My One Prayer...

I shared with the congregation @ CoJ yesterday that my one prayer is... Lord make us Peacemakers! Peacemakers is ACTIVE! And it is more than the opposition to/absence of war or conflict.

Two statements of Jesus guide this prayer... In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God." And in Luke 19:42 Jesus is crying over the city and says, "If you, even you, knew the things that make for peace."

Becoming Peacemakers starts in our own lives... inviting God to extend his peace to us. Once we have made peace with God, then we can share his peace in our homes, neighborhoods, and in the world.

Making peace is a really big task that is best accomplished by small steps.

Becoming peacemakers involves... addressing hurt feelings immediately and dealing with problems face to face.

Becoming peacemakers involves seeing all people as God sees them... BELOVED and WORTHY!

Becoming peacemakers involves finding alternative ways to work out struggles... moving beyond the hook.

Becoming peacemakers involves learning to LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN then talk to those with whom we disagree.

Becoming peacemakers involves exposing ourselves to other cultures and customs and finding that we have much in common as humans!

I also think it is time for us to make peace with our environment...

Some small steps toward that...

Waste less
recycle more
consume less
recycle old electronics... www.myboneyard.com they pay shipping and might even pay you.
Eat veggies in season... (I used example of tomato, but don't know why anyone would eat a tomato in or out of season... and with today's news about salmonella, I would strongly discourage eating tomatoes!)
Plant trees, shrubs, flowers.

Let us pray... Lord make us peacemakers!

What if? What if we knew and practiced the things that make for peace in our homes, neighborhoods, with people in our world and even with our environment? I think if we did, we would see the Kingdom of God come on earth as it is in heaven and Jesus would SMILE!

What is your One prayer for the church at large?