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Passing the Peace

By Vicar Lisa

In the middle of each of our worship services, everything grinds to a halt. We stand up and start shaking hands. People hug. They get out of their pews and cut across the room to greet one another, forming a fray in the middle of the sanctuary. It’s absolute chaos. “What is this?” newcomers might ask, “is the service over already?” No, not yet; we’re just passing the Peace.

We do it because Jesus told us to. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:23-24), Jesus said, “if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there, you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Passing the Peace began as a way for people in the Christian community to be reconciled to one another before making their offering at the altar. It is for this reason that the Peace always comes before Communion.

We also pass the Peace because at the Last Supper, Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27), and later he said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). When Jesus himself appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, he greeted them by saying, “peace be with you” (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26). We bring these two together: just as Jesus shared his peace with us, so we should share peace with one another.

Sharing “peace” with one another is an ancient Christian tradition, not only in the words of Jesus, but also in the practices of the Christian community. Paul begins every one of his letters by saying, “Grace to you, and peace” (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, etc.). This suggests that in the very early Church, “Grace to you and peace” was the way Christians greeted one another; it was their secret handshake.

So, the next time we engage in the Passing of the Peace, think about what a rich history the act represents. Then, truly, we can go to the Altar with clean hands and a ready heart and receive truly the gift Christ makes available to us all: his body and blood given in love for us.

9th Sunday After Pentecost July 21

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Flowers — Given by Kathi Nicolai in celebration of her and Art’s 51stWedding Anniversary

Announcements

  • Fellowship Times: Join us after worship for fellowship to continue our ongoing RIC discernment. We thank Jan E, Jan R, and Erin Ogletree for sharing their stories last Sunday. On July 21, two members from Grace Lutheran’s Core Team in COS will come and share their story as well as Tanya Scott from All Saints Lutheran in Aurora. Peter Severson from the Bishop’s office is planning to be with us on the July 28.
  • Bible Study: Our Wednesday weekday study is on summer hiatus. Check the bulletins, e-formations, and newsletters for updates.
  • Garage Sale: Every summer Zion’s conducts a garage sale designed to raise funds for special ministries or needs of the church. This year, the garage sale is planned for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, in the Fellowship Hall. If you can help with the garage sale on Aug. 3, please let Julie Wersal know. Help is needed with set up, the sale itself, and clean up afterward. We will begin accepting donations for the sale the last week of July.
  • Five Loaves Volunteers Needed: We need volunteers to help prepare 5 Loaves Meals on Friday, July 26, and to make deliveries on Saturday July 27, if you can help, please let Norine Hazen or Jo Moss know.
  • Flowers: There are days available to sponsor flowers. Select the date in the flower book in the sanctuary, write your name and the commemoration. A minimum donation of $35 is encouraged.
  • Prayer List Updates: We are updating the prayer lists for the summer. If you have changes for the current list or requests for additions, please let Vicar Lisa, Julie Wersal, or Jo Moss know.

E-formation – 9th Sunday after Pentecost, July 21, 2024

This is a day for the sheep to be fed, the warring factions to come to peace, the aliens to become citizens, the building that is the church to stand upon Christ.

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Without ridiculing sheep, which the Bible never does, we can understand ourselves as like sheep: we are God’s creatures, the divine flock, nurtured to serve the community with food and clothing, always needing the care of a shepherd. The word pastor means shepherd. Jesus and his disciples rarely rest, since there is a perpetual need for them to teach and heal. We are the sheep requiring God’s care, we are those who touch the fringe of his cloak for healing. The words and the food of this morning are like the fringes of his cloak.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

The choice of Jeremiah 23 today exemplifies the historic use that the church has made of the Old Testament: to understand the New Testament. Verse 3 describes God as the worthy shepherd, and Mark 6:34 assumes the hearer knows this metaphor when it hints that Jesus is that shepherd. Also verse 5 reminds us of Advent 2A and Advent 1C, which use the metaphor of the righteous branch of Jesse’s tree. Like Jeremiah, Christ was also rejected by his hearers.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Today, with the author of Ephesians, we can say that there is no more dividing wall between different flocks. Christ the shepherd is our peace, the single cornerstone on which the church builds.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785