Amy Jones,
Agape Coordinator
Dear God, we come to worship you today. 
We come to pray, and listen.
You always hear us. 
Help us to hear you. Amen
Scripture
Matthew 5:1-12
 
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;
and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 Then 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.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Devotional
The Beatitudes sometimes feel pie-in-the-sky to me. Sometimes it feels like they are used to justify the pain we endure because God will turn pain into “blessings.” I just cannot believe that a good God wants people to hurt in order to bring them blessings.
 
I believe that God loves each of us more than our finite minds can imagine, even though the sharp edges of our broken world hurt us. I believe that we are the blessing, not the circumstances of our lives. The things we experience can draw out the ways we are blessed by God, or loved beyond measure. Sometimes the things we experience cause us to doubt that we are loved by God, but the beatitudes assure us that we are always loved by God, even when our experiences tempt us to believe otherwise.
 
The experience is not the blessing. You are the blessing.
 
I hope you will give yourself ten minutes of simple pleasure and watch the video linked below of the story book, “Old Turtle and The Broken Truth.” It is a poetic picture book with beautiful watercolors, well worth the time investment simply for its beauty. It is also a parable about brokenness and blessing. I hope it will help you find the blessing that is you
Prayer
God, the blessings are all around us, made in your image. Sometimes our vision is clouded by the jagged edges of our broken world. Remind us daily that we are loved and so are they.
Amen.
Amy Jones, Agape Coordinator
Amy Jones our Agape Coordinator is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. In this tradition, deacons are ordained clergy who bridge the ministry of the church with the needs of the world, and vice versa. In more than 15 years of ministry, she has worked in churches, in children and family ministry, higher education, and nonprofits. In each setting, her focus has been on matching the resources of the church with the needs of the world. Agape Community Kitchen is exactly the type of work she was called to do. 

Amy can be reached by email at: agape@westfieldpc.org.
The Presbyterian Church in Westfield continues to burn as a light in the darkness as our community weathers this fearsome storm of illness. Our reach of care continues to extend far beyond our immediate borders. You can help us make a real impact in the lives of others by joining in our work through your time, your talents, and also in the fruits of your labors.
Please watch your email, our church website and Facebook page
for updates on the ways in which you can worship at home!

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and we hope you can tune in!
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908-233-0301