Servants of Peace
A few weeks ago the choir sang a song called “Servants of Peace” by K. Lee Scott. The text is by James Quinn and is based on the famous prayer by St. Francis of Assisi that begins “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” This prayer has stayed with me as a gentle reminder of how to love and live in community. And it convicts me; I am not often good at living in this way.
The text:
Lord, make us servants of your peace:
where there is hate, may we sow love;
where there is hurt, may we forgive;
where there is strife, may we make one.
Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
where all is night, may we sow light;
where all is tears, may we sow joy.
Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
to be consoled, but to console,
nor look to understanding hearts,
but look for hearts to understand.
May we not look for love’s return,
but seek to love unselfishly.
For in our giving we receive,
and in forgiving are forgiven.
Dying, we live, and are reborn
through death’s dark night to endless day.
Lord, make us servants of your peace,
to wake at last in heaven’s light.
For me, the third stanza is most difficult. How often do I wish to be consoled and understood, but never act towards consoling and understanding others?
How about for you? Which of the above parts are the prayer are most difficult to live out?
Although the prayer can be convicting, it is good to remember that it is, in fact, a prayer. It is humbling asking God to be strong where we are weak.
P.S. I also like this song because of the title, “Servants of Peace.” Isn’t that what we all are? Servants of our body of faith at Peace Lutheran Church? May we be instruments of God’s peace in our church, neighborhoods, state, country, and world.
Jill Schroeder-Dorn, D.A., Director of Worship Arts
