{"id":688917,"date":"2025-10-08T14:38:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T18:38:36","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:21:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:21:02","slug":"the-peaceable-kingdom-pentecost-23-c-november-16-2025","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/the-peaceable-kingdom-pentecost-23-c-november-16-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The Peaceable Kingdom, Proper 28 (C) \u2013 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=DFMS3087512500&#038;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[RCL] Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pr28-2025-Sermon-Title-FB-EN-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-338928\" style=\"width:512px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who doesn\u2019t love a mountaintop experience? There is something so wonderful and majestic, even holy, about mountains. Scripture is filled with references to mountains and they are often the location for important and holy moments: the Sermon on the Mount, the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed before his arrest, Mount Tabor, where the Transfiguration took place, the giving of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, the Mount of Transfiguration, and then the mountain in today\u2019s reading from Isaiah, chapter 65, that Isaiah refers to \u201cGod\u2019s holy mountain.\u201d It reads<em>, \u201c<\/em>Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox\u2026 They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This passage of Hebrew Scripture was written around 745 BC, when Assyria was at war and was attempting to conquer Israel. This was shortly after Israel\u2019s own terrible war with Syria. The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of hope for the future, a vision of God\u2019s \u201cPeaceable Kingdom.\u201d In this kingdom, the king is righteous, just, and merciful, and the result is peace throughout the world. This vision is one that restores God\u2019s original intentions and purposes for our world, just as it was in the Garden in Eden before sin and death entered in. It is a world where no one is in danger, where there is no war &#8211; only harmony between humans and other humans, between animals and humans, and even between animals and other animals, where literally no one hurts or destroys one another. This is the world, the Kingdom of God, that Isaiah describes as God\u2019s will for us, and it is a vision we need to recall and uphold again today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a famous painting by the Quaker Edward Hicks called \u201cThe Peaceable Kingdom,\u201d based on this vision from Isaiah. In the foreground of the painting are little children, babies, really, playing and petting wild animals: a lion, tiger, leopard, wolf, and bear, right alongside sheep and an ox. These predatory animals are no threat to the other animals or to the children because there is peace and safety between them. In the background of the painting are European settlers talking to and signing a peace treaty with a group of Native Americans. This is Hicks\u2019 portrayal of Isaiah\u2019s prophetic vision, in which humans make peace with one another and war is ended, where the wolf lies down with the lamb, and an infant plays over the den of venomous snakes. We may shudder at the image of a child playing with or near snakes, and we might find it next to impossible to imagine a truly peaceable kingdom on earth today, because frankly, this world is anything but peaceful and safe. While we might at times have idealized notions of nature and we may find hints of peace in nature, we know nature is not actually peaceful or harmonious; even a short hike in nature carries with it risks to our safety -we should still bring bear spray and bug repellant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also easy to despair when we observe the way we humans are interacting with one another today. We are witnessing the heartbreak of wars being waged throughout our world right alongside the horrors of escalating political violence in our nation and beyond. We humans continue to hate each other, commit genocide, and exert all kinds of violence and destruction upon one another. It is now to the point that we are no longer surprised to hear of violence or mass shootings, even in our own neighborhoods, because it has become so commonplace, even normalized. We might be tempted to think, \u201cShouldn\u2019t we just accept it because what can we do?\u201d or, \u201cIsn\u2019t that just our new reality?\u201d or even, \u201cMaybe we need to get used to it and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this is precisely when faith is necessary and why we need, desperately, to hear again the prophets and Jesus saying, \u201cNo! Don\u2019t stop striving to be peacemakers and to work for God\u2019s peaceable kingdom!\u201d We are called back up to higher ground again and again \u2013 back to the holy mountains of God. The stories from Scripture, like Isaiah\u2019s vision, continue to invite us to return to the mountaintop to pray and commune with God in order to seek God\u2019s vision and purpose for us and our world. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near and is already in our midst. We cannot and should not accept this world as it is, and we don\u2019t have to wait for the \u201cend of the world\u201d (as some are prone to predict) in order to start establishing peace. Blessed are the peacemakers! Peace begins with us and is possible because of God\u2019s activity in the world and Jesus\u2019 ministry in our lives. Jesus continues to call us to carry God\u2019s love to the corners of the earth, so we do not and cannot accept the way things are. God has given us a vision of a future filled with hope and peace. So, what are some ways we can make peace here and now to align with God\u2019s Peaceable Kingdom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, we can make peace with God. Through prayer, God is able to assist us if something is preventing us from having peace in that relationship, whether it\u2019s because we\u2019re angry at God, need to experience a renewal of faith, or need to receive or extend forgiveness. Second, we can make peace with ourselves. Is there anything keeping you from having peace within yourself? Perhaps you haven\u2019t forgiven yourself for something or are still holding on to frustration or shame? If so, make peace by forgiving yourself today and accepting God\u2019s loving forgiveness for you. See yourself through God\u2019s loving eyes and know that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Third, we can make peace with others, particularly those with whom we disagree, those we have been hurt by, and those whom we have hurt. Is there someone you need to make peace with in your life? A friend, family member, or even group of people? Take steps to move toward forgiveness; embrace peace and reconciliation with them with God\u2019s help. Fourth, we can make peace with God\u2019s creation \u2013 from the animals to the oceans to. the skies and all the flora and fauna of God\u2019s earth. We can take up peaceable practices that refrain from further destruction and harm toward the earth and the creatures of God\u2013 from what we choose to eat to what we wear to what we drive. Our everyday choices can move us toward the Peaceable Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we make peace with God, with ourselves, with others, and with God\u2019s creation, we are better able to extend that peace to the wider world. As followers of Jesus, we have been commissioned to bring the peace of the Lord and to help make the Peaceable Kingdom a reality in our lives and corner of the world. While the fullness of God\u2019s Peaceable Kingdom will not be <em>fully <\/em>realized until later, we<em> can<\/em> make and know peace today, right here, right now. Making peace is the ultimate mountaintop experience. And together, as the church, we can inspire and give the world a renewed vision of God\u2019s Peaceable Kingdom on earth! Thanks be to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This sermon was written by<strong> the Rev. D. Rebecca Hansen<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-596d9b02-9aa7-42ee-919c-e9e5595a4d5f\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sermon-Proper-28-English.docx\">Word \u2013 Proper 28 (C) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sermon-Proper-28-English.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-596d9b02-9aa7-42ee-919c-e9e5595a4d5f\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-2518eced-2495-4907-8da6-9cccfb75619d\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sermon-Proper-28-English.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Proper 28 (C) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sermon-Proper-28-English.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-2518eced-2495-4907-8da6-9cccfb75619d\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19 Who doesn\u2019t love a mountaintop experience? There is something so wonderful and majestic, even holy, about mountains. Scripture is filled with references to mountains and they are often the location for important and holy moments: the Sermon on the Mount, the Mount of Olives, where&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[43,52,33,3],"tags":[178],"class_list":["post-688917","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-the-season-after-pentecost","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-proper-28c"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":33,"label":"The Season After Pentecost"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":178,"label":"Proper 28C"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/688917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/688917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3475261,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/688917\/revisions\/3475261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}