Beatitudes Blog
From Prayer Tree to Pulpit: A Visit to the Howard Thurman Home
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:8-9). On the Road to the Howard Thurman Home Recently, Wanda and I headed to the Florida Atlantic coast for a few days before a...
The Four Temptations: Sermon on Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you...
What We Want Is Glory: A Reflection on Isaiah 4:2-6
On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in...
After Illness (poem)
After Illness J. Marshall Jenkins Recovered, more or less, still a bit tired, remembering the illness, the drain, dis-ease, grayness darkening, hope dimming, restless rest, wondering now how it came, how to fend it off better next time. Meanwhile, it takes perhaps a...
Jesus’s Inaugural Address: Sermon on Luke 4:16-21 (22-30)
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:‘The...
Dr. King’s Medicine: Love Your Enemies
A needed message for our era of polarization.
A Funny Thing Happened At Cana: Sermon on John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what...
The Order For Which We Long: Sermon on John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the...
Loving and Knowing the Way: A Reflection on Philippians 1:3-11
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to...
HALT, Welcome, and Be Welcomed
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). Participants in Alcoholics Anonymous keep an eye on themselves with the acronym, HALT, which stands for, “Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.” That experience cues them to call the sponsor, go to a...
What Is the World? (poem)
What Is the World? J. Marshall Jenkins He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him (John 1:10). What is the world? “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” my writer’s conscience protests, “Do not write about that abstraction. Turn...
Voting With Christian Hope
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Mt 5:8-9). On Not Voting With a Divided Mind When voting, you carry some brand of hope to the ballot. Always dissatisfied in some way with the...
As a psychotherapist and spiritual director, I bring well-honed insight and skill to these posts; yet, my vulnerability plays a more important part, for more than advice from experts, serious people of faith need resonance with fellow travelers.
In my writing and in your reading and comments, may we face our challenges in God’s compassionate presence rather than in a private dressing room where we try in vain to make ourselves presentable to God at an appointed meeting. God meets us where we are.
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