It’s important to recognize the cumulative impact of weekly passing of the peace. By regularly practicing this gesture, our hearts are shaped in the form of the words. Consider the daily practice of teaching toddlers to say “please” and “thank you.” Though at the beginning the toddler mechanically repeats the words, eventually her heart fills the words with grace and gratitude. In the same way, passing the peace gives us the vocabulary for expressing peace as we grow in faith and, in fact, shapes our hearts and minds to extend that peace out into the world.
This week, look for a packet to be delivered to your home. In it is an an opportunity to pass the peace around our faith family. In the envelope, you will find two postcards: each is stamped and addressed to another household in the parishes of St. Thomas’s or St. Nicholas. We ask that you take a moment to reflect on these faith family members and say a prayer. Then, write in an encouraging message and drop in the mail. You may not know these members directly, but knowing the faith that we have in common, there is a message of hope to share. Within a few days, you can look forward to receiving similar messages, and know that there are others in our family that are thinking of you and praying for you.
Thank you for your participation in this FUN fellowship project. Please note that this was made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor.