Peacemaking Resources and Publications
Featured Resources
Proclaiming the Good News of God’s Peace
Peacemakers from across the United States and around God's world contributed to this 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 Advent 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.
Item # 2435809006 • $0.40
Piece Work/Peace Work: Working Together for Peace and Sudan
This study resource on Sudan is designed for elementary children from Grades 1 through 6. It is divided into four sessions, one intergenerational session and a resource section which includes stories of Sudan and information on African quilt history and Sudanese religions and customs. Using a quilt project, the study explores the relationship between the work of making a quilt from different pieces of fabric and the work of making peace. Activities include games, simulations and art projects. Through an exploration of situations faced by the children of Sudan, children are led into an understanding of the largest country in Africa and learn also of the many divisions within the country. Worship, songs, scripture, a book center and a computer station all enhance the learning process.
Item #2435809008 • $8.00
Justice and Peace Shall Kiss: Praying through the Year
This resource from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program contains prayers or other liturgical elements for each of the Special Days and Programmatic Emphases appearing on the Presbyterian Planning Calendar that include concern for peace and justice. Prayers are also included for the major holidays of Christmas Eve, Easter and Pentecost.
Item #2435809001 • $3.00
Web-based resources
Finding God’s Values in Today’s World: A Pilgrimage
for Understanding
In December 2004, after the bitterly-contested presidential
and congressional elections, Forest Hill Church,
Presbyterian in
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, perceived a partisan divide within its congregation. To
dig deeper and to understand why the divide existed in the first place and, more
importantly, to see if it could be bridged at least within our church community,
a small but diverse group of members was invited to meet and talk about their
values. These discussions provided clues that helped the participants discover
what shaped their own and others' belief systems and, in turn, not only shed
light on why the divisions existed but also led to discovery of beliefs held
in common. While the Values Conversation began with an initial focus on addressing
the political divisiveness in the 2004 General Election, it became a transformative
journey for the participants, and it resulted in agreement on an Affirmation
of Faith.
A Values Conversation at Forest Hill Church, Presbyterian 
Staying Spiritually Alive for the Long Haul
Peacemaking is not a task for a moment, nor is it a cause
for a day. Peacemaking is a calling for our lifetime — following Jesus.
How do we stay alive and engaged for the journey? Dick and Charlene Watts shared
insights on that question at a training for presbytery peacemaking leaders. Download Staying
Spiritually Alive for the Long Haul.
PUNO Quick Guides to Quick Information
The Presbyterian United Nations Office has developed several "Quick
Guides" to help access information about different countries and different
crises. These guides provide links to different Web sites, most of which are
not sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). They focus on the UN system
and represent only the first step to learning more about what's going on in the
world.
Peacemaking Scenes Through the Seasons
These six, brief skits are designed to help Presbyterians
lift up the 25th Anniversary of the peacemaking emphasis within the Presbyterian
Church. They require only a few easily obtainable props and may be adapted to
fit a variety of situations.
Download this resource
Faithful Living in a Time of Violence and
Terrorism
This six-session study (1
MB) explores the issues addressed in the Resolution on Violence, Religion,
and Terrorism approved by the 216th General Assembly (2004). It includes options
for use in a variety of settings.
Power: A Bible
Study of Mark 9:33-35
Living Faithfully in a Global Arena: Heresy
and United States Foreign Policy
Steps Along the Way: Living as Peacemakers in a Violent World Supplemental Readings
Publications
Peace Notes
Contact Dayna Oliver to have Peace Notes sent to you electronically.
Of
special interest to college and seminary students
Thinking about War and Peace
The 215th General Assembly (2003) directed the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
and the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy to produce and distribute
resources for college and seminary students on the morality, costs, and consequences
of war in the light of the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the whole of
the Scriptures.
Thinking about War and Peace as Followers of Jesus: Resources for College
and Seminary Students
Among such resources are:
PC(USA) General Assembly Statements Available
Online
Peacemaking: The Believers' Calling
This resolution ,
adopted by the 192nd General Assembly (1980), established peacemaking as an emphasis
of the church and led to the creation of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.
Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future (with study guide)
This study paper (plus study guide) focuses
on Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future, a resolution adopted by the 216th
General Assembly (2004).
Iraq and Beyond
This resolution was
adopted by the 215th General Assembly (2003).
Faithful Living in a Time of Violence and Terrorism
This six-session study (1
MB) explores
the issues addressed in the Resolution on Violence, Religion, and Terrorism approved
by the 216th General Assembly (2004). It includes options for use in a variety
of settings.
PC(USA) Resources
Available through Presbyterian Distribution Services
Presbyterians and Military Service
This booklet examines options related to military service in question and
answer form. Issues covered range from enlistment procedures related to the draft
to an understanding of conscientious objection. PDS #7027005035. $.35 plus s/h.
Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future (with study guide)
This study paper focuses on a resolution adopted by the
216th General Assembly (2004). The study stimulates reflection and discussion
on "just war" and
other principles of conscience concerning the military action in Iraq. PDS #6860005002.
$4.00 plus s/h.
Iraq and Beyond (with study guide)
This study paper focuses on Iraq and Beyond,
a resolution adopted by the 215th General Assembly (2003). PDS #6860003005.
$3.00 plus s/h.
Just Peacemaking
This six-session study considers Just Peacemaking and the
Call for International Intervention for Humanitarian Rescue, a resolution adopted
by the 210th General Assembly (1998). PDS #7027002024.
$4.95 plus s/h.
Christian
Obedience in a Nuclear Age
A statement by the 200th General Assembly (1988) that explores the question
of the morality of war, with the added dilemma of whether the existence of nuclear
weapons has changed the nature of war in such a way as to reshape the Just War
Principles. PDS #6860004003.
$1.00 plus s/h.
Christian Obedience in a Nuclear
Age
This book contains background study information on the statement. PDS # OGA88102.
$2.00 plus s/h.
PC(USA) Web-Based Resources
Presbyterians and Military Service Series
- Resources on Military Service, the Draft and Conscientious Objection
- Enlistment Q&A
- The Draft Q&A
- Conscientious Objection Q&A
- Selective Conscientious Objection and Just
War Principles Q&A
This series contains leaflets exploring
options related to military service ranging from enlisting to registering for
the draft to conscientious objection status. They include many helpful contacts in order to find more information.
More resources
A
Soldier Reflects
The following journal entries come from a young soldier deployed to Iraq during
the early days of the war. He has shared his reflections, anonymously, so that
others may know something of what young men and women in the military faced.
Books
Bainton,
Roland H., Christian Attitudes toward War and Peace (Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1979).
Brueggemann, Walter. Peace (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2001).
Cahill, Lisa Sowle. Love Your Enemies: Discipleship, Pacifism, and Just War
Theory (Minneapolis:
Augsburg Fortress Press, 1994).
Elshtain, Jean Bethke. Just War against Terror (New York: Basic Books, 2003).
Long, Edward Leroy, Jr. Facing
Terrorism: Responding as Christians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press,
2004).
Nelson-Pallmeyer, Jack. Saving Christianity
from Empire (New York: Continuum Books, 2005).
Wink, Walter. The Powers That Be: Theology for a New
Millennium (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1998).
Winn, Albert Curry. Ain't Gonna Study War No More: Biblical
Ambiguity and the Abolition of War (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press,
1993).
Web
sites
Important phone number for those serving
in the military
Recognizing the stress placed on individuals serving in the military, a coalition of nonprofit, non-governmental organizations have created the GI Rights Hotline: (877) 447-4487 (877-GI RGHTS). The hotline provides information to members of the military about discharges, grievance and complaint procedures and other civil rights. Individuals who have enlisted in the armed forces and come to question that decision based on new understandings of faith may use the hotline or visit the GI Rights Hotline Web site.
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