Please refelect and share with others some of your ponderings, questions, fealing relating to our previous conversations about the Sermon on the Mount. Please resond to my and/or anyone else's postings: I am continually baffled by Christ's paradoxical teaching on the hillside with his disciples. Blessed are the poor in spirit--the ones who let go, set aside, empty, surrender themselves for God and others. They will inherit the kingdom.....How can this be? The one who gives up is the one who recieves. And what is this kingdom of God thing anyway? As you know I prefer the term commonwealth of God or reign or maybe even sphere of God. Kingdom is too arcaic for me. This commonwealth of God is unfolding moment by moment in all aspects of life. This Sermon on the Mount series has rekindled a passion to seek first God's commonwealth or kingdom in the everday aspects of my ordinary life. Each day God invites me to enter into the unfolding of God's commonwealth and I/we have the exciting adventure to let go and set aside our agenda to live a life of passion and purpose for Christ either in a very memorable moment or in the everday routines of life...we are invited to empty ourselves and fall into the hands of a loving God. I desire to contiue to empty my personal selfishness and seek to follow God in all areas and at all times on my journey...