Every Church A Peace Church

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Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in Gods work to save the world.

Peace to This House

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        When Jesus sent his disciples into the world, he gave them a commission. It is worth noticing how he worded it.

    2He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Luke 10.

    So Jesus sent them out to enter homes and to say, first thing, “Peace to his house.” Then he says, Watch the response of the folks in the house. If anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person. But if not, it will return to you. Read more on this in context here: http://www.ecapc.org/onearthasinheaven.asp

    And I ask myself, has the church learned to go into the world announcing peace, and watching, listening....responding to, bonding with, forming alliance with, anyone who shares in peace? I think this is what a peace church and the people in it would do.

    It sounds like a strategy for evangelizing, or for organizing, whichever way you want to put it. Every Church A Peace Church is both organizing and evangelizing.

     "Peace to this house!" What a radical, welcome message!

John K. Stoner     jstoner@ecapc.org

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