09/03/2026
From the Pastor’s Pen
Rev. Dr. Chris Hensley
September 2026
Working Toward Peace
One of my favorite moments in our communal worship experiences at Sardis is the Passing of the Peace. A chance to greet one another with the peace of Christ. It is also a stark reminder that we must work for peace every day, perhaps every moment. It takes work and intentionality. In her book Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, Tish Harrison Warren explores how engagement with the Divine can occur even in the mundane moments of everyday life. Liturgy is a form of public worship, though it is also a ritual that does not have to be done in a public setting, even something as rote as brushing our teeth or engaging with a family member or loved one in conversation can be liturgical.
The idea is that these everyday liturgies require something of a bit more intentionality. Warren explores the work of peace in everyday encounters with friends, family, and others as one such liturgy. It is a great reminder that we must choose to work for peace every day, in the ordinary moments and the extraordinary moments. Warren reminds us that “this work always involves forgiveness and reconciliation.” This is hard, though it is worthy of so much effort. If we are to live out the theology of a Divine Spark existing in all persons, then we must be willing to work for peace everyday and in every relationship that we have, no matter how fleeting those relationships are. May we be encouraged to work for this peace in our daily journeys.
