter" from an eternal perspective, while there is much that the world values, even counts as success, that ultimately will be shown to matter very little.

This is one of the reasons why the Sermon on the Mount has been so treasured by God's people throughout the ages. In it, we get our prescription lens adjusted so that we can see clearly the things that truly matter. This week we will continue with an in-depth look at the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), which show us the qualities of personhood that enable us to have this heavenly perspective. 

Photo by Gleb Lucky on Unsplash

A Way of Life

Since the pandemic entered our world, we have all longed for the day that it would be over. We were hopeful when positivity rates started falling. We were happy to get vaccines on board and see some return to normalcy. But then new variants started showing up. Positivity rates started climbing. Health care systems continue to be overwhelmed. At Christ Church we have lost loved ones due to the disease. The CDC continues to scramble to stay on top of things. All of this to say, COVID has become a way of life.

With Covid seemingly entrenched as a part of life, I thought a word of encouragement may be in order. If we go it alone I am afraid that we will become overwhelmed and succumb to discouragement. We need each other. It is in all of our best interests to continue to seek to serve our neighbors despite our own COVID fatigue and in the midst of theirs. There are so many ways to serve one another as we move forward together. Here are a few that come to mind: 

• Make meals for those who are down with sickness.
• Fill a volunteer slot at church for someone who has to quarantine.
• Consider how getting a vaccine or wearing a mask may help a neighbor.
• Call or send cards to folks who are more isolated.
• Encourage a healthcare worker any way you can!
• Listen well to those who need to work through their own ruminations.
• Join our Zoom Worship if you are not able to attend in person.

And above all pray. Pray that we would seek the Lord in the midst of all of this mess. Pray that our Great Physician would bring relief to this weary world. Pray that the Church would find its voice to point collectively to the One who is gentle and lowly in heart, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).

Perhaps you picked up on the Zoom worship above. This Sunday we will begin hosting a Zoom worship service at 10:30 weekly. It is our hope that those for whom in-person worship is not advisable long term or temporarily not warranted, the Zoom service will be a place of community where sisters and brothers can worship together. An elder or staff member will host the service and collectively work through the home worship guide. The sermon will be recorded at the 8:30 service and posted for collective listening. Prayer requests can be shared. Signup to join your Christ Church family if you find yourself at home!

As we talk about a COVID way of life we are reminded of the way of life that Jesus laid out for his disciples. This week we will begin a series on the Sermon on the Mount that will take us through Easter. In particular this week we will be focusing on the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) as a gateway to understanding the whole of the Sermon.

Photo by J W on Unsplash