The Kingdom is for Everyone

The elementary kids read from the beatitudes on Sunday. I found N.T. Wright's translation so beautiful and helpful:

“Wonderful news for the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours.
Wonderful news for the mourners! You’re going to be comforted.
Wonderful news for the meek! You’re going to inherit the earth.
Wonderful news for the people who hunger and thirst for God’s justice! You’re going to be satisfied.
Wonderful news for the merciful! You’ll receive mercy yourselves.
Wonderful news for the pure in heart! You will see God.
Wonderful news for the peacemakers! You’ll be called God’s children.”

-Matthew 5:1-12, translation by N.T. Wright

We talked about how God's Kingdom is any place where God is King. He wants to be King in our hearts and in our lives. And he wants that, not just for us, but for everyone: the broken-hearted, the lonely, the hurting, the homeless. Your kids shared some amazing stories of how they have blessed and shared the Kingdom with others - serving food on Thanksgiving, delivering gifts to single moms, helping the elderly with chores and yard work, delivering lunches with Salt on the Street. They are being hugely impacted by the ways we are living out the Gospel as a community and as individual families. It blesses me big time. God's Kingdom is here, now, and we are helping others to see who He is and how He works, and that He is good.