This Sunday begins the second week of Advent, with the theme of peace.
Below is what I have put together for this week. I invite you to share your reflections and experiences as you journey through Advent.
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WEEK 2—Peace
SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 4:7 (KJ21—21st Century King James Version)— “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15 (NLT—New Living Translation)—“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members on one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
QUOTE:
“We are not at
peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at
peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.” ~Thomas Merton
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Peace is the theme for the second week of Advent. When you think about peace, what comes to mind? What brings you peace? What causes the absence of peace in your life?
There are two verses for this week’s reflection. I invite you to read the verses again. What word(s) or phrases stand out to you?
The word used in both these verses for “peace” is equivalent to the Hebrew term shalom. Looking at the Blue Letter Bible (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7965/kjv/wlc/0-1/), you can find the Hebrew term shalom in over 100 places, depending on which version of the Bible you search. A word that is repeated throughout a document is a word worthy of attention. It is found 118 times in the NLT (New Living Translation), 167 times in the KJV (King James Version), and 119 times in the NIV (New International Version).
According to various resources, shalom refers to “peace, completeness, welfare, well-being, safety,
prosperity”. It offers a deep and abiding presence to us, no matter our
situations or states of being. It is a gift for us to take in for ourselves and
for us to share with others.
During my 2 Year Academy experience with the Academy for Spiritual
Formation, I became familiar with the hymn “Shalom to you” by Elise Eslinger in
The Upper Room Worshipbook. It is also found in the United Methodist Hymnal,
the Chalice Hymnal, Songs for Life, and Together in Song. The lyrics are
simple, yet powerful:
“Shalom to you now, shalom, my
friends.
May God's full mercies bless you, my friends.
In all your living and through your loving,
Christ be your shalom, Christ be your shalom.”
You can listen to the song here:
Walking/Praying the
labyrinth
During this second week of Advent, I invite you to walk and pray the labyrinth with the theme of peace. Invite the Holy Spirit to join you on this peace journey. You might try the following suggestions or you might create your own peace journey. (If you need a refresher on one way to walk/pray the labyrinth, you can go back to the explanation in week 1 for “hope”.)
1.
- Take a copy of the Scripture verse and/or quote and read them as you walk, reflecting on what comes to mind.
- Ask yourself where you have peace these days, where you see peace. Reflect on these things.
- Ask yourself where you need peace and how you might attain it. Reflect on these things.
2.
- Take one or both of the verses with you, the quote, or the song into the labyrinth as part of your journey.
- Notice where and how you sense peace as you go to the center.
- Remain in the center for a moment to reflect on peace.
- As you head back out of the labyrinth, what is your focus? What do you notice?
Additional practices:
- Contemplative Photography. Take a photo of something that signifies “peace” to you.
- Research. What other Scripture verses or quotes can you find on “peace”?
- Write a prayer on peace. What might a prayer on peace look like for you?
- Journal. Consider writing about your labyrinth experiences.
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