Author Archives: Lou Ellen Hartley

Reflection and Prayer October 1

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A Season of Peace: Thursday, October 1

Peacemaking Demands Justice, Not Domination

 Peace in the World

 Ron Stone

 Luke 14:31–2; 19:41–2

“Or what King, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able … to oppose the one who comes against him … ? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace….

As he came near and saw the city [Jerusalem], he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!” (NRSV)

Reflection: As the Peacemaking Program celebrates its 40th anniversary, it is good to remember that it grew out of concerns about American foreign policy. The Peacemaking Program’s Founding Document was prepared in the optimism for peacemaking of Advent, 1979. However, the General Assembly’s adoption of “Peacemaking: the Believer’s Calling” in 1980 was followed by an election that led to a massive armament program. Since that time, American policy has repeatedly utilized superior armaments and the threat of nuclear weapons to dominate others. It is time to come to terms with the fact that U.S. foreign policy has long emphasized domination over peacemaking.

Over the years, diplomacy of the sort that Luke calls for has saved us from many wars and even reduced our nuclear arsenals. But developments in the Middle East and our own shortsightedness have drawn us into unending struggles in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran, even though we know wars in Asia, with its multitudes of unknown religions and folkways, are not good projects for the U.S. We need to sit down and negotiate with our present and our potential enemies.

Peace for Jerusalem is as far away as it was for Jesus, and as it has been for the United States.  Christian faith has done little for peace in Jerusalem. Neither Jerusalem nor the United States has known much peace during the last 100 years. The preceding 400 years for the Americas was full of wars against indigenous peoples, and the 20th century was a cataclysm of war. The future of peace for Jerusalem requires, as Jesus said, negotiations for the terms of peace. Following Jesus means real terms of peace, however, not domination by a U.S.-supported government. Terrorism arises from any context of occupation, domination and enforced poverty — not simply from fanaticism. To truly be peacemakers in Israel-Palestine, leaders must work toward justice for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Practice for Peacemakers: Peacemaking by the Church takes work from the ground up. If your church does not yet have a peacemaking committee, create one to discuss issues of witness and foreign policy. This committee can report to session for education and a call to action in the form of public witness, protest or other calls for peace.

Prayer: Jesus, may our church become a supporter of peacemaking in a violent world, learning from you and binding us together in real community actions. Amen.

 

After 40 years of college, university and seminary teaching, Ron Stone (right) as The John Witherspoon Professor of Christian Ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2005. In the 1970s, he was one of the writers for “Peacemaking: the Believer’s Calling,” and he wrote or edited another two dozen books on social ethics, foreign policy, peacemaking and particularly on the work and thought of Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr

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Reflection and Prayer September 30

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Let Peace and Justice Begin with Us

 Peace in the World

 Rev. Michael Neuroth

 Psalm 85:10

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. (NRSV)

Reflection: One of my most cherished memories from my childhood is standing at the piano, singing with my grandmother. Usually my uncle would be at the piano while my “Nanni” would pick the songs and dance around the room, prodding each of us to sing along. She loved show tunes, but her favorite song was “Let There Be Peace on Earth” written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955. It is a powerful song with a beautiful crescendo of commitment to “take each moment, and live each moment, in peace eternally.” It still gives me goosebumps when I remember belting out that refrain as a young boy.

While I still appreciate the song for its beauty and its inspiration to seek peace, the line “let peace begin with me” now rings somewhat hollow for me. Although peace includes transforming our own minds and hearts, too often the work for peace ends there. It isn’t enough for us to think about peace or sing about peace. As we see in Psalm 85:10, building a “Just Peace” involves relationship and connection. We are called to engage the other and unite peace with justice (“righteousness” and “justice” both come from the Greek word δικαιοσύνη) not at arm’s length, but closely. Building peace is not a solo act. It begins in relationship, and it cannot be sought independently from the struggle for justice in community. Peace must be active, applied, engaged — we must wage peace. Peace begins with us, and it begins through justice.

Through the years, I have interacted with some incredible people and organizations working to build peace. I have met with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Hebron, Justapaz staff in Colombia, and Nonviolent Peaceforce Unarmed Protectors in Iraq. What inspires me most about their work is their engagement — the relationships they have cultivated, in communities and with people experiencing conflict, as they step into the fray. These peace builders risk experiencing violence by drawing close in order to expose the injustice, address trauma and seek reconciliation through the vision of Just Peace.

Although not all of us are called to work in these settings, I do believe that we all must be willing to more closely connect our hope for peace to deeper engagement with one another and our communities.

Practice for Peacemakers: Take time today to learn more about the many organizations working to build peace in conflict areas around the world. Look for their stories of engagement and accompaniment. See how you can get involved directly and support their work financially. Further, see how you can build peace in your own relationships and community through deeper connections.

Prayer: God, help us live into our vow to be peacemakers. Let us be drawn toward one another and be willing to risk for peace. Let your Just Peace reign on Earth. Let it begin now. Let it start here. Let it begin with us. Amen.

 

Rev. Michael Neuroth serves as the United Church of Christ’s policy advocate for international issues in the Washington, D.C. office. An ordained minister, Michael advocates on a wide range of international peace, human rights and economic justice issues reflected in UCC policy. Michael holds master’s degrees in divinity, theology and social work from Princeton Seminary and Rutgers University. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Amber, and their two boys.

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Reflection and Prayer September 29

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A Season of Peace: Tuesday, September 29

Building Peace, Not “Peacekeepers”

 Peace in the World

 Rev. Dr. Ruby Wilson

 Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 Reflection: The peace of God is nothing like the peace that the world understands and gives. Jesus told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27). The peace that comes from the world, to pull from a Tracy Chapman song, calls “missiles — peacekeepers.” In crises, to some, police and military presence may provide a sense of comfort far more than the presence of a priest.

The world is dangerous. Our conflicting and competing loyalties keep us mired in combat, fighting to the death over our little pools, puddles and ponds. We guard them ferociously, lest anyone deign to believe they are entitled to any piece of them. Yeah, Tracy Chapman’s question is right: “Why are missiles called peacekeepers when they are aimed to kill?” That is “peace” as the world gives it; like the era of Pax Romana, “Roman peace,” where order was maintained by the vigilant efforts of a heavy military and police presence. It is in contrast with all this military might that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9a).

Practicing peace in the world has absolutely nothing to do with having the strongest army, the most aggressive police force, or the bully brand name of superpower. God’s peace has nothing to do with ammunition or the manipulation and fabrication used to control creation. We are too finite to even attempt to comprehend God’s peace.

But we can learn to practice peace in a number of ways. One such practice comes from my mother, the late Mother Dovetta Wilson, who taught her nine children to “lend a hand whenever and wherever you can.” Another comes from my father, the late Deacon David Wilson, Sr., who taught us to “always give something back, to build health and strong people and communities.” A third practice for peace in the world is to remember that love is a verb. I believe the King James translators got it right when they translated the Greek word ἀγάπη (agape)  as “charity” (1 Corinthians 13).

Love is not only something to feel. Practicing peace in the world through acts of charity, mercy and grace are all expressions of the love called for by our God. In a world full of domination and violence, these acts of love are radical. But oh, how sweet the loving communion when we are made right with God and have made peace with others! There is nothing that can compare.

 Practice for Peacemakers: Listen to Tracy Chapman’s “Why?” and consider the radical changes in perspective that are needed to build peace. This week, be conscious of the times in which your language plays into the assumptions of military dominance and violent, so-called justice.

Prayer: Dear God, we know that our practicing of peace means a willingness to be made vulnerable by loving and being compassionate toward one another. We know that your peace surpasses our understanding of how the world works. Instead of violence and the supremacy of power, you offer love. Help us to cast away the worship of power, to keep ourselves from being polluted by the violence of the world, and instead to accept the religion to which you call us: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, to extend mercy and love to our “enemies,” and to acknowledge the grace that you extend to all. Amen

 

The Rev. Dr. Ruby Wilson is senior pastor of Safe Haven UCC, and was recently elected president of the UCC N.Y. Conference’s Metro Association. She serves on the New York Conference UCC Commission on Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, and is also the founder and executive director of JasD’Jor: Emerging Philanthropists, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families of special needs children and training children to use their gifts and talents for service to the world.

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Peacemaking Prayers September 28

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Courageous Peacemaking

 Peace in the World

 Gay Harter

Hebrews 13:1–2

 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Reflection: In the 1990s I was the director of a small nonprofit organization that supported asylum seekers who were detained by the immigration authorities. Before the era of Homeland Security, it was known as the “INS,” but many of its practices were the same as those of ICE today. Asylum seekers could be released to the care of our organization once they had legal representation. In practice, that meant that an INS officer would call me to say that “Ahmed,” “Henry” or “Emmanuel” would be on the sidewalk outside the detention center in 30 minutes. Usually I had met them a few weeks earlier through visits to the detention center for Bible Study or worship.

These young men came from the conflict zones and dictatorships of the world: Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zaire. They were often minorities in their countries and had harrowing tales to tell of persecution and escape. They came to live at our house until they had work permits and could survive in the larger community.

The above verse from Hebrews was my guide in this ministry, and indeed we entertained many angels. There were risks involved. I had to make decisions about treatment for mental illness, involve the police in a stabbing, and confront my own inability to help in some situations. But the love, joy knowledge that were brought to me far outweighed those risks. I was taken into the hearts and lives of people from many different cultures and religions, and they were given a peaceful introduction to the country that would become their new home.

Peacemaking involves trusting the stranger, sometimes on the basis of very little knowledge, and sometimes at the risk of both personal and national security. Peacemaking involves heart-opening curiosity about the lives and beliefs of others. It involves shedding the mentality of exceptionalism to which we Americans are so prone. But it brings messages of wisdom, love and gratitude that are lasting.

Practice for Peacemakers: Make the courageous choice to welcome the stranger. Your church can help host an asylum-seeking family, or you can connect with a local organization that does refugee placements yourself. There are many ways to extend grace to those who are finding their way in a strange land for the first time.

Prayer: Great Being, who has created all of us humans, open our hearts to each other that we may dare to risk the peacemaking to which you call us. Amen.

 

Gay Harter is a retired social worker. She spent the last years of her career as director of the Refugee Immigration Ministry in Boston, MA. She is a member of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Guilford,CT, and co-founder of the UCC Palestine Israel Network.

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Reflection and Prayers for the Day September 15

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A Season of Peace: Monday, September 14

Making Peace as a Child

Peace in Relationships

 Suzanne Gangemi

Matthew 5:9

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. (“The Message”)

Reflection: Children’s Ministry and peacemaking go together like hugs and kisses, like mud puddles and splashing feet. Depending on the context, young children can be very open to new ideas and learning, and they are generally quick to forgive. With guidance and trust, they welcome those who are different, as they become cognizant of their many similarities. Digging a trench in a sandbox is much more fun with a buddy. You don’t need to speak the same language or come from the same neighborhood to play a game of chase. Laughter, like tears, is so much better shared.

For the adults that are privileged with the opportunity to be involved in Children’s Peacemaking, it is well to remember that it is guaranteed to be an exhilarating, exhausting and enlightening endeavor. It is much easier to teach peace when all the “isms” have not yet been internalized.  Each of us (teacher and student alike) needs to know that we are beautiful in the sight of God, but not any more beautiful than our neighbor.

Remembering an almost five-year-old, who told me that she needed to know about “stuff like cooperation and negotiation before I go to kindergarten,” I am very aware of the plethora of joys and hopes children discover and share about many things, including peacemaking. After all, children of any race, gender, ability, sexuality or economic position seek the peace of affirmation and love — just like the rest of us older children.

Practice for Peacemakers: Find a stash of crayons in your home or order a box of 64. Collect some paper for your creation. Light a candle, put on some peaceful music and begin. Choose a crayon and doodle, draw or simply move a crayon across the page with light strokes. Think about the movement of your hand and what an awesome creation it is, while contemplating the wonders of which this color reminds you. Perhaps write words using an orange crayon (pumpkin, fall leaves, a harvest moon, the peace of a campfire). When you are ready, change to another color. Continue until your papers are full or you have run out of crayon colors. Take five deep breaths and say, “Amen!”

Prayer: Amazing God, wrap all of your children in the comfort of peace. Help us imagine and create ways to be a good neighbor. Forgive us when we are quick to judge, and help us muddle through the misinformation we devour. Remind us of the joy of children, and encourage us at all ages to play (maybe with a five-year-old). Amen.

 

Now retired, Suzanne Gangemi most recently served as director of family life ministry at Mountain Rise UCC in Fairport, NY. Much of her career was focused on building programming centered on helping children to grow into their calling as peacemakers.

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Season of Peace Reflection September 11

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Ritual for a Lifelong Peacemaker

Peace Within

 Rev. Richard A. Koenig

Philippians 4:6b

… in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NRSV)

Reflection: Scattered around the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York State are more than 20 “Peace Poles.” During the summer season, outside the Hall of Missions and across the brick walk from the Hall of Philosophy, people gather daily at one of these Peace Poles at 8:55 a.m. for a five-minute prayer service for peace.

Prayers for peace — made daily — in five minutes of ritual: not much time in which to transform a world filled with violent conflict! And yet I think of Bob.

Every summer while at Chautauqua, even into his early nineties, Bob faithfully left the breakfast table to make the walk to participate, adding his presence, his prayers to that daily Peace Prayer. That consistent act, that ritual, was a microcosm of Bob’s whole life, and it continues to remind me of the power that this kind of consistency can bring in driving our individual commitment to peace.

In his role as a high-level denominational executive in the United Church of Christ, Bob had spent his whole life on the front lines, working for peace. Bob worked for civil rights and the anti-war movement in the 1960s, developed Christian Education materials in support of the Women’s Liberation movement, inclusive language and LGBT rights. He traveled to South Africa during the time of apartheid and was fully engaged in the national conversations around peace and justice issues well into the early part of this century. He continued to march against the death penalty for decades past retirement.

Bob was a gentle, thoughtful man, who believed in confronting the principalities and powers of his time nonviolently, with humility, grace, love and a persistence grounded in a theological acceptance of God’s “peace that passes all understanding” and in the knowledge that peace is intimately entwined with the divine call to “let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” Bob understood that our “righteousness” before God is about seeking “right relationship” with the Divine Presence, a relationship that brings peace as we also seek justice in a broken world. His whole life was a testimony to that truth. Bob embodied the gospel in his personal, familial, communal and public life in a way that had far-reaching and profound impacts on the lives of those around him, and beyond.

The search for peace is not a “one-time” or momentary thing. Every generation must learn anew how to live lives rooted in the gospel message of the Prince of Peace. It is in a lifelong journey of discipleship that we come to know the justice and peace of God.

Practice for Peacemakers: Take five minutes today to reflect and pray on the needs for peacemaking action in your community and in the world. Take five minutes tomorrow and do the same. As you continue throughout this month-long study, consider whether prayer and ritual may help to empower you to do more in the work for justice and peace.

Prayer: Ever-present God, in our prayers and supplications, renew us for the tasks of peacemaking. Give us the strength, courage and consistency to live into the peace that passes all understanding, our whole lives through. Amen.

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Psalm and Prayer of the Day September 9

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Psalm 89:1-18
New International Version

Psalm 89[a]

A maskil[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”[c]

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy onesGod is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
    you founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.[d]
18 Indeed, our shield[e] belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Wednesday, September 9 from PC(USA) Mission Age cy, Season of Peace
Peace Within
Accepting Hope
Elder Susan B. Orr
1 Timothy 4:10
“For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the
Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

Reflection: On Epiphany this year, I was given my first “Star Word” by a Facebook friend. The
premise is this: the magi followed the star to find baby Jesus, bringing their gifts. We too seek
Jesus, trusting that the Spirit can and does use many signs (stars) to guide us closer to God. A
“star word,” then, gives us one principle or goal to focus on throughout the year.
I was intrigued by the thought of having a guiding star word for 2020, and imagined how that
might help me to focus on an aspect of our spiritual calling. I waited with anticipation for my FB
friend to send me my word. I envisioned that the word might be kindness, joy, love, serve — you
know, good churchy words. And then my word arrived: “Acceptance.” Huh? What kind of word
is that? I was kind of grumbly about the whole thing, but I still propped that purple “Acceptance”
star right next to my computer.
As the days and months unfolded and the Covid-19 pandemic made its unwelcome appearance, my carefully planned life began to unravel with cancellations of work-related opportunities and
anticipated travel, and with separation from my loved ones. With each personal disappointment,
my eye would rest upon my star word, encouraging me to take a deep breath, exhale and accept.
As the news around the world revealed the pain and suffering caused by this new coronavirus, I
struggled to accept the unknown science that couldn’t define why, when or how we would make
it through. Yet even through the shadow of this valley of the pandemic, acts of kindness, care,
creativity and ingenuity continually shone a light on our ability to thrive as a people through
those extraordinarily difficult days.
Acceptance is not a flashy word. But sometimes, acceptance of the things we cannot change is
essential to finding a path forward and doing the healing work that we are called to do. Although
I did not want to hear it, that star word came at the right time to teach me that, although we toil
and struggle, our hope is set on the living God who is the Savior of all people. I can accept that.
2020

Practice for Peacemakers: Today, if there is a time when you are feeling overwhelmed or not in
control, take a moment to breathe in deeply, exhale, and accept. Hear these words: “You are
God’s beloved child.” Then, see if you can approach the issue with new strength and focus.

Prayer: Gracious, loving and faithful God, we are grateful for the guidance you provide us as we
live our ordinary lives. Pour your power over us. Let it wash us, renew us and enable us to
discern your will, that “thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Grant us wisdom and
courage — and, when we need it, acceptance — as we face this hour and the next. Amen.

Susan B. Orr serves as acting presbytery leader for the Presbytery of Genesee Valley and presbytery leader for the Presbytery of Geneva. She will be co-directing the Mosaic of Peace program in

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Psalm and Prayer of the Day September 3

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In our Daily Prayer book Psalm 116 is one which comes up from time to time for the morning.  The thoughts are powerful ones to remember as we begin our day.  I invite you to read the psalm through as you normally would.  Then I would encourage you to read it again and consider the times you too have known God’s presence in your life as the psalmist has.  For example, the psalm begins – “I love the Lord because the has heard my voice and my supplications.”  Write down or mentally note the ways in which the Lord has heard YOUR supplications.  Offer thanks for those answered prayers.  Do this throughout the psalm and offer it as your prayer today.

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest,
    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation,
    “Everyone is a liar.”

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
    I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
    You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
    in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

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Psalm and Prayer of the Day September 2

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Psalm 132

O Lord, remember in David’s favor
    all the hardships he endured;
2 how he swore to the Lord
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 We heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool.”

8 Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your faithful shout for joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
    shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.

 

Prayer:
In days like these, everlasting God, we find strength in remember how you have been with human beings throughout time.  We remember how you have kept promises like you did with Abraham and Sarah and then with David and his legacy.
We rely on you to provide for us, to give us strength when we are feeling weak, to give us hope and when we are feeling despair, to give us direction when we feel lost.  Today we pray for:

those who are ill and those who care for them…
those we are grieiving…
those who are planning to do violence that they would refrain…
those who are filled with hate that they would exchange it for love…
those who are teachers and their students…
those whom we love….
Bless us and keep us in your grace.  Amen.

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