NOTE FROM PASTOR JR FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2021
This Sunday will be the Second Sunday of Advent. The theme is “Peace.” In our Litany of the Advent Candles, we will light the 2nd Advent Wreath Candle representing “Peace.”
In pondering the theme of peace, I wondered, “Why does peace seem to be so elusive to even the followers of Christ?” My Tuesday meditation this week from the “Center for Action and Contemplation” provided valuable insight into my pondering of this question.
It came from the writing of author and Benedictine sister Joan Chittister who wrote, “… it is not belief in God that sets us apart. It is the kind of God in which we choose to believe that in the end makes all the different.” She wrote of how belief in various kinds of Gods affect our behavior, such as believing in a God of wrath, a God who is indifferent to the world, a God of laws, a magical God, or a God as the manipulator. She further states “I have known all of those God’s in my own life. They have all failed me. … Until I discover the God in which I believe, I will never understand anything about my own life. If my God is life and hope, I will live my life in fullness overflowing forever.” This is key also to experiencing enduring peace.
My Advent 2021 sermons are intended to be tools to help us gain new perspectives on the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. My prayer is that they will provide useful tips for living life to the fullest during these challenging times.
Join us at Covenant this Sunday, in person or by Zoom or Facebook livestream for the special musical talents of Violinist Jonathan Wise. I will be exploring further this question as to why so many following of Christ fail to experience real, enduring peace in my sermon, “Preparing for Peace,” based on Luke 3:1-6.
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