Gustavo Guitierrez

On Sunday, September 20, at 7:00 pm noted theologian Father Gustavo Guitierrez will receive the Niebuhr Medal at Elmhurst College. It is exciting that this Latin American speaker for justice will be in our area. For more information go to www.elmhurst.edu/niebuhrmedal

Labor Day Parade

The Church of Peace had a unit in the Rock Island Labor Day Parade this year. Here are most of us right before we stepped off. The new element this year was the Mobile Bell Choir. It was fun and here they all are on the hay rack that was pulled by a red truck. The truck was preceded by our God is Still Speaking banner and two of us handed out candy till the candy ran out. It was lots of fun and a beautiful day.

Church Directory

Every five years the Church of Peace does another pictoral directory. So, in anticipation of 2010 we are having photographs taken of church families. Today is the last of four days of shooting, and make up sessions can be scheduled in September.

On the one hand this is a pain. It takes lots of coordination and there are always little glitches. At the same time a new pictorial directory provides several good things. It is a way to be in touch with all the families in the congregation - those we see all the time and those we see seldom. For many families, including our own, we do not have portraits taken otherwise; so it pushes us to get some photos done. I still have photos of me with my parents that we would not have if it was not for the church directory years ago. It is also a way to help us get to know each other better. There are always new people and it is good to have a book where a person can ask, "Who is that person I see in church?" and then find an answer.

I am grateful to church members and friends who take the time to schedule an appointment and help their church in this way.

Baptism

On August 23 there was a baptism at the Church of Peace. Here I am standing with the little boy and his parents in front of two of the banners we use at the sacrament; one of the Holy Spirit descending, and another of the Rainbow promise after the flood.

I am reminded of the deep support expressed for little children. In addition to the promises of parents, congregants and God, there is a world of support from an extended family. This day was truly heartwarming; brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, grandmother and more. Many from out of town and out of state. Every single little child represents a whole community of love and support, which he can only come to understand as the years unfold.

Thanks be to God.

Tower Hill Retreat

The Illinois Maya Ministry group had a retreat at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, Michigan, August 23 - 25, 2009. The purpose of the retreat was to plan the year ahead. This group has an ongoing interest in Central America, with special focus on Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. In the last several years we have found ourselves doing more in regard to immigration reform and justice for immigrants. I guess this is because it is the same Mayan people from Southern Mexico, Guatemala and Central America who bear the brunt of events like the ICE raid in Postville, Iowa, May 12, 2008.

My part of this event was to coordinate the devotions, and we learned more about various Madonnas and how they are part of the spirituality of the region. This is something that is not part of the background for most Protestants! The theme was taken from the Bible; And Jesus replied, “Who is my mother?” (Matthew 12:48) We looked at various images and discussed our responses. One was Our Lady of Guadalupe, here from tiles in a wall at Mission San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson, Arizona.



The setting at Tower Hill is beautiful, and we enjoyed swimming in Lake Michigan.

Good Piece on Ramadan

In June of 2007 I attended a weeklong workshop at Georgetown University in Washington D. C. about Muslim Christian dialogue at the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. So I am now on their mailing list. I was recently informed that the founding Director of the Center, Dr. John L. Esposito, has published a special Ramadan piece in the Times Online. I learned a lot by reading it, and recommend it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6805750.ece

Prayers for our Longview Neighborhood

Over the last several days there has been an ongoing discussion in the newspaper our Rock Island Alderman, Terry Brooks, for the ward that includes the Church of Peace. In this discussion Alderman Brooks characterized our area as a War Zone. This characterization has been the subject of a lot of conversation. It is ironic that there has more discussion of Alderman Brooks' characterization than of the reality he mentions on the streets.

Here are a couple of public prayers I have made on this topic:

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Holy God, it is your will to hold both heaven and earth in a single peace. Let the design of your great love shine on our discouragement and sorrows and give
+ peace among nations,
+ peace in our neighborhood,
+ peace in our homes and
+ peace in our hearts.
While we know Good God, that your will for us is peace we read in the newspaper that we here at 12th and 12th are in the midst of a War Zone. That there is violence and distrust, that people are settling disputes in the streets with guns.
- While the flamboyant language makes many of us uncomfortable we do recognize a certain truth to the assertions.
+ It is true that our neighbors live with some fear of violence.
+ It is true that kids walking home from school are not always safe from violence.
+ It is true that there is more shooting in our Longview neighborhood than in other neighborhoods.
+ It is true that property is vandalized on occasion in retaliation for perceived slights.
- Our faith tells us that acknowledging truth is the beginning of positive action.
+ We have had leaders in the past that felt that when a problem was identified in our neighborhoods that people were picking on Rock Island unfairly.
+ We have had law enforcement leaders who get defensive when crime is identified because they think it implies that they are not doing their job.
- Help us acknowledge the truth of our difficulty and take positive steps to make our neighborhood safer.
+ As we help neighbors get to know neighbors and look out for each other more.
+ As we acknowledge our difficulties and address them.
+ As we re-implement elements of community policing that we have let lay fallow in the last few years.
+ As we continue to address basic issues like school drop out rates, racism, run down property, lack of jobs, hunger, drug abuse and poverty.
+ As we work consistently for a better and more beautiful neighborhood and better future.
We believe that the gift of the resurrection to new life is not something only there and then, far away and long ago. We believe in power of the resurrection:
+ In a church like the Church of Peace.
+ In a neighborhood like Longview.
+ In a town like Rock Island.
+ In the hearts of sinners like us.

Bless us this day and always, through the living Christ. Amen.


Here is another delivered at Kiwanis:

O God, our creator, by your holy prophet you taught your ancient people to seek the welfare of the cities in which they lived. We commend our Rock Island neighborhoods to your care, that they may be kept free from social strife and decay. Give us strength of purpose and concern for others, that we may create here a community of justice and peace where you will may be done; in Your name we pray. Amen.