Now may the Lord of peace . . . give you peace at all times in all ways.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Sometimes it feels the world is coming at us so quickly that we don’t know which way to turn, where to look, what to do next. In a chaotic world, we find strength in knowing that God is always near. Today, we are joining in Paul’s prayer that God grant us “peace at all times, in all ways.”
Peace. For our world, our family, our community, our church and ourselves — peace at all times, in all ways.
When the peace treaty was signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979, President Jimmy Carter quoted the journalist Walker Knight, saying “peace is active, not passive; peace is doing, not waiting . . . peace, like war, is waged.” The Peace & Global Witness Offering provides the tools and resources for us to join together as active peacemakers.
Sharing the Peace of Christ
The Peace & Global Witness Offering draws Presbyterians together and provides education and exposure to those who show us how to do this work well. It allows us to create resources for dealing with conflict and nurturing reconciliation, and stand in support of our global sisters and brothers, because the peace of Christ belongs to people everywhere. It has helped support our church partners in Madagascar as they recover from years of destructive development. Scriptural resources helped congregations, like the one in Old Bergen, New Jersey, find common ground with neighbors of many faiths, bringing their children together to learn from one another and to build a peaceful future. And the whole church joins together, through this Offering, to work for an end to all forms of human trafficking, specifically, the sin of child soldiers.
As we work to share Christ’s peace with one another, let’s share that peace with those beyond our doors. Twenty-five percent of this Offering will go to your mid council, joining with other congregations in your area to support peacemaking work in your region. The second 25 percent of this Offering stays with your congregation, so that you can commit to active peacemaking. And 50 percent of this Offering supports the active work for peace being done by Presbyterians everywhere.
As Presbyterians, we claim Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace and pattern our lives in the compassion, kindness and grace that he shows us.
Let Us Pray
O God, transform lives through our work for peace, with the tools you have given us. Together, in the Spirit of God, let us work to break the power of hate and heal the wounds of violence and division. Join us together through this Offering to proclaim that it is boundless peace you offer. May it burst through the shackles of time and expectation. May it quiet the anxiety of each believer, joining us together to boldly pray, and boldly take action for God’s peace — at all times in all ways. Amen.
Join Us
For more information and resources related to the Pentecost offering, visit presbyterianmission.org/peace-global.
This post is based on the Minute for Mission script which can be found on our website as a script.
Please give generously to the Offering:
- Through your congregation
- Text PEACE to 20222 to give $10
- Donate online