Shalom Aleichem

So, funny thing, last week was supposed to be the advent of peace yet I wrote on joy. I realized the mistake as I was putting the final touches on the sermon and there was very little joy on my part. That did not last for long, however, because when I realized the mistake, Natalie noted that I had a great start on the sermon for the next week. With that I felt great peace and joy. Since last week I wrote on joy, this week I am going to examine peace. I spoke on peace last Sunday (you can see the service on Facebook @MainAvenueFellowship videos) and explored the difference between peace through submission and peace through love. Peace through submission does not lend itself to lasting peace but rather a temporary peace until such a time that those in submission rise up in rebellion. A peace built on a foundation of love and caring is tougher to achieve but it lasts.

Shalom Aleichem – may peace be upon you and appropriate response is aleichem shalom "unto you peace". It is a greeting from the heart attending to both the body and the soul of the person you are greeting. Could you see how a greeting like this would be viewed in our culture? I know that there are those out there who would love to see this and appreciate the gesture of a blessing of peace in our spirit. A peace within is a wonderful foundation upon which to build a lasting peace with the world around us. Think of this for a moment; a peace based on respect for others, care for our neighbours and love for all even those who have not treated us with mutual respect would be a start to a lasting peace in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our country. Jesus taught us to pray to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Let the peace reign in our lives rather than hold onto the anger and use it against people until they submit and give up. The world is full of judgement and criticism and so many suffer because of this but if we chose to be supportive and caring, wishing only God’s best for them, does this shift the paradigm?

Shalom Aleichem, may the peace of God bring infinite joy and love into your life. This Sunday we celebrate the joy of Emanuel, God with us. We invite you to join us in person or online at 10:30 MST or you can watch live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd