Fields United Methodist Church

Pastor Tom’s Weekly Blog.                   “Peace, Now”                         John 14:25-27

July 1, 2020

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

John 14:27

What is the peace of Christ?  Defining peace in terms of the gift Jesus gives needs to begin with what it is not; it is not a treaty based on human terms.  The peace of Christ is not part of a process of negotiation.  The peace of Christ is not given once demands are met.  The peace of Christ rises above earthly demands and is based purely on the amazing grace of God offered through Jesus Christ; it is the starting point and the very presence of Christ dominating every facet of our existence, seeing, experiencing and sharing the love God has for all people.  The peace of Christ is not freedom from war, poverty, violence, hatred, or anything else that separates one from another, but rather the peace offered by Christ is the freedom that comes with the certainty that in the midst of the challenges of our day, Jesus the Christ walks with us and offers not only hope but wisdom to overcome all those things that separate one from another. True freedom was bought on Calvary through the cross of Jesus and the resultant peace offers life dominated by a worldview that is out of this world! The morning is an amazing time; the world awakens to a new day with fresh ideas and the privilege of soaking in all that God has given to all people; a morning perspective experiences a peace that captures the optimism of a life offered filled with the abundance of the love of God with the only demands attached is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. When peace stirs in our soul it is like the birth of a new day, filled with hope, grace and the ability to see the world as Jesus sees the world, filled with the abundance of love for all humanity that gave birth to the heavens and the earth.   There is hope for today because there is Jesus, alive and well in the world making all things new; it is a new day and worth celebrating with every breath. True peace comes only from God, who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Maybe it is time to live the peace of Christ and through this peace there will be transformation that is everlasting. Bottom line; the peace of Christ is the presence of God’s love emblazoned upon the hearts of all people.   “May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you; The Lord lift his countenance upon you, and give you PEACE.”  Amen and amen.

Rev. Tom Joyce, pastor

Fields United Methodist Church