Peace be with you.
And also with you.
In many faith traditions, there is an exchange of peace as part of the worship service. The traditional greeting among Jews is "Shalom aleichem" (which means peace unto you); to which the response is "aleichem shalom" (to you, peace).
There are over 200 verses in scripture regarding peace, and most of these are related to our peace with each other. There are some related to the peace with God and the peace of God, but most are related to relationships with other people.
INVITATION: It seems clear that peace is a high priority and something God knows is a challenge for us. As Pastor Adam vulnerably shared, it's sometimes easy to get on a "spiritual high" and feel at peace with and about God, but then we walk out the door and come face to face with other people and we forget it all. Does that ever happen in your life? In a culture where intentional engagement and taking offense with others seems to be the norm and even trendy, we invite you to join us this week to see what GOD has to say about peace and peacemakers/peacekeepers. Ask the Lord to open your heart and mind to what HE has to say to you this week.
MONDAY: Romans 5:1 & Phil. 4:6-7: Because of Jesus Christ, we can have peace with God. Jesus was the bridge between us and the God of the universe. Have you accepted the gift of God's peace that comes through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross? Once the Spirit lives in you, you can know the peace of God, "which transcends all understanding." In what area of your life do you need to ask for God's peace? It "transcends" our human logic. How can you rest in that today, relying on God rather than your own devices? What concern or care can you lay at the foot of the cross?
TUESDAY: Romans 12:18 & 2 Peter 3:14: Make EVERY effort to be at peace with EVERYONE. As you marinate in these two verses, is your heart open to nudging from the Holy Spirit about this? How about even during those times when you have a "right" to be offended or engage someone else - maybe you even feel like they have "baited" you? Which is your highest value: being right or being in right relationship and peaceful with others?
WEDNESDAY: Galatians 5:20-21: These verses are just prior to the key verses about the fruit of the Spirit. They list all the negatives that contrast to the positive fruit that comes from the Spirit of the living Christ within us. As you read these two verses, is the Spirit of God gently nudging you about anything from this list? Maybe jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness? This last year has been ripe with opportunities to lose our patience and have strife and anxiousness as we take offense and engage with others we might disagree with or who have actually wronged us. Could the one who calls you His Beloved be inviting you for a "re-set" in living out the fruit that comes only from Him?
THURSDAY: James 3:15-18: Where do you seek wisdom? Is it from the world or from heaven? As you reflect on your relationships, do you add fuel to disagreements, loving the drama and the tension, or are you a peacemaker, full of mercy, impartial and sincere? Prov. 17:9 says that those "who cover over an offense promote love" but those who repeat the matter "separates close friends." How are you at handling it when you are offended? Does it plant and grow and maybe even fester, or can you let it pass? Are there any close friends you may need to mend fences with to "promote love?"
FRIDAY: Proverbs 20:3; Proverbs 19:1 & Proverbs 14:29: It's your choice. Quick to quarrel. perverse lips and quick tempered? OR, patient with great understanding, blameless, and avoiding strife?
SATURDAY: Phil. 4:5: Gentleness. Does that word describe you? How can you take that word and all its implications into your day and your week, letting it "be evident to all" you come in contact with? Scripture talks about the "fragrance" of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps your gentle ways can be exactly that today and in the days to come.
CLOSING BLESSINGS: Pastor Adam read the words of Jesus recorded at John 16:33 as a closing blessing:
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
The link below is a song by the late singer/songwriter Rich Mullins that is a blessing for peace. May it reign down upon you and yours this week and in the weeks to come as we are in "communion" with one another in relationship. Amen and Shalom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkjKOgTvFx0