Dear Friends,
“And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I was thinking today about some of the names by which we know Jesus. In this verse from Isaiah, which we often draw upon in this Christmas season, we are reminded that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
Years later, in the teaching we now call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims “Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God.” It would seem evident from scripture that we are not only called to follow the Prince of Peace, but that we ourselves are meant to be peace makers.
But what exactly does it mean to be a peace maker?
· Sometimes to be a peace maker is to seek to bring reconciliation where there has been relational division or struggle. Just as Jesus reconciled us to God, we are meant to be reconcilers, restoring peace where there has been brokenness.
· Sometimes to be a peace maker is to bring a calming presence to a chaotic situation. Just as Jesus brings peace into the storms of our lives, as the bearers of Christ in this world, we ought to bring his peace with us into chaotic or conflictual situations.
· Sometimes to be a peace maker is to restore emotional peace. By his coming, Jesus brought peace to our hearts. It is the peace of knowing that God is with us no matter what we face. It is the kind of peace that takes away our fear. In the same way, we are meant to bring emotional peace to those whose lives we touch every day.
We live in a world that is greatly marked by brokenness, fear, chaos and division. But as Jesus followers, we are meant to bring healing, reconciliation and restoration. As followers of the Prince of Peace, we are meant to be peace makers in our world.
The Plaistow performance of our Christmas Concert will be this Saturday, Dec 22 at 4:00 pm.
It is a little bit ironic that we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace with a dizzying flurry of activity that often leaves us anything but peaceful. So I pray for all of us that we may find peace in this Christmas season, even in the midst of the busyness. But more than that, I pray that we may be peace makers. That we would bring the peace of Christ into our homes and our workplaces, our church and our community. I prayer we would bring the reconciling, healing peace of Jesus into every conversation and every situation we encounter. Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God.
God bless,
Pastor Steve
PS, don’t forget to pray for and invite your “ONE” for Christmas Eve. Services will be at 3 & 5 pm in Plaistow, 4 & 6 pm in Sandown, 5 pm in Amesbury and 7:30 pm in Newburyport.