Tag: peace

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Perfect Peace: Mindfulness in Isaiah 26

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Isaiah 26.

“You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3)

I paused at this verse in Isaiah because it spoke of the mind. How many times have I read that Christian faith is not something to engage your intellect but a truth to touch your soul? I’ve often read that the longest distance is from the brain to the heart. The gospel is more than information about Christ. It’s the foundation of a relationship with him.

That’s all good and valid, but what about Isaiah’s image of a mind stayed on God?

  • When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
  • Paul wrote about being transformed by “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2).
  • Paul also encouraged believers to have a mind like Christ, which he described as humble, obedient, and sacrificial (Philippians 2:5).
  • Paul also reminded his readers that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Want to get inside the head of God? You can in Christ.
  • Paul also comes down hard on those with “minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). Instead of that, “Set your minds on things that are above” (Col. 3:2).

In so many ways, scripture tells me to get my head in the game. It challenges me, “What were you thinking?” It directs to me to grow in both grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). It reminds me to consider, “What’s my mindset today?”

I can wrap my head around this. I am a logical thinker. This makes sense to me. Am I anxious, worried, upset, or unsettled? My mind needs a reset. At any given moment, what’s on my mind? Probably not the things of God. I need a reset. I need to refocus. I need to redirect my thinking.

How do I do that? I remember that Christ is the cornerstone. The prophetic and apostolic scriptures are the foundation. I build my life on those truths rather than circumstances, current events, financial news, the well-intended opinions of others, and my own limited understanding.

My mind will never stay focused on God. My desires, the world, and Satan himself continually distract me.

But I can pursue mindfulness. Being mindful is more than being in the moment. It’s about being mindful of God’s love, grace, truth, and authority over this moment.

You can trust him, depend on him, and be stay your mind on him. In return your get shalom shalom, that is, perfect peace.

Posted in worship

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash

In our congregation, we celebrate Holy Communion at just about every worship service. Following the words of institution, I say, “The peace of the Lord be with you always,” and then encourage the congregation to share our Lord’s peace with those around them.

In addition to the traditional, “Peace be with you…” “…and also with you,” I’ll witness worshipers embracing, exchanging a kiss, shaking hands, waving and other assorted greetings. Some folks are a little uncomfortable with the moment, unwilling to share germs or give up valuable personal space. Many, I am sure, are not even aware of why we do this. So a member encouraged me to write about this part of the liturgy.

The sharing of the peace is intended to be a powerful reminder of the evening on the first day of the week when the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. Some had seen the empty tomb. Some had seen the risen Christ himself. Suddenly, Jesus is standing there among them and says, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Powerful words. Through Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. Our sins are forgiven, the relationship has been healed, and we have peace with God.

The real presence of our Lord in the sacrament also brings the peace of the Lord to us, which means we have also received the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). We bring the salt and light of a new relationship with God into our world. God also enables us to pursue and be at peace with one another before we approach his altar (Matthew 5:23,24).

Conflict is inevitable. Relationships are fragile. Feelings are easily hurt. But forgiveness is real. Reconciliation overcomes separation. Love covers a multitude of sins. And as we participate in the body and blood of Christ, we have a lot in common. We are all members of one another. We are his church!

Keep that in mind each time we share our Lord’s peace with one another.