| |
Peacemaking Issues --
2010 |
Some major areas of concern are:
ALSO: The
Presbyterian Peacemaking
Program provides lots of good resources for study, worship, and
action.
|
For a list of our reports from 2008-09 >>
For an archive of our posts on peacemaking, 2005-07 >>
For an index
to peacemaking issues, 2003-2004 >>
And for items from 2001 -
2002 >> |
International peacemakers bring vital perspectives to the PC(USA)
[10-6-11] 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:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘Know justice, know peace; know peace, know justice’
Peace cannot be achieved in isolation from
justice, Indian peacemaker says
 |
Neerja Rajeev Prasad
—Jerry L. Van Marter |
Neerja Rajeev Prasad is secretary of the women’s fellowship for
Christian service at the synod and diocesan level of the Church of
North India in Nagpur.Q: What is the
situation in your country that you will be addressing?
“I will be speaking about gender justice and
equality, corruption, interfaith relations (between Christians,
Hindus and Muslims), violence against women and the impact of
modernity on indigenous people. Of course, the biggest challenge is
poverty.”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 >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loving
God by loving neighbor
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 >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘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?
“Fundamentalism isn’t
strictly [only] in the Middle East.” Aghazarian said that
fundamentalism and polarization can also be seen in U.S. politics,
with each side sticking to its own convictions without question.
More >> |
Expanding
Empire's Wars
[3-20-11]
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 >>
We welcome other comments on the military and
other actions against the Libyan government.
Just
send a note,
to be shared here. |
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)
Bruce Gillette and his wife Carolyn are the co-pastors of
Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE. He also serves
on the National Committee of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
and the Governing Board for the Stony Point Center. Email:
bcgillette@comcast.net |
The Presbyterian Peace
Fellowship is sponsoring a "Peace Consultation" on Apr 7-9 at
Stony Point Conference Center. 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
Thanks to Anne Barstow, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship |
Mark Koenig named director of Presbyterian ministry at the UN
[9-25-10]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.
"Mark brings many gifts to this ministry,"
said Sara Lisherness, director of Compassion Peace and Justice
for the General Assembly Mission Council. "He is deeply
committed to a ministry of presence in the church, connecting
with and listening to the church. He values Presbyterian polity
and works faithfully to interpret and implement the social
witness policies adopted by the General Assembly. He is a
pastor, an educator and most of all a faithful servant to the
ministry of Jesus Christ."
More>> |
New Report: U.S. Military aid to Colombia has direct,
negative effect on human rights
[8-2-10] 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,
Rick |
Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons expresses thanks for new
strategic arms limitation treaty
[4-10-10]
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.
The full text of the statement >> |
Peace-oriented resources and events
[2-19-10]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:
 | There are
two Lenten resources that you might find
useful. One is a dvd produced by Christian Peace Witness
that contains ten to fifteen minute segments to be used
weekly as a tool for reflecting on war, and violence, as we
move through Lent. You can order it at
christianpeacewitness.org. The second is a series from
the folks thinking about “Biblical Feasting” at Stony Point
Center to help individuals, families and communities to give
up unhealthy and unsustainable eating for Lent. Check it out
at
stonypointcenter.org. |
 |
Christian Peace Witness is
encouraging regional, faith-based witnesses against the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan between Easter and Pentecost. Go to
christianpeacewitness.org for more information about how
to plan and register an event in your area, or to find
others who are interested in doing so. |
 | The
Convocation of Peacemakers will take
place at Stony Point Center in New York on April 15 to 17.
Dr. Obery Hendricks will keynote what we hope will be a
deep, thoughtful conversation about what it means to respond
to violence, terror and war in our time. There will be
worship, workshops and “Open Space” to strategize and plan
together about how to impact the Presbyterian Church and the
broader world. (Cost is $230 per person – minimal
scholarships are available) |
 | The
Luke 6 Project, a nascent,
geographically dispersed, Christian Community committed to
nonviolence and spiritual discipline practiced in small
groups, will meet immediately following the PPF Convocation.
Please stay on if you can for this unfolding conversation
about the formation of this new community. (Cost is $150 per
person) |
 |
General Assembly for the
PC(USA) is happening in Minneapolis from July 3 to July 10.
Come join the PPF in our witness if you can, which include
the
Peace Breakfast on Wednesday, July 7th, and the
Overtures to end the War in Afghanistan that have now
passed in numerous Presbyteries.
Let us know if
your Presbytery has passed an Overture on Peaceamaking that
should be on our radar screen. |
|
Lenten study with a Peace focus
[1-25-10]
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:
 | biblical reflections on
lectionary passages for each Sunday in Lent - plus Easter
(good preaching resource!); |
 | prayers and litanies
for worship; and |
 | seven complete study
lessons which can be used as a series or individually. |
CLICK HERE to download a sample of the study text and watch
a sneak preview (via youtube) for the first two sessions. |
Martha
Juillerat and Tammy Lindahl invite you: Send a
message of peace to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver
[1-22-10]
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
|
| |
|
Some blogs worth visiting |
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!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
|
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.
Click here for podcasts of his radio program, which "explores
the intersection of religion, social justice and public life." |
|
John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New York City and the Queens
neighborhood of Ridgewood -- by a progressive New York City
Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the Witherspoon
board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian Church in
Flushing, NY. |
|
Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
|
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
|
|