September Week 4

Virtue: Shalom
Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

Human Story: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu (1931 - 2021)

Tutu was one of the most prominent South African figures in the long road to ending apartheid. A native South African, Tutu experienced firsthand the injustice under the racist white minority rule of his country. Inspired by his faith and love for his countrymen, he played a key role in the ending of apartheid and the universal suffrage of all within South Africa. What made Bishop Tutu such a great example for those in the anti-apartheid movement was what also separated him from them the most. Tutu saw the world through the truth of the Gospel, and so his goal was not just liberation for those suffering under the racist regime or the reversal of the oppressive segregation laws under apartheid, but also eventual reconciliation and forgiveness for both sides of the conflict. Tutu described his dream for South Africa as being free of racism, where those of all ethnicities and creeds can live free together.

While his stance against apartheid and the government behind it never wavered, he also advocated peaceful rather than violent forms of protest. Tutu was openly critical of many leaders in the anti-apartheid movement, their methods and rhetoric. When anti-apartheid protests were deemed forms of terrorism by the government and were put down violently, many anti-apartheid groups responded with violence. Rather than speaking only against a government that would turn weapons on its own people, Tutu also admonished the protestors that there were better ways to bring about change.

Those in the white minority government complained that he was too radical, while leaders of the protesting groups said he was too moderate. Biographer Steven Gish said, “Tutu faced the perpetual dilemma of all moderates – he was often viewed suspiciously by the two hostile sides he sought to bring together.” Tutu’s desire was to find a third way, a middle way, toward peace and liberty for all. He spent much of his time trying to build goodwill with white South Africans, while many on the anti-apartheid side were trying to foment hate toward their oppressors. Tutu expressed his solidarity with his fellow South Africans, but he urged them not to give into hatred because that was, and still is, antithetical to the Gospel. Fortunately, thanks to Bishop Tutu’s international outreach and respect, enough pressure was placed on the South African government to begin the dismantling of apartheid. Because reconciliation was so central to Tutu’s hopes for South Africa, he was selected to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission whose goal was not only to make judgements on those guilty of human rights abuses but also to help bring about healing and forgiveness for victims and perpetrators on both sides.

Forgiving and being reconciled to our enemies or our loved ones are not about pretending that things are other than they are. It is not about patting one another on the back and turning a blind eye to the wrong. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the hurt, the truth. It could even sometimes make things worse. It is a risky undertaking but in the end it is worthwhile, because in the end only an honest confrontation with reality can bring real healing. Superficial reconciliation can bring only superficial healing. ― Desmond Tutu

Resources:
Rabble-Rouser for Peace: The Authorised Biography of Desmond Tutu. By John Allen
Desmond Tutu: A Biography. By Steven Gish
Desmond Tutu Biography, https://www.biography.com/political-figure/desmond-tutu

Lesson: 1 John 2:9-11 (Amplified Version)

The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yet habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now. The one who loves and unselfishly seeks the best for his [believing] brother lives in the Light, and in him there is no occasion for stumbling or offense [he does not hurt the cause of Christ or lead others to sin]. But the one who habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

The letter we call 1 John was written to believers. In our lesson passage John is emphatic that walking in the light – that is walking with Jesus – and hating other believers is incompatible. If you hate fellow believers, you have been blinded by what is evil and false. However, those who love other believers walk in the light. Lest you think that John just made this up, let’s see what Jesus said: “I give you a new command: Love one another.” (John 13:34) Jesus addressed this to His disciples, and if we claim to be His followers, then this command is for us as well.

What does it mean to love one another? Three key components to showing love are forgiving others, accepting others, and honoring others. Desmond Tutu’s life demonstrated all three of these aspects as he navigated the turbulent political waters of his country. Loving others, not just those who are like us, demonstrates a shalom that seeks the best for others and allows them to flourish. 

Remembrance

Let There Be Peace on Earth by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller sung by Vince and Jenny Gill

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth
The peace that was meant to be 

With God as our Father
Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony. 

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.

With ev'ry 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

Challenge

Like Tutu, we should work toward good for all people. Is there a relationship in your life or in your community that is in need of repair? What can you do to bring shalom (peace) into this relationship? Pray and ask God how it can begin with you.

Reflection

A very important but difficult piece of renewing relationships is accepting responsibility for our part in any conflict. If we have a relationship in need of repair, we must remember that the wrong is not usually all on one side, and we are more easily able to restore relations when we look at our contribution to a conflict.           

- Desmond Tutu, The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World

Further Growth:

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 21

Old Testament: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-17, 24-29
Psalm: Psalm 19: 1-14
New Testament: James 4:7—5:6
Gospel: Mark 9:38-48

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 21

Old Testament: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm: Psalm 25
New Testament: Philippians 2:1-13
Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

September Week 3

Virtue: Shalom

Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

Human Story: St. Olympias the Deaconess

Olympias was born in 4th century Constantinople to wealthy and politically connected parents. Her parents both died when she was very young, and she inherited their fortune. She later married a man named Nebridius who was the Prefect of Constantinople. Shortly after their marriage Nebridius died and left Olympius as a childless widow, which was an unfortunate position for a woman in that time. She, however, rejected all subsequent proposals of marriage and determined to commit the rest of her life entirely to Christ. Olympius was a young woman who had experienced both wealth and heartbreak – a life of comfort and also hardship.

She had been discipled by St. John Chrysostom and had a deep relationship with Christ. Chrysostom was exiled from Constantinople but continued to support her through letters. After her husband passed, she decided to give away her fortune. She used her money for several projects that would bring peace to her community. She built a convent for hurting women which grew to include close to 200. She supported churches and initiatives for the poor across the entire region. She helped the orphan and widow. One of her more radical decisions was to free all of her family slaves, and one historiographer noted, “Her slaves, whom she released, wore beautiful clothes and lived with more comfort.”*

Olympius was a woman determined to bring about shalom – peace and flourishing for others. Many who would have experienced her hardships of parents dying at young age and her husband dying in the months after the wedding would have become cynical or bitter toward the Lord. She could have spent her massive fortune in unhealthy and selfish ways. Instead she chose to bring peace into her chaotic world. She was radical, especially for her time, in her shalom (peace bringing) initiatives. It was not popular to create a safe space for hurting women in that day. It was not commonplace to free slaves and then treat them with more dignity than self. These things certainly upset the cultural norm.

In our effort to establish Shalom, we will sometimes be called to care for people in selfless ways, maybe even in some radical ways that people don’t understand. May we be able to sustain our faith through tragedy and heartbreak like Olympius. May we know the God who gives lavishly and generously. May we seek to be a safe space for the vulnerable and hurting. May we be shalom bringers – bringing God’s kingdom to earth.

*https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/07/the-life-and-struggles-of-saint-olympia.html

Lesson: Isaiah 32:16-20

The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, 
his righteousness live in the fertile field. 
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; 
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, 
in secure homes, 
in undisturbed places of rest. 
Though hail flattens the forest 
and the city is leveled completely, 
how blessed you will be, 
sowing your seed by every stream, 
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. He spoke this message of judgment to the leaders: your rebellion will come at a cost. If they persisted in their idolatry and oppression of the poor, the main superpower of the day (Assyria, then followed by Babylon) would come and defeat Judah and carry them into exile.

Isaiah’s prophecy was contingent. The leaders could turn from their ways and God would relent, using them as his carriers of blessing to all nations. The concept of being purified by fire was introduced early in Isaiah 6. Painful things may happen, but the result is shalom, flourishing, and a new Jerusalem. The Hebrew word “shalom” occurs 267 times in the Old Testament. In the book of Isaiah, it occurs 30 times, second only to Jeremiah. When researching references of shalom, it is obvious that it does not simply mean the absence of conflict, which is the modern use of the word “peace.” Rather, the connotation is flourishing, security, resting, safety, and blessing. But shalom cannot take place with oppression. The weakest members in society were not being taken care of during Isaiah’s day, as they often are not today, and in fact they were being exploited. Shalom often requires key individuals, like St. Olympias, to step up, call out oppression, and use their influence and resources for the flourishing of those who are hurting. The passage above beautifully shows what shalom is all about: safe flourishing homes, no conflict, serenity, confidence, rest, and blessing of resources. 

Isaiah writes beautiful poetry to create a longing for this shalom. We know that ultimate shalom will not take place until the final resurrection, when Christ returns, and heaven and earth are joined together, and God will be all in all (Rev. 21). However, we are called to provide foretastes of that ultimate shalom right now. Taking our cues from the passage above, asking how you can help your neighbors and community have safer homes, less conflict, more quietness and rest, and more blessing of resources is a great place to start.

Remembrance

Olympius and Chrysostom corresponded via letter and many of those letters still exist. Below is one section of a letter that demonstrates Chrysostom’s encouragement to Olympius and her efforts to bring about Shalom.

Do you see the abundance of resource belonging to God? His wisdom, His extraordinary power, His loving-kindness and care? Be not therefore dismayed or troubled but continue to give thanks to God for all things, praising, and invoking Him; beseeching and supplicating; even if countless tumults and troubles come upon you, even if tempests are stirred up before your eyes let none of these things disturb you. For our Master is not baffled by the difficulty, even if all things are reduced to the extremity of ruin. For it is possible for Him to raise those who have fallen, to convert those who are in error, to set straight those who have been ensnared, to release those who have been laden with countless sins, and make them righteous, to quicken those who are dead, to restore lustre to decayed things, and freshness to those which have waxen old. For if He makes things which are not, come into being, and bestows existence on things which are nowhere by any means manifest, how much more will He rectify things which already exist.

Reference: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1916.htm

Challenge

1. Research non-profits in your community. If you are not familiar, begin to explore organizations that are doing justice work in your community. Contact the organization to see if there are ways that you can assist based upon your availability and resources. https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/cleveland-tn-tennessee.asp

2. Think about people in your community who are doing healthy justice work. Choose 2-3 people who come to mind and write them a note of encouragement and thank them for being people of shalom who are bringing about flourishing in the community.

3. This week pray the Lord’s prayer every day with intention and focus on the phrase “let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As you pray that portion be open to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you consider parts of your community that do not feel like heaven. What issues do you think would be unacceptable to Jesus? Make those things a matter of prayer and possibly action.

Reflection

A society concerned with shalom will care for the most marginalized among them. God has a special concern for the poor and needy, because how we treat them reveals our hearts, regardless of the rhetoric we employ to make ourselves sound just. -        Randy S. Woodley

Further Growth

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 20

Old Testament: Wisdom 1:16—2:1 *
Psalm: Psalm 54
New Testament: James 3:16— 4:6
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

* apocryphal text

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 20

Old Testament: Jonah 3:10-4:11
Psalm: Psalm 145
New Testament: Philippians 1:21-27
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

September Week 2

Virtue: Shalom

Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

Human Story: Sallie McFague (1933 – 2019)

When thinking about people who have exemplified living a life of shalom, Sallie McFague may not be the first to come to mind as her life’s work has been directed toward writing for and teaching in the academic field of theological ethics. But like so many other authors and teachers, her influence reaches far beyond the recognition of her name as her readers and students have embraced her ideas and continue to share and live them. 

McFague was one of the first to draw Christian attention to the wellbeing of the earth’s ecosystem as a part of God’s desired shalom for the world. Her argument pulls upon the significance of Jesus Christ (the divine incarnate) living in the material world, bridging the gap between a love for God and a love for all that was created by God. She writes, “There is only one world, a world that God loves. Since God loves it, we not only can but should. In fact, loving the world (not God alone), or rather, loving God through the world, is the Christian way” (Life Abundant, 2001, 13). Loving this world by taking care of the environment as well as seeking to improve the lives of other people is a natural outcome of faith in a loving God. For McFague, the Christian faith is one that seeks the wellbeing of others, as God has from the beginning of creation; and thus, in the face of suffering (both environmental and human), the Christian faith is an act of advocacy, which is an act of love unhindered, empowering, and healing. As God’s agents, the church is designed to be a movement of active shalom-makers, those who seek to restore human dignity and the integrity of creation by pursuing the flourishing and wholeness of life for the sake of the whole world. Thus, shalom becomes reality only in how God’s people are even now displaying it.

Lesson: Isaiah 11:6-9 (ESV)

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

“We are paradise-haunted creatures who yearn for the kingdom of God,” McFague says (Theology That Matters, 2006, 212). This is certainly what Isaiah 11:6-9 is saying with this picture of the predator and the prey, the strong and weak, the dangerous and the unassuming living together in peace, harmony, safety, and mutual wellbeing. The knowledge of the LORD leads away from hurt and destruction and makes way for shalom, redefining what it means to flourish.

For one, this passage shows that the knowledge of the LORD removes the vicious cycle of feeling the need to become the oppressor by fighting, killing, or destroying the lives of others in order to protect oneself, one’s family, and one’s own lifestyle. Indeed, there is a freedom in the LORD that gives security without the need to build barricades of self-defense. This freedom allows one to open up and see the needs of others as being just as important as one’s own needs, as this security is rooted in love (in God) rather than in fear.

For another, the knowledge of the LORD heals the breach between the oppressor and the victim, not casting one or the other away or restricting one’s ability to live over the other’s, but allowing both to coexist in harmony. Here the wolf dwells with the lamb, the lion eats straw like an ox, and the child is safe among them. The oppressor no longer needs to live oppressively, the victim no longer needs to live victimized – the past continuously finds healing and restoration in the present.

Lastly, this passage shows that a critical component to shalom and life within the knowledge of the LORD is self-control (a fruit of the Spirit, no less!). Shalom can only come to us if those with power live with restraint and gentleness, not only in regard to harming others physically, but also in terms of not taking more than we need from others or from the earth. We are capable of fostering paradise and bringing the knowledge of the LORD (the kingdom of God) to the world when we practice self-control, such that, rather than living out of selfish gain, we live in selfless giving; rather than hurting, we heal; rather than destroying or laying waste, we create, grow, cultivate, build, and empower.

Remembrance

A Hymn by Frances R. Havergal
Listen: Instrumental Version or Contemporary Version

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of your love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as you shall choose. 

Take my will, and make it thine
It shall be no longer mine;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.

Challenge

How can you promote paradise now? Is it through relationships with other people? Are there specific people or communities that have been left out, oppressed, or neglected with whom you could intentionally share God’s shalom? Since the wellbeing of all life depends on the earth’s wellbeing, what is one change you can implement to make the earth a healthier place? (recycling, using reusable containers, treating your property with care to increase its longevity, plant trees, food, vegetables, etc.)

Reflection

In what place or circumstance do you most find yourself in a feeling of shalom – flourishing, peace with God, others, self, and creation? What can you do to help others find a similar state of shalom?

Further Growth:

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 19

Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm: Psalm 116-1-16
New Testament: James 2:1-18
Gospel: Mark 9:14-29

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 19

Old Testament: Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7 *
Psalm: Psalm 103
New Testament: Romans 14:5-12
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

* apocryphal text

September Week 1

Virtue: Shalom

Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

Human Story: Bryan Stephenson

In a 2012 TED Talk, Bryan Stevenson stated: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Stevenson has made it his life work to bring our world into more close alignment with the moral arc of justice. As he says, “We all have a responsibility to create a just society.” His work is a paradigm of restoring the world to “the way it’s supposed to be”—that is, to a state of shalom.

After graduating from Harvard School of Law in 1985, Stevenson began his law career working for the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, GA. In his early work and life experience, Stevenson noticed the great need for those dedicated to racial reconciliation and justice. This would inspire his founding of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). EJI is a “nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons.” EJI’s and Stevenson’s work for shalom goes beyond the penal system and engages many areas of racial injustice. Grounded in his Christian faith, Stevenson is a powerful model for us of one committed to being a minister of reconciliation. This drive seems to be inspired by a couple of ideas that should inspire us too.

The first idea is that all humans are inherently valuable and their identity is more than their bad actions. As Stevenson declares:

I’ve come to understand and to believe that each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. I believe that for every person on the planet. I think if somebody tells a lie, they're not just a liar. I think if somebody takes something that doesn't belong to them, they're not just a thief. I think even if you kill someone, you're not just a killer. And because of that, there's this basic human dignity that must be respected by law.

Based on this conviction, Stevenson has fought long legal battles to free men, women, and children from life sentences or capital sentences who have been found guilty based on their race, gender, or disability.

The second idea is that we need an honest, clear-eyed view of the world and history that is conditioned by hope before we can aptly minister reconciliation—the truth is intrinsically connected to restoration. EJI’s work on the legacy of lynching in America and the recently-opened lynching memorial—The National Memorial for Peace and Justice—in Montgomery, AL embodies this commitment to truth. According to EJI, “avoiding honest conversation about this history has undermined our ability to build a nation where racial justice can be achieved.” We must face this dark history head-on, but we do so with hope. Stevenson teaches that Americans must own up to our history of racial injustice and that “we cannot not let the worst moments of our nation’s history define us.” Stevenson reminds us: "Hope is your superpower. Don't let anybody or anything make you hopeless. Hope is the enemy of injustice.”

Resources:
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Equal Justice Initiative: www.eji.org

Lesson: Amos 5:10-15

There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

Amos was a shepherd and fig-tree farmer from Judah (the southern kingdom) who lived near the border of Israel (the northern kingdom) in the 8th century BC. During this time, Jeroboam II, king of Israel, had many successes in battle and generated much wealth for his kingdom, but he did not spend it wisely. Idolatry and injustice were rampant in the northern kingdom. Amos witnessed and heard of these injustices, and he discerned God’s call to be His mouthpiece to the powerful unjust leaders of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Our text comes from the section (chapters 3-6) in Amos’s writings that is a collection of poems to Israel and its leaders. Amos is furious at how the wealthy were treating the poor, selling them into debt slavery and then denying them legal representation in court. Amos is quick to remind his listeners of their history, how they were rescued from slavery in Egypt and called to seek justice and righteousness. They were called to be a kingdom of priests to all nations, and their responsibility will now result in a greater punishment. There should be right relationships between people regardless of social class.

Here 3,000 years later, we still struggle with such. Our public schools are segregated by socio-economic status (SES). Our neighborhoods, cities, and suburbs are separated by SES. Access to power and decision making is segregated by SES. And how many houses of worship have a diversity of social class? Right relationships with “the others” are impossible without daily life together. Daily connections with others bring about a community that advances justice and righteousness for all.

Remembrance

“The Kingdom is Yours” - Common Hymnal: Listen or Watch

Blessed are the ones who do not bury
All the broken pieces of their heart
Blessed are the tears of all the weary
Pouring like a sky of falling stars

Blessed are the wounded ones in mourning
Brave enough to show the Lord their scars
Blessed are the hurts that are not hidden
Open to the healing touch of God

The Kingdom is yours, the Kingdom is yours
Hold on a little more, this is not the end
Hope is in the Lord, keep your eyes on Him

And blessed are the ones who walk in kindness
Even in the face of great abuse
Blessed are the deeds that go unnoticed
Serving with unguarded gratitude 

And blessed are the ones who fight for justice
Longing for the coming day of peace
Blessed is the soul that thirsts for righteousness
Welcoming the last, the lost, the least

Oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh
Blessed are the poor in Spirit
Oh-oh Bienaventurados los pobres en Espíritu
Oh-oh Blessed are the pure in heart Oh-oh

Blessed are the ones who suffer violence
And still have strength to love their enemies
Blessed is the faith of those who persevere
Though they fall, they'll never know defeat

Challenge

1.     Consider reaching out to someone you know who has spent time in the criminal justice system or who knows someone who has. Ask them questions about their experience.

2.     Consider reading or listening to Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.”

Reflection

Reflect on Bryan’s quote: “We all have a responsibility to create a just society.” What is your role?

Further Growth:

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 18

Old Testament: Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm: Psalm 146
New Testament: James 1:17-27
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 18

Old Testament: Ezekiel 33:1-11
Psalm: Psalm 119:33-48
New Testament: Romans 12:9-21
Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

September Introduction

September: Shalom

Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

John Wesley (18th century Anglican pastor, missionary, and theologian), reflecting on the Fall in the third chapter of Genesis, notes four arenas of broken relationality: between God and humans, between humans and humans, between a human and self, and finally between humans and creation. It does not take much reflection to affirm this idea in the real world. We know all too well the harms humans visit on creation, the suffering caused by people upon other people, the internal disequilibrium we face, and the estrangement from God we feel. The virtue of shalom is the habit of working to repair this brokenness, alienation, and division. It is the resolution to choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

In his book on sin, theologian Cornelius Plantinga Jr. offers a powerful and motivating explanation of shalom:

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom…In the Bible shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as the creator and savior opens doors and speaks welcome to the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things are supposed to be.

-       Not the Way it’s Supposed to Be, 10.

Shalom is not merely a state of existence but also a way of living in the world. Those who aim to take on the habit of shalom work to be people who partner with God’s redemptive work in the world and make things “the way they’re supposed to be.” Our central Christian call to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5.17-21) is to be agents of shalom, working to turn back the effects of the Fall and bring flourishing to all arenas of relationality.

September: Liturgy

Leader: Jehovah Shalom, You created the world to be a place of Shalom consisting of peace and flourishing.

People: May we seek to establish Your peace in our world.

Leader: Prince of Peace, You taught us to pray for Your Kingdom to be on earth as it is in heaven. 

People: May we be Kingdom bringers in our culture.

Leader:  Holy Spirit, You were sent to be the comforter and the confirmation of the possibility of God’s peace with humanity.

People: May we experience this peace and be confident in God’s love for us.