Epiphany Micah 6 and the Beatitudes
Micah 6:1-8
Micah 6:1-8 Common English Bible
God’s dispute with Israel
6 Hear what the Lord is saying:
Arise, lay out the lawsuit before the mountains;
let the hills hear your voice!
2 Hear, mountains, the lawsuit of the Lord!
Hear, eternal foundations of the earth!
The Lord has a lawsuit against his people;
with Israel he will argue.
3 “My people, what did I ever do to you?
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 I brought you up out of the land of Egypt;
I redeemed you from the house of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.
5 My people, remember what Moab’s King Balak had planned,
and how Balaam, Beor’s son, answered him!
Remember everything[a] from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you might learn to recognize the righteous acts of the Lord!”
What does the Lord require?
6 With what should I approach the Lord
and bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings,
with year-old calves?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with many torrents of oil?
Should I give my oldest child for my crime;
the fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit?
8 He has told you, human one, what is good and
what the Lord requires from you:
to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Matthew 5:1-12 NRSVUE
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And 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 the sake of righteousness, 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[b] 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.
GATHERING FOR SUNDAY
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Hello NewDay Brothers and Sisters,
It will be good to be together this coming Sunday! Laura and myself spent time over the past week in Chicago with our colleagues at the Covenant Midwinter Conference, and it was such a blessing to be there, connect with colleagues, meet new colleagues, learn, worship and also have fun! Thank you for supporting times like this for us as staff to learn and grow. The theme for this year's Midwinter was "One Another," and it was around all the 56 One Another's found in Scripture, and how to live into this well as God's people. Some of the most encouraging reminders were surrounding loving one another, honoring one another and directing these exhortations especially in situations where we find it challenging if we disagree with one another, have different perspectives, etc. I will be sharing more and unpacking more about this in the upcoming weeks.
As to this Sunday! We will be reading from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. As I read and study, I am struck all the more that in the Beatitudes, we find the Way of Jesus- how to follow Him more, be more like Him, live like Him, and navigate the world more like Him. The Beatitudes also remind us that the Kingdom of God, here on this earth can often feel like an upside place, where the Blessings Jesus describes, are not the usual 'Blessings,' we look for or are projected by the world's standards. I am looking forward to sharing what I am learning, and anticipate we will be growing together into the Way of Jesus as we explore the Beatitudes.
As you read this, also, please pray for a few things:
1) The Search Committee and the pastoral candidate meeting together this weekend. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide, lead and direct the steps of NewDay and our candidate's call on their life.
2) Our Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ, as they continue to navigate the immigration concerns and complexities facing them. As we have begun relationship with En Su Presencia, please lift up Pastors Edgar and Lucinda, and their leadership, as they care well for their congregation. There will be a gathering for prayer for our Hispanic churches at Bloomington Covenant Church TOMORROW, 2-4 pm. 10150 Xerxes Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55431
See you Sunday!
In Christ, Pastor Kari