Ecumenical gathering ends with call for bold peacemaking

 

Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on Peace, convened by historic Peace Churches (The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, the Church of the Brethren, and the Mennonite Church USA), concluded on 17 January 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a declaration of God's vision of peace for the world and a call for action to end gun violence on the streets of Philadelphia.

 

More than 300 delegates spent the week worshiping, participating in workshops, and focusing on what actions could be taken to bring God's vision of peace to the world.

 

The ecumenical peace gathering ended Friday night with worship and the reading of an epistle to the world, calling for a new beginning in the work for God's Peace.

 

"Awaken with us to this new opportunity to act as the united Body of Christ, along with friends of peace everywhere, in a world desperately in need of justice and peace. Let us be bold. Resist disillusionment," the epistle declared. "The Holy Spirit must rise up in you and me to set all people free. Our task is to practice hope and to act as instruments of God's peace. Peace will come when people demand it and live it out."

 

The epistle was unanimously adopted by all the participants, representing 23 different Christian communions.

 

The full text of the epistle, as well as audio material from the gathering, can be found at www.peacegathering2009.org.

 

Full press release, by Jordan Blevins, Assistant director, Eco-justice program of the National Council of Churches USA

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