Swords into Plowshares

Plan for World AIDS Day - December 1, 2009

World AIDS Day, December 1, is the one day of the year when individuals, churches and organizations from around the world come together to remember that all our lives are touched by AIDS, especially those living with HIV and AIDS. It is the one day in the year where issues surrounding HIV and AIDS can take center stage. Responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a task for peacemakers. [pdf]

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages congregations to make the most of World AIDS Day 2009 by engaging in some form of worship, event or advocacy effort focused on HIV and AIDS. Learn how you can get involved.

Hymn lamenting gun violence

As we reflect on incidents of gun violence in Fort Hood and Orlando and in places that did not make the national news, "God of Mercy, You Have Shown Us" is a hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette that can be used in private prayers and in corporate worship. A version of the hymn with words and music [PDF] is available.

This hymn may be reproduced and used in nonprofit worship with the inclusion of the complete copyright citation plus the words "Used by permission." It may not be used for profit, sold, republished, altered or placed on a Web site. Links to the hymn may be made.

Pray for peace

This week, Spiritual Nurture for Peacemakers features a prayer for peace based on Psalm 122, a prayer for farm workers, and a prayer for the time of an election. November 1 is Christian and Citizen Sunday in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

These prayers may be used in individual devotions or in corporate worship.

Proclaiming the Good News of God's Peace

Peacemakers from across the United States and around God's world contributed to Proclaiming the Good News of God's Peace, a daily devotional booklet for Advent 2009.

Using lectionary texts, the writers reflect on God's gift of peace and explore what it ways to live as peacemakers following Jesus during the Advent season and throughout the year.

Use Proclaiming the Good News of God's Peace in your personal devotions. Share copies with family and friends including those who homebound, in nursing homes, serving in the military or away at school.

Produced by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Proclaiming the Good News of God's Peace costs $.40 a copy.

Advent begins this year on November 29.

Stopping torture - an Advent resource

The National Religious Coalition Against Torture announces a new resource [PDF] for Christian clergy to use during Advent 2009.

With sections for all four Sundays in Advent, as well as Christmas Eve, the new resource [PDF] provides commentary on the scriptures and sermon notes that help connect the scriptures with today's national dialog on the use of torture. It combines scholarly research and exegesis of the lectionary readings with a conversational tone that makes it easy to build upon the ideas in developing sermons. The author is the Rev. Kirsten Klepfer, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Grinnell, Iowa.

Worship Resources from a variety of faiths are also available. Send suggestions for additional prayers and worship materials to John Humphries.

General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have addressed the issue of stopping torture on several occasions. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, in partnership with No2Torture (a grassroots Presbyterian Organization) and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, provides additional resources and links to more information.

A prayer for United Nations Day

Here is a prayer for the United Nations for use in relation to United Nations Day (October 24) or any appropriate time:

God of compassion, walk alongside all of your global stewards who work to create a more just and peaceful world. Equip the United Nations community with a sense of urgency and humility that lets your will be done. Each day you give bread enough for all, grant us also the wisdom to ensure that everyone has enough.Teach the world’s leaders to forgive, to extend welcome across borders. Show the world a new path beyond greed, oppression, and division. We pray for a world united. We pray for the power to save succeeding generations from war. We pray for a glory that reaffirms the dignity and worth of every person. We pray that your grace might ensure life in larger freedom forever, for all of your children. Amen.

Jessica Hawkinson
Associate for International Relations and Education
Presbyterian United Nations Office

Photo of the United Nations General Assembly by UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.

Worship resources for United Nations Day

October 24 is United Nations Day. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian United Nations Office offer worship materials for use on Sunday, October 25 or another time.

Download O God Who Formed Creation [PDF], a hymn by the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, co-pastor of Limestone Presbyterian Church.

Find prayers, bulletin inserts, and more.

Here is one prayer:

Great God,
supreme ruler of all the earth,
give vision to those who serve the United Nations.
With justice and goodwill, may they take down barriers
and draw the world together in peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

— from Peacemaking through Worship: Volume I by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program

Pray for peace October 11

This week, Spiritual Nurture for Peacemakers includes a prayer of confession for use on Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday, a prayer for those affected by natural disaster, and a prayer for International Peacemakers and those who hear them.

The prayers may be used or adapted for use in individual devotions or corporate worship.

Prayer for Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday

This Sunday, October 11, raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic — observe Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday. Among the many resources available to plan for this event is the It's a Matter of Faith packet. Order or download Africa’s Children: A Church Response to Children’s Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Find resources from the Presbyterian AIDS Network. Explore the connections between responding to AIDS and peacemaking. [PDF]

Here is a prayer for Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program:

God of comfort and compassion, we pray for people around your world who are infected with or affected by AIDS and HIV. We pray for those who live with HIV/AIDS; for those who have lost someone to HIV/AIDS; for those who love or know someone who is ill; for those who provide care; for those who do research and seek to alleviate the pandemic. We turn to you for healing. Comfort those who are fearful, anxious, or perplexed. Strengthen those who grieve. Sustain those who struggle.  Guide those who study.  Move us all to seek ways to care for one another. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

If you cannot observe Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday on October 11, feel free to use the resources on another day to lift up our concerns for our sisters and brothers impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Celebrating World Communion Sunday together

Many congregations hold joint worship services on World Communion Sunday to celebrate the unity that is ours in Christ.

Here is one example from Carroll County in Indiana.

Cutler Presbyterian Church, Deer Creek Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Delphi and the Flora Presbyterian Church will come together to celebrate World Communion Sunday on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. in the Carroll Jr.- Sr. High School auditorium.

They have invited the community to join them and break bread, not as individual congregations but as united sisters and brothers in Christ.

During the service, a special offering will be collected for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Peacemaking Offering. A portion of the offering will go to the Carroll County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.