Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

The word peace shows up over 370 times in the Bible. Jesus includes peacemakers in the beatitudes as those who will be seen as children of God. Jesus was a peacemaker himself. He came to bring an end to the enmity between us and God. He sought restoration and healing for this relationship through the Cross. His pain and suffering were caused by our sin. Seeking this peace between God and man cost Jesus everything.

Peacemakers are the ones who stand in the space between. They seek the points of conflict and look for resolutions. They put their wellbeing on the line for the sake of peace. They hold the tension of conflict in order to draw people together. They are often misunderstood and looked at as fools who hope beyond reason. Peacemakers are children of God who seek the image of God in others. The point to things that connect rather than things that divide.

In a culture that seems so intent on division it is hard to be a peacemaker. It is hard to work for restoration and reconciliation in a world where conflicts define us. When image is an amalgam of causes and responses we have a hard time getting people to look at the things that make them the same. When we are always looking for the thing that makes “us” different from “them” it is hard to function as a peacemaker. Christ sought peace for us before we even acknowledged our need for it:   ‎ “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV, Romans 5:6-8)

In light of the resurrection of Jesus we have the chance to examine our lives and look for places in need of reconciliation. We can function as those who seek peace in our lives and the lives of those around us. We can invite people to accept the peace offered by Jesus. We can live as those who are blessed by Christ in the beatitude above, children of God and makers of peace.

I just got back from being fitted for my required uniform to be an official Medford Fire-Rescue Chaplain. I am excited to take this step to serve our community and reach out to those in crisis situations. It is a great chance to connect more with our area and build relationships for God’s kingdom. To do this effectively I need to have the right stuff. I need to get a bag together with all the things I might need on a call. I need to get the uniform. I need to make sure people know who I am and what my heart is for this ministry opportunity.

            As Christians we need to get similarly kitted out. We need to get the uniform (Christ’s Righteousness) and have the tools necessary (Holy Spirit as our guide) in order to serve effectively in the Kingdom. These things help people identify us and understand what our purpose is in this world:  to know Christ and make Him known. We are representatives of a larger organization, we are in service to it, we are not in charge but are connected to those that are. We need the right stuff to do this well. This season of Lent leading up to Easter is about Jesus and the temptation, denial of self and connection to God. We take our old lives and lay them before Jesus and He provides us with new ones that identify us as part of His Kingdom. I hope that you take time to reflect on what Jesus calls you to and offers you.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the mid-year meeting for our region. It was a good time of vision casting for our future together. As we talked together about who we wanted to be the focus on Christ and His mission of redemption for our world was at the forefront. We are a people that thirst for God’s righteousness and are creating a vision together of how we can live that out over the next 10 years. This is a hopeful vision of a vibrant community of believers working together to fulfill the great commission in our region and throughout the world. I am excited to see what it is that God does in our lives over the coming years as we seek to fulfill the vision we have been given.

Here is the report from the Clerks on our time together:

“Northwest Yearly Meeting's Vision Day was held Saturday, January 27th at Sherwood Friends Church with over 200 people in attendance!!  All eight areas and 33 of the 44 churches remaining in NWYM were represented.  A lot of brainstorming, sharing, and visioning was done throughout the day.  Planning Day followed on January 28th when the Task Force met on the George Fox University Campus.  This all-day meeting summarized vision statements from the previous day to draft a vision statement of NWYM.  Based on the vision, the Task Force began discerning priorities for NWYM in the upcoming months and years.

Within the next week, the clerks will send a more detailed report on the areas of priority that emerged during Vision Day.”

Brad Holton, Presiding Clerk

Debbie Harrison, Assistant Presiding Clerk

New Beginnings. A fresh start. A clean slate. These are what we long for in a new year. 2017 is over. 2018 is just beginning and has that New Year sense of hope. We hope that this year will be better than the last one. That we won’t face as much trial or struggle. We hope for something new.

            As Christians we are offered this not just one day a year but every day. Christ offers us new life each morning. Scripture tells us “‎Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) The offering of Christ is Newness. We come to Him with an old and battered life, hard used and worn, and He gives us a new life bursting with opportunity and love. I hope that this New Year you accept Christ’s New Life for you each day.