“Blessed are the Peacemakers”
By David Williams
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9, NIV).
Christ’s thoughts from the Mount of Blessing continue to capture the attention of His disciples in every age. These words ring with both relevancy and correction for the many worship leaders across the spectrum who cling to power and control over worship and music practices. How often elders and musicians will not let others express worship and music in their own way. Our worship communities become defined by what we are not.
The antithesis to this worship war is Christ’s invitation to make peace. When we welcome others into the worship planning, worship leading, and music making, we receive Christ’s blessing as children of God. The enemy knows that if he can keep us warring amongst ourselves, we cannot experience the blessedness as the family of God.
Isaiah describes Christ as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). Unlike other despots and tyrants who rule by fear and control, Christ’s Lordship is attractive through its radical ethic of “peace beyond our fear and hope beyond our sorrow.” True power is shared power through the peacemaking process.
Our worship gatherings become the place for the people of God to be reconciled to God and each other. We cannot afford to go through the motions. We must bring our will, loyalty, allegiance, attitude, and desires to God, seeking Him with all our hearts. We must enter into an interpersonal, devotional, transformational relationship with Him.
“Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). God shares His peace when we repent and open our will to His love. When we are at peace with God, we will diffuse a harmonious influence upon those around us. When we are connected to Jesus, His character will be manifest in our words and actions. They will be drawn to Him.
Last year the annual Music & Worship Conference took the theme, “Healing Together.” We started the conference with the contemporary hymn by Marty Haugen, “Healer of Our Every Ill.” It profoundly set the theme for the conference.
Just after that conference, Russia invaded Ukraine. As I discussed the conference with my worship students, Pastor Bryan Nuñez recommended the theme of “peace” in light of new political war. We reflected on the reality that our worship gatherings offer the time for healing and reconciliation for our faith communities, but also for prayer for our world to experience Christ’s peace.
This year we have taken the theme, “Blessed are the Peacemakers,” for the 20th Annual Andrews University Music & Worship Conference, February 16-18, 2023. The conference will be a hybrid event, offering immersive experiences for both in-person and online attendees. For more, go to www.andrews.edu/icwm.
Our worship gatherings provide the rehearsal for us to live His peace in a fractured and tumultuous world. Jesus calls us to bring His peace into our communities. In so doing, we will experience the happiness and blessedness of becoming the children of God.
The words of Haugen continue to ring in my ears. May his words be our prayer:
Healer of our ev’ry ill, Light of each tomorrow, Give us peace beyond our fear And hope beyond our sorrow.
You who know our fears and sadness, Grace us with Your peace and gladness Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts.
Give us strength to love each other, Ev’ry sister, ev’ry brother. Spirit of all kindness, be our guide.
In the spirit of contemporary songwriter, Marty Haugen, we are inviting songwriters of every style to submit their own compositions on the conference theme. Submissions may be sent to icwm@andrews.edu.
[1] Marty Haugen, “Healer of Our Every Ill,” One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2018), 560.
