Perhaps you’ve watched one of these recent films The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian or more recently, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Each of the movies is based on a novel by C.S. Lewis.

Lewis was a teacher, writer and theologian. He wrote books which were witty and wise, warm and welcoming.

Beware Freedom Which Relies On People

I’ve been thinking about peace and war for days now. On Sunday Steve Wiens talked about peace entitled “What Christ Left Us”. You can watch it here [after a Father's Day address].

My thoughts and Steve’s thoughts about peace continue to melt in my mind.

Feeling like I wanted to give you a chance to learn with me I present to you this week’s Message Tool provided as a follow up to the week’s message.

I hope that you find this exercise as meaningful as I am.

Practice:

Write out the following passage, Philippians 4:6-7, on a piece of paper.

When I was in elementary school peace was the word of the day.

We wore circular peace signs on t-shirts and on jewelry.

We raised a fist, opened it up and raised two fingers into a peace sign.

Peace Myth

I could think back to “the good old days” of the peaceful sixties, but they were also days when I feared violence in my neighborhood, poison in our Halloween candy, a war in Vietnam with body counts on the news, bloody riots in the Chicago streets, and a man who tried to kidnap my best friend and I walking home from church one Tuesday night.

Yesterday I wrote about the importance I am placing on embracing reality. Breaking through my natural inclination to avoid pain is hard work. I am a self-centered person, a work in process, and embracing reality is frankly painful.

Challenging Complacency

Complacency ignores reality.

Complacency minimizes others’ horrors.

Complacency marginalizes with “isms” like racism, sexism and age-ism.

If I believe that ignorance is bliss, and I don’t have to worry about what I don’t know about or see, I’m wrong.

I love this picture.

I see friendship, camaraderie, community, peace and hope.

On our best days TreeHouse feels like that.

Every time I meet someone I know they have legitimate needs and wants, hopes and dreams.

One of our hopes and dreams includes are desire for genuine community.

Community Vs. “Community Compromisers”

We want to know others and to be known by others.  Known for who we are are, not for who we pretend to be.  There are practices that compromise our safety in a community.

Happiness is a state of mind.

You & I can choose to be happy regardless of our circumstances.

Happiness is a choice.

The choice is yours.

Everyone,  — even angry and crabby relatives — everyone is lovable, capable and worthwhile.

When talking to your “loved ones” this week, choose to use caring words.

Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim. [Proverbs 15:4, MSG]

Caring words bring healing not hurt.

Talk the way you wish other people did.

Regardless what the other person chooses you can chose caring words.

When tempers flare during your holiday gatherings here’s a wise bit of advice:

Choose to use a soft voice.

“A gentle answer deflects anger,but harsh words make tempers flare.”
[Proverbs 15:1]

Regardless what the other person chooses you can chose a soft and kind tone in your voice.

Listening is a choice.  You can choose to listen attentively or you can choose not to.

Listening requires self-control.  Choosing to listen and not to speak requires self-discipline for most people.  Sadly many people spend all their time waiting for the other person to stop so they can talk again.

Listening requires practice.  The discipline of listening becomes easier as we learn to value listening.

I value listening more because I believe it demonstrates God’s character.

How you ask?  Consider how much more God listens to you than speak to you.   God doesn’t speak often, but God spoke through the prophet: