Sider Institure Conference, “Do Justice: A Biblical Mandate for the Church”

The Sider Institute is having their conference this Thursday and Friday. It is titled, “Do Justice: A Biblical Mandate for the Church.” This conference will be addressing questions of justice in the Bible, what the Brethren in Christ church believes about justice, and how Christians in the Global South think about justice. Students can attend the sessions for free and also have the opportunity to receive chapel credit. Here is a list of the major sessions with their times, all sessions are at the Grantham Brethren in Christ Church.

• The Biblical Call to Do Justice by Rev. Dr. Glenn “Woody” Dalton, pastor, Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church- Thursday, November 7 at 7:00pm
• What Does the Brethren in Christ Justice Look Like?: A Theological and Historical Approach by Harriet Sider Bicksler, editor of Brethren in Chris History and Life and Shalom!: A Journal of Reconciliation, and Rev. Curtis W. Book, peace and justice coordinator, Mennonite Central Committee East Coast- Friday, November 8 at 9:15am
• Biblical Justice in Global Perspective: An Overview of South and Central Africa, Using Zimbabwe as an Example by Dr. Ray Motsi, president of Theological College of Zimbabwe- Friday, November 8 at 10:30am

Here is a link to the website where you can find more information as well the brochure:

http://www.messiah.edu/siderinstitute/conferences/bic.html

 

 

Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship Conference

The weekend of February 8th to the 10th took five Messiah students on a seven hour journey to Bluffton, Ohio. What on earth did we travel so far for you may ask. Well we ended up at the Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship Conference hosted by Bluffton University. The Conference’s focus was “Spirituality and Shalom: Living at the Intersection of Faith and Justice.” It was an exciting opportunity for us to meet with other students and people interested in peace. We were inspired by the people we met who are living out peace intentionally.

I personally felt inspired to see that peacemaking can and should be done where ever you are. Throughout the conference there were so many examples of peacemakers. One woman worked with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq, a couple are working towards social equality and gave a workshop on white privilege, students from Eastern Mennonite University are concerned with the war in the Congo and have written a “conflict-free” resolution for the university, and another woman who has a passion for children teaches them that they can be peacemakers too. These are just some of the examples of the people we met.

Our weekend at Bluffton ended with a worship service and a peace tree. We were invited to answer the question of what we were doing to make peace on a piece of paper and hang it on a tree. Maybe this is something we should be asking ourselves everyday to remind ourselves of the importance of peace and social justice. What did I do today to make peace and what am I going to do tomorrow for peace?

Messiah Students Storm NYC, again…

Here is a report from one PACS senior from his time at the MCC UN conference in NYC a week back. Enjoy!

The PACS Department recently sent some Messiah students to a multi-day conference in Manhattan.  The conference was with the MCC UN office.  Students had the opportunity to tour the UN and further understand its inner-workings and relationship to governments and civil society.  The workshops covered a variety of topics from nation-building in the context of modern Palestine, to policy-making, to UN peacekeeping operations in various contexts, to natural disaster relief, to “failed states,” to introspective opportunities for discerning one’s calling.

As for my personal reflections, it was helpful to understand exactly how the UN is supposed to function, and what goals it attempts to accomplish.  The most helpful part of these conferences for me is meeting with like-minded students from other universities and organizations.  This gives me fresh ideas and new perspectives on what methods should be used to make the world a better place.  I’m encouraged that I am not alone in my struggles, and neither are they.

More specifically, the session I found most engaging was Lou Pingeot’s discussion on “failed states.”  While we often think of failed states as being those which have been most victimized by historical imperialism and the global economy, perhaps it is more helpful to think of our own nation as a failed state, given its unsustainable and militaristic trajectory.  Rather than pointing the finger at unfaithful leadership among nations in the two-thirds world, we must start by pointing that same finger toward our own leaders who are benefiting from the plight of humans in nations considered to be “underdeveloped.”

Messiah Occupies: Pictures from MC students’ trip to Wall Street

Hey all! More posts on their way from the trip to Wall Street to participate in Occupy Wall Street, but in the meantime, enjoy a few pictures from the adventure, courtesy of our PACS major and friend! Enjoy!

PACS HAS A NEW WEBSITE

Check it out! It has anything and everything you could possibly need to learn about the Peace and Conflict Studies program here at Messiah, plus other great resources!!

http://www.messiah.edu/departments/peace-conflict/

Interested in Pursuing Peace in the Environment?

Check out this upcoming event at nearby Elizabethtown College!

The months slip by faster than ever these days, it seems, and it will soon be November and time for the Elizabethtown College Alumni Peace Fellow Residency. The theme of this year’s residency is “Green Peace,” and we are hosting Mr. John Dernbach as the 2011 Peace Fellow. Mr. Dernbach is Distinguished Professor of Law at Widener University Law School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and editor of the book Agenda for a Sustainable America (2009). Mr. Dernbach leads a project, “Sustaining America,” which reviews sustainable development efforts in the United States. Read more about him at his website www.johndernbach.com.

Mr. Dernbach will be giving two public talks during his residency.

 On Wednesday, November 9, at 11 a.m., he will speak on “Sustainability and Peace” in the Gibble Auditorium, located in Esbenshade Hall.

On Thursday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m., in the Bucher Meetinghouse of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Mr. Dernbach will present a second public lecture titled “Green Peace.”

Prior to the Thursday evening lecture you are invited to meet with John at a Peace Fellowship dinner in the Susquehanna Room of Myer Hall. There will be a reception at 5:30, followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. If you wish to attend the dinner, please RSVP to me no later than Thursday, October 27.  Although there is no charge for the meal, we will accept voluntary contributions to help defray the cost of the event. The public lectures are free.

I hope to see you at the dinner! Please reply to me at bucherca@etown.edu no later than Thursday, October 27, if you wish to attend.

Occupy Wall Street: Get informed and check it out!!

Peaceful protesters being arrested… Anti-consumerism speeches.. potential progressive revolution in process?? You’ll want to get yourself informed on this piece of news. This event, which originally was created by progressive magazine AdBusters, has been event for over a decade now, but this year it is even more intense and note-worthy than ever. Check on the link to the organization, and then the other link of live coverage to the arrest of calm peaceful protesters.

http://occupywallst.org/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/24/national/main20111240.shtml

Another Local Church with Awesome Events!

Grantham Church would like all the Messiah Peace-Seekers to know…

There will be a month long focus on peacemaking in the family at the Grantham Church during the month of October.  Our very own Dr. Susanna Bede Caroselli will be presenting the morning message through art on October 2 and October 30.  The attached pdf is a brochure that contains all the relevant information. DOC092611-09262011101526
Check it out friends, only a short walk from your apartment or dorm!

Feeling like celebrating Peace off-campus??

The Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren (301 Gale Street) will host a service to commemorate the International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sunday, September 25 at 7:00 PM.  Included will be a presentation by Glenn Brumbaugh, a member of the congregation who recently participated in a Christian Peacemaker Team in Palestine-Israel. Email Dr. George Pickens for more information: gpickens@messiah.edu

Torture Conference in Our Backyard!

Hello my fellow peace-keeping bloggers. Today we wanted to let you know of an awesome opportunity available  for students, faculty, and community members! October 28th-29th there is a state-wide conference against torture being housed in our very own Harrisburg, PA. Specifically, the conference will be put on my the PA Network Against Torture and will be highlighting various speakers and organizations, all talking out against America’s use of torture both at home and overseas! And it’s only $10 for student!! Find out more information and even register here: http://www.panetworkagainsttorture.org/