Rev. Ryan's Reflection of the Week

This week we're seeking to live out the PEACE of Advent. . . 

 i) This past Sunday's worship service for Advent 2 was certainly an encouraging one! I’m so grateful for all who led and participated to make the day a blessed one. 

We journeyed with Ezekiel in the fascinating story of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37. What a challenging life that Ezekiel endured as he tried to encourage the people of God in their time of Exile. But the Good News is that again. . . when we think the people of God have gone too far and have dislocated themselves beyond the kindness and mercy of God. . . God promises to show up! Our "verse of the week" to carry in our hearts is an encouraging one if you are feeling like a weary pilgrim on the journey in these advent days:

“I will breathe MY life into you and you shall live,
and I will place you on your own soil;
then you shall know that I,
the LORD, have spoken and will act.” (Ezekiel 37:14)

 ii) If you'd like to journey along with the Kate Bowler Advent Devotional that we are recommending this year, it's not too late to start. See the info in previous sections of today's Newsletter. Our Kate Bowler Advent "prayer of the week" alongside the theme of Peace. . . goes like so:

"Spirit of the Living God. . . BLESSED ARE WE. . . 
remembering that you hold all things together.
You are the invisible scaffolding that supports us,
The canopy of love that covers us in the present,
The stable pillars, sunk deep in our past,
And the sparrow that flies confidently toward the future. . .
Bearing for us the PEACE we could never have attained for ourselves."

iii) And I'm challenged by this Martin Luther King quote:

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” 
The peace that God provides for us, is not a blessing that we are keep for ourselves. . . but a peace that we are encouraged to share in ways that provide peace, justice and mercy for all. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.