Category: Uncategorized
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Understanding Jesus’ Beatitude: Comfort for the Mourning
Blessed are those who mourn Matthew 5:4 “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” At first, these words may sound strange. We do not usually associate mourning with blessing. We tend to call people blessed when life is going well—when they are healthy, secure, successful, admired, and…
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Blessed Are Those Who Seek Justice
Blessed Are Those Who Still Ache for What Is RightMatthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” There is something wonderfully physical about the way Jesus speaks here. He does not say, “Blessed are those who have an interest in righteousness.” He…
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Mercy vs. Misunderstood Kindness: A Christian Perspective
Mercy with Wisdom Matthew 5:7 Matthew 5:7 — “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” A close translation might be: “Flourishing are the merciful ones, because they themselves will be shown mercy.” At first, this can sound…
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The Beatitude of the Pure in Heart Explained
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 When we hear these words, our first instinct may be to wonder what Jesus expects from us. But perhaps before we make this Beatitude about ourselves, we should ask another question: What does it tell us about…
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The Struggles of Modern Ministry: My story
I am still struggling to process much of what has happened. I did not come to the decision to leave this pastoral charge lightly. There has been grief in it, because I genuinely hoped that my ministry here would unfold differently. Throughout my relatively short tenure, I received many complaints.…
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Eyes to See Grace: Choosing What We Notice in Life
Two friends loved to go hunting together. One seemed to have a naturally positive outlook on life, while the other could find something wrong with almost anything. One day, the first man arrived with an extraordinary new bird dog—a dog that could walk on water. A duck fell onto the…
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Embracing Unity in Prayer: Lessons from the Lord’s Prayer
Our father, our bread, our forgiveness Matthew 6:5–13 There are moments in life when prayer feels very personal. We pray when we are afraid. We pray when we receive difficult news. We pray when our hearts are heavy, when decisions feel hard, when grief is near, or when we are…
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BLESSED RESISTANCE
Living the Beatitudes in a World That Rewards the Opposite Matthew 5:3 Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with a blessing. But it is not the kind of blessing the world usually recognizes. The world has its own beatitudes. Many of you are not materially poor, but they are…
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BLESSED RESISTANCE
Living the Beatitudes in a World That Rewards the Opposite Matthew 5:4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” At first, these words may sound strange. We do not usually associate mourning with blessing. We tend to call people blessed…
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The Gift and the Burden of the Blind Spot
Luke 24:13–32 I want to begin with something simple and human. Not seeing clearly is part of life. A little while ago, I spent several minutes looking for my phone. I checked the table, the kitchen, my coat pocket, the couch cushions. I was growing frustrated. And then I realized…
Reverend Marco Ste-Marie 