Scripture Text (NRSV)
Isaiah 2:1-5
2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem.
2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above
the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
2:3 Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may
teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion
shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for
many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Comments:
It's only Monday, but given the Apocalyptic gospel from two weeks ago,
I'm thinking about focusing on Isaiah this week. And what better time
to reflect on swords beaten into ploughshares?
Heather in Sharon
It's only Monday, but given the Apocalyptic gospel from two weeks ago,
I'm thinking about focusing on Isaiah this week. And what better time
to reflect on swords beaten into ploughshares?
Heather in Sharon
Isaiah paints a powerful vision of what the future will look like.
People will stream to God's holy mountain to learn God's ways. As a
result they will beat their weapons of war into useful instruments to
feed the world.
Tuesday morning thoughts. Paula in sunny FL
Hi all.
I used this text a few years ago at a Christian Unity service. A
couple thoughts from those reflections...
I too love the image of the world's divisions being overcome by the
call of the Lord. NOTE however - the divisions are not dismissed or
set aside! The people do not pretend they no longer exist! Instead,
they bring their divisions WITH them to the house of the Lord, there
to have them healed, there to be instructed in the way of the Lord (v.
3).
Also, verse 5. This is the Call. Vs. 1-4 are the promise, ther vision
of the future, to which God's people point through their lives, their
prayer, their worship. V. 5 concludes, "Ok, folks! This is what we are
aiming for. Let's get on with walking in these ways OURSELVES! Let's
make these priorities OUR priorities, NOW! Let's not wait. The world
needs a witness to the way God is making things. As God's people, we
have this vision before us. Let's follow this God-given vision today,
in the hopes that tomorrow some of the people around us might catch
the vision, too."
"O house of Jacob, come, let *US* walk in the light of the LORD!"
Hope this helps! A blessed Advent to you all!
Rick in Canada, eh?
I'd also like to use this with a peace theme, but am feeling slightly
panicked with few ideas, even though it's Tuesday (I think a funeral
has helped!). I'd also like to use it in conjunction with
Romans--waiting for the light.
Esp. these days, we can't sit around and wait for peace. War is
happening around us. How can we actively work (pray) for peace when
our attitide is that of sitting around and waiting for everything to
come to us?
An incredibly desperate preacher in Kansas
It looks like the nations are coming into God's presence, listening to
YHWH's teaching, experiencing God's arbitration between them, and then
deciding for themselves to convert their resources away from
destructive tools and toward tools that can benefit the whole world
community. The decision seems to be made by the nations themselves,
once they've learned from God. This is Communion Sunday for the
congregation I serve. The lead-in to communion might be that, being in
Christ's presence shapes our decisions, our approach to our world
neighbors. Still thinking. MTSOfan
We are having communion this Sunday and I am thinking of taking my
theme from the liturgy ". . .Christ will come again" Too much
Christmas is a looking back on a cute baby and not enough looking
ahead to what this baby brings that is new and counter-cultural. In
the midst of a war that is being called "holy" and just, how does one
preach on peace and without being unpatriotic and preach
counter-cultural without preaching war?
Sarah in Iowa
Someone called St. Paul the first Christian Mystic, with his visions
and experiential and inspired ministries. Last summer NEwsweek had a
cover story on the brain's openness to "visions" and things religious.
Among other things, someone theorized that he has a form of epilepsie,
I believe it was (his "thorn" in the flesh). I'm sure plenty will
insist that Isaiah's has some kind of dementia/mental illness. During
some honest moments I admit his vision seems far fetched. But this is
the speaking for our God who says "the things that are impossible with
mortals, are possible with me." Good preachings, friends; and hard
prayer and work for peace. Peter in WI
Consider this - As we were shown pictures of Afghanistan before our
war, what did we see? I saw where they had taken tanks and put stuff
on top of them to use as bridges. Could this be swords into
plowshares? PH in OH
What companies that would otherwise be producing more productive
pieces of equipment, are now manufacturing weapons? I cannot name
them, but I wonder: are we presently pounding our plowshares into
swords? MTSOfan
I too am using the theme of peace from Isaiah along with Psalm 122
that says "pray for the peace of Jerusalem...peace be within your
walls.." Isaiah helps us to "Imagine" as John Lennon sang. And yes we
must go beyond imagining to help co-create and bring on the peaceable
kingdom, ushered in by the Prince of Peace. In terms of world peace,
peace must be combined with justice to be true peace. Peace also
begins at home. How many individuals in our churches are "warring"
with each other? I can think of several in mine. Do we take the
sharing of the peace seriously each Sunday? Believing that Christ
alone is our peace, allowing us at times to disagree with each other
and yet remain together in the church. These are some of my thoughts.
Does anyone have a good idea for a children's sermon on the theme of
peace? Thanks, GB in MI
My father was in WW II and he had a camera with him most of the time
he was there. He was in the push across France and Belgium after the
invasion of Normandy. One of my favorite pictures that he took is of a
German tank that was abandoned in their retreat from France. The
cannon is pointing off to the right and painted on the turret is
"showers." Somebody with a sense of humor saw a practical use for an
abandoned piece of war materiel.
Craig in Maine
Thanx, PHinOH, MTSOfan, Craig in Maine. You all have fueled my
thoughts and piqued my perceptions. So I said to myself,"Aha!" when I
saw last night on some cable news channel a picture from Afganistan.
Folks who had them were bringing their satellite dishes out of hiding
and others were fashioning any scrap metal they could find into those
dishes which would bring them news from the heavens. One seemed to be
made out of flattened olive oil cans. A dove descending with an olive
branch of peace? Is that pushing it too far? Maybe, but a good visual.
I think I may use these images and point out how the same materials
used with different aims can build or destroy, lift up or tear down.
What if the plowshares and pruning hooks that are used to grow food
for life were built with the same meticulous standards as the war
machines that reap death?
On a personal level, what situations could bring about in us either
destructive or constructive outcomes? Can we turn tragedy to victory
by praying then saying, as Joseph might have, "You meant this for
evil, but may God use it for good." Should our wake up call from the
gospel and epistle texts be an alert to this direction in thinking? To
repent is to turn around in our thiking. Christ is calling us to start
thinking in Kingdom terms, learning war no more, but rather coming to
the mountain of God," that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in
his paths." Or something like that. tom in TN(USA)
Sarah in Iowa
You raise a great question. My answer is another question: Just
because a war is being called "holy" and just, does it mean that it
is?
If we are called to bearer of the peace that comes from God, we
certainly don't have to buy into what everyone else is saying about
our current times. Clearly, Isaiah's vision contradicts our current
situation.
What do you think about juxtaposing Isaiah 2:2-3 with Joel 3:9-10?
Just some of my thoughts this week.
Kyle in San Diego
There seems to be a focus on beating swords into plowshares and spears
into pruning hooks. But let us not miss what thoughts come before and
after this wonderful event. It begins with the nations going "to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may
teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." Then, after that
is done, the call is, "let us walk in the light of the LORD!" The
coming of peace does not come through negotiation or legislation,
important as those things are. Permanent change does not come by human
action, but by walking in the light of the LORD. No, I'm not saying to
ignore all human efforts for peace; but I am saying (and I believe the
Word is saying) that our efforts are temporary at best; lasting peace
is only found in His light. JGinWI
GB in MI asked about children’s sermons on the theme of peace.
This is probably a bit late in the day, but what follows is part of an
all-age worship service I led on Remembrance Sunday (11th November),
based on the Micah passage which closely parallels today’s OT reading.
It’s based on a striking picture I came across on the cover of the
Christian Aid magazine (Christian Aid is the principle aid
organisation of the British churches). I have lifted it verbatim from
my notes and will obviously need some editing. (Particularly the
references to Micah’s context, which raises interesting questions
about the text!) I was able to transfer the pictures onto OHP
acetates. I followed up the talk with the song ‘And everyone ‘neath
their vine and fig tree’, based on a traditional Hebrew song.
“We’re going to hear the first of two Bible readings, which comes from
the book of Micah. Micah was a prophet from a small village in Judah
who was particularly concerned about the oppression and injustice he
saw going on round about him. The message that God gave to Micah was
that a country that was so corrupt would soon collapse – so most of
the book of Micah is pretty gloomy reading. It therefore comes as
quite a surprise to find, halfway through the book, a passage which
looks forward to the future in hope – hope that a time will come when
people will turn to God and nations will live in peace. I’m going to
say more about Micah’s vision later in the service, but now let’s
listen as Tony reads it to us.
(reading follows)
I want to talk for a little while about the Bible reading that Tony
read earlier in the service. As I said earlier, it was written at a
particularly difficult time for Micah and the people of Judah. People
were fighting each other. The rich were mistreating the poor. Judges
could be bribed – even the religious leaders were cheating ordinary
people. To add to all these problems inside the country, outside Judah
had some very powerful enemies and to Micah it seemed that war was
inevitable. Yet in this middle of all this violence and injustice God
gave Micah a wonderful vision of peace. In days to come, he said,
people from every nation will come to God’s house, to listen to him
and to follow his teaching. God will be their judge – when there is a
disagreement they will look to him to sort out what who is right. And
when that happens, said Micah, there will be peace. In fact Micah put
it in a rather more poetic way:
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war anymore; but they shall all sit under their own
vines and their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.
In the ancient world metal was very expensive and was never wasted.
When a tool wore out it wasn’t thrown away, as we tend to do. If it
couldn’t be repaired it was melted down and shaped into something new.
Micah sees a time when there will be a peace that is so lasting that
weapons are not needed any more. Instead they can be melted into tools
– coming from a farming village, Micah thinks about basic farming
equipment – the ploughshare used to plough the field and the pruning
hook used to reap the harvest. With no threat of war, farmers will be
able to concentrate on growing their crops. And because there is peace
and justice, each person will enjoy the produce of their own land –
there’s a lovely picture of a farmer sitting in the shade of his tree,
perhaps enjoying an afternoon siesta, at peace and unafraid.
This is a beautiful vision and over the centuries many people have
been captivated by the promise of these words. Will it ever become a
reality? Over 2,700 years since Micah wrote those words, we’re still
waiting. The horrible events of 11th September – exactly two months
ago – remind us of the evil that lies within the human heart and makes
us wonder if we will ever really have peace.
And yet we see signs of hope. I want to show you this picture, which
as you can see comes from the cover of a recent Christian Aid
magazine. It shows a man playing a saxophone, with a curious looking
robotic figure next to him. But look again. That isn’t a real
saxophone. Look more closely and you can see that it is made out of a
rifle. And the figure next to him is made up from parts of a machine
gun.
This is the story behind the picture. This man comes from a country in
Southern Africa called Mozambique. For years Mozambique had a terrible
civil war, in which thousands of people were killed and many more
found their homes destroyed. The war came to an end in 1992, but
unfortunately the suffering of the people of Mozambique was not
finished. For a start there were thousands of land mines all over the
country, in fields, on roads, which still continue to injure and kill
people, including children when they are playing. Then there was the
problem that many ex-soldiers kept hold of their weapons when they
returned home and these are being used to commit violent crimes such
as armed car-jackings.
One organisation that is trying to do something about this problem is
the Christian Council of Mozambique. Since 1994 it has destroyed more
than 100,000 weapons. To encourage people to hand over their guns the
organisation swaps guns for tools – such as sewing machines and
ploughs – so that people can make an honest living.
The weapons are cut up and handed over to local artists who convert
them into symbols of peace, including sculptures, tables and chairs.
Here’s another artist with a couple of chairs – I don’t know how
comfortable they would be!
So in a small way, in one part of the world that has seen a terrible
war, but where people really want peace, we see Micah’s vision coming
literally true. Okay, it’s guns into ploughshares rather than swords,
but the principle is the same. Hope can come into the most hopeless
situations. Our task, as Christians is to be faithful to the vision,
to act as peacemakers in our own community, and to dream and pray for
peace in the world.”
Shalom,
-- Paul Weary Croydon, UK South Norwood Methodist
Iam using the time of Advent as a time of adventure. It is hard to
deal every week " God bless America" whos church is this anyway? I
think when even we go against the cultural grain it better to look to
God and not just the flag (i am a vet and there are times I am not
proud, but I still love America) but my love for God is greater, I
beleive we are in the right place and the right time to do god's work.
Bill in OH
I love the way Isaiah's vision is connected with the dreams of
humanity throughout the ages for a world that is whole and at peace.
It may be a little early in Advent to launch into Christmas songs, but
this contemporary one by Natalie Cole & David Foster captures longings
like those expressed in "Joy to the World"
"My Grown-Up Christmas List"
Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee; I wrote to you with
childhood fantasies.
Well, I’m all grown up now. Can you still help somehow? I’m not a
child, but my heart still can dream.
So here’s my lifelong wish, My grownup Christmas list, Not for myself,
but for a world in need.
No more lives torn apart; That wars would never start; And time would
heal our hearts. Every man would have a friend; That right would
always win; And love would never end. This is my grownup Christmas
list.
What is this illusion called – the innocence of youth? Maybe only in
all that lies within can we ever find the truth.
No more lives torn apart; That wars would never start; And time would
heal our hearts. Every man would have a friend; That right would
always win; And love would never end. This is my grownup Christmas
list.
This is my only lifelong wish This is my grownup Christmas list.
----------------------------------- What is powerful about Isaiah's
vision is that it goes beyond mere sentimentality, and ties hope to
the reign of God. What I think is beautiful about it is that it is not
a kingdom established by military muscle, but longed for and supported
by the free will of the people of the world, who say, "Come, let us go
up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that
he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."
The people of the world today could still choose to follow the ways of
God, if they wanted to choose the unfamiliar ways of peace over the
certainties of war.
God bless you all on the first Sunday of Advent.
AO in PO
Previous:
Swords into plowshares has become an international symbol of peace and
is carved in stone in the United Nations building.
An invitation to look at life, upside down, & inside out. "O house of
Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!" An invitation to
open ourselves to a whole new reality--the reality of God's soverignty,
God's purposes for his creation and his people. An invitation to wait
on God to bring this reality about, to wait for God's justice and not
seek our own "justice", to wait on God's peace not our own vision of
peace. Each and every Advent the prophets call us to wait upon God,
but each and every year we seem too have too much on our own agenda to
wait on God's reality.
John in PA
I like one of the ways Nora Tisdale approached this passage in a
conference I attended this summer. She suggests that we, by the power
of God's Spirit, seek to awaken the longing for peace that all of us
feel by pointing to contemporary examples in our world and even in our
families. She challenged us then to point people to texts like this
one as a promise of the peace that God has already established in
Christ but will fully establish when Christ returns. In the meantime,
we work for peace. We pray for peace (Psalm 122) as testimony to our
faith that God will keep his promise and we live peacable lives
(Romans 13) as tangible signs that God will is keeping and will keep
his promise of peace. DB in MD
I like one of the the ways that Princeton professor of preaching Nora
Tisdale, at a conference I attended this summer, suggested to approach
this passage about, among other things, peace. She challenges us to
awaken in hearers our longing for peace by pointing to the utter lack
of peace in so much of our world, communities and homes. By God's
Spirit, we address that longing by pointing our hearers to this
passage with God's promise of shalom, already established at Christ's
first coming but yet to be fully established at Christ's return. As a
sign and testimony to our world of that peace, however, those who look
forward to it also work for peace now, by praying for peace (Psalm
122) and by living peacable lives (Romans 13). DB in MD.
Couple of observations - my 9th grade English teacher made sure we
noticed the difference between will and shall - the guy who said "I
will drown! Nobody shall save me!" did of course drown, because he was
determined to do so. All these shalls make it clear that this is what
is going to happen because the Lord wills it: and all nations shall
stream to the Lord's house. The other teacher - my ol' theology prof -
suggested one can ask every passage: "What does this text tell us
about God?" Add to God's intentionality a regard for peace and a
desire to be patient and thorough in teaching - let us go so that God
may teach us God's ways - well, determining the spozed tas in a
passage kinda fades into unimportance when placed beside the lighht of
what the Lord is like, what the Lord shall do . . Too early to zoom in
to any practical focus - just ruminating - kbc in sc
One of the things we must admit / face about the "swords into
plowshares" imagery is that "we aren't there yet".
the day has NOT come when nation shall not lift up sword against
nation...
... Yet, the passage ends with the invitation to do so, to walk and
live in God's light...."
Kevin in OK
If everyone were to respond to the invitation to walk in the light of
the Lord, then there would be no need for swords or spears or war.
A favourite cartoon of mine is of two people sitting on the banks of
the river - one says to his friend something like: "I've often wanted
to ask God why He doesn't do something to stop people dying of hunger
and the effects of war".
His friend replies "why don't you?" to which he answers "I'm scared
God will ask me the same question."
(apologies to the cartoonist if I've twisted what it said - it was
several years ago that I saw the cartoon - but it has stuck in my mind
ever since)
What would be our reply to God when he asks us what we are doing? What
should it be?
Is the challenge to us this Advent to show Christ to those we're in
contact with?
Mary in Australia
The name of the church I serve is called "Peace". It is a hard name to
live up to. All too often I think we just take it for granted. A lot
of times the symbol for peace is a dove. I wonder why swords and
plowshares aren't pictured more often. It seems a lot more practical
and down-to-earth; also a lot more challenging! Stan, in northern
Wisconsin
Mary and others interested in giving credit: The cartoon you refer to
is from the strip "Pontius' Puddle" featuring a lovable frog with
faith and foibles named Pontius, an "Everyfrog", if you will. It is
drawn by a witty Mennonite cartoonist, named Joel Kauffmann. Abingdon
has published a Pontius Puddle collection, "The Peaceable Kingdom and
Other Fallacies of Faith." You can also find the cartoons via a HOW
Magazine web site (http:magazine.hows.net/entertainment/pontius/index.shtml.)
I found Joel will personally send out regular installments on request
if you contact him via Abingdon (P.O. Box 801 Nashville TN 37202-0801)
or pontpudle@aol.com -I believe that's still current.)
pHil
Greetings friends, I'm glad to see some company here in the Hebrew
Scripture end of things. One of my favorite images in all scripture is
in verse 2: it hinges on the word "stream." All peoples will stream UP
to the highest mountain, the mountain of the LORD. As God's rule is
fully realized and recongnize water will flow/stream UPHILL. I love
the nearly subversive image quietly planted in the text. I need help
from a Hebrew scholar. When I read the text in my TANKAH the Jewish
Publication Society editors translatged the phrase "gaze on it with
joy." What is the Hebrew there? What is the Greek in the Septuigint?
Scholars and linguists in the crowd, please help this ingnorant
preacher. MA in MN
Here's hope for a coming day of peace and wholeness. It's a time of
peace and understanding around the world. During Advent we are asked
to believe in a time of reconciliation and new life for the whole
world - as all nations gather at God's holy mountain. It is not that
disagreements will dissolve, but that in God, people will come to a
mutual understanding so that war is not necessary. The theme of global
harmony is common to many of the world's religions. But that doesn't
diminish what Isaiah says, I think it just makes his words stronger
-for the whole world is waiting for re-creation - freedom from
disease, and liberation - freedom from war. The Iowa Star
It's so easy for us (me!) to read this and similar passages TO the
rest of the world - "All of you people/sinners out there need to
listen to this and hear this word of the Lord," etc.
That's why it's a good thing this lection ends with v.5, "O house of
Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!" Isaiah is saying,
"Hey folks! You like this message? You want this day to come? Let's US
walk in this light! Lets US do it, and stop worrying about how all
those others are or aren't doing it. God will take care of them, even
as WE have been (and ARE BEING) taken care of!"
So much for our usual triumphalism!
Rick in Canad, eh?
To pHil,
Thanks for letting me know whose cartoon I talked about - the omission
of giving credit was not intentional - I had forgotten where I'd seen
the cartoon -the words not the author was what I remembered.
Mary in Australia
To Ma in MN...I am neither a Greek or Hebrew scholar, but I did not
want you to think that noone read your note. I simply cannot help!
Sorry. In Lectionary Homiletics Tom Troeger gave the suggestion that
we could preach an Advent series on "Meditations from a Christmas
Greeting Card." Each week we could use one word as our greeting and
expound upon it. I have chosen for this week the word "waiting." We
spend a lot of our time waiting... waiting for a partner to change...
waiting for our children to go to college or get a job... waiting for
the right job... etc. We spend a lot of time waiting for Jesus to come
when Jesus has already come! Now we have the responsibility to spread
the good news. I appreciate the comments I've found here this week.
Any more thoughts on waiting would be appreciated. RevD in BG
To Rev D in BG - thanks for the "one word" idea - we are doing a word
with the Advent wreath, and using as a refrain one verse of "People,
Look East" (UM hymnal #202) - this week's word is "prepare" - how do
we prepare? We go to where God may teach us his ways. (I like the OT
site - don't have to be brief over here!) kbc in sc - grateful for dps
for a growing number of reasons. (About the next three weeks: verse 2
of the hymn - expect; vs. 3 - watch; Vs. 4 - rejoice.)
Dear MA in MN, I'm not sure what text that translation is based upon
but it doesn't seem to match the BHS very well. The key Hebrew verb
for that phrase is nahar which is a verb which Brown Driver Briggs
translates as to flow or to stream. It can also mean to shine or to
beam which doesn't make sense in context. The Septuagint tranlates it
as to come or to arrive. The both mean about the same thing. The
Hebrew gives you a nice poetic picture of long lines of people flowing
to the Lord's temple. Hope this helps.
JK in BC
My thanks to the person who suggested Hymn 202 as a starting place for
the advent theme. I see no name there, but I do appreciate the idea.
JDK, Binghamton NY
Stan, in northern Wisconsin..
I am interested in how many persons think that the name of a church is
very important, because it tells others who we are. I prayer that it
were so... and that having a nme such as "Church of the Loving
Servants" would go a way to making it so... keeping it before us.
Thanks for sharing the name of the church..."Prince of Peace" ?...
"Peace Makers" "Peace Keepers"..
To Kbc in sc... thanks for the observations........you seem to be
rumminating alot these days.... is that recent or is it from days long
ago......say..... of Romanesque times?
Hermano
