Hempfield UMC

The Reading Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8) Reflection When we are reconciled to God and reconciled to each other, we can begin to see life clearly; that is, we begin to perceive life as God intended. When our life is in disharmony with God, we cannot see what God is doing. When we are bitter toward the people around us, our judgment is clouded, and God cannot use us as his instruments.…

The Reading Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Reflection In this blessing, Jesus expands his focus to include our relationship with other people. Whenever we are offended, our natural impulse is to pursue justice. Justice is the ordering of life whereby each person is treated fairly. Justice is indeed a characteristic of God, as God shows no favoritism. Still, because we are fallen creatures, we can easily use the idea of justice to advance our personal…

The Reading Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6) Reflection The idea of righteousness is linked to the belief that God is the designer of human life. Follow this train of thought: in regard to the origin of your life, there are only two options. Either you are a biological accident generated by an impersonal process of evolution, or you were created by God. The first way of thinking leads to…

The Reading Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5) Reflection In blessing the humble, Jesus is declaring a truth found in the Psalms, which the people would have known well, “A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity” (Psalm 37:11). This Scripture points to a hidden principle of the kingdom…