June 15, 2024
Dear Friends,
I want to extend a Happy Father’s day to all the dad’s in our congregation. My dad passed away several years ago and I still miss his presence in my life. I am grateful to be a dad and the blessings that I have with my family.
We are continuing our summer series on The Beatitudes of Jesus as found in Matthew 5:1-12. The Beatitudes (latin for “blessed”) as they have come to be called are eight “Blessed are…” statements through which Jesus began to describe the kind of people who are transformed by the Spirit. People who recognize that they are blessed by God. As we have discovered the word “Blessed” could be translated literally as “happy” or “fortunate” which is surprising considering the kind of people Jesus describes. None more so than “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Ironically, this second Beatitude falls on Father’s Day, and as I mentioned above my own dad passed away a few years ago. This was totally unplanned on my part. If you have lost a father or anyone who was close as a father to you, you understand what it is to mourn. Yet there is also comfort. Jesus second Beatitude might seem paradoxical. How can someone be “blessed” and be “mourning” or grieving at the same time? Yet this is what Jesus says. If you have known grief, pain and loss in your life does it have a purpose? What are our coping mechanisms both positive and negative to find comfort?
We live in a culture that embraces the pursuit of happiness, and often we are encouraged to look for ways around mourning and lament. Yet, in the gospels Jesus often takes us through mourning, not around it. You don’t have to grieve alone. In this beatitude, I believe Christ himself wants us to come to him so that he can comfort us. He has given us a community to support and mourn with us. He has given himself through the Spirit to care for us. And, moreover through mourning, we grow in compassion and empathy in a broken world. As he said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” for in our mourning there is comfort.
We extend our thoughts and prayers to Snezana whose beloved husband Jonas passed away very quickly from pancreatic cancer. Snezana loves to sing in our celebration choir and Jonas (John) was someone who appreciated our Glenbrook community. The service will be on June 29th. https://mountpleasantgroup.permavita.com/site/JanosKovac.html?s=100
I want to extend congratulations to several of our very wise Glenbrook folks who have received some recent academic awards and acknowledgment.
Marsha who received a Phd in Criminology from Simon Frasier University in B.C.
Wendell who received tenure as an Associate Professor of History at McGill University
Jillian who received the Brydon Prize for Reformation History at Knox College.
Brian whose book “After Dispensationalism” received a Bronze in the Religion (Adult Nonfiction) category in the Foreword Indie Book Awards for 2023! You can pick up a signed copy on any given Sunday!
Have a lovely weekend
Pastor Ian
