This is the view of my table at Caribou where I am grabbing a coffee and jotting down some thoughts on todays Christian Peace Witness events. I attended the ’emergent worship service’ at New York Avenue Presbyterian, a church famous for being where Abraham Lincoln’s church, and in a similar vein as today, the church where Martin Luther King, Jr., preached against the Vietnam war.
The Cobalt Season played a few opening songs as people were arriving, leading into a time of worshipful reflection through video, liturgy, music and readings overlayed with one another. Gilda Carbonaro spoke about the loss of her son Alex in Iraq in May 2006. Brian McLaren shared a few words of focus regarding Jesus call to us to be disciples, apostles, and witnesses all at once, stating that ‘disciple’ and ‘apostle’ are two sides of the one coin – we are called in to learn the Way of Jesus and then we are sent out to share that with others. In closing, we shared communion, and a piece of final liturgy I thought was so powerful I wanted to type it up here…
One: And now let us walk together, to join our brothers and sisters to appeal for peace, humbly echoing Jesus’ call:
All: “Follow me.”
One: Let us walk, bearing the weight of our complicity in this war, openly confessing:
All: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
One: Let us walk with the weight of sorrow, mindful of the many thousand who have died, and of those who will carry the wounds of war for all their days, trusting Jesus’ promise:
All: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
One: Let us walk in peace, to love and serve God, rejoicing in the reconciling power of the Holy Spirit.
All: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
One: Let us walk with hope, led by faith, ever certain that the Spirit goes before us.
All: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Amen.
I was just googling around and found you as well. Fellow WordPresser…ha.
We were at the same Emergent Conf. Today. I liked it much. I wish Brian McLaren would have had a little more time to speak; I was really excited to see him address this issue there….but Next Time I guess.
I can’t help but notice a Vineyard Link to my right. Are you part of a Vineyard? I am a Pastoral Intern out of Lancaster, PA.
Anyway nice recap, that Literugy was very powerful. We had one in the pledge for peace class I hope to throw up too that was tight.
Jeff
i love that liturgy emms!
its so cool..
life is crazy cool right now- when you’re back we can have some fun time telling stories (ie all your brilliant stateside stories and all my getting chatted up/propositioned by older women/men… hehehehe)
on a bit of a high this morning, start of a brilliant weekend, so forgive the randomness of this comment.. 🙂
looks like you’re learning loads though.. 🙂
did u get an ipod??
@ holly: uhm, yes…. don’t think less of me!
@ Jeff: Nice to ‘meet’ you! I thought yesterdays service was very well thought out, though I agree that Brian’s words seemed very short, but oh well. He’s actually doing the “Everything Must Change” tour in Virginia this weekend. And yea, I’m a part of Glasgow Westend Vineyard, in Scotland. Love the guys at my home church, and I’m missing them having been on the road for 3 weeks now!
@ suz: Ohh… I’m so intrigued!! i shall look forward to hearing what craziness is going on with you… you’ve really piqued my interest!
I really like that end piece… re affirming the beatitudes… sounds like a great event you were at… i do have reservations though with the emergent village movement…
Vigils peace movement. What you do out in the open is a disgrace as the terrorist use the news about your protest to propagate more jihad’s against our troops. 30% to 60% more troops are killed when the media publishes your parades. Yes it is true, In the month following demonstration’s troop deaths rise. I myself pray for the world and all the people every day. In my own home I pray for the world to love thy neighbor and all wars stop.
@ Mark: I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, that wasn’t the intention. I don’t know if these services got a lot of press, so I can’t comment on that issue, but I think we have a responsibility to make our voices heard to politicians and to the world. It’s not that we don’t pray for the troops – I do – its that we support the troops while disagreeing with the politicians who sent them to war.