Dona Nobis Pacem, ELW 753
Devotion
Dona nobis pacem, pacem. Dona nobis pacem.
Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem.
Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem.
There is a Peanuts cartoon in which Linus, Lucy and Charlie Brown are looking at the clouds. Linus proclaims the beauty of the clouds as they drift by, announcing that he sees things like British Honduras and the stoning of Stephen the Martyr, with the Apostle Paul standing off to the side. When asked what he sees, Charlie Brown responds, "I was going to say that I saw a ducky and a horsy, but I changed my mind."
The process of writing these devotionals has me feeling a little like that cartoon. We pastors and church leaders can get so caught up in the importance of what we say or how it sounds that we forget that to others it may well sound like gibberish.
The words of this week's gospel—"Do not be afraid"—are simple, yet by the time we are done unpacking them our many words can start to sound like gibberish. This hymn with its three word repetition invites us to keep it simple. "Grant us peace." Give the hymn a chance. Its prayer will grow on you.
Prayer
Almighty God, grant us peace. Amen.