Happy New Year 2014

As the new year begins, I would like to share with you a very special message of peace from the Wilmette Interfaith Religious Leaders (WIRL). 

Each of our faith communities contributed a message of peace from the sacred writings of our tradition for a greeting card to be shared with our community leaders. 

For Trinity Church's contribution, Catherine Petersen and I selected Paul's teaching from Romans 12 in which he urges us to do everything in our power to choose to live in peace with all people.  Read all of Romans 12 to see what this involves.    

We are also proud that original artwork by Maya VanderKamp was selected for the cover of the greeting card.    Maya is a 7-year-old from Trinity Church!

Here's the full text of the greeting card... 

 

The religious traditions of Wilmette wish to share their common yearning for Peace with you.

·         “May the One who brings peace to God’s universe bring peace to us and to all Israel and to all who dwell in the universe.”  Jewish Prayer Book, Oseh Shalom, Beth Hillel Congregation

·         “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all people of good will.”  Prayer of praise from the Eucharistic liturgy, St. Joseph Catholic Parish

·         “Lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth” Doctrine and Covenants 105:39, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

·         “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”  Matthew 5:9, First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette

·         “If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.”  Romans 12:18, Trinity United Methodist Church

·         “May God bless you and keep you; God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; may God look upon you with kindness and give you peace now and forevermore.” Numbers 6:24-26, the ‘Aaronic Blessing’ shared in peace, Congregation Sukkat Shalom and First Congregational Church of Wilmette 

·         "Peace is not possible unless and until the full equality of men and women is established.  So it will come to pass that when women participate fully and equally in the affairs of the world, when they enter confidently and capably the great arena of laws and politics, warts will cease, for women will be the obstacle and hindrance to it."  From the Baha’i writings.

·         “Jesus came and stood among them said to them, ‘Peace be with you all.’”  John 20:19, St. John’s Lutheran Church.

·         “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their swords into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”  Isaiah 2:4, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Parish. 

·         “The peace of God which passes all understand keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God.”  Philippians 4:7, St. Augustine Episcopal Church

·         “O humankind!  We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into tribes and nations, that ye may know each other, not that ye may despise each other.  Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you.  And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things.”  Al Quran 49:13, Muslim Community Center