¹⁷ “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
    and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
¹⁸ Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
    And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
    Her people will be a source of joy.
¹⁹ I will rejoice over Jerusalem
    and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
    will be heard in it no more.

²⁰ “No longer will babies die when only a few days old.
    No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
    Only the cursed will die that young!
²¹ In those days people will live in the houses they build
    and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.
²² Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses
    and confiscate their vineyards.
For my people will live as long as trees,
    and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
²³ They will not work in vain,
    and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the Lord,
    and their children, too, will be blessed.
²⁴ I will answer them before they even call to me.
    While they are still talking about their needs,
    I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will feed together.
    The lion will eat hay like a cow.
    But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Isaiah 65:17-25 (NLT)

Once again, Isaiah describes the the future world under the influence of God’s “Shalom.” How is life different in this new creation as compared to the old? God says, “I am creating…,” not “I will create..” In other words, the new heavens and new earth are already being formed. Where do you see the new creation already in existence? What do you think God wants you to do as a co-creator of the new?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.

¹⁷ “Your rulers will no longer oppress you;
I will make them rule with justice and peace.
¹⁸ The sounds of violence will be heard no more;
Destruction will not shatter your country again.
I will protect and defend you like a wall;
You will praise me because I have saved you.

¹⁹ “No longer will the sun be your light by day
Or the moon be your light by night;
I, the Lord, will be your eternal light;
The light of my glory will shine on you.

Isaiah 60:17b-19 (GNT)

God promises a change in leadership from rule by oppression to rule by peace and justice. What do you think “rule by oppression” looks like? How would “rule by peace and justice” be different? Isaiah connects “rule by peace and justice” to a reduction of violence and war. Would it be logical to assume that violence and wars would increase under the “rule by oppression?” Why or why not?

Take a moment to evaluate the “rulers” in your location at the local, state and national levels. What type of rule do they follow? What could you do to make sure they rule by peace and justice?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.

⁶ A child will be born to us.
    A son will be given to us.
    He will rule over us.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God.
He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever
    and Prince Who Brings Peace.
⁷ There will be no limit to how great his authority is.
    The peace he brings will never end.
He will rule on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom.
    He will make the kingdom strong and secure.
His rule will be based on what is fair and right.
    It will last forever.
The Lord’s great love will make sure that happens.
    He rules over all.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIRV)

We usually associate this prophecy with Christmas and Handel’s ‘Messiah’. In the Christian tradition, the child that is born is none other than the babe in the manger – Jesus – whose name means ‘Savior.’ The vision is powerful. God sends a ruler that transforms the political and social landscape and establishes enduring peace through policies of justice. We believe that the prophecy will ultimately be fulfilled at the return of Christ.

How do you think we are supposed to live in this ‘in-between’ time waiting for the prophecy’s fulfillment? We often think that if only we elected the right person to leadership, every problem would be solved. In the end, we are always disappointed. Can this prophecy help guide us when selecting our leaders? If so, how?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9

Imagine. Envision. Dream. When war is on the horizon (or has already begun), we experience intense anxiety about the future, and we focus on the present moment and survival. In a time of turmoil, the prophet Isaiah announced a vision a future of peace (shalom) that seems unbelievable – a peace the world has yet to experience.

Can you imagine a future without conflict and war? Why do you think imagination and vision are so necessary in times of distress? What is the relationship between faith and vision? What do you feel when you read Isaiah’s vision of the future? If this is the future, how could you begin to live into this future today?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.

Training Ourselves in Peace-making

Today, we feast. We go to the mountain and we learn to walk in the ways of God’s peace.

Consider reading “Speaking Truth to Power”, a statement that was written in 1955 when the Cold War was escalating. Among its authors was Bayard Rustin, an activist who was instrumental in shaping the strategy of non-violence of the Civil Rights Movement with Martin Luther King. It is just as relevant today in the face of oppression, state-sponsored violence, and aggression.

¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,”  says the Lord.’ ²⁰ Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” * ²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 12:17-21. (* The Scripture quoted in verse 19 is from Deuteronomy 32:35 and the quotation in verse 20 is from Proverbs 25:21-22.

In your experience, what does “paying back evil with evil” accomplish? How do you think the alternative responses to our “enemies” (ie, feed, hydrate and do good to them) accomplish what revenge and evil cannot? Have you ever tried this peacemaking strategy? What were the results? Do you think this strategy could be applied beyond interpersonal relationships?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Please post your thoughts and comments.

¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)

How do you feel about the things God hates? Does anything about the list surprise you? If God hates these things, do you think we (as God’s people) should also hate them? If so, how do you think we should express that hatred? What dangers should we avoid if we express hatred for the things God hates?

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.

Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.

1 “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

James 4:1-3 (NLT)

James identifies a cycle of thinking that leads to aggression and acts of violence and “war.” What motives do you associate with “evil desires (verse 1)? What role does power have in this cycle? When have you experienced this cycle of thinking and acting? What, if anything, stopped you from “waging war?” What do you think is required to break the cycle?

⁷ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 4:7-10 (NLT)

James suggests a another cycle for ending our quarrel and fights. What do you think would happen if we all practiced the disciplines of humility, washed hands, deep grief and gloom? How do these acts facilitate reconciliation and peace?

We begin our Lenten fast, “Military Withdrawal: Studying War No More,” as a means to become peacemakers and ambassadors of reconciliation. We begin during a time of escalating tension and acts of war in Ukraine, so we invite you pray throughout the day for the de-escalation of violence in Ukraine and other warn-torn nations and a return to diplomatic negotiations, the only true way conflict ever ceases. Pray for peace and protection against the evils of war for the people whose lives and wellbeing are in danger. Though Ukraine is getting most of the media attention, it is not the only place in the world where military actions are occurring. Conflicts continue in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Gaza and dozens of other countries. Lives are being torn apart, families are fleeing their homes, people are suffering.

The following (adapted) prayer is offered by the National Officers of the United Church of Christ
• The Rev. John C. Dorhauer — General Minister and President
• The Rev. Traci A. Blackmon — Associate General Minister
• The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson — Associate General Minister