“Song of Pronouncement: Peace”
“Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace”
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2-5a NIV1
6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on
his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and
peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his
kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from
that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of
Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose
origins are from of old, from ancient times."
3
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor
gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
4
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the
majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for
then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5And he will be their
peace.
Introduction
This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent.
Our theme this year focuses on the Songs of Advent.
Last week, Pastor Joyce introduced the 1st Sunday of Advent with the Song of His
Prophecy.
Today, we will be looking at the Song of His Pronouncement.
And next Sunday, Pastor Joyce will be looking at Advent through the lens of the Song of His
Proclamation.
Now I don’t know about you, but to me, pronouncement and proclamation seem to say the
same thing.
But there is a difference.
I had to study the true definition of pronouncement.
I wanted to have a clear understanding of what a pronouncement was.
This is what I learned:
Pronouncement2:
1. utter sounds or words - transitive and intransitive verb to articulate sounds or words,
especially in a way acceptable to the person to whom they are spoken or by most
speakers of a language
2. formally declare something - transitive and intransitive verb to declare something
officially to be the case
3. give judgment - transitive verb to render an opinion or judgment
4. symbolize sound of word - PHONETICS transitive verb to indicate with symbols how
a word should be spoken
A formal declaration that the Son of God would be the One who would bring peace to the
world.
1
All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing house.
All rights reserved.
2
Definition taken from Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) On-line
I would like to share with you this morning, a portion of Scripture taken from the prophets
Isaiah and Micah.
These are familiar passages of Scripture, heard most often at this time and season of the
year.
These are formal declarations by God through these two prophets to a world that is
disobedient to the will and commands of our loving Father.
Follow along as I read these Songs of His Pronouncement with you.
The first is found in Isaiah 9:6-7.
6
A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will
be called, "Wonderful Counsellor," "Mighty God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of
Peace."
7
His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace.
He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice,
from now until the end of time. The Lord Almighty is determined to do all
this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 GNT)
The second pronouncement is found in the words of the minor prophet Micah 5:2-5a.
2
Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of
Judah. But the Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation –
someone whose family [line] goes back to ancient times. 3The LORD will
abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns
to Israel. 4Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and
care for his people by the power and glorious name of the LORD his God. His
people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness,
5
because he will bring peace. (Micah 5:2-5a CEV)
Peace!
Dona nobis pacem! (Pronunciation: Don-na no-beece pah-chem)
Grant us peace!
But doesn`t peace first come from within?
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen. (Wikipedia, 2011)
This is the Prayer of Saint Francis, an early Christian prayer attributed to the 13th-century
saint Francis of Assisi.
Its prominence and popularity evolved when millions of copies of the prayer were distributed
during and just after World War II.
The words of this prayer have been adapted to music.
They have been spoken by prominent world leaders.
They have been heard in the sound-bites of movies.
They have been recited in wedding ceremonies.
They have been uttered on the lips of soldiers on many a battlefield.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
Let me take just a few moments to share these tidbits of Good News with you.
A. Lord, Make Me . . . Your Peace
Peace – the second candle on the Advent wreath.
Perhaps of all the things people think about though when the Christmas season rolls around,
peace is one of those most often mentioned.
If you listen carefully you’ll hear many songs and sermons using this text to convey the idea
that the birth of Jesus brought peace into the world.
Peace!
We all want it.
Our soul craves it.
And sadly, in today’s world, peace seems completely elusive,
missing,
and out of our reach.
There are counterfeit versions of peace: multiculturalism,
diversity training,
acceptance
and tolerance have all been offered to us as a means for world peace.
Each of these is paved with good intentions of course, but is not the source of our peace.
Truly, there is but one source of peace: Our Messiah – Jesus Christ.
Without Him, there is no peace.
As the common quoted saying goes:
“Know God, Know Peace. No God, No Peace”
But before peace can ever be realized through us -- to be experienced around us in our
world – whatever and wherever that world is, peace has to begin in us.
“Lord, make me . . . your peace.”
The psalmist David prayed this:
23
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. 24Don't
let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true. (Psalm
139:23-24 CEV)
Something has to happen deep down inside of our own selves before it can happen anywhere
else in this world.
The prophet Isaiah states:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he
trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:5)
Jesus said,
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The apostle Paul wrote:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life
and peace. (Romans 8:6)
Peace – first and foremost – is a matter of the heart and mind.
Peace – God`s peace – comes only through a personal faith and a continued relationship with
Jesus Christ, the Giver of peace.
Paul also wrote this piece of encouraging advice:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
I remember a chorus we used to sing here at Meaford Bethany.
“I have a peace in my heart that the world never gave me
And a peace it cannot take away
An everlasting peace, and I know that it`s there to stay
My heart is bubbling over with the Living Water
And I`m happy that I can say.
I’m filled and thrilled with the joy of the Lord
If you could know the Lord, and really know the Lord
Then you would love the Lord and you’d feel the way I do today.” (Author unknown)
When God, through His Spirit is present in us, then our lives become a demonstration of
God’s peace – that “living object lesson” we often speak about.
B. Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.
The following variation on the Prayer of St. Francis was delivered by Mother Theresa when
she addressed the United Nations in 1985:
Make us worthy Lord to serve our fellow men throughout the world,
who live and die in poverty and hunger.
Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread
and by our understanding love give peace and joy.
Lord, make me a channel of thy peace.
That where there is hatred I may bring love,
That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,
That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,
That where there is error I may bring truth,
That where there is doubt I may bring faith,
That where there is despair I may bring hope,
That where there are shadows I may bring light,
That where there is sadness I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted,
To understand than to be understood,
To love than to be loved.
For it is by forgetting self that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven,
it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
Amen. (Wikipedia, 2011)
Make me an instrument, Lord.
To keep my mind clear, I also looked up the definition of the word instrument3:
1. tool - a tool or mechanical device, especially one used for precision work in
science, medicine, or technology
2. object that produces music – e.g. a flute, guitar, or drum
3. measuring device - a device that measures or controls something, e.g. a
speedometer or voltmeter
4. means of doing something - somebody or something used as a means of
achieving a desired result or accomplishing a particular purpose
5. object used for purpose - an object that has been or could be used for a
purpose. i.e. • hit by a blunt instrument
6. document – a legal document
“Lord, make me an instrument . . .”
Make me a tool,
an object that produces music,
a measuring device,
a means of doing something,
or an object used for purpose – Lord, make me into that.
“Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.” (Iverson, 1935, renewed 1963 by Birdwing Music.)
“Lord, make me an instrument . . .”
We sing that chorus quite often here at Meaford Bethany:
To be used of God - to sing, to speak, to pray.
To be used of God to show someone the way.
Oh, how I long so much to feel the touch of His consuming fire.
To be used of God is my desire. (Meier, 1954)
“Lord, make me an instrument . . .”
Again, the apostle Paul encourages us:
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)
“Lord, make me an instrument . . .”
Conclusion
Our wish for peace this Christmas season begins with and in each one of us.
If we are at war with ourselves,
when our lives are filled with turmoil and pain and sadness and despair,
when storms are all around us – then the Prince of Peace needs to be in control.
3
Definition taken from Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) On-line
His word will dispel the turmoil and pain and sadness and despair – “Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
His word will calm the storm – “Peace, be still!”
Once that deep settled peace becomes wholly and completely a part of who we are, then that
peace becomes a living demonstration of what God has in store for those we meet every day.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so
that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
We are beginning to see our world as it relates to God`s mission for us.
Our world has many who live below the poverty line.
Our world has many whose families are led by a single parent.
Our world reaches out for help through the support of the Food Bank.
Our world obtains support through the services of Keystone Counselling who use our facility.
We touch our world for Jesus every time we step outside the walls of our homes.
We must first tune into the Messiah – the Maker and Giver of Peace -- himself -- Jesus Christ.
Until we find our peace in Him, we cannot bring true peace to our fellow man.
When we are slow to anger and quick to forgive, we show peace to our fellow man, and we
honour Jesus in doing so as well.
As we wait expectantly during Advent, let us pray for the peace within ourselves first.
Then, we may pray for peace within our homes,
in our families,
in our lands,
and within our churches.
Because, quite simply; Jesus Christ -- our Messiah -- is our peace.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
Amen.
Bibliography
American Bible Society. (1995). Contemporary English Version (CEV). New York: American Bible Society.
American Bible Society. (1992). Good News Translation (GNT)® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition). New York: American Bible
Society.
International Bible Society. (1973, 1978, 1984). The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV).
Iverson, D. (1935, renewed 1963 by Birdwing Music.). Spirit of the Living God. Birdwing Music (division of The Sparrow Corp.).
Meier, A. (1954). To Be Used of God. Manna Music, Inc. ARR UBP of Manna Music, Inc.
Wikipedia. (2011, November 29). Prayer of Saint Francis. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis