"Overcoming Obstacles to Peace" Series 2026

By -

 

“Overcoming Obstacles to Peace” Series Summary (August 2026)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).  Yet in our troubled world, peace is often easier to admire than to practice.  Obstacles to peace are not only found in nations and institutions but also within our hearts.  Join us in August as we overcome obstacles to peace and participate in God's work of reconciliation in the world.




August 2 | - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Communion
OVERCOMING COMPLACENCY: We become complacent when we accept things the way they are.  But God wants more than business as usual.  In Amos 5:21-24, the prophet declares that God wants justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.  Instead of just going through the motions, true worship results in action that brings God's peace into the world.  What injustice upsets you?

August 9 | - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
 OVERCOMING RESENTMENT: Resentment can lead to anger and anger to violence.  In Matthew 20:1–16, Jesus challenges our tendencies toward comparison and entitlement and invites us instead to rejoice in God's generous grace for all.  By embracing God’s generosity to us and to others, we can let go of our feelings of entitlement and comparison.  As we allow Christ’s peace to take root in our hearts, we will extend it to our neighbors. What gets your hackles up? 

August 16 | - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
OVERCOMING VIOLENCE: Sometimes, violence is physical, but it can also take place through degrading or threatening words or actions.  God calls us to rise above violence.  In Micah 4:1–5, the prophet envisions a future shaped by God's peace, where weapons are transformed into tools for life and people no longer learn the ways of violence.  God’s deep peace replaces our desire to take from others with contentment with what we have.  When have you encountered violence?

August 23 | - Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
OVERCOMING HOSTILITY: Tempers with short fuses can be explosive, especially toward those we tend to dismiss.  We need peace to overcome hostility.  In Ephesians 2:14–16, Paul says peace is a person, not the absence of conflict.  He links our peace in Christ to breaking down the walls of hostility that divide us and reconciling us to God and one another through the cross.  Who pushes your buttons? 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Wholeness of Being" Series 2026

By -
Image
“Wholeness of Being” Series Summary for Eastertide (April 12-May 24) Easter reveals God’s commitment to the wholeness of the world.   T heologian Ilia Delio argues that science and faith are not rivals but essential partners in understanding the mystery of life and God's ongoing work.  She says: “We are one body, and we seek one mind and heart so that the whole may become more whole, more personal and unified in love” ( The Unbearable Wholeness of Being ).   Join us this spring as we explore connections between science and faith for a season of becoming whole so that we can live as agents of love’s unfinished future.  Apr. 12 | Easter 2 - Communion  LOVE IS COMMUNITY: One is the loneliest number, according to the 60s ballad.   In Luke 24:13–35 , Jesus accompanies the disciples to Emmaus and eats with them.   Resurrection is discovered in relationships, not isolation.   Delio argues that, in an evolving universe, Christ is found in communal belongi...
Read more

"Healing Wounds" Series 2026

By -
Image
  “Healing Wounds” Series Summary (Feb. 18-Apr. 5) What do we do with wounds that won’t close—grief that lingers, shame we carry quietly, a world that feels fragile?   In Lent, we will take those questions seriously through an encounter with Jesus, not as a distant savior but as a wounded healer who knows pain firsthand.   Guided by Erik Varden’s Healing Wounds and a medieval devotional prayer by Arnulf of Leuven, we will linger with Christ’s scarred body and discover how God’s love works not by erasing suffering, but by entering it and transforming it.   Each week, we will recommend a different prayer posture.   Join us this Lent for a season of honest prayer and surprising hope as we open ourselves to the promise that what hurts most can become the place where new life begins. Feb. 18 | Ash Wednesday AFFLICTION: We are wounded people living in a wounded world.   In Mark 8:31-35 , Jesus says that following him means taking up a cross rather than chasin...
Read more

“Faith and Film” Series 2026

By -
Image
  “Faith and Film 2026” Series Summary (May 31-June 28) Movies can be modern parables that reveal our deepest longings, struggles, and hopes. They not only reflect who we are, but they can also offer glimpses of God’s presence in our world.   In our annual Faith and Film series, we will explore how some of this year’s Oscar-nominated films speak to the human desire for healing, justice, and reconciliation.   The films that were chosen by Trinity Wilmette members include Hamnet , F1 Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, KPop Demon Hunters .   They reflect the stories that resonate most with our community. Join us in June as we engage these films through the lens of faith, discovering how they challenge, inspire, and point us toward God’s truth.   May 31 | Trinity Sunday HAMNET : In the wake of devastating loss, Agnes and William Shakespeare embody the disorienting, uneven journey of grief. Their story invites us to honor sorrow not as something to rush past, but ...
Read more