The Way of Peace.

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

Lately I've been begging and pleading with God for peace. Maybe you can relate. Whether it's busy-ness, every day stress, additional stress, worry and anxiety, agitation, angst, anger, discouragement or depression, many of us would just like some peace of mind. Or maybe a mere five minutes of peace and quiet. 

When I get stressed out, I return to Paul's letter to the Philippians. Lately I've been begging & pleading with God to grant me peace. I ask Him for it as one of the fruit of His Spirit; "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness & self-control." (Galatians 5:22-26). I've even asked Him to guard my heart and mind with His "peace which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

But today, as often happens, God helped me see that I've been getting things wrong. 

I've been making the mistake of thinking I have to be ready for God. Thinking that I have to be good enough for Him. Imagining that there's something I have to do different. As if there's anything I could do to become good enough for Him.

Leave it to a crusty old Lutheran preacher to help me recognize that it's not about me, it's always about God.

See, the peace Paul's talking about in his epistle to the Philippians isn't the calm or lack of stress that so many of we Westerners think that life is all about. It's a cessation of hostilities in our war with God.

"For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5:10

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior." Colossians 1:21

I can be at peace with God, instead of waging war with Him, because of what His Son Jesus did for me on the cross. Like Doctor King's quote at the top of this post, peace is not an ends to be attained or acquired by us and for us. How shallow and selfish would that be? 

Peace is a means by which we reach other ends. Peace is not a destination, it is the starting point. Maybe that's why when he's describing the armor of God in Ephesians 6, Paul talks about  having our "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (v.15)."

Because Jesus already won the peace, we can approach God's throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16 & Ephesians 3:12). We can have a confidence which only comes from Him. 

With that in mind, we should want to PRACTICE peace.  As Paul directs in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness (peace) be evident to all." 

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone...." Hebrews 12:14a

It may sound more Buddhist than Christian to talk about how we should "practice peace" and to live from a place of peace. Our more temporal, materialistic, Western worldview still thinks that peace is something we want for us, not somewhere we operate from when interacting with others.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13

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If you'd like to explore Philippians more, visit my old blog:
http://malloryprayer.blogspot.com/search/label/Philippians

Praying ROM 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

I used to like to write Advent devotions here on PPP. The last few years have just gotten to be too crazy-busy to make that work. Each of the candles on an Advent wreath represents a different virtue. There's the Prophet's candle of Hope, the Bethlehem candle of Peace, the Angel's candle of Love and the Shepherd's candle of Joy.

This past Advent, I'd been praying Romans 15:13 a lot. Mostly for myself, due to all the stress, depression and anxiety I'd been struggling with. But also for others. I genuinely wanted to share God's hope, peace, and joy with others whom I perceived really needed them.

In past Advent posts here, I've tried to explain or expound on each of these gifts. This time, I think I'd like to mash this list up with another list- the ACTS formula of praying (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). 

We'll see how that goes, (if it goes for that matter, tomorrow's the first day of a new semester). Tonight, though, I just want to share something about just one of these four; which one is most important.

When my wife and I taught at Los Angeles Lutheran High, we coached cheerleading. For a while she coached Varsity and I coached Junior High. Eventually, I coached both toward the end. Of course LHS had a fight song that cheerleaders danced to at pep rallies, but we also had a school song, an slower anthem. The tradition at LA was for kids to gather at the end of football games, point one arm to heaven and join in the song.

I don't remember all of the lyrics, but one line sticks with me- "may faith be ever more thy fame and love be thy rule."

For some Christians,  our religion is all about all kinds of rules. Believe this, don't believe that, do this, don't you DARE do that. It leads to a lot of fear and judgement, misunderstanding and competition. For my money the whole Bible boils down to one rule. This is what Jesus said-

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love oneanother. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So assuming I write at least four more posts in the next week or so about Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, keep in mind what Saint Paul wrote-

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Lutheran High's School Song would make a pretty good mission statement, and for that matter, a pretty good epitaph for one's tombstone- I certainly want it to be true for this blog: May faith be ever more my fame, and love be my RULE.

Christians, and Americans need peace among themselves and love for one another

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel
Translated: John Neal, 1818-66
Hymn # 31 from Lutheran Worship
Author: French Processional
Tune: Veni Emmanuel
1st Published in: 1854

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NRSV)

12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.

One of the things that weighs on my heart this Thanksgiving is how politically divided we are. Families can barely talk about important issues because progressives think conservatives are anti-intellectual and merely following the talking points that they get from FOX NEWS and conservatives think that progressives aren't even Christian and are being mislead by some anti-American, foreign born, Muslim antichrist.

Even our Christian denominations are struggling with schisms over immigration, abortion, and gay marriage.

Let us pray this year that, yes, God's truth prevail, but also that wounds would heal and egos and agendas be set aside so that we might focus on what His most important commands, His command to love Him with all our strength and all our hearts and minds. The command to love one another as He first loved us. The command to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Enough anger and vitriol and judgment and condemnation. Enough division and struggle! Let there be peace, let there be love. O come, Prince of Peace, come to our hearts and our homes and our congregations. O come to our nation, and bring peace on Your wings!

USE peace, don't just have it

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." -MLK

Call me crazy, but I don't think Dr. King is just talking about accomplishing civil rights with civil disobedience. I tend to think that it's applicable to parenting, teaching, coaching, and any interactions which we have with others- even driving!

Think about it, getting defensive, getting even, getting your own way- these all escalate tension and cause stress.

Calm and warm is more likely to set others at ease, even calm them down so that people on both sides of any disagreement can see more clearly and move forward without crashing into one another.

Something to keep in mind next week when we all spend an inordinate amount of time with our dysfunctional extended families, right?

Before you think he's just some bleeding heart liberal, or that he was some kind of new-ager, under the influence of Hindu gurus like Ghandi- be sure to see what Jesus says in Matthew 5:38-48.

The right focus can bring peace

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
~Philippians 4:8

The shepherds in Bethlehem had to have thought it was Armageddon when they saw all those angels in the middle of the night. They had to focus on the star and the gift that the angels promised it would lead them to.

This time of year we all get frantic with busy-ness. Decorations, shopping, wrapping, planning, cards, cleaning, cooking, work, traffic, relatives... As a teacher I'm dealing with semester grades and final exams, as a coach I have a slew of basketball games to take cheerleaders to, and purchase orders to submit for supplies to order and repairs to make for the next quarter...

Whew. It's dizzying. And yesterday, I shared with you that I have a whole litany of depressing things that I could easily complain about if I wanted to become discouraged and distraught.

So here's a hint. Listen to Paul's advice in Philippians, focus on the positive. This is a sure-fire way to bring you peace, His peace in the middle of the craziness of the season.

Or as Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney sang in the holiday classic, "White Christmas;"

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

While you're counting those blessings, remember who gives them to you, and thank God for them. And thank Him especially for the gift of His Son, Jesus on Christmas!

STRUGGLING to find peace

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.

- Etty Hillesum,
died in Auschwitz in 1943 at the age of 29. From An Interrupted Life, a compilation of her diaries and letters.

I wish I knew how exactly to do that. Something I'm discovering is that most of us lack peace because we don't stop struggling.

Last summer I found out that I had high blood pressure because of the triglycerides in my blood. My other cholesterol levels were fine, but I was "pre-diabetic." I would have to lose weight, exercise daily, and give up all sorts of carbs and starches. I felt terribly frightened and depressed. I felt sorry for myself.

My wife asked me to stop writing my weekly column in our local newspaper because apparently neighbors and colleagues were avoiding her and talking about me behind my back because they disagreed so vehemently with my columns that scrutinized Sarah Palin and researched John McCain's connections to the "Keating 5" and the mortgage crisis. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I had tied up my whole sense of identity with being a writer, even though it was barely more than a hobby- really I'm an Art teacher.

I was getting a lot of hate email and negative blog comments besides one or two letters to the editor. That compounded on top of 8 rejection letters in a row from syndicates for either columns or cartoons. Once again I was struggling with depression, feeling sorry for myself.

I was just starting to get over it (grief/withdrawls/just taking a break from it/letting go of something that I'd let become too important to me- whatever you want to call it) when my mom had a scare with a spot on her lung (which turned out to be an infection, not cancer- thank God), then one of my Aunts was killed in a car accident, and most recently my brother-in-law took his own life.

It is very hard not to feel sorry for myself.

Struggle.

So, how to find peace?

Less of me, more of Him. If I look inward, I find disappointment, weakness, sadness, selfishness, anger, darkness, brokenness. But if I look to the cross, I see a God who loves me enough to die for me, to be persecuted and flogged, humiliated and tortured, so that I can be in a right relationship with Him.

If I look to Him, he shows me other people who have their own hurt whom I can offer comfort and support to. He shows me that I am not alone.

He brought people to me to tell me how much they had liked my column and miss it. People who complimented my writing.

I lost almost 40 pounds in 6 months and while I have to take blood samples every other day, my glucose levels are good and I don't need any medicine or insulin.

He brought throngs of people to me with their kindness and support in my grief. He brought people who shared their joyful and funny memories of my brother-in-law. He brought me closer to my wife, my own brother, and to my other brother-in-law.

I have a lot to be grateful for. I just had to stop struggling, look around and see that everything would be okay. It's like someone who's flailing their arms around fearfully because they don't know how to swim, when all they have to do is relax and stand up because they're in such shallow and still, calm, placid water that they're perfectly safe.

Do you want to know how to find peace? Stop fighting it.

Not practical enough for you? Take these simple steps:

1. Thank God for what good things you CAN think of in your life
2. Try to be gentle, kind, peaceful toward others
3. Pray
4. Repeat steps 1-3

Here's the way the Apostle Paul put it:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:4-7

Where it starts

"Peace begins with a smile."
- Mother Teresa

Peace Quote

It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.

- Eleanor Roosevelt,
in a 1951 radio broadcast

Pacifist Psalm

Psalm 120
1I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.

2 Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree.

5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!

6 Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

7 I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

Happy Christmas (War Is Over) 1971
By John Lennon

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas War is over
For weak and for strong If you want it
For rich and the poor ones War is over
The world is so wrong Now
And so Happy Christmas War is over
For black and for white If you want it
For yellow and red ones War is over
Let's stop all the fight Now

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas War is over
And what have we done If you want it
Another year over War is over
And a new one just begun Now
And so Happy Christmas War is over
I hope you have fun If you want it
The near and the dear one War is over
The old and the young Now

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

War is over if you want it
War is over now

Second week in Advent; Peace

Second week in Advent

Second week in Advent

“This generation of Americans has already had enough - more
than enough - of war and hate and oppression. We shall be prepared if others
wish it. We shall be alert to try to stop it. But we shall also do our part to
build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We are
not helpless before that task or hopeless of its success. Confident and
unafraid, we labor on - not toward a strategy of annihilation but toward a
strategy of peace.” ~John F. Kennedy

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” -Romans 12:18

”Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” -Matthew 5:9

"If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you” -Matthew 10:13

So what does peace have to do with Bethlehem or with Fellowship? Let me tell you. Peace is a verb, something you practice. Like ‘love is a decision,’ peace is not just a noun that you have, it is a verb that you do. Did you notice that in Matt 10:13, it’s something you share with others?

Being “in fellowship,” means that you are not “in conflict,” with someone. It means you share, you support, you encourage, you don’t injure or compete with someone.

The traditional Hebrew greeting that people in Bethlehem shared at the time of Mary and Joseph was “Shalohm.” Shalohm means, “God’s peace be with you.” Kind of like “Good Bye” means “God Be with Ye,” or “Adios” is short for “Via con Dios,” or “Go with God.”

But do you have room for peace in your heart? Do you have room for Jesus in your heart? Mary & Joseph found no room at the Inn. If your heart, your life, and your relationships are full of conflict, selfishness, worry, anxiety, anger, hate etc. etc., there’s no room for fellowship. And remember, that’s what Christmas is all about, God seeking fellowship with us, an end to conflict.

Shalohm to you.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.” -Psalm 122:6

Prayer:

Shalohm Lord Jesus,

Thank You for coming so that we can be at peace,
not war with God.

Thank You for coming so that we can be at peace,
not war with our fellow man.

Help me to make room for peace in my heart and in my life.
Help me to share Your peace with others.

I love You, Jesus, Amen.

Second week in Advent

Second week in Advent
hope - PEACE - joy - love -light

Sorry for the hiatus- I didn't have MS Word on my computer for a few days and it took a while to get it re-installed. Monday I had promised to look closer at Philippians 4:6-7 and how you can deliberately, carefully condition your mind to receive Christ’s peace. Here goes:

“6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

~Philippians 4:6-7

It’s easy to say do not be anxious about anything, but it’s another to not be, right?

St. Paul tells us how to ease our anxiety in the very next breath- “in everything, present your requests to God, with thanksgiving.”
Prayer is the key to peace. Dr. Bob Orr, director of clinical ethics at Fletcher Allen Health Care, the teaching hospital for the University of Vermont reported that prayer brings a definite physiological benefit.
"I certainly encourage people who are believers to pray," Orr said. "My observation is the person who prays is less stressed. He becomes less anxious, and his blood pressure and pulse improve."

One study showed the risk of diastolic hypertension was 40 percent lower among those who studied the Bible daily and attended church weekly. Another study concluded that elderly heart patients were 14 times less likely to die after surgery if they found comfort in religious faith.
It’s a simple if-then proposition.

IF YOU BRING EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER WITH THANKSGIVING: then… THE PEACE WHICH PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND.

Here’s a special Christmas song from one of my favorite Christmas movies, White Christmas, to help you remember Philippians 4:7...

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (Instead of Sheep) by Irving Berlin

Both Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney had hit versions of this song from their 1954 1954 movie White Christmas. "Count Your Blessings" was the 11th song introduced by Bing to be nominated for an Academy Award.

When I'm worried and I can't sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

When my bankroll is getting smallI think of when I had none at
all

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads

And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds

If you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads

And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds

If you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus

For being the blessings you bring me, including peace.

Please grant peace to my friends and loved ones who don’t have it this Christmas.

Teach us to pray, Lord.

Teach us to leave our burdens at your feet and count our blessings.

I love You, Jesus, Amen.

Peace

“6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

~Philippians 4:6-7

Shalohm

Second week in Advent

Monday Second week in Advent
hope - PEACE - joy - love -light
prophets - BETHLEHEM -angels -shepherds -Christ

“6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6

“I have, therefore, chosen this time and this place to
discuss a topic on which ignorance too often abounds and the truth is too rarely
perceived - yet it is the most important topic on earth: world
peace.

What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced
on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the
security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that
makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow
and to hope and to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for
Americans but peace for all men and women - not merely peace in our time but
peace for all time.” ~John F. Kennedy

This is not really a peaceful season is it? Whether it’s the stress of getting things done or the stress of family spending time together, the very time of year when we talk the most about “peace on earth,” seems to be one of the least peaceful.

As far as President Kennedy’s speech goes, I hate to be too cynical, but let’s face it, after September 11, 2001, do any of us really believe that world peace is possible?

But Paul’s not talking about either of those kinds of so-called peace. He’s talking about a deeper, truer, more lasting peace. An inner peace-of-mind. One that surpasses all human understanding. In my experience this is something that almost all of my students want most.

Whether it’s clinical depression, anxiety attacks, epilepsy, ADD, ADHD, bipolar, someone who’d molested them as a child, their parent’s divorce, money, grades, drug or alcohol addition, sex, guilt, fear, anger, hatred…the list goes on and on. Today’s teens desperately desire this kind of peace. A peace that let’s you sleep at night.

Jesus came to offer us this peace. All you have to do is ask Him for it. In tomorrow’s devotion, I’d like to look closer at Philippians 4:6-7 and how you can deliberately, carefully condition your mind to receive Christ’s peace.

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus

For being the Prince of peace and for offering me escape, stability, and strengthening peace. Please be my anchor and my refuge this Christmas, please grant me peace.

I love You, Jesus, Amen.