Be Merciful Today

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 read: 

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; 
and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 
²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven.⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, 
for they will be comforted. ⁵“Blessed are the meek, 
for they will inherit the earth. ⁶“Blessed are those 
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
for they will be filled. ⁷“Blessed are the merciful, 
for they will receive mercy. ⁸“Blessed are the 
pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹“Blessed 
are the peacemakers, for they will be called 
children of God. ¹⁰“Blessed are those who are 
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is 
the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹“Blessed are you when 
people revile you and persecute you and utter all 
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 
¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great 
in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted 
the prophets who were before you.

Be merciful with others and with yourselves today. 
Be peacemakers and be meek, walking humbly with 
God and with each other. Life in this world can be 
very hard. Human life can be frighteningly fragile. 
We are all struggling behind the confident & calm 
masks we wear. So often when asked how we're 
doing, the cheery "Fine" we deliver is a lie. So be 
helpful to each other in small ways. Be alert for 
the moment when you can deliver a kind word, 
hold a door for someone, calm a troubled soul 
with an act of grace. God does this for us and 
asks us to do this for others. I'll be right out there 
with you, doing just the same. In helping others, 
we will discover we also help ourselves. 
See you in the world. 

We American Baptists Stand Against Terror and Hate

The American Baptist Home Mission Societies shared a powerful article by Rev. Dr. Debora Jackson, speaking out against terrorism in our country, standing up for the victims of this weekend's massacres, and speaking out against race hatred and violence. 

In part Rev. Dr. Jackson states: ... we denounce practices of privilege that declare white male gunmen as mentally ill while naming gunmen of color as terrorists. Domestic terrorism, regardless of the perpetrator, is an issue and we cannot abide by tactics that diminish the offense for some. Declaring our faith in the God of love, we condemn the hate speech that is dividing our country. Instead, we commit ourselves to teach the love of God through Jesus Christ, rebuking those who would spread hate.

Read the article at: https://christiancitizen.us/a-call-to-american-baptists/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=The%20Christian%20Citizen&utm_content=A%20call%20to%20American%20Baptists&fbclid=IwAR2uoLKbL_qH-YUaI-7RpIW6fMxDjmT1D4GDWCfSfdf2aIR2yUMJztmplLQ

Throne of Grace

Sermon for Sunday, October 14, 2018, based on Hebrew 4:12-16. Life is scary, and always has been. The first half of today's scripture reading is scary, and always has been. However, the second half of the reading tells us where to turn to leave fear behind. To whom can we turn to be courageous? Who is in our corner, ready to help us, and to be at our side when our judgment finally comes? Listen and find out.

Spider-Man: Matters of Heart: July 1, 2018

Sermon based on Luke 10:30-35, ending our summer superheroes series with Spider-Man. We focus on matters of the heart, whether we will have hearts cruel, calloused, or compassionate. It impacts everything we do and say. It influences the world around us and everyone we interact with. Watch and discover how.

Word of warning: we were located in our air conditioned office wing during our heat wave, which is a tighter space. While you'll hear the sermon entirely, the picture will move wildly as the camera person had to move from one location to another for late arrivals that morning.

Invitation: Join us for our new endeavor and in the new live stream community and Bible study we are creating. It is called Beyond Loaves and Fishes. Here's how to find it and participate in the half hour long Bible studies from the comfort of home.  To learn how to join us on the Beyond Loaves and Fishes live stream event tonight, take a look at the following blog post and follow the simple steps: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2018/05/beyond-loaves-fishes-livestream-bible.html

Further, if you like what you hear in this sermon or if the Bible study intrigues you, drop by Sunday morning if you are close to Lansdowne, PA, and join us for worship. All are welcome. See this blog site for hours.

A Justice That Heals - 2000

Here is a powerful story of reconciliation and forgiveness that heals. This is key to creating healing communities and church stations of hope: working together to help families of those who have been incarcerated and those in prison themselves. It is well worth watching and wrestling with by all who seek to help or who have someone in the prison system.

God bless you all.

For more on the organization Healing Communities that works to create church Stations of Hope across the country, see: www.healingcommunitiesusa.com

Rich in Mercy

Sermon based on Ephesians 2:1-10, delivered during the season of Lent, 2018. If you want to know what a Buick Skylark and a Ford Pinto have to do with Paul's letter to the Ephesians, you'll have to watch. Good news provided about love, grace, and mercy. Room for reflection on how to react to that as well.