On walking the Way

This is the first installment of a 3 part (at least) series on the advent of our King Jesus. We will be looking at the arrival of Jesus and the hope of His return in the coming weeks. The Promise of Hope Isaiah 2:3 and many peoples shall come, and say : “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths...

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9) Like father like son, or so the saying goes. Jesus teaches us once again how badly we misunderstand God. To be like God is to be a peacemaker. Paul describes the church’s purpose as being an agent of reconciliation in this world. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry...

“ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8) Then there is this, a promise so big it almost sounds like hyperbole. The thought of seeing God is both exhilarating and frightening. We are overwhelmed with the thought of seeing God, and finally finding that missing piece. That elusive “thing” that we have been missing since humanity first rebelled against God. And yet, we are...

Everyone loves a good war story where the hero wins. The only problem with these stories is that you have to go through a war to get them. So instead we choose to watch them in theaters and on TV. This allows us to experience that emotional rush, without actually having to take those risks. To be sure it is enjoyable to go on these rides of fantasy but in the end there is no substance in fantasy....

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt 5:6) There are it seems three ways to be hungry. One is through poverty, another through self denial, and another through hard work. Jesus has already talked about poverty of spirit so we could look at this blessing as an extension of the first beatitude. But I think there is more to look at here beyond...

One of my earliest memories is sitting on the end of a pipe organ bench listening to my mom practice the organ and lead the choir. I remember being amazed by how each person seemed to be singing a different thing, and yet somehow, when it was all done right, produced something that seemed almost magical to me. I discovered that there was a sound, a sound that no one person in the choir was making,...