Piecemaking

I have recently taken an interest in quilting.  That interest has not yet born the fruit of an actual quilt, but my intentions are good.  I am inspired by the quilting group at our church called "Piecemakers."  This title isn't just a cute name with a play on the words "piece" (meaning what you do when you put a quilt together) and "peace" (tranquility, no war, harmony, etc.), it is what we are called to do and be.  The ladies that are a part of this group make more than quilts, they make peace.  Their quilts offer comfort.  They provide quilts for those whose lives are chaos (lost everything in a fire or tornado).  They give quilts as gifts to youth leaving for college to reassure them that their church family loves them.  They do bring peace, and I am very thankful for them.

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus tells us "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."  To be children of God, we are to be about the business of peace. We are to bring comfort to others, bring harmony when there is discord, and advocate for non-violence whenever possible.

Too often, however, we are more busy sewing seeds of discord rather than harmony.  We cry for war rather than search for peace.  Our lives reflect anything but tranquility as we seek retribution and revenge.  We are too busy being just like everyone else rather than the body of Christ.  We fail miserably at being the children of God we are called to be.  This is the sad truth of our witness as Christians.

But this is the season of Lent.  The season of honest reflection and repentance.  We can only repent when we are first honest with ourselves and quit making excuses for our behavior.  It is time we turn from our ways back to God's ways.

Blessed are those who seek to and live in peace with one another and with God.

Terror and the Directive "Do Not Be Afraid"

In the NRSV the phrase "do not be afraid" is used  67 times, and "do not fear" is used 55 times.  Each came at times of obvious and understandable distress.  Some of the most memorable:







Moses to the people (Exodus 14:13)

But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.

and Moses to the people after they crossed the Jordan (Deuteronomy 3:22)

Do not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’ 

God to God's people through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 35:4)

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

and again (Isaiah 41:9b-10)

 I have chosen you and not cast you off ’; do not fear, for I am with you,
   do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. 

And again through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:8)

Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,

says the Lord.’

The angel of the Lord to Joseph (Matthew 1:20)

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

And the angel of the Lord to Mary (Luke 1:30

The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 

Jesus to the Disciples when he startled them by appearing on the water in the middle of the night (Mark 6:50)

 For they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Jesus to Simon when he called him  (Luke 5:10b)

Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’

 An angel of God to Paul and Paul to the crew of the ship (Acts 27:24b)

“Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.”

And Jesus to his disciples and followers (Luke 10:4)

 ‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.

I kind of figure that there are so many references to fear because...well we do.  And we do terrible things when we fear.  We are afraid to love and make ourselves vulnerable to others.  We try to be the first to wound.  We are frozen in inaction to the call of God on our lives.  We seek safety in ways that are rarely safe (war, weaponry, retaliation and revenge).  We place more value on our physical being than our spiritual beings.  We seek protection from other frail and failing humans.

Truthfully, if we did not live in such fear of our own mortality, we could then truly begin to live.  We are directed--repeatedly--"do not be afraid."  Can we truly ever give up our fear and live fully in faith?  Can we, who claim resurrection, ever truly stop fearing mere physical death as we sacrifice ourselves time and again spiritually?

In light of recent events, fear is everywhere.  Fear is in every unfounded accusation of blame and guilt.  Fear is in every passed along news article capitalizing on human tragedy.  Fear is in our hearts and minds as we contemplate what we thought was safe and unsafe.

In a conversation with a woman who lives alone, on the topic of fear, she said "why worry, if something is going to happen it will happen."  Mind you she did not mean she took unnecessary risks.  She locks her doors and has guard dogs, etc.  I think what she meant is that you can worry so much about fear that you don't live, and even if you take reasonable precautions, sometimes things happen anyway.  You might as well quit fearing and live.

So, as you peruse the news, or facebook and twitter feeds, or your email inbox; as you discuss bombings and devastation and loss of life with friends and colleagues, try to remember.  "Do not be afraid" even in the midst of trials, God is with us.  There are worse things than physical death, the death of the spirit and not really living life because of fear are much worse. 

Do not be afraid...sometimes easier said than done, but practice makes perfect.

"Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid."  Frederick Buechner

Ever Wonder What God Wants From You?

Sermon January 30, 2011, on Micah 6:1-8.  God was frustrated with the Israelites.  They seemed to be frustrated at God.  They weren't getting it.  What does God really want anyway?






Article referenced in my sermon this morning.
Egyptian Muslims Protect Coptic Community with Their Bodies
This article was found on a Jewish Rabbi's blog about Muslim people protecting our Christian brothers and sisters.  Amen.

Out of the Darkness of our Fear, Shines the Light of Peace

Sermon December 19, 2010, Fourth Week of Advent, on Luke 2:8-14.  Who are the shepherds you need to seek out?  How do you  have peace in the midst of fear?


(There was a technical glitch in the middle of the sermon when the batteries on my microphone died.  These things happen.  Also, the litany at the end has been included below as you could not hear the congregational response on the recording.)

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Sonja: Holy God, heaven and earth are met this day in the newborn Child, Savior of the world.  We celebrate his birth; for in him you come to be close to us, that we might be close to you. 

all: Especially, we give thanks for the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and all he means to us…

Sonja: for prospects of peace in the world…

all: for confidence in your almighty love…

Sonja: for those who generously give…

all: for those who graciously receive…

for the Church’s nurturing us in the faith…

Sonja: God of all mercy, as you have come in Jesus Christ to be our guest, inspire our hearts to a hospitality that welcomes all your children in his name.  Especially we pray for those who have not heard your good news…

ALL: FOR THE SICK AND SUFFERING…

Sonja: for those who know no laughter, only tears…

ALL: FOR THOSE WHO GOVERN AND RULE…

Sonja: for those enslaved by tyranny…

ALL: FOR PRISONERS OF ADDICTION OR ABUSE…

Sonja: for the church as a refuge for the needy…

ALL: ALL THIS WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. 

Family Advent Wreath - Dec 19, Week 4 - Peace

For more information on Advent, see my previous post on the Family Advent Wreath.  These meditations are for the weekly lighting of the Advent Wreath candles, so allow for more time for discussion.  December 2, 2012, First week of Advent; December 9, Second Week of Advent; December 16, Third Week of Advent

 Light the candle you lit the first week week and say, "we light this candle to remind us that our hope is in Jesus."

Light the candle you lit the second week and say, "we light this candle to remind us that God loves us and God wants us to love others."

Light the candle you lit last week and say, "we light this candle to remind us that God wants us to have joy."

This week we will be talking about peace.  Children may not understand peace, but they understand being fearful.  Peace from God is not about not being afraid, but even in situations we might be afraid, we have peace that we cannot explain.  You may want to talk about fears specific for your children.

For Discussion with your children:

What are some things that make you afraid?  (They may be afraid of the dark, or afraid of dogs, and this may be a good time to talk about fears they may have.)  

There are some things that make us afraid for good reason.  Our fear keeps us from doing things that are bad for us.  (If you are trying to teach your children about stranger danger, this may be a good time to bring this up.)  But sometimes we are afraid and there is nothing we can do about it to protect ourselves, or there is nothing to protect ourselves from.  Even when we are afraid, God is there with us, and we can know that God is there with us, because God gives us peace through God's spirit.

Scripture Reading:  John 14:26-27

"...the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."  

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  

Meditation:

Jesus said he came to give peace, but not as the world gives.  Our peace comes from God's Holy Spirit, not from things we think make us feel secure.  Even when we are afraid, we can have peace that comes from God, even if we don't understand how it works.  

Light the last purple candle.  (For information on the order, please see the first week's post.) Please make sure there is adult supervision for any child using matches or a lighter to light the candle.  Also, please supervise your child as long as the candle is lit.

Prayer:  Thank you God for giving us peace, even when we cannot understand it.  Help us to shine God's light of peace in the world around us, so we may worship the child in the stable who is the Prince of Peace.  Amen.  

Praying for Peace

Sermon September 19, 2010, on 1 Timothy 2:1-7.  Peace begins with us.  Do we do what makes for peace?

The Time is Now!

I wrote weeks ago about my trip to Israel and Palestine. The countdown clock has finally wound down to mere hours before my departure. The time is now.

I have had many people ask if I was scared, and if you will remember my earlier posting about it, I was indeed nervous then. However, today, as I prepare to depart, the only thing I am nervous about is getting through the checkpoints (Hid I pack everything in the right 3 oz container in the quart plastic baggie? How about my internal hardware setting off the alarms?) Other than those minor things, I am pretty calm. Isn't it interesting how God works?

I remember a story about a king who had commissioned a painting of perfect peace and held a contest among the artists in the area to paint a picture of perfect peace. When the day came and the artists all brought their paintings, there were many paintings of beautiful landscapes of peaceful waters and calm trees. There were many other serene and tranquil ideals of peace depicted in the paintings. However, the artist who won the contest did not paint such a pastoral picture. In his painting there were jagged rocks on a cliff with a roaring waterfall plunging to the white-capped river below. There were angry looking clouds and a buffeting storm swirling all around the sky. The picture seemed to be the opposite of what the king was looking for, it would have been a painting of absolute chaos. But barely to be seen behind the waterfall was a mother bird on the nest with her babies. They were snuggled in warm and dry to their mother and the mother had a look of peace as did the babies.

The moral to that story is that true peace is not the absence of chaos, but peace in the midst of chaos. There have been many occasions in my life where in the midst of chaos and even despair, God has granted me his perfect peace. This is the peace I feel today as I am going over last minute packing lists and the time to leave is getting closer. May God grant you such peace in the chaos of your life as well.

New Post by Peace Man

I recently had a post about two friends, one in Israel, one in Gaza, probably less that ten miles apart from one another. They blog about life where they live, and recently that has been pretty bad. I have been concerned about "Peace Man" who lives in Gaza, because he hasn't posted in a couple of weeks. While this is understandable considering the situation, I was worried that we may not hear from him again. But today he posted about the cease fire (read here). The optimism and hope for peace that these two men exhibit brings hope to many of us.

More Thoughts on Israel/Palestine

I would recommend reading Adam Hamilton's blog, "Thoughts on the Gaza Strip." Adam's take on this is very factual and I thought you may enjoy reading it.

Adam questions why Hamas would launch generally ineffective missiles into Israel, knowing that Israel will retaliate over 100 fold? I question, why would Israel retaliate so disproportionately knowing that Gaza's larger allies are going to bring about attacks on their behalf? I don't think his response about a dream deferred pertains to Israel. So then, why?

I do agree with Adam that Jesus is the answer. In his post, he closes with:

One final thought: I continue to believe that Jesus offers the one answer, to both sides, in his Sermon on the Mount,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also…You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Some see in this weakness. I see in it the only hope for peace.

I think we should all hope for peace. I am really a pacificist, but I haven't answered for myself how pacifists should respond to obvious disregard of human life. I do not think that those who claim to practice "Just War" Theory, really believe in a just war. The just believe in war.

Thoughts on Israel/Palestine

Prior to last year, I wanted peace in Israel and Palestine as much as the next person, which typically means, "yes, peace is good to want, but the reality is that these people just continue to fight." I know this sounds terrible to think to yourself, much less write down and post, but truthfully, most of those who are on the outside looking in from a nice comfortable and safe position think very little of how to actually help to work toward peace.

The summer of 2007, I went to a School of Mission put on by United Methodist Women and took the course on Israel-Palestine. I was given the opportunity to look at this situation anew. I watched a few videos and read the book and looked at a variety of newspaper articles and realized I cared very much what happens in Israel and Palestine. I do not care because of the religious implications or the political implications, but because people, real people, innocent people, are being hurt on both sides of this situation.

When I came back from the study, and before I taught it in my church, I did further independent study. As a result of this, I found a blog entitled "Life must go on in Gaza and Sderot." It is written by two friends; 'Hope Man' who lives in Sderot, Israel, a small town near Gaza, and 'Peace Man' who lives in Sajaia refugee camp in Gaza, Palestine. They tell of their life and the lives of those around them that face the reality of what we only see on the news.

I periodically check this blog and have been more so in the last 15-20 days or so. The recent posts are very disturbing to me. Hope Man writes of the sentiments of those in Israel.

The public opinion in Israel is largely supporting the war. A poll taken shortly after the attack said that over 81% of the population in Isreal supports the action. I am not sure the poll is accurate and what more recent polls will show, but I expect that this percentage will decrease only slightly.

Obviously, there is a great deal of fear on the part of those who live near the Gaza strip on the Israel side. They are within rocket range of the Hamas, and as such live with the threat regularly. Those in the rest of Israel know that this is a threat and, of course, are sympathetic with their governement and their fellow citizens.

But there is more to it than that. They fear for their children.

The ongoing reality of rockets falling in Sderot and other places for 8 years is a terrible reality. Many people of our region have left it for good over the years. Bringing up children in such a reality seems almost abusive and certainly irresponsible.

However, Hope Man does not necessarily think that Israel's attack of Gaza is entirely warranted or unavoidable, and has written this statement:

With that said, I personally think it is a terrible mistake that could have been avoided. For 5 months there was an almost complete cease fire. Instead of taking advantage of this long period of quiet to reach a long term agreement, both sides spent their time preparing for this war by planning and arming. No serious efforts were made to start a dialog. The siege by Isreal continued and the smuggling of arms by the Hamas continued. It was a cease fire but only to prepare for the next terrible round which we are experiencing this very moment.

You can read his entire post dated January 2, 2009.

Peace Man wrote when he could between the shelling and power outages. His most recent post talks about the deaths that have occurred and the mind-boggling devastation to their lives.

Israeli announced when they started the operation they want to stop the rockets from Gaza they can't do this by targeting the civilians. What is going in Gaza is real and big crime, against all the laws in the world, they are killing everything moving, especially the civilians.

When the operation started in Gaza, they destroyed all the government centers, and in the same time killed many civilians, Israel said they don’t mean to kill civilians. But when the ground operation started, most people die is civilians and children.

Prior to the start of this round of fighting, Peace Man was trying to be able to get back to his university studies in Europe. He was having difficulty because Israel was letting only a very few students leave Gaza, and he was trying to raise the funds to be able to go. Somethings we take for granted, like being able to go to college or the ability to move between states and cities.

These two men are probably under ten miles apart. I live approximately 28 miles from the nearest town in the next state. I could cross the border and never realize I left my state. No one would be waiting for me to ask for my papers, or to give me a hard time about the state I lived in. We take these things for granted, when so many people cannot travel freely or live unmolested lives.

I would encourage you to do some research on your own, and not just take the media's position or government position without your own thinking thrown in the mix. I would ask that you pray for these two men who write of their experiences that the world may know, and pray for peace in their land.

Peace be with you.

I read, studied, journaled about, and preached on John 20:19-31. Each time I read various passages I am struck by something new, and this is no different. To summarize the passage, the disciples are locked in a room in fear of the Jews, Jesus appears to them and says “peace be with you,” shows them his scars and says again, “peace be with you.” But Thomas wasn’t with them, maybe he was on a food run or a bathroom break, but Thomas wasn’t around. So when the disciples saw Thomas again, they told him what happened. Thomas was not as enthusiastic as the others, “unless I see, I will not believe.” A week later Jesus appears to the disciples, saying again “peace be with you.” Thomas was there this time, and Jesus went over to him and showed Thomas his scars. At which time Thomas believed with a declaration, “my Lord and my God.” We tend to poke fun at Thomas, even calling him names like “doubting Thomas.” Poor Thomas. The other disciples got to see; Thomas wanted to also.

What struck me as I read, studied, journaled and preached is that Jesus never criticized. There was none of the, “oh you of little faith?” There was no condemnation for their abandonment of him at the time of his arrest, or Peter’s denial. There was no work involved to receive the peace Jesus offered, Jesus simply gave it to them because he loved them. With Thomas there was no criticism of his lack of faith or even words which would exclude him because of his stubbornness not to believe unless he has proof, just words of assurance and peace. This is Jesus with those whom he loves. He wanted to bring them comfort in their time of grief and fear.

Why then, have we through various teachings or doctrines created a ‘fear’ of God? Of course, those who would argue against me would correct me immediately saying we should be in ‘awe’ of God, a reverence and a respect – that idea I have no problem with, and also feel that sometimes we treat God waaayyy too casually. What I grew up with and what I still see today is a ‘fear’ of God. Now, I do not see anyone afraid of Jesus, but I do see Jesus being used to instill fear in others. This seems to function regardless of the denomination. Yet, this is not the God I know. The God I know and lives in the person of Jesus wants us to have peace, to not be afraid, and to love.

When I was little and afraid of the dark, I was told that God wanted me to sleep in peace, and the Bible verse read to me was Psalm 4:8, “I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.” God wants us to have true peace; that is what is truly of God. Other teaching to me is erroneous at best and heretical at worst. As followers of Christ we should be about the work of Christ spreading peace in the world of unrest and fear. “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

How are you living your faith – in fear, in fear making? Think about the words you use when you talk about your faith, do they really bring a sense of peace? Or do they exclude? My friend, David Mercer, quotes Anne Rice in his blog for Easter Sunday (see Deep Calls to Deep link). Anne Rice says, “My belief is total. And I know that I cannot convince anyone of it by reason, anymore than an atheist can convince me, by reason, that there is no God.” Faith isn’t about proving something, faith is about living it. Live in grace and peace.