Peace be with you.

Funny these words I have heard my entire life. At church I would hear them said at the beginning, The Grace and Peace of the Lord be with you all. A simple message to say, I wish you all Grace and Peace unlike you could ever imagine in this world. 

I have mentioned before that I do not speak of Lilly, I did not know her but on her birthday this year I posted a picture of her with the simple phrase, Peace Lilly. There is no more to say.

Pastor Vicki spoke today of Peace. This same Peace that I wish for Lilly I truely wish for myself and others. I have read so much lately of the events of last year. Probably too much. So many are still saddened by these events and the loss of their friends and family members. A few do not seem to have found their Peace yet. Unfortunately Vicki said, she doesn't have a cape or flashlight to offer as protection against the things that scare us. But to me she does. She offers her smile in the face of her own Grief. She offers a hug when she knows you need it. That is Peace.

I started off going to write about the church I grew up in and the one I attend today. But now. I think of a person that feels blame for the events of last year. This is another person I do not know. A person I may have laid some of the blame on myself. But today I wish him Peace. He has family and friends around but I don't think he see's them for the comfort that they are. He only see's what he is missing. Peace be with you.

Funny how things work out. I wanted to say that my favorite part of church as a child was the offering of Peace. Right before Communion. The home stretch. The time you got to talk to your neighbor without being shushed. A time that a total stranger would say Peace be with you. Last year as my nieces and nephew prepared for their First Communion I would just say Peace. No matter how I felt it is always said with a smile. Well. This week has been a year since that First Communion. I celebrated Communion this morning in a church I had maybe been to twice before last year at this time but in the last nine months we have become regulars. A lady said Hello this morning and said how glad she was to see us an how she misses us when she doesn't see us sitting in the front. Who knew?

Honestly we do not go to be seen. We go to feel Peace. Somedays it seems to come easier than others.

I have offered prayers for Peace of the people of New York after Hurricane Sandy, those of Connecticut after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and to those of Boston after the bombing. In all those offerings it is not just the peace that President's seek for their country but for true Peace in their hearts. So as mass ended one last reminder to go in Peace and Love and Serve the Lord.
Amen.

Today as every Sunday Vicki ends with a charge which reminds us to do the same:

Go out in the world in peace; have courage; hold on to what is good; return no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak and help the suffering; honor and respect everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.  And all God’s people said: Amen

A simple message of Peace. Words we may all say as we walk out the door each morning.

Peace. Amen.