We enter
into another season of Lent, mindful of the world around us. We see divisions, broken relationships and
our own uncertainty. We wonder if peace
can ever be achieved in places where violence and hatred seem to rule. We long for peace in our own lives.
The
Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” –
which is more than an absence of violence, but rather a sense of wholeness.
From the
beginning, God created us in God’s image.
There was a sense of shalom
and wholeness because of God’s creativity revealed through us. Yet we sought and wanted to be like God. As we looked to be other than what we were created
to be, our shalom was broken into
pieces and marred by sin. In wanting
control of our lives and the world, we lost sight of our God-giftedness.
We seek
to restore this sense of shalom and
wholeness to our lives and world, but always there are pieces missing. We cannot “fix” or restore this shalom by our
own will power. We still experience our
brokenness –caused by our own sin, the sin of others and the sin of the world.
It is
only through God that we will once again find the wholeness that we seek. It is only through the One who created us
that true shalom is found.
What are
the pieces that lead us to peace?
Each week
through weekly reflections, cross-generational coffee hour activities, music,
Wednesday Bible study and the like, we will explore pieces that will contribute
to peace and shalom.
There are
no quick fixes nor is it ever completed, but it is a journey that we travel
piece by peace, moving towards the true peace of God in shalom.
Weekly
reflections written and developed by Pastor Jennifer E. Boyd
Additional Resources
used:
“Gratitude: The Transformative power of Giving thanks” by Diana
Butler Bass
“Awed to Heaven, Rooted to Earth” Prayers by Walter Brueggemann
“Beyond Words: daily readings in the ABCs of faith” by Frederick
Buechner
The
Millennial Narrative by Jaco Hamman (weekly themes gleaned from this book)
“The
Inner voice of Love” by Henri Nouwen
“Circle
of Grace: a book of blessings for the seasons” by Jan Richardson
“The
Cup of our Life: A guide for spiritual growth” by Joyce Rupp
The
Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu & Mpho Tutu
“We will Remember”, songs and music by
Christopher Williams
All
Biblical citations are from the New Revised Standard version (unless otherwise
noted)
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