ALSO:    The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program provides lots of good resources for study, worship, and action.

Eleven international peacemakers from countries around the world are visiting congregations and presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) from Sept. 23-Oct. 18.

They are sharing their stories about church-based ministries in their countries that seek peace justice and pursue peace in the name of Jesus Christ. This year’s international peacemakers come from Bangladesh, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia and Sudan.

The International Peacemaker program is sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

Here are a few samples, with thanks to Presbyterian News Service:

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‘Know justice, know peace; know peace, know justice’

Peace cannot be achieved in isolation from justice, Indian peacemaker says

Q: What is the situation in your country that you will be addressing?

Q: How are the faith communities addressing this situation?

“The Church of North India is into gender justice, sensitizing churches and communities. We stand firmly against corruption because it has such harmful effects on all people.

“We are setting up dialogues among Christians, Hindus and Muslims. This is very important because the Christian church is isolated and fundamentalists are trying to drive us all apart.” More than 120 Christian churches have been destroyed in north India as a result of sectarian strife.

Q: What lessons from your situation are you trying to communicate to U.S. Presbyterians?

“These issues don’t have a particular religion or country – they are common issues, so must all work together, join hands, to address them.”

Q: What is the primary message you want to communicate to U.S. Presbyterians?

“Peace is universal and cannot be built in isolation from justice. Know justice, know peace and know peace, know justice.”

To see this report on the PCUSA website >>

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Some of the other international peacemakers on whom reports have been posted are:

Living out Micah 6:8

Presbyterians should reclaim Calvin’s social engagement message, Madagascar peacemaker says

The Rev. Hubert Rakotoarivony is a minister in the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM). He leads his denomination’s Commission on the Life of the Country and at the same time works as resource person at the Christian Council in Madagascar on the forgiveness, peace, justice, and reconciliation process program.He sums up his message to the PC(USA): “The basic message of Protestantism, the main message of Calvin, I would say, has always been social engagement. When Calvin saw the uneven and unjust economic structure, he offered alternatives — the first kind of capitalism ever. ... [To demonstrate this today we must] bring the theological concepts back to earth in a practical way, becoming the voice of the vulnerable, minorities, those who don’t have the voice to speak up.” More >>

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Sacrificial service leads to Christ’s peace, Guatemala peacemaker says

Juana Herlinda Yac Salanic is from the western highlands of Guatemala, where she has held many leadership positions in her presbytery’s women’s group, of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala. She is currently recording secretary for the denomination’s Presbyterian Women.

She said she “will be talking mainly about health care, access to health care and growing malnutrition and the need for our government to take action. We want to see changes but we know it won’t be quick. Our goal is healthy citizens.”

Her message for U.S. Presbyterians? “If they love their neighbors with the love of Christ and sacrifice themselves for their neighbors, they can have the peace Christ taught us.”   More >>

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No fear

Mutual respect between Christians, Muslims possible, Bangladesh peacemaker says

The Rev. Samuel Sunil Mankhin is the bishop of Kushtia Diocese and deputy moderator of the Church of Bangladesh. His message to U.S. Christians? “There are growing numbers of Muslims in the U.S. They are not outsiders – make friends and be both frank with them and in solidarity with them when there’s trouble. I have experienced mutual respect in Bangladesh and it can happen too in the U.S.”   More >>

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‘Dare to be sympathetic’

Fundamentalism is easier, but unrewarding, says peacemaker from Israel/Palestine

Arda Aghazarian is an Armenian Palestinian Christian, born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem. She is the Media and Advocacy Coordinator at the YWCA of Palestine.

She says of her own experience in Israel/Palestine: “I’ve learned that it may be easier to become a fundamentalist … but it’s not rewarding. It’s a more difficult path to take to have more questions than answers and to be open-minded and dare to by sympathetic.”

Her message to U.S. Presbyterians?

The United States was not attacked.
Congress has not declared war.

Those inconveniences are so last century. Libya is the latest notch on the oil spigot as the United States Empire is now at war with three Muslim countries all at the same time.

These are the opening lines of John Shuck’s brief but sharp criticism of the U.S. involvement in military action against the Gadhafi regime in Libya. He even throws in a few lines from Reinhold Niebuhr for good measure!

Click here for his full comment >>

Preaching Peace, Living Nonviolence:
Resources for Worship, Study and Action

[2-19-11]

This Sunday/February 20th’s Lectionary Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:38-44

[Jesus said] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

"The only people on earth who do not see Christ and His teachings as nonviolent are Christians."  Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)

This coming Sunday, February 20th, preachers and worshippers have an opportunity to understand Christ’s call to nonviolence in his famous Sermon on the Mount in light of amazing reports of the nonviolent revolutions in the Middle East.

Walter Wink is a biblical scholar probably best known for his creative ways of doing Bible study (Transforming Bible Study) and his three volume series on Powers. He wrote a thoughtful explanation of the practical relevancy of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:38-44 in an article that is available for everyone to read online titled “Beyond Just War and Pacifism: Jesus' Nonviolent Way.” Here is an excerpt on part of his discussion about “turning the other cheek” (best understood in the context of Jesus’ complete teaching that the whole Wink article explains so well):

"If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also."  Why the right cheek?  A blow by the right fist in that right-handed world would land on the left cheek of the opponent.  An open-handed slap would also strike the left cheek.  To hit the right cheek with a fist would require using the left hand, but in that society the left hand was used only for unclean tasks.  Even to gesture with the left hand at Qumran carried the penalty of ten days' penance.   The only way one could naturally strike the right cheek with the right hand would be with the back of the hand.  We are dealing here with insult, not a fistfight.  The intention is clearly not to injure but to humiliate, to put someone in his or her place...   A backhand slap was the usual way of admonishing inferiors.  Masters backhanded slaves; husbands, wives; parents, children; men, women; Romans, Jews. We have here a set of unequal relations, in each of which retaliation would be suicidal.  The only normal response would be cowering submission. Part of the confusion surrounding these sayings arises from the failure to ask who Jesus' audience was.  In all three of the examples in Matt. 5:39b-41, Jesus' listeners are not those who strike, initiate lawsuits, or impose forced labor, but their victims ("If anyone strikes you...wants to sue you...forces you to go one mile...").  There are among his hearers people who were subjected to these very indignities, forced to stifle outrage at their dehumanizing treatment by the hierarchical system of caste and class, race and gender, age and status, and as a result of imperial occupation. Why then does he counsel these already humiliated people to turn the other cheek?  Because this action robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate.  The person who turns the other cheek is saying, in effect, "Try again.  Your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect.  I deny you the power to humiliate me.  I am a human being just like you.  Your status does not alter that fact.  You cannot demean me."      Such a response would create enormous difficulties for the striker.  Purely logistically, how would he hit the other cheek now turned to him?  He cannot backhand it with his right hand (one only need try this to see the problem).   If he hits with a fist, he makes the other his equal, acknowledging him as a peer.  But the point of the back of the hand is to reinforce institutionalized inequality.  Even if the superior orders the person flogged for such "cheeky" behavior (this is certainly no way to avoid conflict!), the point has been irrevocably made.  He has been given notice that this underling is in fact a human being.  In that world of honor and shaming, he has been rendered impotent to instill shame in a subordinate.   He has been stripped of his power to dehumanize the other.  As Gandhi taught, "The first principle of nonviolent action is that of noncooperation with everything humiliating." [read the rest of Wink’s article online for many other new insights into Jesus’ teachings].

Wink goes into more detail in his book, Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way (Fortress Press, 2003). He also edited Peace Is the Way: Writings on Nonviolence from the Fellowship of Reconciliation (Orbis Books, 2000). Another excellent resource is a book (now for free online) by Albert C. Winn, President Emeritus of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary: Ain’t Gonna Study War No More: Biblical Ambiguity and the Abolition of War. A more recent book by a Mennonite scholar (who got his PhD from Princeton Seminary) is Covenant of Peace: The Missing Peace in New Testament Theology and Ethics by Willard M. Swartley that will enriched people’s study of any of the New Testament book from a unique perspective.

Some people (Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others) have been inspired and have sought to follow Jesus’ biblical teaching for nonviolence for centuries with the most recent evidence seen in the Middle East. “Egypt: Another Step Towards Mainstreaming Nonviolence” by Ken Butigan on the Sojourners web site declares “The movement that ended President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year autocratic rule has not only created a spectacular breakthrough for Egyptian democracy, it has bequeathed a priceless gift to the rest of us in every part of the planet. For 18 days the Egyptian people carried out an unarmed revolution with determination, creativity, and a daring willingness to risk. They marched, they improvised, they prayed, they connected with one another. Most of all, they stayed put — and invited the nation to join them. Faced with a corrupt and dictatorial police state, such a movement might have been tempted to wage armed struggle. Instead, they reached for, experimented with, and remained largely steadfast about another way: nonviolent people power; hence, the tactics they chose: massive demonstrations, brazen and ubiquitous use of social media, befriending the army, work stoppages, and eventually the call for a general strike.”

It is a mistake to think the events of recent weeks in the Middle East as being simply spontaneous; they actually came from years of training in nonviolence. See posting from the Fellowship of Reconciliation that includes an online video as well as a photo of Christians and Muslims together seeking nonviolent change in Egypt. The New York Times’ February 16th front page featured an article about Gene Sharp who has been writing for many years on the practical applications of nonviolence, including for overthrowing dictators. Scientific American (!) had an article titled "Egypt's revolution vindicates Gene Sharp's theory of nonviolent activism" by John Horgan, February 11, 2011. Sharp’s Albert Einstein Institution offers many free, downloadable resource on nonviolence.

Presbyterian minister Roger S. Powers worked with Gene Sharp for many years. Powers edited an amazing resource title Protest, Power, and Change: An Encyclopedia of Nonviolent Action from ACT-UP to Women's Suffrage. In 2010 Powers co-authored with Sarah Henken a wonderful resource for the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program that describes it in this way: Resurrection Living: Journeying with the Nonviolent Christ is designed as a journal to help individuals explore the theology and ethics of nonviolence and ways to practice it in their daily lives. It invites users to engage in prayerful reflection on Scripture, documents of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the writings of theologians and practitioners of nonviolence through the ages. The fifty-two entries may be used individually or in community on a daily or weekly basis. Ideas for using the journal in various settings are included. However the journal is used, at its heart is an invitation to ponder, “What does it mean for me to follow the nonviolent Christ today in the place where I live and around God’s world?”

A excellent resource for worship on Sunday mornings is The Sermon on the Mount: A Service of Lessons and Songs. This creative service is patterned after the Service of Lessons and Carols for Christmas with this new service based on Jesus' teachings for faith, peace and justice in Matthew 5-7. Christians can hear the entire Sermon on the Mount read in parts in this new worship service with the readings followed by stanzas of four new hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (to well known hymn tunes) based on each part of Jesus' teachings. This special service of biblical readings, prayers and new hymns is about 40 minutes in length so it can easily be used for a Sunday morning service with time for additions like pastoral prayers and offering. Donations for using this creative worship service are requested to go to CARES, an exciting educational program for children in Honduras started by Catherine Gillette. "The Sermon on the Mount" is the source of the lectionary gospel readings for January 30th through February 27th; this whole service could be used on any of those Sundays or at another time like a summer Sunday led by lay readers alone. Presbyterian Women might want to use it in the coming year when they study the Beatitudes (the first hymn is a paraphrase of them).  "The Sermon on the Mount Service by Carolyn Gillette beautifully coordinates Jesus' deep words with contemporary music and prayers. I warmly recommend her work to the churches!"— F. Dale Bruner, author of Matthew: A Commentary. Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12 and Volume 2:  The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28.

The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s 219th General Assembly approved an overture from National Capital Presbytery calling the church to a time of discernment "to Seek Clarity on Whether God Is Calling the Church to Embrace Nonviolence as Its Response to War and Terror."

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (the oldest denominational group supporting nonviolence) is inviting everyone to the Second Annual Convocation of Peacemakers at Stony Point Center, to be held April 7 – 9, 2011. There will be tracks on Becoming a Peace Church, on Confronting Racism, Colombia Accompaniment (led by two church women from Barranquilla), Israel/Palestine (with leadership from Rihamm Barghouti), and Preventing Gun Violence (with colleagues from the Heeding God’s Call effort in Baltimore). Stony Point Center, with the leadership of Rick and Kitty Ufford-Chase, is supporting The Community of Living Traditions (a multifaith residential community of Muslims, Jews and Christians at Stony Point Center committed to nonviolence and peace) and the Luke 6 Project (Christian community dedicated to the study and practice of nonviolence in solidarity with partners of other faith traditions).

Resources for small group studies includes The Thoughtful Christian’s Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence? by David Rensberger (Professor of New Testament at the Interdenominational Theological Center) and Sojourners’ Christians and Nonviolence featuring many writers. Both of these resources can be downloaded at anytime off web sites. A good (free) handout for Sunday morning and for small group reflection is the Pledge for Nonviolence developed for the Institute for Peace and Justice with versions of the pledge for families, schools, churches and other groups.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”(Matthew 5:9 NRSV)

Focus will be on the country of Colombia    [2-2-2011]

Among the leaders will be Rev. Adelaida Jinenez and Rev. Gloria Ulloa from the Colombia Presbyterian Church. Revs. Jimenez and Ulloa are leaders in the work with the displaced persons communities in the Presbytery of the North Coast there. Rev. Jimenez is also dean of religious studies at the Reformed University in Barranquilla and Rev. Ulloa is Director and chaplain at the Colegio Americano there.

Join us to learn the latest effects of U. S. policy on life in Colombia – the building of 7 new U. S. military bases there. Apply through www.presbypeacefellowship.org

The General Assembly Mission Council has announced that the Rev. Mark Koenig has been selected as the new director of Presbyterian ministry at the United Nations. Koenig brings 30 years of experience in ministry, serving congregations, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, and the General Assembly Mission Council. He has been on the staff of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, since 2002, and has served as its coordinator since 2007.

This news comes from the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship’s Executive Director, Rick Chase, and is slightly edited here:

The Fellowship of Reconciliation released a report on Thursday that has significant bearing on PPF's work in Colombia.

Click here to get the summary, the recommendations, and the full report through the PPF website.

Extensive research by FOR's staff and colleagues shows fairly conclusively that there is at least a correlation, if not a causal link, between U.S. Military aid to Colombia and the number of civilian deaths in the areas where the Colombian Military is most active.

"For the 16 largest increases of aid ... the number of reported executions in the jurisdiction increased an average of 56% .... In other words, when there were significant increases in assistance to units, there were increases in reported killings in the periods following the assistance in the assisted units' areas of operation."

This has significant implications for U.S. funding there, and appears to be a violation of the Leahy Amendment, which "prohibits assistance to any foreign security force unit if the State Department has credible evidence that the unit has committed gross human rights violations." ...

Please take the time to read the entire report, which is well-documented and powerfully written, then take action by contacting Secretary of State Clinton, and share it with others.

If you would like to join a group that is working on closing U.S. Military Bases in Colombia, please write to ppfwitness@presbyvoicesforjustice.org .

Peace, peace, though there is no peace,

A crucial, necessary step

The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued the following statement today in response to the signing of a new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) by President Obama and President Medvedev:

The new nuclear arms reduction treaty signed by the United States and Russia on April 8 in Prague is an event that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long awaited. This initiative resonates with the vision of the prophet Micah who looked toward the day when nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Micah 4:3). Guided by this biblical vision, General Assemblies of the church and its predecessors have understood that following Jesus and working for God’s intended order and life abundant involve seeking international disarmament and arms control measures. ... This could also lead to further reduction in their nuclear arsenals. We give thanks for the courage and will to negotiate this treaty and we look forward to its ratification.

Rick Ufford-Chase, co-director of Stony Point Center, and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, has sent to members of PPF some information about some good resources and opportunities as we enter into Lent:

Christian Peace Witness is ready to bring:

Tony Campolo,
Sr. Dianna Ortiz,
Rev. Lennox Yearwood,
Kathy Kelly,
Joshua Casteel,
Liz McAlister,
Noah Baker Merrill & Ken Butigan
to YOUR CHURCH for Lent!

Just click here to learn more.

Along with a dvd featuring profound inspiration from these faith leaders, our Lenten study includes:

Send a message of peace to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver

We have received an interesting note from Martha Juillerat, who for some years played a vital role in carrying on the Shower of Stoles Project, beginning in the PC(USA) and expanding to gather and display stoles from many denominations that told powerful stories of men and women who believe they are called to ordained ministry, but have been excluded because of their sexual orientation – or who are serving in ministry in spite of that barrier.

Martha and her spouse Tammy now live as a happily married couple in Vancouver, where they own and operate a thrift shop that benefits the Richmond Women's Resource Centre and Alzheimer Society of B.C.

Dear friends,

As you know from our Christmas note, Tammy and I are coordinating the 2010 Peace Project during the upcoming Winter Olympics. The Peace Project is a consortium of people and programs working on issues related to hunger, poverty, equality and the environment, from Western Canada to South Africa and beyond. Our shop, Memories Thrift Store, is right in the middle Olympics action, between the Olympic Speed Skating Oval and the “Ozone” Celebration venue. Given our highly visible location, we decided to give over our storefront to raise awareness of the global need for the things that make for lasting peace: food security, affordable housing, stability, equality, and an end to violence. You can read more about our project at: www.memoriesthriftstore.com/2010_Peace_Project

We need your help with one thing: We are hoping to collect brief messages of peace from around the world. We will print these and post them all over the front of the store, along the street, and throughout the store as well. We don’t need brilliant missives, just a short message from the heart will do. We are hoping that you will forward this request on to your friends, co-workers or families as well (you might want to add a personal note to your forward so they don’t think this is a chain letter or something!) Also, if you belong to a church, Amnesty International group, Sierra Club, local poverty response organization, food bank, human rights organization, or any other group concerned with social justice, please consider asking friends from these groups to send us a message as well. We expect over 25,000 people a day to see our storefront, so the more messages we receive the more of an impact this will have!

The Olympics begin on Feb. 12, so we need these messages as soon as possible! Messages can be emailed to: 2010peaceproject@presbyvoicesforjustice.org Please include your name (just a first name is okay) and your hometown and country.

Thanks for your help!

Martha Juillerat
Email  2010peaceproject@presbyvoicesforjustice.org  

PVJ's Facebook page

Mitch Trigger, PVJ's Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!

John Shuck’s new "Religion for Life" website

Long-time and stimulating blogger John Shuck, a Presbyterian minister currently serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tenn., writes about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and lightening up.

Click here for his blog posts.

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

Got more blogs to recommend?