The Gospel of Peace

Greetings St George’s family.

This week, we have the pleasure of having the company of Father Mark Bond who will join us to share a homily. Father Mark is a priest at St Joseph’s Takapuna, newly ordained late last year and with a caring and joyful spirit. Please ensure that you join us this Sunday for worship and to hear what I’m sure will be an inspiring reflection as Father Mark explores our lectionary readings.

Take a moment to meditate on this week’s passages from Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, and the Gospel of John 14:23-29. With a focus on the Gospel, Father Mark might well unpack the theme of peace, contrasting the transformative peace of Christ with our own understanding of peace which is often the fleeting “peace and quiet” that we so often seek. In John 14:23-29, Jesus promises a peace that is rooted in love, obedience and that surpasses all worldly understanding in the power of the Holy Spirit. This peace is more than just a temporary calm, it offers enduring strength and unity, even amidst life’s storms.

Our reading from the book of Acts complements this and illustrates the early Church’s pursuit of harmony through communal discernment, resolving conflicts with wisdom and grace. Similarly, when we delve into this vision of the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, we find it radiant with God’s glory portraying a divine peace where no darkness lingers and where God’s presence is the light eternal. All together, these passages invite us to reflect on peace as being more than the absence of conflict, it’s actually a dynamic gift that flows from a relationship with Christ, fostering true unity, true hope, and a supernatural peace that surpasses human understanding.

As you might remember, this Sunday I will be sharing a message with our Milford Baptist family in Christ. I suppose the fact that we (the Takapuna/Milford clergy) are finding ways to engage with each other in this way is a step toward serving Christ in peace with each other. And this should resonate with what should be our ultimate goal of being at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1) who offers divine and transformative peace, guiding us toward a deeper, more resilient faith today.

May God bless you and your time in Word and worship this Sunday.

Blessings

Josh