BEGINNING OF ADVENT

We begin another Advent season and here are a few things to think about. In Romans 13: 11-14 we are told: "Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live  honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

Then, from Isaiah 2:1-5, especially vs. 4 & 5 ...."He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!"

 Yes, let us go and "walk in the light of the Lord." In Romans we are encouraged to "lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;" In this day when we so want to stop war and enjoy peace we sometimes are at a loss as to know how to do just that, be at peace and not war.  We can do as one person in Early, Iowa has done and that is to make a sign saying: "STOP WAR"  and stand on the street corner day after day making a protest for stopping war. This woman has encountered all kinds of responses, some good, some not so good, yet she continued to stand on the corner making her statement. In the book  "Performing The Faith 

Bonhoeffer and Practice of Nonviolence by Stanley Hauerwas, Hauerwas writes: "There is a community of peace for Christians only because one will forgive the other for his sins. The forgiveness of sins still remains the sole ground of all peace, even where the order of external

peace remains preserved in truth and justice." Hauerwas goes on to say that "the reality of the Gospel is not the external order of peace, not even the  peace of the battle for the same cause, but only the peace of God, which  brings about forgiveness of sins, the reality in which truth

and justice are both preserved."  This is a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "No Rusty Swords"  Hauerwas says that "the church needs the world as much as the world needs the church."  What do you think?  I say, Yes, the church needs the world so as to keep itself honest, so as to bring the Good News of Jesus, as a reminder for itself as well as for others. I say for itself because sometimes I think the church gets caught up in being the church for the church instead of  bringing glory to God. We need to remember to offer forgiveness for each other and to

-- Pastor Lucinda