I.
Vow of Affirmation
“We
devote our daily life to God, and to serving our neighbors as images of God”
- I will live, speak and act with truth, compassion, kindness, gentleness, mercy, patience, generosity, and expectant hope that others will respond in kind.
In our modern world, we often label things in their proper categories. This filing folder is for my tax documents, that shelf is for my cookbooks, that hour is for watching The Bachelor. When it comes to spiritual and religious life we may make similar divisions, thinking of living peacefully as one arena over here in one box to be used at certain times, and over in another container is missional living, and living worshipfully is over there in yet another distinct arena of our lives. But these discrete divisions, while they seem neat and tidy, do not very adequately describe our following all of Jesus in all of life.
And the
call to Christian peacemaking is no exception. It is not some side show to discipleship that can be separated out from other practices like prayer, service and generosity. It involves our whole being and takes place in the
whole of life. It involves our daily thinking and speaking as well as our acting. It is in part a product--or a fruit--of God's Holy Spirit within us. And these many diverse fruits of the Spirit do not simply each hang on their own vine, with peace over here and patience over there. They come together in a whole cluster!
Besides making peacemaking one fruit connected to many others in our lives, the reality that this cluster of fruit comes from God's Spirit makes Christian peacemaking unique among those
committing to nonviolence. While there is
an element of human perseverance and resolve in our covenant, turning the
other cheek and emptying oneself in cross-bearing are foundationally enabled by
the Holy Spirit at work in us, continuing the work of reconciliation already initiated by God at work in
Jesus. It is this already-but-not-yet saving work of Jesus which gives us the
freedom to think, speak and act on truthful nonviolence in the “expectant hope
that others will respond in kind.”
Read aloud the commitment today: “I will live, speak and act with truth, compassion, kindness, gentleness, mercy, patience, generosity, and expectant hope that others will respond in kind.”
Read aloud the commitment today: “I will live, speak and act with truth, compassion, kindness, gentleness, mercy, patience, generosity, and expectant hope that others will respond in kind.”
For
Reflection and Action:
- Sit with Galatians 5:16-26, reading it several times, especially 5:22-25.
- When have you experienced being led by the Holy Spirit (as an individual or in a group)?
- Notice and name the fruit you have seen in yourself and in others today. Thank God for those signs of the Holy Spirit's work.
- Which of your “passions and desires” are out-of-order and need to be crucified and guided toward what the Spirit desires?
- Read Matthew 5:33-37. God is not against covenants and vows, but does call for straightforward honesty rather than desperate promises and inconsequential oaths (based on things we cannot control) to carry out our vows.
- In seeking to live out our covenant of nonviolence, will you commit straightforwardly with a sincere “yes, yes?” Ask God for strength and perseverance to do so.
Prayer
Focus
Trustworthy God,
we rejoice that our
discipleship is empowered by your Spirit.
We rejoice that we have
been entrusted
to carry out our vows with
a joyful, simple yes.
But we also confess that we
need your ongoing help to carry out our work.
Truthful God, produce in us
today your fruit,
transform us by your
Spirit.
