PEACE BE WITH YOU on MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day had its beginnings in Georgia at the time of the Civil War when women burying the dead decided they would honor the enemy dead in their burial the same as their own soldiers who had died. They buried them together and planted flowers on their graves – honoring friend and foe alike.

The day was officially proclaimed a special day of observance on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

By a joint resolution approved on May 11, 1950, Congress requested that the President yearly issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as "A Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace."

On this Memorial Day, let us remember with special consideration the more than 4000 members of the Armed Services who have lost their lives in the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. And in the spirit of the origins of Memorial Day, let us also remember the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians who have also lost their lives.

Let us pray for our women and men in uniform who have made given their lives for their country, for our troops still in Iraq and Afghanistan, for all the families and loved ones mourning their dead, and, above all, that the peace we all seek will come sooner rather than later.

Two Holidays--and a brief reflection on war and peace

by the Rev. Dr. William Chris Hobgood, President of the DISCIPLES CENTER for PUBLIC WITNESS and former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

This Sunday is bracketed by two holidays, one in the U.S. and the other in Canada. Although not officially celebrated as a federal holiday, Saturday was Armed Forces Day in the United States. It's a day set aside for showing gratitude and appreciation for all the women and men in uniform who work so hard to keep our nation strong and free. This includes our many chaplains who bravely, compassionately and intelligently minister to those serving in the different branches of the military. . . .

Tomorrow (Monday), our Canadian sisters and brothers will be celebrating Victoria Day, a holiday named after the English monarch who reigned over history's largest worldwide empire at its zenith. Although it is now the official day on which Canadians celebrate the birthday of the current Queen, the name nevertheless reminds us of Empire and the dangers and injustices that accompany this approach to other nations. . . .

To read the rest of these reflections, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

INTERNATIONAL CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS' DAY

For over 20 years May 15 has been celebrated as International Conscientious Objectors' Day, a tradition of struggle spearheaded by groups affiiliated with War Resisters’ International. Each year activities are focused in a country where C.O.'s and objectors are being harassed or persecuted.

Conscientious Objectors, GI resisters and dissent within the military deserve our support as they stand up for human rights and dignity, democratic rights, and international law.

Widespread public support and pressure can help protect these courageous individuals from feelings of isolation and from repression of them and their rights.

For more information about faith-based support for conscientious objectors, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

For resources on conscientious objection made available by Disciples Home Missions, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

MOTHER'S DAY: A DAY OF PEACE

The idea of Mother's Day was first championed after the Civil War by social activist and abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, the well-known author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." She intended and promoted it as a day on which women would publicly proclaim and demonstrate their unity against war. With this goal in mind, she wrote "The Mother's Day Proclamation" as a call for peace and disarmament. Here are selections from that proclamation:

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. . . .

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God. . . .

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers--and may peace soon bless Mother Earth and all God's children.

For more information about Julia Ward Howe,
PLEASE CLICK HERE.

For a more complete history of Mother's Day,
PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read the entire "Mother's Day Proclamation,"
PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read the 2007 General Assembly resolution on the war in Iraq,
PLEASE CLICK HERE.

TODAY IS WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY

World Fair Trade Day is a salute to the people and organizations who have dedicated themselves to making Fair Trade what it is today, a solution not an issue. Fair Trade is not just about poverty, it's a solution to poverty, Fair Trade is not just about climate change, it's a solution to environmental degradation and bad practice. Fair Trade is not just about protest, it's about change. Change that’s long overdue.

World Fair Trade Day is dedicated to you and the positive impact you can make in your community, through local and global events, that unite people and opinion, in a voice that can be heard wherever you are, whoever you are.

If you buy Fair Trade products, change becomes inevitable. It's not complicated - if it were there wouldn't be so many powerful businesses in the world. You are powerful. You are the change.

Unite with millions of people and be the powerful voice of positive change. Let the world know you want to beat poverty, climate change and economic crisis, play your part in kick-starting the sustainable economy. Make World Fair Trade Day your global stage.

Churches Raise Palestinian Christian Issues on Eve of Pope’s Holy Land Visit

On the occasion of the visit this week of his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Holy Land, Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 U.S. church bodies, sent a letter to Secretary of State Clinton highlighting the rapid decline of the Palestinian Christian community there.

The letter asserts that efforts to address the situation of Palestinian Christians "will bolster [the Administration's] comprehensive peace effort and can be acted on in a manner that fully respects Israel's security needs while helping to build the foundation for a viable Palestinian state with effective governing institutions."

Commenting on the letter, James Fine, Chair of the CMEP Board said, "The prospect of a Holy Land devoid of its living Christian community is not just a tragedy for world Christianity but would have serious ramifications for a future Palestinian state, the interreligious nature of Jerusalem, and regional peace and security. It certainly makes the Obama Administration's efforts to bring peace, stability and security through a just and lasting two-state solution even more urgent."

To read more about this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read the text of the letter, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Tribes from U.S. and Canada Oppose Proposed Dump Site

Ceremonial Elders from Utah and California are joining Mohawks and Chippewa of Ontario to unite in defense of the Sacred Alliston Aquifer and Sacred Surface Springs of Tiny Township, Ontario. The press conference comes just days after over 500 people marched against the proposed North Simcoe Landfill, also known as Dump Site 41.

Arnold Thomas from Utah, as well as elders Robertjohn Knapp from California, and Jimelda Johnston and Wilmer Nadjiwon of Cape Croker, Ontario are demanding that Premier Dalton McGuinty immediately rescind his government’s approval to create a garbage dump at the Sacred Surface Springs of the Alliston Aquifer, near Georgian Bay.

"Our people have been struggling hard to educate Canada about the sacredness of the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay and Mother Earth," said Cape Croker Elder Jimelda Johnston, noting that people have been living on this land for thousands of years. "We need to heal the water so that the water can heal us."

To sign a petition opposing the dump site, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

May Is Asian Heritage Month in Canada

May was declared Asian Heritage Month in Canada in 2001, and since then has been celebrated in The United Church of Canada and other Canadian churches. The month provides an opportunity to prayerfully reflect on the contributions of Asian Canadians to Canadian society, and to honour and celebrate this important aspect of Canadian history.

Canada is a diverse, multicultural country. Today, one in five Canadians is an immigrant, and one in six is a racialized person. As of the 2006 Canadian Census, the three largest visible minority groups in Canada were South Asian, Chinese, and Black. Currently, racial ethnic constituents make up about 1.4 % of the membership of The United Church of Canada.

The definition of "Asian" may be inclusive and broad, and applies to people who come from or whose ancestors come from

• East Asia—China, Hong Kong S.A.R., Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan
• South Asia—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• Central Asia—Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
• Southeast Asia—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Please see Asian Heritage Month for worship suggestions and further background reading to celebrate this month in your faith community.

Viva! de cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the date on which 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated a French army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico in 1862. The people of Mexico had won a great victory--one that also helped the United States during its Civil War: it kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year.

May 5th is also the birthday of two important figures in world history: Soren Kierkegaard and Karl Marx. Kierkegaard criticized cultural Christianity and reminded us that faith, which involves risk, must be intensely personal and counter-cultural. Marx criticized the dehumanization of workers and called for economic and political change on behalf of the poor and oppressed workers. Democratic versions of his vision--in critical and constructive dialog with Christian social ethics--have inspired progressive movements, social democratic parties, and diverse theologies of liberation.

On this Cinco de Mayo, we invite you to join us in prayer and action for a more just and humane immigration policy, the protection of the dignity and rights of farm workers, the ministries of our Hispanic congregations, and the work of our ecumenical partners throughout Latin America.

Supreme Court Limits Use of Identity Theft Law in Immigration Cases

The U. S. Supreme Court today rejected a favorite tool of prosecutors in immigration cases, ruling unanimously that a federal identity-theft law may not be used against many illegal workers who used false Social Security numbers to get jobs.

The question in the case was whether workers who use fake identification numbers to commit some other crimes must know they belong to a real person to be subject to a two-year sentence extension for "aggravated identity theft."

The answer, the Supreme Court said, is yes.

Prosecutors had used the threat of that punishment to persuade illegal workers to plead guilty to lesser charges of document fraud.

To read more of this story from The New York Times, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read the General Assembly resolution calling for a fair and more humane immigration policy, PLEASE CLICK HERE.