Justice Events - Updates

The Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta is hosting its quarterly Pot Luck & Forum, Monday, February 7, at Atlanta Friends Meeting House. The Potluck begins at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a dish to share! Discussion at 7:30 with Q & A. A panel of well-informed speakers who know the issues: State Senator Nan Orrock, House Minority Leader, Rep. Stacey Abrams, Linda Lowe, consumer health care advocate, Adelina Nicholls, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. R.s.v.p. to Kevin Moran, Organizer at GPJC-SC@yahoogroups.com. Atlanta Friends Meeting House is located at 701 West Howard Avenue, Decatur.

American Friends Service Committee Fourth Annual King Peace Program with music reading and more. Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr. will be the keynote speaker addressing “MLK Jr., and the Friends,” Tuesday, February 8, 6-9 p.m., The King Center/Freedom Hall, 449 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30312. For directions and parking info see [Directions] For additional information 404-819-7863 or alovelace@afsc.org. This event is presented in partnership with The King Center, Amnesty International USA- Southern Region, Metro Atlanta DSA Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament, Open Door Community, Atlanta Friends Meeting, Atlanta Grandmothers For Peace, Atlanta International Action Center, Nuclear Watch South, WonderRoot, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta, Human Rights Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, and the Friends School of Atlanta.

Dr. Joseph E. Lowery returns to the pulpit of Cascade United Methodist Church on Sunday, February 13. The former Cascade Senior Pastor (1986 -1992) and Civil Rights legend will deliver the sermon for the 11 a.m. worship service. Reverend Lowery will also introduce his first book, Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land. (This book is available as a free Kindle ebook) For more information please visit www.cascadeumc.org

Finding Purpose

"A great writer once said, that a great book requires a great theme. So does a great life. An endless stream of books are meaningless and will not last as great literature, because they do not have a great theme.

So it is with people. All too much in human history is wasted and meaningless because there is no great theme, no great purpose in life.

Men and women have a deep hunger in life for meaning and purpose, but so often they are afraid to let go of a self-centered ego. To have a great theme in life involves taking a risk of moving beyond the narrow limitations of myself and discovering our true self where Jesus is at the center: nurturing, healing and empowering us to be men and women for others. Here is our great theme, our meaning and purpose." ~ Harry Huxhold

Have you found your purpose in life or are you still looking? Does your life have meaning? These are the questions we each struggle with throughout our lives without regard for age or financial wealth, talents or social position.

What a glorious day it is when we can find our center and finally live a life of meaning and purpose!

Letting Go

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” – John 14:27

Chaos would be a great way to describe my everyday living over the past few months. Chaos is definitely the “anti-peace.” It’s a little bit like fighting gravity. Have you ever felt like this? Felt like you were living just to get from moment to moment? This may be exactly where God wants us to be …this is where we find Him. Chaos is where He can do amazing things. When we have no control & the only solution comes through Him. It is where Prayer becomes “Help me survive today!” For me…. This is where God forced me to slow down and realize how much He loves me and how the Body of Christ represented that to me. This is when peace came.

Peace is defined as a state of tranquility or quiet, but also as freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. (Webster.com) Our thoughts are where the enemy tries to get us; where some of the toughest battles are fought, but where God wants to be forefront…to give us tranquility and peace.

“I’m letting go of the life I planned for me and my dreams. I’m losing control of my destiny. It feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe, so I’m letting go” ~Battistelli, et al

Lord, Please provide me with Your peace that surpasses understanding today. Guard my mind from chaos and keep me in your perfect peace.

~ Elizabeth

The Peace that Guards my Heart

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

During Advent, I like to slow down and look back at the year and see where I am spiritually. Are my relationships healthy? Are there any new bad habits? Do my priorities still reflect a Christ-centered life? This is hard if I am being completely honest with myself.

I recently attended a healing service at my church. I was astounded at the number of people who went up to the altar to be anointed and prayed over with hands on them. Some went up two and three times. As I sat in my pew and prayed for those individuals, I realized that I needed to go up, too. For too long I carried a burden that I finally realized I could not ‘fix’. As I prayed at the altar, I left the burden there and immediately felt at peace as I let God take it.

The world has been tough on so many of us this year. If we attempt to deal with it all by ourselves, we quickly are overcome with anxiety, fear or failure. We must remember we are assured that whatever burden we carry, our prayers will be heard, and even when we don’t know what to pray, that the Holy Spirit is pleading for us. (Romans 8:26)

Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for the peace you provide and the promise of eternal life through your Son. May each of us claim the peace in our salvation and respond with shouts of joy and heartfelt worship in our love for Jesus every day. Amen

~ Marty

Let the Peace of Christ Rule

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15 NLT

The key word in this passage is “rule”. Let Christ’s peace be an empire or referee in your heart. Our heart is the center of conflict because there our feelings and desires clash – our fears and hopes, distrust and trust, jealousy and love. How can we deal with these constant conflicts and live as God wants? Paul tells us that we must decide between conflicting elements by using the rule of peace. Which choice will promote peace in our souls and the Body of Christ?
God’s peace is different than the world’s peace (“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” - John 14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, absence of conflict, or good feelings. It comes from knowing that our hope is secure, the victory has been won, and God is in control.

~ Gina

PEACE IN THE STORM

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but my loving kindness will not be removed from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.” - Isaiah 54:10

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man who organized the contest uncovered the last painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice. The crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.

I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace. - Charles Wesley

~ Rev. Phill

Passing by Peace

“Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

When I realized I would be writing a devotional thought on peace I quickly looked up the scripture text to refresh myself. That scared me – I have learned that when I pray for growth of the fruit in me – I’m gonna be seeing a lot of fertilizer! Little did I know that would be one of the last quiet moments of my week!

Now, my week started off like most – I had my weekly ministerial breakfast meeting, then went on to an eye doctor appointment. Mid-afternoon saw me dropping off some dry-cleaning and doing a quick stop at the grocery store for dinner before heading up to the college to attend one of my younger son’s concerts. Somewhere in that day I had several phone calls to try to respond to while trying to put the dishes from the night before into the dishwasher, and running another load of laundry. Okay, it’s only 11:00 Monday night; I have plenty of time to write a devotional on peace. Guess I should clean up the “gift” the cat has left behind, and while I’m at it, it will only take a moment to mop the rest of the kitchen floor. Oh my gossshhh, its 10 minutes to 1 and I’ve got to get some sleep! That’s okay, I’ll sit down tomorrow and get it done.

Fast-forward – and I do mean FAST- it’s Wednesday evening and I am sitting still - reading, and God is talking to me. He is teaching me what peace isn’t and what peace is.

What I learned is that peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it isn’t about calm circumstances, healthy children, or being alone with our selves. Real peace is much more. You may know someone who is constantly being pulled in 10 different directions – work, an ill parent, a rebellious teenager, and home responsibilities. And yet – there is a sense of peace about her person. You may know someone facing the shadow of death – and moving through the shadow with a calm, quiet strength.

You see the bumps and bruises and storms of life do not break God’s kind of peace. True peace is like a seed planted inside each of us, waiting to grow under the right conditions. And like all plant life – you can’t make it grow. You can prepare the soil – through the friendships you cultivate and the habits you create. You can feed and water the seed - through prayer and thoughtful use of our time, energy, and resources. But in order for the fruit to grow you must have God living in you – a part of Christ planted in us.

I also learned that when Christ is living in me it is living like Christ with Pat’s skin on. Over time – through the storms and shadows of life – I’ve learned to recognize the Holy Spirit working in me, through me, and making an impact in my life.

When our older son was born with multiple birth defects, I spent a number of years being angry and frustrated – at Matthew, at God, at myself. I would cry and yell at Matt for not doing the things I wanted him to be able to do. I would sit next to Matt’s hospital bed for weeks at a time praying that God would just make him “normal” and heal him. Then one day I surrendered my son and myself to God’s will and realized that Matthew was a part of our family and that every day I had with this child was a gift. I found peace knowing that God is with me always and I was able to move into the peace of the presence of God.

So what have I learned is peace? Peace transcends life. Peace is knowing that in joy and sorrow, confusion, conflict, or suffering Christ abides in me, Christ will never abandon me, and Christ has saved me. Peace is the gift God gave us when he sent His only son as a little baby. Peace is the Spirit of Jesus’ enduring presence in my life. Peace is the promise of God that we will be reunited with Him and with all those who love Him and follow Him.

In this season of busyness, surrender yourself to the peace God offers through a relationship with his son, Jesus – Prince of Peace.

~ Rev. Pat

Give Peace

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15

If you’re like me when you think of peace, you often think of the feeling of contentment and calm despite circumstances. God graciously gives us this peace, His peace, the peace that passes all understanding, which has the ability to reign in us even in the toughest of circumstances. I think that God also gives us another gift of peace; and this peace requires our action. God calls us, as members of His body, to exist in peace together. Just as we receive peace from God by accepting His forgiveness for our sins, we also extend peace to others (and ourselves) when we forgive them. Not only does God want us to take action to offer forgiveness, but He calls us to go one step further and to be thankful.

The weeks leading up to Christmas are often packed with too many things to do and not enough time to do it in. Tensions run high and the people who love each other most often grow short and snippy with each other. As all the hustle and bustle goes on around you, remember the Christ Child, who brought peace to earth that glorious night. Remember the forgiveness that God has extended to you through Christ and take the action to extend it to others in your life. But don’t stop there! Be thankful for the people God has placed in your life as we give and receive peace and forgiveness from each other.

Lord, Grant us grace as we extend forgiveness and peace to one another. Help us to be thankful for those you place in our lives.

~ Lindsay

Finding Grace in Everyday Moments

I finally sat down and had a cup of tea today after having spent the weekend with a number of my sisters in Christ and two special brothers in Christ. Many of us came weary and burdened, full of the junk we carry in our lives. It was a long weekend filled with unloading baggage, and picking up pieces of our lives. I needed to spend some time in rest. So, I had a cup of tea.

In that cup of tea, I found a beautiful moment with my Lord and Savior. I found the rest and the peace I needed.

The Tea Cup

There was a couple that used to go England to shop in a beautiful antique store. This trip was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."

As the sales lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke up, "You don't understand!" it said, "I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Don't do that. I don't like it! Let me alone,' but he only smiled, and gently said; 'Not yet!!'"

"Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!’ I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly;’ Not yet.' He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then... Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. 'Help! Get me out of here!' I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet.'"

"When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! 'Ah, this is much better,' I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please; Stop it, Stop it!!' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'"

"Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What's he going to do to me next?"

"Later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, ’that’s not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"'

"Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'"

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28