It has been said that the goal of life is to learn what it means to love. In many ways that is the heart of our shared life at Prince of Peace. From the earliest days in our Preschool—where a foundation is set for a lifetime of curiosity and joy, to the milestone of confirmation, where we remind our young adult church leaders that their learning in faith is only beginning, we seek to nurture growth in grace through every chapter of life. My own preschool memories are filled with fun and discovery, and that early joy continues to shape how I learn today. As we enter the fall season, I invite you to remember with me that learning in love is not confined to childhood or adolescence. It is a lifelong calling to discipleship in Jesus.

One of the gifts of the Christian life is that every person we meet can become our teacher. We are invited to see Christ in all of our neighbors, and be Christ in the ways we relate to them. Prayer plays a significant role in this experience. My spiritual director once suggested that some of the greatest learning we ever do happens through prayer. Prayer, at its simplest, can be defined as “awareness.” It is a deepening attentiveness to the living, loving God we meet in Jesus Christ. As we grow in this awareness, God opens the eyes of our hearts and strengthens the connection between mind and spirit. Wisdom rooted in love begins to season, mature and expand within us. This is the kind of life-giving learning that shapes our attitudes, our choices and our relationships in ways that truly make a difference for good.

As we begin a new season of formal learning in community, I encourage you to consider and embrace the lessons in love God is preparing for us. One place for this deepening awareness of the guiding Spirit of our loving God is in our weekly adult Bible study. Please know that our ASAPH group will resume our Thursday afternoon gatherings on September 10th with a journey through St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The historical situation that Paul confronted in writing this letter is a complicated one, however, through the crucible of these challenging circumstances, a text filled with inspired insights emerged that continues to guide Christian life and mission today.
Paul’s experiences remind us that learning in love is not merely an intellectual mind exercise, but an experience that is practiced and lived. May this time of autumn and all the seasons to follow be filled with opportunities for growth in God’s grace as Jesus teaches, stretches and draws us deeper into the ongoing adventure of experiencing God’s love at ever more extended levels.