Our August worship series, Building Up, is an opportunity for us to think about all the details that go into building a structure such as the temple in the Old Testament. It is also an invitation to put that same level of thought and effort into how we build up one another, individually and together as the church.
This past Sunday we began with a “Foundation of Encouragement.” We were invited to take a minute to send a note of encouragement to someone. We will have cards in the welcome center each week during this series for you to use to build others up with your encouraging words.
We will also have Legos to help us remember that building up is both fun and challenging. When we start to build too quickly or without much planning, we can end up with a structure that is creative but off balance or incomplete. It is not able to actually accomplish what it was intended to.
That leads to this week’s theme in worship, “A House of Peace.” To build even a Lego house with walls that match in a way that comes together to provide a safe and secure shelter that a roof can be attached to is not as easy as it might seem. A lot of care needs to be taken in making sure that pieces are in the right place, that everything is level and attached properly. Only then does the house stand in a steady, peaceful way.
In our own lives, our families, our communities, and in the church, living together in a house of peace takes this same kind of care and intention. It doesn’t just happen. Our time and words have to be measured, our decisions and plans have to be made and communicated with an understanding of how they impact others, and we have to work with the realization that we both contribute to and benefit from things that we don’t have full control over but that strengthen and create peace for the whole.
When we create a house of peace, in our own homes and in a wider sense of community, it becomes a vessel for love and laughter and for comfort and care. It is a place where all are welcomed in and invited to experience God’s love through peaceful community.
This week I invite you to be a part of building, “A House of Peace” within yourself, your family, our church, and our world.
Peace,
Pastor Suzanne