When a president takes office in the United States, he gives what is called an “Inaugural Address.” This is a speech that tells the people what the president thinks needs to be important to the country.  The president outlines his plans for the future.

Today’s reading is the beginning of Jesus’ “Inaugural Sermon.”  At the start of his ministry, Jesus goes up a mountain with his disciples and teaches them about God ways of living.  The first eight of these sentences are called “The Eight Beatitudes.”  Each sentence begins with the word for “happy” in Greek.  This word also has the idea of being “fortunate” and “blessed.”  

We recall another mountain when God inaugurated a new way for God’s people—Moses and the Ten Commandments.  Those words set the basic boundaries about how we are to live.  “Don’t do this and that.”  The Beatitudes, on the other hand are “Happy if you DO this and that!  

Think about them slowly…and see how your life measures up to these wonderful ways of living.

  Matthew 5:1-20

Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels. This being Year C,
the third year in the cycle, we generally read from the Gospel of Luke.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

I’ll bet you’ve played tug-o’-war with your friends.  What would happen if at a set moment, the players on one side of the rope were to just let go?  The other side would fall to the ground.

Take this idea and let’s see how it applies to Paul’s list of bad things and good things.  Evil is something like a tug-o’-war game.  I want what I want and I pull against whatever is against me.  When we let go of this kind of self-centered game, we also let go of the pull that others make on our lives.

The list of good things that Paul makes, on the other hand,  are the blessed gifts that comes when we let God take us where God wants to. We let God win, as it were. Holding on to where the Lord wants to take us by God’s love and grace.  Let God win, so that the game will be over!  When the game is over, God’s life begins.  When we cling to the Lord’s love and grace, some beautiful qualities begin to be expressed in us.  Check out the list of the nine fruits of the Spirit that Paul tells about.  All of these come from God; the selfish and sinful ones come from ourselves without God.  

How does the reading for today have you feel about how your life is going?

Galatians 5:16-26

Thursdays are dedicated to the New Testament, except the Gospels. 
This year in the season of Advent to Epiphany
we read the letters of Titus, Philemon, Galatians and Philippians.

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Life is very exciting: so many great things can come to be in your life if you really want them.  You know, if you want something that will make a big difference in others’ lives,  then God wants that too.  The kind of person you are going to be, and what you will do as your main work in life: this is beginning to take place right now. 

The part of today’s psalm that we are reading is about seeking God, finding God and trusting God. The holy writer today says that God is like a shelter when there’s a great storm. Also, when we seek God, we will not only find God, but will find out the wonderful plans that God has for us.

  Psalm 9: 7-12 

Wednesdays are devoted to the reading of the Psalms, one a week across the three-year cycle.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.