Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 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! Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSVUE)
So many wars, both large and small, are raging all over the world. It makes Isaiah’s vision even harder to believe today than it must have when he first received it almost 3000 years ago. And yet, as we begin this season of Advent; as we wait for Christmas and Christ’s coming; we are reminded that we are a people of hope. Hope for a more just and peaceful world. Hope that God can use our time, energy, wealth and lives to make a difference right now in this place. Hope that our prayers bear fruit.
An evolving prayer in our family started with “Come Lord Jesus. Be our guest. Let these gifts to us be blessed” that Lutherans and many other Christians have used for hundreds of years (first appeared in print in 1698 in the German schoolbook Neues und Nützliches SchulBuch Vor Die Jugend by Johann Conrad Quensen). In response to the physical needs of the world we added a verse from Bread for the World – “Blessed be God, who is our bread. Let all the world be clothed and fed”. In our newest addition, we simply added “and at peace” to the end. A small thing that reminds us at every meal of what we hope for the world (though our grandchildren point out that it doesn’t rhyme anymore).
Prayers for today, that with God’s help, we can practice peace within our families, our friends, our communities, our world. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE).
Questions for Reflection:
- How could you practice peace during Advent?
- How might practicing peace help others know Jesus?
Prayer:
Our prayer begins and ends with the last prayer in the Bible – Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
You can pray the following prayer, known as the Peace Prayer or the Prayer of Saint Francis as a breath prayer* or just read through it. This link will take you to a guided meditation of the Prayer of Saint Francis - https://insighttimer.com/brianhymanyoga/guided-meditations/st-francis-prayer-and-meditation – the words are a little different but the Spirit is the same.
Come, Lord Jesus . . .
. . . make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred,
let me bring love.
Where there is injury,
let me bring forgiveness.
Where there is discord,
let me bring union.
Where there is error,
let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt,
let me bring faith.
Where there is despair,
let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness,
let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness,
let me bring joy.
O Lord,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be comforted
as to comfort,
to be understood
as to understand,
to be loved
as to love.
For it is in giving
that we receive,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in forgiving
that we are forgiven,
it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.
* If this is new to you . . .
Sit in a comfortable position with both feet on the ground.
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you whisper or think: “Come Lord Jesus”
Hold your breath and be conscious of God’s presence…
Exhale as you whisper the first phrase, alternating inhaling and exhaling throughout the prayer.
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