Sun. Nov. 10, 2013 (Barbara Nickel)

Barbara Nickel spoke to us on Peace Sunday in a multifaceted message combining congregational singing and spoken litanies, inviting us to put peace into each others hands.  But how? From the story of the destruction of the city and cathedral of Coventry in 1940, Barb related how the survivors, whose strength was almost at an end, created out of rubble an image of the cross, followed by a service of reconciliation.  Shortly after, the people of Coventry sent money and aid to German cities ruined by Allied bombing, and much later, the  rebuilding of a new church from within the hallowed ruins of the old, married the tragedy of the old  with the hope of the new in one cathedral. In ruins, we can turn to God when our own strength is at an end, and ask God, grant us peace.  On the smaller scale of our own personal relationships, we can also ask God to deliver us up into peace when we can see no other way to accomplish the ends we are called to.  Whether relating our faith to one who does not share it, or giving our talents to the world, and then worrying about whether they are good enough to display; if we but grant God the possibility, He will send to us the comfort and support we need to know that we are valued not just for our many contributions, but for who we are in Her eyes - Her own child. [AP]

Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, November 10th, 2013 using your browser's preferred media player.