The Peace of the Lord be always with you...

I must admit that a lot of things pop up in my Twitter news feed.  Some things are worth a half thought, some things are quickly skimmed over dismissively, and then there are times where I have my “Oh that’s some real talk” moments.  Over a week ago, there was a tweet that popped up from a follower in Atlanta.  The tweet basically convicted me.  The tweet simply said “Make sure to intercede for the person on your left and right in church today, everyone is going through something even though it may not appear so on the outside.”  Sweet Baby Jesus!  Now comes my guilt.  When was the last time that you honestly and fervently prayed or interceded for someone?

In the Episcopal Church, there’s not much mention of interceding or making intercessions, except for during the Prayers of the People, at which time we pray for the universal church, the world, all bishops and ministers, national and local politicians, local parish clergy and staff, our family, neighbors and friends.  Perfect!  Not only have we interceded, but we’ve done so corporately as one body saying the same thing at the same time.  If we’re not careful, we can fall into the practice of just going through the motions in order to rush through the ceremonial rite.

In most churches, regardless of denomination, there is some type of love fellowship or meet, greet, shake hands and hug.  In the Episcopal Church, this is normally when we pass the peace after we’ve prayed for forgiveness of our sins before receiving communion.  At church most people look and seem to have it all together.  We put on our masks and save face as we greet our fellow congregants before we are sent out into the world to love and serve the Lord.  Truthfully, people are hurting in ways that we are completely unaware.  During this time of year, people may be plagued with memories of deceased loved ones, suffering from loneliness or on the brink of separation and divorce.  Financial distress may be setting in as someone may have to choose between paying a bill that’s due or feeding their family.  There are some that may be overly stressed out by this chaotic and overly commercialized holiday season and not fully resting in God’s presence. 

The next time you’re in church and pass the peace, remember to pray for everyone that you’ve “peaced.”  It doesn’t have to be a long, eloquent invocation.  It can be as simple as “Lord, meet them at their need, bless and keep them.”  Your prayers make the difference.  I did this last week at church.   After all, Jesus prayed for us during his final hours as a free man before his arrest, trial and execution (John 17).  Imagine a church that would intercede during the peace.  Beloveds, this can happen!  But it will have to start with us.

The Peace of the Lord be Always with YOU!
Karsten