As Jesus wakes early in the morning, he is ready for Matthew to transcribe his sermon. (This is taken from the Chosen. Are you as obsessed as we are?)
"I've got it, Matthew, directions for where people should look to find me...
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who mourn for they should be comforted
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."
"Yes, but how is it a map?" asks Matthew.
Jesus responds, "If someone wants to find me, those are the groups they should look for."
There is trauma all over the southeast - from floods, winds, tornadoes. No power, no water, no communication, no gasoline for days. Searching for loved ones. Waiting to hear news. Hoping for help.
We've seen the videos and some of you have been eye witnesses to the chaos.
And yet.
It is somehow possible in the human condition to hold this grief AND the inspiration that comes from seeing neighbors loving neighbors.
A recent reel showed what happened when a lady had to jump off the roof of her home in western NC with a life jacket, because her home was washing away. The neighbors on the bank were encouraging her to jump. People were holding ropes, running alongside the waters, telling her to swim to the side. A man in a canoe went after her and plunged in the rushing waters himself, so he could drag her by the lifejacket to safety. All the neighbors carefully brought them both to dry land, weeping.
No doubt Jesus was there. The neighbors all found Jesus right there.
Blessed are the desperate for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who grieve their missing loved ones for they should be comforted
Blessed are the terrified for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who jump in raging waters to help for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the ones weeping when someone is rescued for they shall receive mercy
Blessed are the children holding their wet dogs for they shall see God
Blessed are those who go into the storm for they shall be called sons of God.
(my version)
This is what the church of tomorrow looks like, it's a mystery. You can sense it and you can feel it. Spirit is wildly present and Jesus shows up. Just like on the banks of that river.
In the empty, beautiful, sometimes historic buildings that we call "church" - do we feel it? Do we sense it? Is Spirit wildly present? Is Jesus there?
YOU as spiritual entrepreneurs are boots on the ground living out the beatitudes, creating mission community worship - where people can find a roadmap straight to Jesus.
Go and continue to be the #churchoftomorrow
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