Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, Aung San Suu Kyi,
and Nelson Mandela are among twenty Nobel Peace Laureates who
have sponsored an appeal for a decade-long emphasis on peacemaking.
The Appeal calls for beginning the new millennium with intensive
efforts "at every level of society . . . to teach the practical
meaning and benefits of nonviolence in our daily lives in order
to reduce violence and build a new culture of nonviolence."
This Nobel Appeal has been endorsed by 31 ELCA synods, the
ELCA divisions for Church in Society, Global Mission, and Higher
Education; the Commission for Women; Women of the ELCA; and the
1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In late 1998, the United Nations
voted to designate the years 2001-2010 the "International
Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence." More than
74 million people have signed a pledge of nonviolence since then.
These developments offer a unique opportunity for Christians
to strengthen our peacemaking, a role Jesus calls "blessed."
The spiral of war in the Middle East is a reminder of the
need for youth, women's, and other church groups to teach creative
ways of confronting conflict in our families, schools, communities,
and among nations. Here are a few ways that church groups and
members can become more effective "instruments of peace"
in our troubled world:
DISCUSS |
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. . .the Decade for Peace in your church or group;
plan programs and activities like a table during coffee hour
for folks to discuss and sign the appeal and pledge of nonviolence... |
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. . . peacemaking and young people using the
Family Pledge of Nonviolence and other activities from LPF's
Youth and Peacemaking packet, or from books like Free the Children. |
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. . .the meaning of nonviolence using Martin
Luther King's sermon "Loving Your Enemies," an LPF
group activity, or Walter Wink's book The Powers That Be (see
LPF's resource list). |
EXPLORE |
. . . the tragedy of September 11 making use of biblical resources, artico ten weeks in your church, or in an LPF weekend workshop |
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. . . a global mission project involved in
reconciliation using stories, slides, worship resources |
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. . . Revitalize a sister congregation relationship
with peace and justice themes. |
WORSHIP
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. . . Plan a peace worship service for a Sunday
and for youth and women's events; LPF's Peace Worship Resources
manual offers dozens of services, hymns, prayers, and sermons. |
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. . . Arrange a biblical reflection using For the
Peace of the Whole World by the ELCA Commission for Women; Lowell
Erdahl's bible study, Peace; or an LPF peace sermon. |
ACT |
. . . Set up an advocacy table during coffee hour
to discuss peace issues and write letters; use resources from
LPF, Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs, Bread for the
World. |
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. . . Provide conflict resolution training for your
church council and other committees and groups in the congregation. |
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. . . Organize a mediation clinic as a service
to the community. |
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. . . Offer education about and services for victims
of family violence using resources from the Center for the
Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence and other sources. |
ENRICH
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. . . Discuss a film or video such as A Force More Powerful,
Where There Is Hatred, Romero, New Faces of Courage. |
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. . . examine violence in the media using Center
for Media Literacy videos |
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. . . use art, theatre, song, and poetry to express
peace and educate others. |
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. . . Examine the stories of inspiring peace and
justice heroes like Ruth Youngdahl Nelson, Oscar Romero,
King, Bonhoeffer, Day, Gandhi; use LPF's "Path of Hope"
youth display. |
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