The Jesus prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The Jesus Prayer is roughly 1200 years old and inspired by two Scriptures: Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Son of God and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. This prayer leads peacemaker’s minds back to Jesus. The unadorned acknowledgement […]
Lectio Divina (Praying Scripture)
From the Benedictines of the fifth century comes a way of “praying the scriptures” known as Lectio Divina (literally, sacred reading). The Benedictines were people of God who lived a life of prayer and manual labor. They developed an approach to prayer which encouraged restful silence, waiting, listening, and thoughtful response. The idea behind Lectio […]
How to become a better neighbor to veterans
Across Mennonite Church USA, churches and conferences are thinking in creative ways about how to build relationships with the soldiers and veterans of the US military. In New York Conference, Ken Landis has been installed as Fort Drum Ministry Coordinator. We talked with Ken about his new role. Please keep Ken and his work in your […]
Returning Veterans Book Resources
Understanding the experience of soldiers is an important step in helping veterans with moral injury. Here’s a list of helpful books on veterans and moral injury. Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War by Rita Nakashima & Gabriella Lettini Out of the Night: The Spiritual Journey of Vietnam Vets by William P. […]
Prayers of Peace, Transformation and Justice
This resource is intended to provide inspiration, aiding in the ministry calling of building God’s peace which surpasses understanding (Phil. 4:7), blessing all the nations of the earth (Gen. 22:18). The prayer forms collected here are from a number of sources, and serve as a starting point for the prayerful journey into right relationship with […]
Boundary-crossing: Part of the Journey
Conscientious objection and nonviolence were concepts I wasn’t familiar with as I was growing up. My Anabaptist heritage that would have informed me about these life-enhancing concepts and practices had been suspended in my family for four generations. Love, deep care, and respect were clearly part of my family and community life, but there was […]
Lesson 6: Teacher’s Notes
Lesson 6: Deepening our peace roots Objective: To understand that military veterans can lead us to deepen our understandings and commitment to peace. Opening exercise: Invite everyone to share a symbol of peace and offer a brief explanation of its meaning and significance. Place a table in the center of the room with a lighted […]
Lesson 6: Additional Resources
Watch the entire interview with Joshua Casteel (9:37 minutes) about his interrogation session at Abu Ghraib Prison. In what ways were Joshua and his interviewee similar? In what ways were they different? The stories of Barry Hart and Steve Carpenter can be summarized by someone who has read them in advance, or shared as handouts […]
Willing to Die but Not to Kill
I was attracted to the Coast Guard by its humanitarian missions. At the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, I read May a Christian Serve in the Military? by General William Harrison with rapt interest. Harrison’s essay, and the counsel of senior officers, convinced me that military service was consistent with my Christian faith. So I stayed […]
Mission Without Conquest
This book embodies a new way to approach the church’s missionary task – a way that makes the mission of Jesus Christ the paradigm for Christian mission until his return.
Turning 18? Deciding whether to register with the Selective Service System
Registration at age 18: Before you register: Read the information below. Download our Selective Service Choices Poster Talk to your parents, pastor and church Consider your options If you decide to register: You may register several different ways-on line, by mail, at your high school -BUT, if you want to document that you are a CO, […]
Lesson 2: Our militarized lives
Objective To understand that all of us, soldiers and civilians alike, are caught in a web of militarism that has permeated our culture and the structures in which we live, and to explore together what faithfulness to Christ means in our context. Download Returning Veterans curriculum pdf. Preparation 1. Take the quiz on militarism posted as […]