God, give me courage to take on this day.
Jesus, give me words when I don’t know what to say.
Spirit, give me breath so I can work and play.
And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people.
Colossians 3:14-15

Lesson:

The word “peace” has many definitions and connotations. Recently I learned a new definition of peace as a spiritual goal and practice. I was encouraged to strive for an inner state of well-being and calm, and to practice non-violence, conflict resolution, and cooperation in the world. The root of the Hebrew word for peace, “shalom,” means “whole” and represents two meanings at once: peace within oneself and peace between people.

One way to begin learning to be a peaceful and peace-filled human is to practice gratitude. I have two friends who helped me with this by sharing our bedtime prayers when we were in a cabin together at camp. We took turns playing “Good, Bad, and Godly.” We each got to think and share one thing from our day that was bad, one good thing, and one Godly moment. When we aren’t together, sometimes we text each other, especially if one of us has had a really rough day. It’s a good way to come to a peaceful rest at the end of the day. Bronwyn Clark Skov

Prayer:

Holy One, bless me today with a sense of gratitude, whether it is a good day or not. Help me share my pain and my hope and my dreams with a friend or two. I pray my heart be won over by love in unity with you. Amen.