Swords into Plowshares

Big Tent Registration Extended

The registration deadline for the Peacemaking Pre-conference Gun Violence, Gospel Values:   Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call and Conference Growing Christ’s Peace at the Big Tent is extended to JUNE 15.  Peacemaking registration scholarships funds are still available on a first come, first serve basis through June 15.  Scholarship applicants need to register for the Big Tent while awaiting scholarship approval.  No registration funds will be required, simply select the scholarship option.   Although registration for the children and youth programs is closed, a few spaces are available; parents/guardians can contact the G. A. Meeting Service.   Please register online, or download a registration form to complete and return. Contact the G.A. Meeting Service by email or at (800) 728-7228, 2417 if you have difficulties registering.

The cut–off date for reservations in the Big Tent hotels is JUNE 3.  Rooms may continue to be available after this date, but to ensure access to the conference rates ($99/night at the JW Marriott, $97/night at the Marriott Downtown), reserve lodgings as soon as possible online or by calling (800) 266-9432 and specifying “Presbyterian Church Big Tent” as you speak with a reservations agent.

A blessing

May the blessing of the God of peace and justice be with us;

May the blessing of the Son who weeps the tears of the world's suffering be with us;

And may the blessing of the Spirit, who inspires us to reconciliation and hope be with us from now into eternity.

Amen.

This blessing closed the Liturgy of the Word on the occasion of the visit to the World Council of Churches of His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on 9 May 2011. The Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed Churches participated in this service.

PC(USA) resources related to issues raised by the death of Osama bin Laden

The death of Osama bin Laden raises many issues for prayer, study, discussion, and reflection. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a number of resources available to use at this time. Among them are the Resolution on Violence, Religion and Terrorism from the 216th General Assembly (2004) and Faithful Living in a Time of Violence and Terrorism, a study paper on the resolution. The Thoughtful Christian offers a study Responding to Terrorism.

The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program offers a list of materials to help study and practice nonviolence. Resurrection Living: Journeying with the Nonviolent Christ is the most recent study resource on nonviolence for use by individuals or groups.

The General Assembly has made several statements related to Iraq and Afghanistan.

219th General Assembly (2010)

• On the War in Afghanistan

218th General Assembly (2008)

• Regarding Assistance for Iraqi Refugees
• On Building Peace in Iraq
• On Addressing the Violence and Suffering Inflicted on Iraqi Women During the Current Prolonged War

216th General Assembly (2004)

• Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future

215th General Assembly (2003)

• Iraq and Beyond

The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has identified resources for caring for those serving in the military and their families:

• Ministering to Families Affected by Military Deployment
  U.S. Army Chaplains
• The Human Effects of War
  A Reflection by the Rev. Ken Moe, Grand Canyon Presbytery
• How to Help the Family of a Deployed Soldier

Recognizing the centrality of prayer to our lives, Faithful Living in a Time of Violence and Terrorism offers the following suggestions:

• Pray for peace, for one another, the community, national and international leaders, and the people of the world in each worship service.
• Light a candle for peace in each worship service.
• Use liturgical resources from around the world in worship, such as those found in Gifts of Many Cultures.
• Hold prayer vigils with other Presbyterian congregations and with ecumenical and
  interfaith partners.
• Pray daily for one another, the community, national and international leaders, and the people of the world.
• Create a group to pray together.
• Open a part of the church daily as a place of prayer and meditation.

Prayers for those who might be touched by the spiral of violence and revenge are also important.

Published since the study guide was written, Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor contains many hymns with peace themes.

The introduction to Faithful Living in a Time of Violence and Terrorism notes: "Through Christ, we are invited to look beyond what this world presents to God’s vision of wholeness and peace and to live into the hope brought about by God’s covenant." May these resources help us respond to Christ's invitation.

 

 

 

The day of resurrection

It was good today . . .

to worship at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
in Korean and in English;

to gather with a "United Nations" of sisters and brothers,
a multicultural, inclusive community;

to hear music ranging from
Oh Happy Day to The Holy City;

to remember Naomi
who presented me the cross I wore to preach,
who lived as a child of resurrection in a world of Good Fridays;

to experience anew the reality
of the Communion of Saints -
those with whom we once share life's journey
go with us as the journey continues;

to watch the flowering of the cross
and to realize, for the first time,
that it denies not
the obscenity of crucifixion
but proclaims that,
affirms that,
though consequences continue and wounds remain,
resurrection follows - new life blooms.

It was good today.

Reposted from my personal blog - a bit after Easter Day - but in the Easter season!

What do we do?

We ansered that question on Friday for a group from First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Indiana.

At the end of a long day, at the end of a long week, the group arrived at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.

As they enjoyed cookies and pizza, we asked about what they had been doing. Their trip had included worship, visits to churches, learning about and participating in mission projects such as food pantries and soup kitchens, reflecting on the importance of advocacy, and exploring New York.

After a number of questions to the group, the group posed a question of their own: "So what do you do?"

There are two broad answers to that question. We help Presbyterians live as global disciples of Jesus. We engage in advocacy for peace and justice within the UN community, guided by policies of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Here are some of concrete ways we do that:

We engage in advocacy:

• We set up meetings for Presbyterians and our partners with UN officials and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working at the UN
• We participate in a working group of NGOs that meets with representatives of the States sitting on the Security Council
• We partner with NGOs to work on issues of food and hunger, human trafficking, and peace and justice in Israel and Palestine, Sudan, and other places
• We offer resources to individuals, congregations and other groups such as those on Libya and Cote d'Ivoire created with our partners at the Commission on the Status of Women

We help Presbyterians live as global disciples:

• We facilitate Presbyterian participation in the Commission on the Status of Women
• We host seminars for Presbyterian groups
• We create and share worship resources for dates related to the UN
• We encourage Presbyterians to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

We then offered our new friends from First Presbyterian Church an immediate opportunity and two future invitations to be global disciples.

The opportunity

We described the Red Hand Campaign to address the use of children as soldiers around the world. This campaign seeks to build international consensus and political will to halt the exploitation of children as soldiers by asking States to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The disciples from First Presbyterian Church made Red Hands that will be combined with those made by other Presbyterians (see the photo) and delivered to States that have yet to ratify the protocol.

Invitation one

We asked the group to invite others in their congregation to make Red Hands and return them to us. We encouraged the group to learn more about child soldiers and other ways to protect children from being used as soldiers.

Invitation two

We asked the group to consider supporting the UNICEF Tap Project which raises money to provide clean water to children around the world. One way to support the Tap Project is to visit a participating restaurant and pay for the tap water. Direct contributions can be made. We suggested that the group approach their Session about the possibility of inviting members to make a contribution at an upcoming coffee hour.

It was great fun meeting our brothers and sisters - and to see again the Rev. Rachel Pedersen who had once served as an intern in the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and who now is the associate pastor at First Presbyterian. We look forward to hearing about their future steps as global disciples.

Your generous gifts help support the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.

Note: providing clean water helps achieve Millennium Development Goal 4: Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate.

The photo of the group is by Ryan Smith (apologies to any folks from First Presbyterian that did not get included - we decided to do a picture on the spur of the moment as the group was leaving). The photo of the collection of Red Hands is by Ricky Velez-Negron.

Worship resources for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan

Find worship resources in English and in Spanish for services reflecting on the aftermath of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Transfiguration, St. James Presbyterian Church, the Communion of Saints

Upon entering the office of St. James Presbyterian Church (409 West 141st Street, New York, NY), I saw pictures of the congregation's history on the wall. One in particular caught my attention and the memories flooded back.

The folk of St. James had graciously invited me to preach and celebrate communion on the Sunday known as the Transfiguration of the Lord. It was my first opportunity to preach in the Presbytery of New York City. I am open to other invitations.

St. James Presbyterian Church is only a mile or so from where I live so I chose to walk - a drizzly day - but I needed the exercise.

During the service, first-time visitors were recognized - people from Norway, France, Italy, and Spain attended the service. I pointed out that I too was a first-timer. I had come all the way from Morningside Heights.

I also confessed my lack of geographical knowledge. As I walked up Amsterdam, I realized at about 130th Street that there was a bit of a climb involved to reach the church. Still that seemed fitting on the day when Matthew's gospel contained the story we know as the Transfiguration.

With help from Sister Joan Chittister, I explored the Transfiguration as moment when Jesus invited and called and challenged his followers (us included) to live our faith in God by loving God and loving and serving one another in concrete ways whether we are on a mountain or in a valley.

But before I began the sermon, I had to reflect on the picture in the office that had grasped me. A simple picture - my photo does it little justice - that carried profound meaning for me.

It is a picture of one of the former pastors of St. James - the Rev. Lenton Gunn, who died too young in 2002.

For a number of years, the Rev. Gunn had served on the advisory committee to the Presbyterian Hunger Program. For several of those years, I served with him.

The Rev. Gunn was a pastor and a deeply committed follower of Jesus who did justice, loved kindness, and walked humbly with God. It was an deep honor and privilege to stand in the pulpit where he had served so faithfully and well for so long.

It was also a profound reminder that we share the journey of faith with sisters and brothers of all places and times within that great mystery we call the Communion of Saints.

Those whose lives we once touch, remain with us always. Thanks be to God.

 

Nothing Is Lost on the Breath of God

Pam Tankersley of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa/New Zealand spoke at the Ecumenical Women's worship service this morning. She reflected on the earthquake that struck her country - of the loss of human life - the injuries - the pain in the hearts of the people - the devastation. Pam also shared stories of hope and courage and faith and efforts to clean up and plans for rebuilding. And in a powerful moment of affirmation, she shared a song by New Zealand's Colin Gibson - Nothing is Lost on the Breath of God.

Hold the people of New Zealand in prayer.

Learn more about the earthquake and its aftermath.

Worship at Ecumenical Women CSW - 2/24/11

Each day at the Commission on the Status of Women begins with worship for Ecumenical Women. Different denominations take turns leading the service. Today was the turn of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Here's the Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon.

We gathered

From churches and countries around the world, we gathered at the Church Center for the United Nations. Followers of Jesus Christ, seekers of justice, supporters of human rights for women, men, and all people, we gathered.

To dance, to worship, to pray, we gathered.

To listen, to reflect, to discuss, we gathered.

To learn, to share, to plan, we gathered.

Ecumenical Women held an orientation for women and men of faith who will be attending the Commission on the Status of Women.

Learn more from Ecumenical Women's Web site or Presbyterian Women's blog. Follow the event on Twitter at #csw. See pictures of the orientation from Ecumenical Women and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. 

The Commission on the Status of Women meets from February 22 through March 4.

Presbyterians will lead worship at the Church Center for the United Nations on February 24.

The photo of the closing worship service at the orientation is by Mark Koenig.