More resources from Ann Tews-Part III

Possible other books and articles about peace if one is interested.

Brown, Tricia Gates. Getting in the Way: Stories from Christian Peacemaker Teams.
a collection of first-person accounts from trouble spots in Haiti, Iraq, Colombia, Hebron, Mexico, and Canada. The sometimes-harrowing narratives of this small group of fierce accompaniers ring with humanity: fear, intimacy, doubt, and joy are all part of incarnating Jesus’ radical way of peace. Herald Press.

Chase, Kenneth R & Alan Jacobs, eds. Must Christianity be violent? : reflections on history, practice, and theology. Grand Rapids : Brazos Press, c2003. 1587430649
NOTES Based on a conference held Mar. 15-17, 2000 at Wheaton College.

Dear, John. “Action challenges war addiction; in word and deed, Christians owe allegiance to the peacemaking Jesus. (Paths to Peace Action). ” National Catholic Reporter. 38.25 (April 26, 2002): 33(2).

Dear, John. “Blessed are the nonviolent. ” The Other Side. 34.n1 (Jan-Feb 1998): 10(4).

Enns, Fernando, Scott Holland, & Ann Riggs. Seeking cultures of peace : a peace church conversation 1st ed.Telford, Pa. : Cascadia Pub. House ; Scottdale, Pa. : Herald Press, c2004. 193103821X

Grassi, Joseph A. Jesus is shalom : a vision of peace from the Gospels
New York : Paulist Press, 2006. ISBN 0809143089

Grassi, Joseph A. Peace on earth : roots and practices from Luke’s Gospel Collegeville, Minn. : Liturgical Press, c2004. 0814629792

Harak, G. Simon. “The God of Peace: Toward a Theology of Nonviolence. ” Theological Studies. 56.n4 (Dec 1995): 824(2).

Jegen, Mary Evelyn. Just peacemakers : an introduction to peace and justice. PUB INFO New York : Paulist Press, c2006. 978-0809143504

Jersak, Brad & Michael Hardin, eds. Stricken by God? : nonviolent identification and the victory of Christ. Grand Rapids, Mich. : William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2007. ISBN 978-08028-62877

McLaren, Brian D. Everything must change : Jesus, global crises, and a revolution of hope. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, c2007. ISBN 9780849901836

Trocme, Andre. Jesus and the nonviolent revolution; edited by Charles E. Moore. EDITION Rev. and expanded ed. Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis Books, 2004. 0874869277

Yancey, Philip. “Jesus’ sword: longing for peace in tumultuous times. (The Back Page). ” Christianity Today. 47.1 (Jan 2003): 80(1).

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More resources from Ann Tews–Part II

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The following are quotations from the New Testament. I also listed what references I used to find them. The church library contains the two books with Kohlenberger as editor.

Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children! –Matt 5:9

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mother-in law; a man’s worst enemies will be the members of his own family. Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not fit to be my disciple; whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not fit to be my disciple. Whoever does not take up his cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple. Whoever tries to gain his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will gain it.” –Matthew 10:34-39

“Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.” –Mark 9:50

Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace.” –Luke 1:78-79

But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” –Luke 7:50 (Jesus at the Home of Simon the Pharisee)

“God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God!” Then some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “command your disciples to be quiet!” Jesus answered, “I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting.” He came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it!” –Luke: 38-42

“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it is as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid. –John 14: 27

I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world! –John 16:33

Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” –John 18:36

Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what race he belongs to. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:34-36

But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles. Romans 2:10

They have not known the path of peace, nor have they learned reverence for God.
–Romans 3:17-18

Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. –Romans 5:1

To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. –Romans 8:6

Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. –Romans 12:17-18

So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another. –Romans 14:19

However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. –1 Corinthians 7:15

The gift of proclaiming God’s message should be under the speaker’s control, because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace.
–1 Corinthians 14:32-33

And now, my brothers, good-bye! Strive for perfection; listen to my appeals; agree with one another; live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
–2 Corinthians 13:11

But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. –Gal 5:22-23

For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with himself, in this way making peace. By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to god. So Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to all—to you Gentiles who were far away from God, and the Jews, who were near to him. –Ephesians 2:14-17

Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. –Ephesians 4:3

So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.
–Ephesians 6:15

And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Jesus Christ. –Phil 4:7

Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s sacrificial death on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. –Coloss 1:20

The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. Coloss 3:15

When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.
–1 Thess 5:3

First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. –1 Tim 2:1-2

Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help. –2 Tim 2:22

Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. –Hebrews 12:14

And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace. –James 3:18

As the scripture says, “Whoever wants to enjoy life and wishes to see good times, must keep from speaking evil and must stop telling lies. He must turn away from evil and do good; he must strive for peace with all his heart. For the Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their prayers; but he opposes those who do evil.” –1Peter 3:10-12

The Amplified Bible includes the following regarding heart & soul peace: 1 Corinthian 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thess 1:12; Galatians 1: 3

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Anderson, Ken. Where to Find it in the Bible: the Ultimate A to Z Resource. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1996

Kohlenberger III, John R. The Concise Concordance to the New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press. 1993.

Whitaker, Richard E and John R Kohlenberger III. The Analytical Concordance to the New Revised Standard Version of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2000.
# Anne Tews Says:

Peace Resources from Ann Tews–Part I

The Pilgrim Library has the following NEW books covering peace and non-violence issues.

Halper, Jeff. Obstacles to Peace: Reframing the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict
Lutz, Charles P & Robert O. Smith. Christians & a Land Called Holy: How We Can Foster Justice .

Mortenson, Greg and David O Relin. 3 Cups of Tea: 1 Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time.

de Gruchy, John W. Reconciliation: Restoring Justice

Kraybill, Donald B, Steven M Nolt & D L Weaver. Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy

Miles, Al. Ending Violence in Teen Dating Relationships

Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: Language of Life:

Vennard, Jane E. Praying for Friends and Enemies (Face to Face w/ God)
Hirschfield, Rabbi Brad. You Don’t Have to Be Wrong For Me to Be Right.
Simpson, Gary M. War, Peace & God: Rethinking Just-War Tradition.
Collins, John Joseph Does the Bible Justify Violence?

Nelson, Pallmeyer, Jack. Is Religion Killing Us? Violence in the Bible & the Quran

Greetings from Pastor Carol–post from Iona

Dear fellow pilgrims,

The grace of the triune God be with you all!

Greetings from the Pilgrim pilgrims!

We have been having days of blessing, giving thanks for God’s gift of the “precious present” as we have journeyed here in Scotland. We began with a day of pilgrimage around Glasgow, led by former Iona Community leader John Harvey. Then, we sojourned on, by train, ferry, bus, and ferry, to the Isle of Iona and the Iona Community, which is an ecumenical Christian community that has had a home base in the Iona Abbey, which is a restored Benedictine abbey from the 1200’s. We have shared days in the abbey, days full of worship, work (all in the community share in the chores), discussion (the theme of the week was “Weaving Community in the City”), meals eaten family style, amazing hikes, a great talent show, a ceillidh (a community dance), and many great connections of the heart and of the world. During the week, we were also graciously invited to be among the worshippers at a service of blessing in the abbey for Patrick and Aidan, who were part of the Abbey community during the week. In fact, two of our Pilgrim group were asked to be readers of scripture in the service.

When we returned to Glasgow, Ruth Harvey (who you may remember as one of the Pilgrim renewers-in-residence a few years ago) met us and took us to tea. It was wonderful to see her and her three young girls again.

There is more to tell, but this needs to be a brief blog from afar, on behalf of the Pilgrim pilgrims. Please know that you have been in our hearts and prayers.

Blessings to you all!

In the grace of God,

Pastor Carol

2008 School Tools Drive

The Mission and Social Justice Committee invites you to participate in the 2008 Pilgrim School Tools Drive, sponsored by the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches.  With the cost of necessities rising rapidly, the need is especially acute for low-income children (K-12) at risk of beginning school without the proper supplies.  From July 27 through August 17, school supplies will be collected at Pilgrim.

Pilgrim members are asked to help gather school supplies for children in need.  Please place new school supplies in the School Tools collection box in the narthex by August 17.   School supplies will be delivered on August 18.  Especially needed are the following items (for a full list, click here):

• Backpacks

• 3-ring binder s & Trapper Keepers

• Calculators

• Pocket dictionaries

• Facial tissue (boxes or individual packs)

• Spiral notebooks (wide-ruled)

School Tools go to benefit students in St. Paul area communities and ensure they have a successful learning experience marked with dignity when school begins this fall.  Supplies collected by St. Paul area churches are distributed to schoolchildren by nine partner organizations that work directly with low-income children and families.  Partner organizations include the Community School of Excellence, Project SPIRIT, and St. Paul Public Schools Program for Homeless Families and Children.

For more information, please contact Pilgrim member Jay Oakman at justin_oakman@hotmail.com .  Thank you for supporting this year’s School Tools Drive!

Tony Campolo at the St. Paul Area Synod Assembly

The assembly was not only a business meeting. It was also a development experience. Author Tony Campolo spoke to us several times during the Assembly. Here’s a brief summary:

Resolutions at the St. Paul Synod Assembly

We voted on a number of important resolutions at the St. Paul Area Synod Assembly. Here’s a brief summary of the resolutions.

Mission Work at the St. Paul Area Synod Assembly

We heard about the extensive mission work that is done through our Synod.

At the St. Paul Synod Assembly–Part I

Here’s the first of a short series of brief summaries of the recent St. Paul Area Synod Assembly, attended by Paul Hardt, Pastor Carol Tomer, Natalie Hokanson, and Joan Regal.

Here’s the link to the St. Paul Area Synod-ELCA.

More on The Vietnam Tapes from MPR

When Dan Kleven served in combat in Vietnam in 1970, he was sent on a raid into Cambodia.  He describes finding a cache of supplies.  I have copied the following from MPR’s transcript of the program.  This is Dan Kleven speaking in an audio cassette letter to his folks on a dairy farm outside of Willmar, Minnesota.

I know something I didn’t mention. We found this medical cache. It had everything you could think of. It had heroin, it had morphine, it had barbiturates and amphetamines and every kind of drug. All of them in vials from France and Russia, Great Britain, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and all these different places where all these drugs came from.

They had a whole big bag full of syringes, sterile syringes, and they were from the United States. They were given by American Friends Service Committee — Quakers. And what I’ll do, I’ll send this deal home in this tape and you can show it to whoever you like. But it really made us guys mad because you know, we’re over here fighting and you got bunch of idiots sending the North Vietnamese people supplies and stuff. Goll, I can’t hardly believe it. It really made us mad anyway, but I’m going to send it home in the tape and let you read it.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/07/02/vietnamtranscript/

He’s nineteen or twenty years old here, a soldier in a country we Americans never learned about in school, nonetheless, we were trying to save it. 

In June, Pastor Wayne delivered a sermon in which he talked about traveling with the Lutheran World Relief to Ethiopia in the late 1980s.  There was a famine in Ethiopia and various countries had donated food but the food was not being delivered to the people who were hungry.  To help, the Lutheran World Relief bought Mercedes Benz trucks to transport the food from the docks to the feeding stations.  Pastor Wayne wasin a delegation to see if the food was being delivered to the hungry masses. 

Yes, it was.  And after it was delivered, the Merceded Benz trucks were confiscated by the government.  These fine trucks would make no more deliveries of food to the hungry; they would now go into service for a government that was willing to starve its own people.  But before that had happened, they had each made one delivery of food to starving people. 

My comment:  It is difficult to do service.  Once our good intentions have left our hands, we cannot know what will happen, if our good intentions will be diverted, even perverted.  Perhaps our life-saving supplies will fall into the hands of the enemies, the wicked, the corrupt, the spooks. 

Perhaps we can take comfort in Jesus’ command, “Love your enemies.”  It is difficult, but sometimes we might do it despite our efforts otherwise. 

Reva Rasmussen