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| John Stoner |
At critical moments Jesus had a way of expecting people to draw on their own resources, to be their "better selves," if you will.
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| John Stoner |
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Is anybody thinking about paying taxes for war as a question of discipleship, of following Jesus faithfully?
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| John Stoner |
When we meet a person of peace, I understand Jesus to be saying that we should make an invitational response to them.
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Two weeks ago I wrote: Jesus said to his disciples as he sent them out, "When you enter a house, say 'Peace to this house.' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person, but if not it will return to you."
This process requires at least three things:
1) The belief that there could be a person of peace in the house.
2) A way to recognize a person of peace, to see them when they're there.
3) An appropriate response.
Today a few thoughts on ways to recognize a person of peace. I'm suggesting that we try to notice if people have taken small first steps to be people of peace. Some are obvious, others maybe not so.
Do they welcome a person coming with a message of peace and peacemaking?
Do they show signs of loving their children, family, neighbors, others, themselves?
Do they seem to understand that the world is not all right as it is, needs to change and perhaps could?
These small steps, evident in people's lives, might locate for us more people of peace than we expected!
John K. Stoner jstoner@ecapc.org
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| John Stoner |
Last week I suggested three elements of recognizing persons of peace when we enter a house carrying the gospel of peace. The first is to believe that there could be a person of peace in the house.
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| John Stoner |
I awoke with fragments of a dream in my mind this morning. As I reflected on it (I do reflect on what I remember of dreams, and find that dreams are like thoughts--some are worth more than others!) I decided that I was hearing that "the conversation is history-making and history-shaping."
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The recent unrest in Oakland California is not a response to merely an episode or an isolated event or problem. It is a response to an ongoing systemic social and cultural crisis. It is a national problem firmly rooted in America’s epic struggle with its institutionalized racism.
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| John Stoner |
Paul writes in I Corinthians 15 that Christ died for our sins. But who explains to us what that actually means?
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