Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Peace - Part 1 June 20, 2004 May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born in faith. May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let God’s presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and to bask in the sun. It is there for each and every one of you. Amen. A number of months ago I received this prayer from someone in an email. I don’t know who the author is but it is a wonderful prayer of blessing that I would like to share with you this evening. May Today there be peace within you. Peace – every Sunday in our prayers together we pray for peace in our world – peace in our communities – peace in our homes – peace in our hearts. Our prayer should probably begin with peace in our hearts – for if we don’t have peace in our hearts peace won’t be possible in our homes – our communities – our world. Peace – What is it? How do we get it? What brings peace to your heart? Peace is not necessarily the absence of conflict. Peace is not even the absence of problems. Peace is not even – as the warthog ‘Pumbaa’ sings in "The Lion King" – "hakuna matata" (… which means "no worries for the rest of our days".) I know in my own life and have seen in the lives of others at times, a sense of peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances, that peace that no matter what happens it will be okay. The peace of knowing that "someone bigger than you and I" is with us – is involved – cares. I think we all struggle to find peace and many times we equate happiness with peace. If I have the right partner, work at a good job, have money to buy whatever I want… I will be happy.. I will be at peace. All of those external things may help but the peace this blessing is talking about is a peace that is within – a peace in our hearts. I believe that peace can be cultivated and nurtured. Things like:
… all help to reinforce the peace that can be a blessing in our lives. Find out what brings peace to your life. Avoid situations – people that take your peace away. Peace within is a blessing that touches our lives with God’s presence. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. This blessing begins with the words "may you trust God". Trust that there is a power beyond ourselves that cares about us. Trust that "God’s eye is on the sparrow and I know God watches me." You are important to God. What you do – where you go – the concerns that keep you awake at night matter to God. The thread, the theme that we hear throughout the Bible is God’s care for God’s people. When we accept God’s love -- when we know deep in our soul that we are important to God -- we can begin to trust God with all of our life. The blessing goes on to say "May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be." Peace is every step reading by Thich Nhat Hanh… As we learn to be alive in the present moment we come to find that at that moment we are in the right place. The people that surround me, the sights I see, the words I hear are what is meant for this moment. Living here and now helps to let go of the past and to stop worrying about the future. Live in the moment where you are. The other part of this is discerning for yourself if you are in the place you are meant to be -- your job, where you live, who you hang out with – are these uplifting – healthy – bringing you to the right place on your life’s journey. What we are experiencing now may be preparing us for something in the future. What can you learn, what do you need to change, what can you appreciate and give thanks about in the current place you find yourself in life? At this present moment you are, as we say, "in the right place." Think about the journey, the circumstances that brought you to MCC. The people you have met, the changes in your life, the ways your spiritual life has brown – all of this is about being in the right – at the right time. That is also true about the other parts of your life. For this moment you are exactly where you are meant to be. This week’s homework: Pray and think about what brings peace to your life. Then practice one of those things this week. Also pray and think about what takes your peace away. Then do something about that this week. Take the prayer of blessing pr8inted in your bulletin [also at the beginning of this sermon] and make that your prayer everyday this week. And see what happens. We will continue with the rest of the prayer next week. |
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