Jun 22Blessings and Curses Jun 29Blessings for all Jul 6Open, Poor & blessed Jul 13Sharing, mourning & being blessed Jul 20Gentle, grounded & blessed Jul 27Sorted and blessed Aug 3Free, merciful & blessed Aug 10Pure, focused & blessed Aug 17Engaged in peace & blessed Aug 24Committed, persecuted & blessed

Matthew 5 1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessings Poor in SpiritMourn Ability to be outside ourselves Find someone/thing absent IsWill The kingdomComfort Open to changeGod’s presence Open to riches

Relationship Death Moving “Not right” Activity God What we had, or didn’t have in the past Hopes, dreams, opportunities Mourning Remain with Be affected by Confront Respond to (liquid prayers) Emmanuel AbsencePresence Abide with absence of relationship

Blessed are those who mourn, they will be comforted "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.“ (Matthew 2:18) Abide with absence of relationship

Lamentations 1 1:1 How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. 1:2 Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. 1:3 After affliction and harsh labour, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. Abide with absence of relationship

1:4 The roads to Zion mourn, for no-one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. 1:5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe. 1:6 All the splendour has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer. 1:7 In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no-one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction. Abide with absence of relationship

1:8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honoured her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away. 1:9 Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. "Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed." 1:10 The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary– those you had forbidden to enter your assembly. 1:11 All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. "Look, O LORD, and consider, for I am despised." 1:12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger? Abide with absence of relationship

Lamentations 3 3:14 I became the laughing-stock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. 3:15 He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall. 3:16 He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. 3:17 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. 3:18 So I say, "My splendour is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD." 3:19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 3:20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 3:21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 3:22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 3:23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 3:24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Thank God for his written Word to us Abide with absence of relationship

Liquid Prayers Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matt 26:75) As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-- but now it is hidden from your eyes. (Luke 19:41-42 Mary said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." "Where have you laid him?" Jesus asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. John 11:32-35 Abide with absence of relationship

Many of our most intimate encounters with God have happened in Grief Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). John 20:11-16 Abide with absence of relationship

The God of all comfort 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Lord I come before - To be in your presence - What a friend Abide with absence of relationship

From Amen to Action May God give to you and to all those you love his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy, in this world and the next; 2 Thessolonians 3:16 And may the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below: Praise God above, now let's all hear it! Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Our Gathered worship has ended, our Worship & Service continue