I, with some others, are going to be studying a book titled, “Forgiveness, the Passionate Journey” by Flora Slosson Wuellner. It is on the Beatitudes.
I have been reading chapter two, “Facing Our Hurt, Naming Our Need” on the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:2-3. The author gives us a more accurate translation of this scripture that she found from the root meanings: “Blessed are those who recognize their total need of God.”
In laying the framework for healthy forgiveness, Wuellner tells us that there are four questions we need to honestly ask “within the presence of God’s love: (1) What happened? 2) Who is responsible? (3) How do I feel about what happened? (4)What is my need right now?”
One thing I have gotten out of this chapter so far is that I have to be able to clearly name what happened in order to experience change. That is not easy and I am having to work on it.
The author ends the chapter by leading us in a meditation designed to help us enter and grow in the healing process. Even without Wuellner’s book, one can take on the study of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 from The NT. I think it is a good way to start 2018.
Link to Amazon for book if anyone is interested.https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Passionate-Journey-Forgiving-Beatitudes/dp/0835809455/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515413351&sr=8-2&keywords=flora+slosson+wuellner
thedailylily.com 
I love the beatitude characters and how they are portrayed. They provide a mental picture that sure helps in remembering them.
Are there eight or nine?
I have been pondering the author of the Beatitudes and his purposes and for whom were those words directed?
“Jesus Christ gave us the Eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded for all posterity in the Gospel of Matthew, the first Book of the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew’s Gospel was directed to an audience steeped in Hebrew tradition. The Gospel of Matthew stressed that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah foretold in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, and that the Kingdom of the Lord is the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Jesus offers us a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth were simple but unique and innovative at the time of his life on earth. He began teaching about 30 AD during the ruthless Roman occupation of Palestine. At the time there were four major groups in the Jewish religion…”
I ponder in moments of thoughtfulness if these 8 attitudes in action could be a rudder for nation against nation?
“I ponder in moments of thoughtfulness if these 8 attitudes in action could be a rudder for nation against nation?”
Sara, in the book’s introduction, the author addresses the issue of forgiveness of nations, asks how we forgive a ‘whole nation’ and talks about reading the Beatitudes from a communal perspective, not just as an individual. In the first chapter she states, “Throughout the whole sermon, Jesus is talking about release from that which imprisons and corrupts our central heart – our heavy loads of resentment, fear, anxiety, shame, self-deception and cover-ups -and from the vicious cycles of revenge that continue to destroy both individuals ad nations.”
I am looking forward to reading and studying this book. The introduction sure catches the reader, in many ways; here are a few sentences from the introduction: “Does forgiveness always imply reconciliation and restoration of former relationships? How do we forgive a whole community, such as a dysfunctional family, an ethnic group, a whole nation? Is it possible to forgive ourselves when we have wounded others? What does it mean to forgive ourselves? How is it done?” And so much more, just in the introduction!😱😳🤔🙏✝📝
I, too, am in the Introductiin. Really, the very first paragraph, where the author gives the idea that a sudden, mysterious, quite radical shift in our human consciousness has occurred since the turn of the millennium.
That alone began to spin my thoughts like wheel of fortune. She list a library of what seemed like trillions of offenses I may have been a part of in verbal chatter in the church that may have contributed to hurt around the world. Then John 3:16 pops the wine cork 🍾spilling out truth that the author of the beatitudes came by pain to save the world. 🤦♀️😮
Flora ends her introduction with explaining Blessed which is the beginning of each B. Blessed to be happy, to be fulfilled AND to be empowered by God ‘s 💕 to undertake a task. I’m here whispering prayers that as we see , experience and hear even new shifts in human consciousness and pain be poured out over our airwaves that we as the church will arise to understand forgiveness via the Cross✝️ as the passionate Journey for ourselves and others. The truth of my heart is doubt that Jesus really does make the difference in The Nations of which I am a part of.
I am thankful to have this book and study partners as a tool to help unlock 🔐my thinking🕯 into the greater good of understanding the Beatitudes and living them knowing my actions with others can make a difference in the plan for which Jesus gave them.✝️
Maybe we could post a different one each week? Or, every two weeks? Then we could give our input to hopefully help some of us slower ones. I know Debi was already in chapter 2 plus while I was still trying to distill the introduction. But, that’s the beauty of posting on blog it’s an ongoing class 24/7 giving each of us op to study at our individual pace.
“Maybe we could post a different one each week? Or, every two weeks? Then we could give our input to hopefully help some of us slower ones” That’s an excellent idea Sara.😊
Thanks, Tammy, hopefully, we will post the first beatitude early next week giving us time to read our chapter. Thanks for the help.
Sara, you asked above regarding the number of Beatitudes, “Are there eight or nine?”
The author of the book we are reading says this in the introduction about a rare dream she had regarding the writing of the book: “In the dream I was told God wanted me to write a book on the nine Beatitudes that open Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.” She also refers to them as ‘the nine great blessings’.
My online search indicated that some people say there are 8, others 9 or even 10.
Sara and Tammy I agree that posting a Beatitude every week or every two weeks is a good idea. Thanks.