Blessed

Ever heard of the “beatitudes”? Ever wondered what the word means? This spring at EBC, we sit with the disciples and the crowds following Jesus and listen to His teaching about the people God counts as blessed: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn? Really?!? What’s that all about then? Through this eight-week series, taking us right through April and May, we’ll learn together what the difference is between a notional kind of faith, and real, heartfelt discipleship. Join us as we discover what it is to be truly blessed.

Sunday 7th April 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “The Poor in Spirit”
Do you ever have days when things just seem to go brilliantly, without your needing to try very hard? Do you have other days when everything goes horribly wrong and life seems incredibly tough? When Jesus talked abut various people being ‘blessed’ he didn’t just mean they were happy because things were going well! As we begin our series, we ask why Jesus singles out the ‘poor in spirit’ as those who would receive the Kingdom of heaven. What did he mean and why would that be?
 
Sunday 14th April 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “Those Who Mourn”
Aww… come on Jesus – blessed are those who mourn? Seriously? This is one of those very hard teachings that might seem totally bonkers to anyone who has ever been in a state of mourning. Has Jesus lost the plot with this one, or might there be more to it than seems obvious? Join us as we explore what it is to mourn, the things we might mourn over, and how God can comfort us.
 
Sunday 21st April 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “The Meek”
When you hear the word ‘meek’ what other words do you associate with it? Might they include timid, shy, weak even? In our modern society, we often equate success with outgoing, dynamic and self-confident types – the kind of person you might see on ‘The Apprentice’ or ‘Dragon’s Den’ while meek people can be portrayed as losers! Why, then, did Jesus say that the meek are blessed and that they would inherit the earth?
 
Sunday 28th April, Social Action Sunday 9.30am (no livestream):
“Those Who Hunger”
This is one of our ‘SAS’ specials, where we gather briefly at our church building for prayer and sung worship before tackling a number of social action projects to benefit the local community and people in need overseas. This is a real, tangible outworking of our hunger and thirst for righteousness – a living out of the Gospel today!

Sunday 5th May 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “The Merciful”
Picking up the threads of our series so far, Rob helps us to understand what Jesus really meant when he said: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” That might sound straightforward… but is it? What does being truly merciful look like for us, and what are the challenges when we find ourselves under pressure? Will we be merciful then?

Sunday 12th May 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “The Pure in Heart”
Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” What does it mean to be pure in heart? Can anyone really claim to measure up that, always? And what does it mean to see God? How does that work?!? This week Simon offers us some thought-provoking ideas that you might find both challenging and comforting…

Sunday 19th May 9.30am (livestream) and 11.00am: “The Peacemakers”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” In our world, torn as it is by wars and conflict in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar and Sudan, people long for peace! But where do we start, what can we do? How should we engage, which side should we take, how can we even begin to be peacemakers?!? It can seem hopeless… but there really is something that we can do!

Sunday 26th May, 10am Allsorts service (no livestream): “The Persecuted”
Join us for our Allsorts service as we round out our series with some activities, some music, a talky bit and lots of time together! Phil and Kat will be teaming up as usual to help us explore what being persecuted for righteousness’ sake might look like and what we can do on our own frontlines.