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Dear beloved Passing the Peace readers,  

Especially as the second week of Advent is often referred to as Peace Sunday, I wish you feel the Peace of Christ in your hearts and homes this week as we continue this journey of preparing for Christmas.  If you have a few moments, I highly recommend you take a moment to join musician Spencer LaJoye in a beautiful prayer. 

 I especially loved hearing the words of Isaiah 2:1-5 echoed in the lyrics:  

I pray if a prayer has been used as a sword,

Against you & your heart,Against you & your word

I pray that this prayer is a plowshare of sorts,

That it might break you open,

It might help you grow.

When creating the art piece War No More (shown at the top of this post), Rev Lisle Gwynn Garrity drew inspiration from the same text in Isaiah. She offers the following reflection on the vision of turning swords in ploughshares:

Pruning is a seasonal act of trust; it feels so risky, especially when it takes months for that new life to begin to appear. But pruning away what is dead or in excess allows the plant to direct its energy into growing new shoots and branches once spring comes. In other words, I realized that both of these tools are used in the process of regeneration, but they are not in themselves symbols of a bountiful harvest.

Like gardening, “learning war no more” is a daily practice requiring dedication and lots of trust that we are truly cultivating an environment for God’s peace to one day bloom.

And so, in this Advent season, what needs to be plowed or pruned? What daily acts of regeneration will provide for you and the generations who come after you?

As we cultivate peace, and turn swords into ploughshares, may the Peace of Christ be with you,

In the joy of winter’s beauty arriving and the misery of slippery ice, may the Peace of Christ be with you,  

 

Yours in Christ,

Rev Michiko  

 

PS: Please continue to bring in family traditions & keepsakes to add to our alter to celebrate our Advent theme of "From Generation to Generation" - stories and items both welcomed!