unBeatitudes: Blessed are the Successful

Blessed are the successful, for they earned what they have.

Blessed are those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, who work harder and smarter than the rest, who outlast the field to earn their slice of the pie. Blessed is the early bird, who stands before other achievers to claim to the best, biggest, juiciest worm. Blessed are the victorious, who withstand all challengers to conquest.

Blessed are the the self-confident, the audacious, and the unapologetic, for they command attention, well positioned to get what they want. Blessed ar

ReflectionsEsther LoewenJanuary 30, 2017unbeatitudes, wealth, jesus, blessedComment

Sabbath Sermon: Jubilee

The following is an adapted manuscript of from my September 3, 2016 sermon at the Walla Walla University Church.

This past summer at the Walla Walla University Church, we have been exploring the book of Leviticus, asking the question, “what might we have to learn about living as a community through this ancient and sometimes seemingly irrelevant bo

Sermon ManuscriptEsther LoewenSeptember 8, 2016grace, wealth, jubilee, LeviticusComment

"...I shall not want..."

Over recent years, I've routinely had conversations with theologically minded friends within which we agreed that my tradition's lack of a *theology of desire* as it were is a huge liability for us simply on the practical level. My impression is that this theological blind spot really flows over into most Protestantism really. Rigorous thought on how followers of Jesus should relate to desire is few and far between. Certainly on the practical, ordinary, Jesus-follower level the simple question *

You are enough. ❤️ -Elle

You are enough.
❤️ -Elle