I began to notice a couple of weeks ago that a few of the leaves were beginning to change colors. Eric and I had some friends over on Thursday and as we were showing them the area, I looked more at my surroundings than I tend to do normally. As they oohed and ahhed at the beauty of the mountains rising up against the clear blue sky, I noticed anew the signs that a change was happening. Spotting the tree-covered mountains were hints or red and gold. The cool breeze in the air signaled the end of the warm summer months.

As we drove along, I saw that someone had placed a ladder against a tree in their yard. They were harvesting the last of whatever that tree produced. Sometimes I think of fall as a season of "lasts." During fall, I watch for the last leaves to change and drop. I taste the last of the truly seasonal tomatoes. I watch for the last of the migrating birds at the feeder. I listen to the squirrels make their crazy chirping sounds as they gather in the last of the acorns. I feel the air for the last day that I can wait before turning on the heat. I wait for signs that winter has arrived.

In this season of "lasts," I hold on to signs of life. The magnolia tree in front of the house stands as a witness to the green of life throughout the winter. The pine trees in the woods refuse to release their needles. In the midst of the season of "lasts" I search for signs of permanence.

In the midst of my reverie of summer this week, headlines in the news focused on a tsunami in Samoa, the recovery effort for the flooding in Georgia, landslides in Indonesia, the rising death toll in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guinea, Pakistan, and other areas where conflicts rage on. Stories of people suffering and dying came across my perception.

A month or so ago, I was looking ahead to today. I was doing some planning for our celebration of communion today and noticing that we would also collect the peacemaking offering today. As I began to think about how these two things fit together, my mind began to search for what message God was speaking to us on this occasion.

It does not often happen that I so clearly feel lead to preach a particular passage from scripture that is apart from the lectionary. But through exploring the intersection between World Communion Sunday and our Peacemaking Offering, I was lead to this passage from the Revelation to John.

At the end of the Revelation to John, John is taken "in the spirit" where he sees a vision of a new Jerusalem. The measurements of the city are given. The walls are made of precious stones and the city itself is constructed of pure gold. There is no Temple in the city because God and the Lamb reside within the city on a great throne. Coming from the throne is a river of pure water. This river flows through the city and nourishes all that it comes in contact with. This water nourishes the tree of life growing on its banks.

As I read this passage anew, I could immediately picture this tree. Planted next to a steady source of water, it flourishes. Each month it bears fruit. So there is always nourishment available from this tree. And then we come to the leaves. John writes, "the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Nourished by the water flowing from God’s throne, this tree provides healing…wholeness…nourishment…peace.

Water is such a precious resource in our world. The amount of water on our planet that is safe for drinking is a very small percentage of our blue planet. Access to clean drinking water is one of the greatest indicators of health and well-being in a community. We probably don’t think too much about water. After all we can go to the tap and drink the water. But in many of the communities in Africa, water is not so easy to come by. The women and girls in these communities must walk miles to draw enough water to make life possible. And even then, the water that they find may not be clean and safe. Wars have been fought over who has access to water.

Many organizations have been working to bring water to the communities where water is lacking. By drilling wells in a community’s center, the people in the community see a great deal of benefit. Since the girls are not spending their time walking for water, they can go to school. Since there is an abundance of water, people are able to have better sanitation and there fewer people get sick. Whole communities are transformed by access to water.

In John’s vision, it is the river that provides the basis for the nourishment of the tree of life. Water is also a symbol in our faith. We use water to mark us as God’s chosen people. Water nourishes not only our physical being but water nourishes our faith.

But here at the font is not the only place where we find nourishment. From the waters of baptism, we come to the table. We come to this table where we are fed, nourished, by the bread of life that is Christ. From this simple table made of wood, we are invited to eat and be nourished. But it doesn’t end there. By being nourished at this table, we are sent out to those areas in need of nourishment.

As with much of the Greek in the book of Revelation, there is a bit of ambiguity in this passage about the tree of life. There is no doubt that the tree of life is fed by the river that comes from God’s throne. But then he says that on either side of the bank of the river grows the tree of life. Now you tell me, how can a tree grow on both sides of the bank? Perhaps, some scholars argue, there is not a tree of life but a forest or wood of life. Perhaps this type of tree lines the banks of the river giving its fruit each month and offering its leaves for healing.

The money that we give in our peacemaking offering this morning will be split three ways. 25% will stay locally. Our church will decide what in our area is in need of peace and contribute to that. Another 25% will be sent on to our Presbytery which will decide what in our larger area spanning from Farmville to Blacksburg is in need of peace. 50% will be sent on to the General Assembly, and be used on a national and international level to work for peace.

The money that we give might just seen like pieces of paper at first, but to those in need they are not just dollars, check, or coins but leaves for healing. But beyond the offering that we collect today, where do you pray for peace in your life? Do you know of someone who could use the healing of the leaves from John’s vision? Offer them up to God. Is there part of the world that your heart reaches out to and hears the cries of the people for an end to violence? Offer it up to God. Is there some area of your life that could use with a little soothing from the leaves fed by the water of life? Offer it to God.

We have up here a tree and I have these leaves. They may at first seem crudely cut out pieces of paper but I invite you to write your prayers for peace upon them. If you have a friend, acquaintance, or enemy in need of peace, write that on your leaf. If you yearn for peace in a region of the world, write that on your leaf. If you are in need of peace in your life, write that on your leaf, or if you prefer not to write with pen and ink, write it in your heart.

Once you have placed your prayers for peace upon your leaf, come forward and place it on the tree. We have tape up here for you to use. Place your prayers for peace upon this crudely drawn tree and offer them to God that God might make these pieces of paper, leaves of healing. After the service, feel free to retrieve your leaf and take it with you, so that as you go through the coming weeks, you might be reminded of what God can work for, with, and through you as you are nourished by the water of life and fed by a table made of humble wood.

Take a few moments in silence to offer your prayers and bring them forward.

Pray for peace.