Each week we will hear a Peace Moment in addition to the prayer for peace. Hopefully all will be blessed with these devotional thoughts. This week’s Peace Moment is by Steve Bolie. It is drawn from the children’s Sunday school lesson for this day.
PEACE MOMENT
Today’s lectionary scripture is from Genesis 17, the story of Abram and Sarai who moved their family several times as God directed them to their final homeland. They were faithful and obedient to God and God promised that they would have children descendents enough to fill nations with people. The problem was that they were old and didn’t have any children
God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah was that their family shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed in him. The Abraham covenant required Abraham and Sarah to live in God’s way.
Abraham’s descendents would be a blessing to many people. Descendants are children, grand children, great-grand children and so on for many generations. In fact, many years later one of those descendents would be Jesus. He blessed many people with his teaching and healing and through his crucifixion and resurrection. We can see that through Abraham God blessed many communities.
One of the ways we bring about peace is by living the Enduring Principle of Blessings of Community. People working together to do God’s purposes bless others with their love and service. The Enduring Principle says: The gospel of Jesus Christ is expressed best when people become aware of God’s grace in themselves and each other. True community includes caring for the poor and oppressed. It upholds the worth of persons and provides nurture and growth for all. We share a strong sense of belonging with each other. We are called to create Christ’s peace in our families and congregation and throughout creation. Our Peace Moment today challenges to, like Abraham and Sarah, live God’s way and live the blessings of community in all of our communities.
Please join me in our prayer for peace.
Trinity Community, The threefold unity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit illustrates for us the characteristics of true community: common purpose, diverse roles, agape love. You call us to create communities of Christ’s peace in our families and congregations and across villages, tribes, nations, and throughout creation. The challenges of such community are considerable. We know that the Holy Spirit can encourage and teach the ways of peaceful community.
Forgive us, we pray, when our communities revert to conflict and war rather than seeking pathways of peace. Enable us by that same Spirit to find Christ’s peace in our communities. Amen.