Hello Peace!
This Sunday during worship, we’ll hear two very different but beautifully connected stories. In Philippians, Paul talks about letting go of the things he once thought gave him worth and status so that he might know Christ more fully. In John’s Gospel, the risen Jesus comes to his frightened disciples, speaks words of peace, breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, and then sends them out into the world. Together, these texts invite us to consider what it means not simply to receive Christ’s peace, but to become people who carry that peace with us.
We’ll also spend some time with the familiar prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” It’s a beautiful prayer, but what might it actually mean to pray those words with our whole lives? I’m looking forward to exploring that question with you on Sunday.
And then we’ll have a chance to put some of that peace into action! After worship, we’ll gather to assemble baby care kits that will be sent to help new parents around the world. I hope you’ll stay and join us – whether you can help assemble kits, visit with others, or simply lend a hand for a little while. It’s a wonderful way for us to take what we celebrate in worship and carry it beyond our walls.
Grace and Peace,
–Pastor Anne Schaefer