First Community Church 11.03.24 Glen Miles -Sermon, Peacemakers

The Bible Tells Me So -Part 3: "Peacemakers" This Sunday, November 3, I continue my Fall sermon series, The Bible Tells Me So, with Part 3: "Peacemakers." As you might guess, this sermon is based on one of the beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "blessed are the Peacemakers." Our first thought about peacemakers might be that their singular desire is to help people, communities, or nations get along with each other. That may be the ultimate desire, but often, a peacemaker's first task is to speak the truth, name the issues, and face the reality of the situation. Such an approach does not always endear the peacemaker to those in conflict. We will also listen to Paul's letter to the Philippians, in which he implores the church in Philippi to "not be anxious about anything." The words "anxiety" and "anxious" have come up often in many of the pastoral conversations I have had lately. We may be divided politically as a nation, but our collective anxiety seems to be a common trait! Working for peace is never easy, but if we believe the Spirit of God is with us, and she is, then we can take on anything. As Paul instructs, "By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." That bit of 2000-year-old advice still speaks to us today.