This Week at Peace - - July 1, 2011

In the last three weeks, I attended 16 worship services, not one of which did I lead. I cannot begin to describe how refreshing it is to be the hearer of a sermon, the receiver of communion and liturgy, after months and years of preaching them week-by-week. This experience, along with the perspective gained from being in the company of other pastors reflecting on their ministries, has renewed me. Thank you.

At the Credo conference, I learned some valuable lessons and established some goals related to “speaking the truth in love,” rather than avoiding conflict, about “equipping the saints for ministry” because that multiplies the ministry God can do through us, and about remembering that “Christ is our peace,” and on him we depend and together grow into “a dwelling place for God.” (Eph. 2 & 4) It is easy for a pastor to feel like the church’s progress rests entirely on his or her shoulders, but that is not healthy, as we all know. So I return and find that Peace is doing quite well without me – great news!

This Sunday, we read Romans 7:18-8:6, where the Apostle Paul describes the struggle to be faithful, to live according to the Spirit. My sermon title is “Land of the Free?” Four Men of Peace will be singing in their worship debut. Hope you will be with us, but if you’re traveling, we’ll hope to see you soon.

Grace and peace,

Elizabeth