Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6) was the Beatitude for the day.  After we discussed observations of our challenges from the previous week, we were reminded that this is not just about food and drink, but about desperately craving 'divine justice'.  We learned the history of the sabbatical and the year of Jubilee when all debts were forgiven so people could experience restoration.  It was to be the communal hope of things being put right.  Could that work in our society today?

We were also reminded that 'righteousness' in the true sense of the word is not about looking down on others - but is is about doing what is right, and for the right reasons.

We ended class once again by signing up for challenges.  We hope our participants are learning from their experiences, and we hope to hear from you!  Please check in with a blog by clicking on the ' _ comments' section at the bottom of this section - you will be held in prayer!

Challenge Options for Sunday #4:

1.Silence is golden.  Just as Jesus drew back and isolated himself to gather strength, take time away from your busy life to spend time in reflection and meditation.

2.The big Book.  Enough said.  Commit to reading 3 chapters of the Bible (Matt 5, 6 &7 are good!)

3.Please doodle.  For 1 month, take notes on your pastor's sermons to make sure you are paying attention to God's word for you.  Try to make what you learned part of your life.

4.Justice at town hall.  Be active in the redemption of your community.  Learn what issues face your community, town or school.

5.Be desperate.  For God.  Being rightous is being desperate for God and depending on Him.  What else do you depend on?  Make a list, then ask God for strength to depend on Him instead.

6.That cardigan is, like, so cute and slave-free.  Being in a relationship with Jesus should effect our social action.  Often things we buy support slavery in other countries.  Visit chainstorereaction.com and send an email to a store asking them to do their part to end slavery.

7.The price is right?  When you choose to draw nearer to God and hunger and thirst for righteousness there is a price - a longing to make things right.  Ask a friend for forgiveness, get over a grudge, seek compromise.

Blessed are the Meek

We met in the Youth Room Sunday morning to talk about the past week's challenge and introduce our new lesson.

We talked about "Blessed are the meek"

It was an interesting discussion that ended in us defining what Meek means.
We were interested to find that our definition of Meek was not weak.  We decided that a person could be a strong leader but still be meek.  (Like Jesus!)

With that information, we began to pick our challenges with our families.  The general challenge this week: Be Meek!  God help us follow this challenge!

1. Grin and bear it, whatever that means.
      Everyone may deserve to be yelled at a little-especially when they are YELLING AT YOU! But this week, when you want to raise your voice, work to be gentle and soft spoken instead.

2.  Serving the snot-nosed
       Okay, admit it. You were a pain in the neck to all your grade school teachers. But some of those teachers still stand out in your memory as being outstanding.  Write a letter to one, thanking him or her for being significant in your life.

3.  While you were sleeping.
         Most churches have a maintenance person or crew who works odd hours to keep the place in shape for you and the people that use the building.  Theirs is an important and often overlooked ministry.  Make some cookies this week, bring a snack, write a card, do something to show appreciation for what they do when no one else is looking.

4. Mow and Go       Wait until they are gone, then now your neighbor's yard.  Don't let them know it was you.

5.  Dodgeball
        Choose the least likely players first for your dodgeball or kickball team in gym this month.  Allow modesty and a gentle spirit to help you reach out to those who often get overlooked.

6. Social network pick me up
      using your social network of choice, publicly praise someone else at least once a day.  Better yet, praise someone toward whom you feel competative or jealous.

7.  Toot your horn!
      What is your gift or talent?  Whatever it is, offer your talents to help someone else- with no strings attached.

Blessed are those that mourn

 The beatitude that we talked about was "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4)

Kevin led the discussion about how 'to mourn' could mean to grieve, or to feel sorrow for sins.  The table talks were about the book of Joel and the idea of group blame within a community and later about how they have seen God in a time when they needed comfort.  

If you have any questions, email Denise at Denise@yardleychurch.org
Have a blessed week, all!

Week #2 Challenges:
1. Going. Going. Gone.  Consider yourself and those you know who mourn the loss of broken dreams or futures that will never happen.  How does God redeem the dreams and futures of those he loves?

2. 99 balloons closer to the kingdom.  Watch "99 Balloons" on youtube.  Share the burden of mourning by getting a helium-filled balloon and letting it go for those who are in mourning, remembering God's promise of comfort.

3. A panoramic view.  Go to tinyurl.com/cxljo8.  Learn and pray about those mourning in situations of war, exile, genocide or poverty.

4.  An internal war.  Those who serve in our military are at a high risk of depression and suicide.  Go to anysoldier.com to send a letter or package to a soldier needing comfort.

5.Wanna see someone's face light up?  Attend a hospital visitation with your pastor.

6.Remember life before singing animation and e-cards?  Handwrite a letter to someone in your life who is struggling with a hopeless or depressing situation.  A text or phone call would be nice.  A list of YUMC shut-ins is available.  Remember God will be doing a lot of comforting through you; it's by Christ that you can do all things (Phil. 4:13).

7.Make a List.  Ask 3 people what sins they feel are most prevalent in our nation's teen population.  Spend quiet time allowing God to break your heart for those sins, and if applicable ask God to free you from a sin's hold on your life.

8. Create your own. Create a challenge for your family that reflects 'Blessed are those who mourn...'

#1 Blessed are the poor in Spirit

Adults and Youth joined together this morning to kick off the "YUMC Family Challenge!" 
Our First Beatitude we discussed was "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit"

We talked about the fact both Matthew & Luke talk about the Beatitudes. Luke talks about the Poor in Spirit as someone in need of spiritual strength.  Matthew talks about Poor in Spirit as someone physically poor.

We discussed a time we went through something difficult and how it directed (or didn't) our relationship with God.

At the end of the time, each family unit had to choose 1 challenge they were going to take on for the week.
And it was an amazingly brave first week!

Below is the list of options.
If you are participating in this Challenge to let us know how it's going and to support the rest of the group!  Add Pictures when possible!Questions? Email Denise@yardleyumc.org

Have a blessed week, all!You are being lifted up in prayer!

1. Don't even give me the Evil Eye      Try being generous this week. Instead of spending your extra cash on new clothes or music, spend it on a friend who doesn't have as much as you. Even better, don't let them find out it was you!

2. Let it Go    Take a look at your prize possessions.  Find something you can't live without. Practice what it means to depend on God by giving it away and not replacing it.

3. Thanks Mr Edison, but no     Minimize your use of electricity.  Donate the difference in your electricity bill to your electric company's account or about making this a way of life.

4. Ten items or more     Skip a meal or use some allowance to go grocery shopping then donate everything to the local food pantry.

5. Roughing it    Sleep on the floor for a week.  Think about how life might be different if you didn't have a comfy home.  Remember, with less of you, there is more room for God.

6. Shut Your pie hole    Fast from food for a period of time.  Reflect on Christ's suggestion that life is more than food.

Kingdom Experiment Family Challenge 2017

It's FINALLY HERE!  Weeks of talking about it have come to an end. 

This blog is for all participants to share their experiences, church members and interested parties to see what's going on and lift up participants in prayer.

Our prayer is that the next 4 weeks would be a time of great discussion, challenging actions and growing closer to God and one another!

Let the Experiment Begin!   To GOD be the Glory!

Family Challenge...Where do we go from here?

2 Years
8 Beatitudes
10 Sunday Mornings
25 Family Units

What does it all add up to?  One Family Challenge Sunday School Class.  Yesterday we completed our last Family Challenge class studying the beatitudes with The Kingdom Experiment.  We had a lively discussion about the challenges from last week, especially how it felt to 'wear our faith on our sleeve' daily.  It was a fitting end to the lessons...we really ought to be living our faith out daily in all we say and do.  We were reminded that 'the Family Challenge' never ends...and were given 4 tasks to focus on until we meet again:  Bible, Prayer, Acts of Service, and Life.  Preferably in that order ;)

So the question we left with was, where do we go from here?  Do we want to meet as families for Sunday School again next year?  For how long...a book session?  A semester?  What would we like to cover in the class?  Some options included "The Sinai Experiment" (weekly challenges based on the 10 commandments - Denise has a copy of the book if you'd like a sneak peek), or  a weekly study of a selected book of the Bible.  Other ideas are welcome...

Pray about it.  Talk about it.  Please share your thoughts either by posting a comment on the blog or by reaching out to Denise (yumcsm@gmail.com).

God is good.  All the time!

Blessed are those who are persecuted...

Class began with a review of the past week's beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers"...it was agreed that while it sounds simple enough, sometimes it's easier said than done.  Many of us find we are peacelovers and need to strive to work toward peacemakers.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of rightousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10) ends as our first beatitude began - for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  "The journey has come full circle. The poor and the persecuted (and everyone in between) have something in common:  they are hopeless to find relief in this present world" (The Kingdom Experiment p. 111).  Jesus teaches us that the kingdom is backwards.

It is humbling to realize how others have been/are persecuted for their faith.  Given where and when we live in the world, it's not likely here... but is there another type of persecution, to take a stand against so much of the current culture?   Jesus taught us that the path is narrow and the gate is small, if we choose to follow him.  And as Abby added, we may find ourselves often standing alone.

This is our last week in the Family Challenge, and we hope to make it a good one.  The challenges this week don't necessarily all follow the book.  They include:

1.The Family Flagpole.  Pray for the persecuted; Voice of the martyrs; Lots of bullies on the playground; IDOP.  "See you at the flagpole" is an annual event where Christian students gather around the school flagpole to pray.  Create a spot in the house to gather and pray for the persecuted.  Websites to learn more: opendoorusa.org; be-a-voice.net; christianfreedom.org; and persecutedchurch.org.

2.You have 346,918 Facebook Friends (Give or take a few).  But not everyone is a social whiz.  In your youth group and church there are people you don't know well or people you haven't seen in a while. Reach out to deepen a friendship or reconnect with an inactive youth/family.  Do this as a first step in what you hope to become an ongoing friendship.

3.Open Lunch.  Make some room at your regular lunchtable and invite someone lonely to join you.  Get to know them, listen, show mercy...but be cautious about your intentions.  You should have an ongoing commitment to this and be sensitive to the other person's feelings.

4.Wear your faith on your sleeve.  Show your faith literally and figuratively by wearing/carrying a symbol of Christianity each day this week.  Show your beliefs in how you act and in what you say.  Discuss - was this easy or difficult?  How did it impact your day?  Pray for strength to live out Christianity daily.

5.Parent Pain.  We live in a world where teenagers have taken their own lives or the lives of others while being reckless, depressed or irresponsible.  Often parents are left hurting with feelings of guilt or loneliness.  Send flowers or words of encouragement to a family in your community that is hurting from a pain from the past.  It could have been last week or 10 years ago.  Don't judge, simply show love.

6.Walk a mile in their shoes (Or at least try them on for size).  In countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith they suffer as prisoners and live a hard life.  Give up a luxury and every time you miss that item, pray for others.

7.Lost get found.  Listen to the song "Lost Get Found" by Britt Nicole.  Print out the lyrics and talk about how you can "not let the fire burn out" as a family.  Talk about the easy road and the ways you tend to play it safe.  Challenge each other to take chances for God together.

Here's wishing you a meaningful week as we wrap up our study of The Kingdom Experiment.  Please comment so we can hear how it's going!