Song for Sunday (A day late): Peace Be Still

Seem to be a lot of storms about lately. Hurricanes, monsoons, forest fires fueled by wind. And on and on.

Also, metaphorical storms involving medical emergencies, family trauma, spiritual crises, and feuds.

So this song for Sunday, based on Mark 4: 35-41, seems apropos. It is my prayer.

Song for Sunday: I Wish You Peace

This second Sunday in Advent, according to my church’s liturgy for the advent wreath, is the Sunday of Peace.

In our world right now, peace is hard to find. There is war. There are people slinging names at each other across political divides, there are people doing violence to others because they are different. 

Part of the Christmas message, though, is peace. A peace granted by God to all of us because His favor rests on us. Simple as that. 

An ultimate peace will be found when Christ returns and His Kingdom is fully realized. May it be soon. 

In the meantime, let us wish each other peace. Not just in words, but in action. Not just to fellow Christians but to everyone. 

That’s why I Wish You Peace by  the Eagles  is today’s Song for Sunday,  Here;s a link for you to enjoy. 

May God’s peace be upon you!

Song for Sunday: Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace.

The beautiful prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.


It's a translation, so some versions are a bit different. 


On this fifteenth anniversary of a national tragedy -- an attack on the nation-- how can we promote peace? How can we be channels of God's love and mercy?


The prayer offers thoughts on this for big national situations, small personal ones, and all in between.
Let us make it our prayer.

Here's a version to help focus prayer.

Blessings on your remembrances and your prayers.

Meme-ic Monday: Micah 6:8

So much violence. Gays are targeted, blacks are targeted, police officers are targeted. And that's just from what made the national news in one country over a short period of time.

If we think globally, it's even easier to be "daunted."

The devil wants to stir up chaos and division, to make the Church a target of hate and suspicion.

The answer to that is to follow Micah 6:8, as described in this meme, and to pray. Always to pray.


Go to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. That is what is required of us.



Be a blessing! And have a blessed day.





Micah 6:8 in context



I have learned much about doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God in my years with the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park. It's a fabulous experience for high school teens. Two weeks in August, in southern Maine. Still slots available for 2016!

In the time of waiting.

There are many times of waiting in life.. sometimes whole seasons....


Waiting to see if they'll call

Waiting for the baby to be born

Waiting to hear if a loved one landed safely

Waiting for a spouse to get home from deployment

Waiting to hear if your child made the wise choice

Waiting for the test results

Waiting for the college's decision

Waiting for the doctor's call

Even waiting for someone to take the last breath. (Those who have seen a loved one through  hospice care can understand this one.)

Sometimes we are waiting for good things, sometimes sad events. Other times we are waiting for answers and do not know whether we will be rejoicing or mourning.

I find that, for me, it's easy to slip into an anxious state in the time of waiting. I worry, I overthink, I am tempted to fear the worst. But that is not what we are meant to do. We are meant to trust and, by trusting, to wait in peace.

*Sigh* I wish it were easier. Often I wonder how we are cast our cares upon Jesus and leave them with him. Through prayer, through imagination.. .but what of the times when these don't work? We need to learn to rest in God, but the specifics escape me sometimes.
Here's hoping I'll learn...


How are you with waiting?

Knitters' Devotional: Peace

Knitting is, or can be, a very centering activity. When you focus on the pattern it can bring a sense of tranquility. Being ordered and repetitive, knitting can lead to a very relaxed state.

This can be true for those around as well as for the knitter. I remember that a friend hired a “knitter sitter” for her ailing Mom. This person sat next to her mother’s bed and knit. The regular clacking of the needles had a quieting effect on the patient.

The peace that knitting brings is temporary. Jesus offers a peace that is eternal. We are assured that if we fix our minds on God, He will keep us in peace. The focus on God is key. C. S. Lewis reminds us that, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

Maintaining a steadfast focus on Christ is easier said than done, certainly, but the rewards are great for those who succeed.

      

Earnestly pray for peace, for yourself and those around you.

God and King, grant us your peace. Help us to focus constantly on you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

                       ~Isaiah 26:3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

                          ~John 14:27



I am writing a knitters' devotional. Feedback on these posts is appreciated. 

Anniversary of 9/11

It's been 12 years since 9/11/2001.

People remember. I am seeing a lot of "where I was" posts on Facebook. I know people who paused to pray.

For some people, life became very different after 9/11 than it was before. Those who lost a loved one had their lives changed immediately. Those who went to war, or had a family member who did, also experienced change and loss.

I think, too, of the now 11 and 12 year olds who were born into grieving families because their fathers died in the attacks before they were born. They have never known a lack of mourning.

Some people changed their outlook because of 9/11.

Many people, though, go about their day to day lives as though the attacks never happened. Only when they have to wait in long airport security lines or hear a public announcement of an anniversary do they recall the events of that infamous day.

I do not know whether this is a good or bad thing. Perhaps it shows the resiliency of the American people and the human spirit. On the other hand perhaps it shows peoples' ability to shut out unpleasant things and act as though everything is fine.

I wrote a post titled "We are at War and Life Goes on as Usual" with some reflections on that.

I don't know the conclusion of all this. I struggle with how to respond to war and old attacks. I do know it is good to remember and to work for peace, even if I don't know how. Prayer is the place to begin, I guess, as always.

Remembering -- the attacks on the World Trade center, the Pentagon, Flight 93 and on 9/11/2012, American envoys in Benghazi.

God grant us peace.

Song for Sunday: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Today's song for Sunday originated as a poem written during the darkest days of the Civil War. They resonate today, as we are at war and final peace seems distant.  The hope of the last stanza remains a constant.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

             Henry W. Longfellow

What song is on your heart this fifth day of Christmas?

A Prayer of St. Augustine

I am a Baptist of the 21st Century.

Somehow, though, prayers written by a fourth century Catholic often express what I want to say.

I suppose it says something about the timelessness of these prayers and also about the things that connect us.

Here is one prayer by St. Augustine:

Look upon us, O Lord,and let all the darkness of our soulsvanish before the beams of thy brightness.Fill us with holy love,and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.All our desire is known unto thee,therefore perfect what thou hast begun,and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.We seek thy face,turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.Then shall our longing be satisfied,and our peace shall be perfect.(Augustine, 354 - 430)

What prayers speak to your heart? 












This is my 11th post for the July 2012 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Veteran's Memorial

"Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure."

                                                                                                     ~Abraham Lincoln



Today, in honor of Veteran's Day, my town dedicated a new granite WWII Memorial Monument to replace the old decaying wooden one. It was at the request of veteran's and the town paid for it without  using any local taxes or government grants. It was all private donations from local residents, organizations and businesses. It was put up this week.

Jordan took pictures of both the building and the dedication. He go to learn about Armistice Day, weight load limits, cranes, monument building, granite and patriotism.

I hope that he learned how important it is to thank veteran's. I think I will set an example. To all of you military men and women, current and former, young and old, living and dead, whatever war you served in or if you served in peace:

THANK YOU!!

We are at war... and life goes on as usual...

I remember seeing a M*A*S*H* episode in which scenes of the doctors operating on badly injured soldiers were alternated with scenes of people partying and jitterbugging back home. It created a powerful message. We were in the midst of Desert Storm at the time, and I was struck by how apropos the episode was to that day.

It's the same now. We have soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan but how many of us, who don't have loved ones deployed, think of them? Do we remember to pray for them, to connect with them, to support their families? Do we think of strangers who have been widowed or orphaned because of this war?

I am sure some people do. There are probably ministries set up to help these folks and some people participate. But I know I haven't done enough. I know that usually I go about my work and play as though there is no war. Even when I travel, the inconveniences at airports aren't that noticeable. They were much more stringent in London and Germany, especially when I flew El Al. I expect it is the same for most people, especially as the war stretches on.

I am not sure exactly what kind of change I am looking for here. It's hard to put it into specific terms. I do have a few ideas:

*All over the country, there are young parents going it alone while their spouse is deployed. They need a lot of things. Babysitters, someone to cut the grass, company, a break. If there is one in your neighborhood, take them a meal even if it looks like they have everything under control. Single parenting is hard. 


*Visit Veteran's in hospitals. I know the VA hospital near me is fairly dreary. It doesn't really matter if the vets are from the current war or not. But regular visits -- weekly, monthly -- that the patients can look forward to are better than showing up once for a holiday (though that isn't a bad thing either).

*Volunteer for one of those ministries I mentioned above.

*Pray regularly for the safety of our military members and a return to peace. I know many churches will mention the war or the military in weekly prayers or at least on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. I am thinking more of a consistent prayer meeting just for this purpose. I might  start a Facebook group to encourage this kind of prayer. I just thought of this as I was writing.

*Think of something else and do it. (Maybe mention it in a comment below.)

These are just ideas. My thinking is that we should be more mindful, more aware. You never know what will help. On the fourth of July one year, Jordan decided to enter the children's bike parade. He made a tan and painted it in camouflage colors, wore camouflage clothes and painted his face that way, too. He didn't win, stuffed decked out in red, white and blue did. (Well, and they were probably better done, anyway.) But an older veteran approached me and told me he was grateful to see it. "People need to be reminded of what the soldiers are going through over there." I doubt that's what Jordan had in mind. He just thought tans and camouflage were cool. But I was touched by the vet's response. And it's true that we need these reminders, even though there's now way we can fully understand "what they are going through."

So those are my thoughts as we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11. What are yours?

Oh, just one more thing:

To our veterans, military members and their families:

THANK YOU FOR 

SERVING!!!

Jordan's Photos of 911 Tribute

Jordan took photos  

of the 9/11 tribute we helped set up.

It says :
9-11
Never Forget
Jordan wished he could go up in a crane to get a good shot of this.

A view from the ground.

Trying out black and white.

 Jordan's favorite.

Jordan loves this style of photo.

Click here to see my other 9/11 post:

Thoughts on Peace and War

Thoughts on Peace and War

Jordan and I helped plant nearly 3,000 flags at a September 11 Memorial Site. As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches tributes and services are being planned across the nation. The memorial we worked at spells out, if looked at from the air, "9-11 Never Forget" And we must not forget.

At the memorial service we will attend, it has been announced that we will sing "Let There Be Peace on Earth." Hardly surprising. It is one of the most popular songs about peace out there. It's even won awards. I grew up with that song -- singing it in school, at camp, at church-- and I loved it. The pretty tune drew me in and  I also loved the idea of working for peace. I even nearly joined a group dedicated to averting the threat of nuclear war by converting at least five percent more of the population to pacifism. I'd have to say that during that time, "Let there be Peace on Earth" was one of my favorite songs.

But I can't sing it anymore. Not the whole thing, anyway.

My problem is with the last verse:

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
(Sy Miller and Jill Jackson)


In part, I suppose, it's because of the promise. Promises -- "solemn vows" should not be made lightly. We should pay attention to what we are telling others, and God, when we sing. If I have made a vow to live in peace, I have broken it, in small ways, many times. We ought not to break promises.

But it's more that this isn't a promise I necessarily think everyone is called to keep. The last time I was in a group that was singing that song, I sang the beginning. But then I caught site of a former soldier, a young friend who served in Iraq because of 9/11. He wasn't singing. As I remembered the words to that last verse, I fell silent. Partly out of respect for the soldier. If you are in combat you can't be "living each moment in peace eternally". Not if you want to either do your job or survive. Of course, I don't know that that's why he wasn't singing. For all I know, he just didn't know the song. Secondly, because I wasn't sure I wanted to make that vow. While many things can be resolved peacefully, sometimes we are called to take a stand perhaps even to fight. I don't want to cast judgement on those who do sing that song. Peace is, after all a good thing and that song was written in the hope of bringing it about.

But .... I won't be singing it again. Because of the story above and also because of these other things I remember:

*My father was a soldier during Vietnam although he ran a base post office and was never sent overseas. But he was taught the same work of soldiering as everyone else in the army. He might have had to use that training had things been a bit different.

*A college literature professor was lecturing on "The Lord of the Rings." Speaking of the scene in which the Ents (tree shepherds) fight the orcs, he said "Some of you may be pacifists, but if you aren't rooting for the Ents in this scene, something's wrong." He's right.

*Jordan and two of his friends, a brother and sister, encountered a bully at a program this past summer. At first they ignored the bully and stayed out of her path. But one day, she started making fun of the brother after he got accidently knocked down in a game. She also pushed his sister out of the way, grabbed him, and started thumping on his chest in mock CPR. His sister removed the bully's hands from him. Then Jordan got in the bully's face and said, "Don't you push his sister away from him!" They came home and told me about the incident and Jordan said he was afraid he'd been rude. But my reaction was one of pride. Jordan and the sister had stood up to an injustice. Mind you these are homeschooled kids, they've never participated in an anti-bullying curriculum. But they have read countless books and Bible stories about people standing up for the underdog, protecting the innocent, fighting for what is right.


George Orwell says, "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." ~George Orwell (It's often misquoted as "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.") Seems to me that we share some of the culpability when violence is done on our behalf.


I can get on board with the other song that will be sung at the memorial service: Dona Nobis Pacem ... Give us peace. A simple prayer and one that resonates down the ages. We all want peace, we all long for it. We want peace, both physical and spiritual, where we live. When we think of others, we want peace where they live. Some day we will beat our swords into plow shares and not learn war anymore. When God redeems the world he will strip it of violence and all believers will know an eternal peace.

Until then I leave you with this thought. I don't go along with everything John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) says in his writings, but this is a great quote.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

A Few Quotes About Peace

Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war.
Winston Churchill

Avoid popularity if you would have peace.
Abraham Lincoln

Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.
Mother Teresa


Even peace may be purchased at too high a price.
Benjamin Franklin


Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God (Phillipians 4:6-7)

Tragedy in Norway

85 teenagers were killed at camp in Norway.

It seems so...senseless, horrible. What are the words?

I work at a youth camp, so this hits close to home. I feel really stricken.
I just cannot imagine what it would be like to be a leader at the camp and have to make those calls. My heart goes out to everyone who was there and to every family member.

At first, Muslim terrorists were blamed. And, then, come to find out the man arrested for the shootings identified himself as a conservative Christian on his Facebook page. Apparently had right-wing political leanings, too.

First off, that shows us we shouldn't just jump at our favorite targets. Wait for the facts.

Secondly, I think it's pretty clear this man wasn't really a Christian. Christ would not condone such behavior.

But back to my main point. I am sickened by this.

Please join me in praying for all the victim's, their families, their friends and the organization that was attacked (which I know nothing about.)

God, grant us peace.

Reflections on the Death of Bin Laden

Now I lay me down to sleep, one less terrorist this world does keep. With all my heart I give my thanks, to those in uniform regardless of ranks. You serve our country and serve it well, with humble hearts your stories tell. So as I rest my weary eyes, while freedom rings our flag still flies. You give your all, do what you must. With God we live and God we trust. God Bless America!

That's going around Facebook and it's a good thing, right, that "one less terrorist the world does keep?" Of course it is. And it's a proud moment for the Navy SEALs and others in uniform. I hope the team that went into that compound in Pakistan has good support. Once the spotlight is off and people aren't publicly congratulating them, it could get tough for them emotionally. But they are military, they did a military job and they did it well.

So how do we respond?

College students are celebrating in the streets. Maybe they should. A shadow is lifted from the world. This shadow has dogged them since elementary school. I remember reading "The Lord of the Rings" in Modern Mythology class. We talked about the part of the War of the Ring in which the Ents destroyed many goblins. The professor told us that we could be pacifists, but there was something wrong with us if we didn't want to cheer for the Ents at that point in the story. So maybe there should be a certain amount of rejoicing.

Then, again, the families of the victims of 9/11 aren't rejoicing. They are talking about there still being a void and grief though Bin Laden's death did bring a measure of comfort to some. Some would have preferred a different ending, feeling that a capture and trial would have brought more closure, allowed more of a confrontation.


Something tells me, though, that Osama bin Laden would not have allowed himself to be captured alive.


Here are a couple of other thoughts going around Facebook:

‎

"Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace." Pope Benedict XVI/Vatican


"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." ~Anonymous


I resonate with these. It's true that bin Laden needed to go, but we don't need to be gleeful about it. A more measured response is appropriate.

When I told my son about this event his response was. "Yay. Sort of." My sentiments exactly.


I'll give the last word to a couple of Bible verses posted and reposted by some of my friends. God's words will guide us as we seek for peace, if we let them. God bless.

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord GOD. Turn, then, and live” (Ezekiel 18:32—NRSV)

"Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble" (Proverbs 24:17)