Epiphany

Migrants and Refugees

Now when they had departed, behold,( an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13-15)

National Migration Week 2015 will be held from January 4-10 with a primary theme of "We are One Family Under God." As a child, Jesus himself experienced migration when he had to seek refuge in Egypt together with Joseph and Mary in order to flee the threats of Herod.

How we treat migrants, refugees, and undocumented people in the USA is a hot topic today. Pressure to migrate due to global economic problems, conflict, and climate change mean this will remain a hot topic. Here are a list of websites and resources for understanding the issue from a Christian perspective:

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
ELCA Message on Migration

Immigration: It's Our Community - Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Reform Immigration for America

America's Voice

The Joys of the Season

Sometimes it comes as a sudden glimpse, or an
insight emerging in a thoughtful moment: 

 “Why not a simpler, more meaningful
Advent and Christmas?” 

Of course, what we’re getting is commercialization of the season -- and at record-breaking levels.
The good news: there’s a growing movement and a variety of resources and support for simplicity and sustainability. Indeed, there are deeply gratifying ways to prepare for and celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace -- outside our culture's distorted, materialistic ways.
LPF offers you a great resource on the subject:
"Reclaim the Season! Peace & Justice Living and Giving at Christmas and Throughout the Year."
It’s one of our popular ‘Peace Points’ series, geared for individual and youth or adult group use.
It offers a variety of alternative gift ideas, sources of fair trade gifts, ideas for discussion, and a great resource section with website and print materials.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is America’s time to gather with friends and family to share a delicious feast. It involves giving thanks for having enough food to eat and having people with whom one can share love, reflections and good company.
One would think that in a country of such enormous abundance and wealth that everyone would be able to share and enjoy plenty on this national holiday. But according to these statistics, nearly one out of every six American families have had trouble getting enough food in recent years. While we can certainly attribute this fact to the recent economic downturn and rising unemployment, this study showed that even before the recession began, more than two-thirds of families with children who were defined as “food insecure” under federal guidelines contained one or more full-time workers.

LPF offers the following free online resources to raise awareness of and take action to end hunger in America, and throughout the world:

Hunger Resources

Hunger Awareness Meal - This experiential meal illuminates hunger and poverty in the world.

Hunger advocacy: Here´s how you can make yourself heard, and how to send your message to your representative

Hunger and Development Links

Advocacy Alert: 2012 Farm Bill

This Thanksgiving, LPF is thankful as ever to you, our supporters. We give thanks for God and for you!

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children - November 20

What if all the religions of the world devoted one day a year to prayers and visible actions to promote the well-being of children? It would make an enormous difference for peace, and send a potent message worldwide.

This international movement is already happening! In 2008, Arigatou International launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Every November 20, people of faith and secular partners organize a community festival at a house of worship or public place. They follow up with a concrete project that will improve the lives of children in their area. See www.dayofprayerandaction.org for more info.

World Day Convening Chair Kul Gautam gives a video message. He is standing at the UN Assembly Building in New York City, in front of a monument to non-violence donated by Luxembourg.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake says, "Peace and security are the foundation of a world fit for children. Wars not only kill children, they breed disease and destroy economic hope. And in the end, real peace is not found in a piece of diplomatic paper. It is found in the secure and healthy lives of girls and boys." Mr. Lake played a key part in shaping policies that led to peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland, among other hotspots. (From

http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_53462.html.)

World Refugee Day

Now when they had departed, behold,( an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13-15)

World Refugee Day, observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

World Refugee Day - UN
World Refugee Day - Wikipedia

Women and Justice: Speak Out through the ELCA’s study process (June 2016-June 2017)

Members of the ELCA-Lutheran World Federation delegation at the
59th UN Commission on the Status of Women, 2015, NYC.

What does our church say about women and justice, to generate discussion and encourage action? And how can we take part? Here are links and related resources:

1. Know that an ELCA Social Message on Gender Based Violence was adopted by the ELCA Church Council on November 14, 2015. ELCA Social Messages are "topical documents" that "focus attention and action on timely, pressing matters of social concern to the church and society.”

2. You are being invited to join in on developing an ELCA Social Statement on Women and Justice that will be presented to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2019. ELCA Social Statements are teaching and policy documents that help us discuss social issues in the context of our faith and life.

The ELCA Task Force on Women and Justice: One in Christ, a 19-member group from diverse walks of life, has the responsibility for leading the study process, with an anticipated timeline. Materials will be sent to every ELCA congregation and downloadable online, to invite responses from June 2016 to June 2017. Have an idea or concern? You can send a message to the task force at any time: womenandjustice@elca.org.

3. For biblical undergirding, you can use this three-session study resource on the Bible and Women.

4. For an overview on women and justice issues worldwide, and our church's involvement, here is an excellent summary about the March 2015 United Nations meeting"Beijing+20." You can also listen to a radio show about it. The UN Commission on the Status of Women is meeting again in March 2016, with ELCA and Lutheran World Federation participation.

-- Lily R. Wu for the LPF Women's Initiative

February 14: Dance with the One Billion Rising Revolution To End Violence Against Women

Violence has power. But active peacemaking has power too. Have you heard of One Billion Rising? It’s the largest mass action in human history to end violence against women. This global movement is based on the horrifying statistic that 1 in every 3 women in the world will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. With the world’s population at 7 billion, that’s one billion women and girls.

Launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, One Billion Rising expanded to 200 countries by 2014. It evolved in 2015 into the One Billion Rising Revolution. In 2016, the revolution escalates!

• The rallying cry is for systemic change: “overhauling, challenging, and fighting” corrupt systems…

• The goal is justice “for all survivors of gender violence and the impunity that protects perpetrators...”

• The determination is to “create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.”

• How can we get started?

• Be inspired by mass gatherings worldwide. See the panoramic YouTube video "One Billion Rising 2015 - La Rivoluzione."

• Sing with the music video "Break the Chain” (with captions on, to catch every word)!

• Learn the dance steps at "How to: Break the Chain Choreography" and introduce it to others. Also see “How to Dance ‘Break the Chain’ -- for the mobility compromised!”

• Check out the One Billion Rising Revolution website for more ideas. Don’t miss the toolkit, under “Resources.”

• Make use of Lutheran Peace Fellowship’s Women's Peace Resources for inspiration and empowerment. See "Stopping Violence Against Women and Girls," the “Women's Video Gallery,” and more.

• Pass this blogpost on to your friends. And share with us what inspires you to stop violence against women and girls, and to promote peace instead!

Lily R.Wu and Alan Forsberg

Dietrich Bonhoeffer´s Birthday - February 4

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) is known for his leadership role in the Confessing Church, efforts on behalf of peace and justice, opposition to antisemitism, and writings on theology and ethics that have been influential far beyond his German Lutheran context.
He was was hanged by the Nazis on April 6, 1945 in the Flossenburg concentration camp.

Check out  LPF's resources on this Lutheran Hero at:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Resources

The Joys of the Season

Sometimes it comes as a sudden glimpse, or an
insight emerging in a thoughtful moment: 

 “Why not a simpler, more meaningful
Advent and Christmas?” 

Of course, what we’re getting is commercialization of the season -- and at record-breaking levels.
The good news: there’s a growing movement and a variety of resources and support for simplicity and sustainability. Indeed, there are deeply gratifying ways to prepare for and celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace -- outside our culture's distorted, materialistic ways.
LPF offers you a freshly updated resource on the subject:
"Reclaim the Season! Peace & Justice Living and Giving at Christmas and Throughout the Year."
It’s one of our popular ‘Peace Points’ series, geared for individual and youth or adult group use.
It offers a variety of alternative gift ideas, sources of fair trade gifts, ideas for discussion, and a great resource section with website and print materials.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is America’s time to gather with friends and family to share a delicious feast. It involves giving thanks for having enough food to eat and having people with whom one can share love, reflections and good company.
One would think that in a country of such enormous abundance and wealth that everyone would be able to share and enjoy plenty on this national holiday. But according to these statistics, nearly one out of every six American families have had trouble getting enough food in recent years. While we can certainly attribute this fact to the recent economic downturn and rising unemployment, this study showed that even before the recession began, more than two-thirds of families with children who were defined as “food insecure” under federal guidelines contained one or more full-time workers.

LPF offers the following free online resources to raise awareness of and take action to end hunger in America, and throughout the world:

Hunger Resources

Hunger Awareness Meal - This experiential meal illuminates hunger and poverty in the world.

Hunger advocacy: Here´s how you can make yourself heard, and how to send your message to your representative

Hunger and Development Links

Advocacy Alert: 2012 Farm Bill

This Thanksgiving, LPF is thankful as ever to you, our supporters. We give thanks for God and for you!

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children - November 20

What if all the religions of the world devoted one day a year to prayers and visible actions to promote the well-being of children? It would make an enormous difference for peace, and send a potent message worldwide.

This international movement is already happening! In 2008, Arigatou International launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Every November 20, people of faith and secular partners organize a community festival at a house of worship or public place. They follow up with a concrete project that will improve the lives of children in their area. See www.dayofprayerandaction.org for more info.

World Day Convening Chair Kul Gautam gives a video message. He is standing at the UN Assembly Building in New York City, in front of a monument to non-violence donated by Luxembourg.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake says, "Peace and security are the foundation of a world fit for children. Wars not only kill children, they breed disease and destroy economic hope. And in the end, real peace is not found in a piece of diplomatic paper. It is found in the secure and healthy lives of girls and boys." Mr. Lake played a key part in shaping policies that led to peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland, among other hotspots. (From

http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_53462.html.)

International Day of Prayer for Peace

What do you think could happen if churches everywhere prayed and acted together to nurture lasting peace? . . . among individuals, families, communities and societies? Well, that opportunity is here! And we invite you to join us in this collective effort, now held annually on and around September 21, and this year, emphasizing climate change.

In 2004, the World Council of Churches and the United Nations proposed the idea of an International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP) every September 21. Since then, this has become a special day of festive activity in virtually every denomination worldwide. LPF played a special role from the start: LPF leaders wrote the worship resource for the very first IDPP in 2004, used in 10,000 churches across the globe! From early on, we saw the advantages of getting involved in larger efforts like Campaign Nonviolence that both draw in lots of people, and visibly show the potential of the growing  LPF/religious peace movement.

Campaign Nonviolence reveals a growing sense that it is time to nurture a broader… longer-term… ecumenical movement…  grounded in nonviolence. And we’ve talked a lot about "connecting the dots" --  and bringing together people working on efforts to end war…climate change… violence against women… poverty… racism… and the epidemic of violence (even police violence) in our communities

LPF has ideas and resources to help you and your congregation make the most of this occasion to share in meaningful worship, build understanding and encourage action toward planet nurturing. This year, Sept. 20-27 is: the global week of action around the “Day of Prayer for Peace.” Check out the list of actions happening around the world. Consider organizing one and add it to the list.

A good place to start is to invite your pastor or worship committee to include a prayer in the service on the Sunday before or after Sept. 21. There is a wealth of resources to help.

Another possibility is to invite your social justice committee (or a few members with peace and justice interest) to share advocacy materials during the coffee hour after church. Again there are a variety of options. Here are resources and links on all of the above:

• Many groups are offering prayer and worship resources. Here are a few from several religious traditions: Education for Justice, Climate Crisis Coalition, Climate Prayer, Catholic Climate Covenant, Christian Aid, to mention just a few.
• For the connection between climate change and peacemaking, here’s a link to LPF’s blog on the subject.
• Campaign Nonviolence members are planning actions that connect reversing climate change with ending war and poverty. Actions are planned across the country during the week of Sept. 20-27 … and that's just the start!”
• Lutheran advocacy possibilities: We can start with the ELCA's climate change conversation and urge Lutheran institutions to do what other denominations have done, divest from industries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions tied to global warming. We could also call on our leaders to follow the example of these Swedish Lutheran Archbishops, including their first female archbishop. 

We’d be happy to hear from you to discuss this further. And we’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions. This has considerable potential and offers many opportunities. Let’s make the most of it!

World Refugee Day

Now when they had departed, behold,( an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13-15)

World Refugee Day, observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

World Refugee Day - UN
World Refugee Day - Wikipedia

February 14: Dance with the One Billion Rising Revolution To End Violence Against Women

Here’s a statistic so shocking that it defies belief: 1 in every 3 women in the world will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, according to the One Billion Rising Revolution. Such a staggering issue calls for mighty action. Now here is our opportunity!

Launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, the One Billion Rising movement expanded to 200 countries by 2014. It is evolving in 2015 into the One Billion Rising Revolution: “the biggest mass action in human history to end violence against women.”

• The call is for systemic change: “overhauling, challenging, and fighting” corrupt systems. 
• The goal is justice “for all survivors of gender violence and the impunity that protects perpetrators...” 
• The determination is to “create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.”

How can we get started?

• Be inspired by mass gatherings worldwide; see the panoramic YouTube video "One Billion Rising 2015 - La Rivoluzione." 
• Sing with the music video "Break the Chain” (with captions on, to catch every word)! 
• Learn the dance steps at "How to: Break the Chain Choreography" and introduce this brilliant activity to others. (The dancing expresses joy, community, and not being defeated by violence.) Also see “How to Dance ‘Break the Chain’ -- for the mobility compromised!” 
• Check out the One Billion Rising Revolution website for more ideas. Don’t miss the toolkit, under “Resources.” 

And have you seen Lutheran Peace Fellowship’s Women's Peace Resources for inspiration and empowerment? See our action guide "Stopping Violence Against Women and Girls," the “Women's Video Gallery,” and more.

You can help too by passing this blogpost on to your friends. And do share with us what is inspiring you to stop violence against women and girls, and to promote peace instead!

Lily R.Wu and Alan Forsberg

Dietrich Bonhoeffer´s Birthday - February 4

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) is known for his leadership role in the Confessing Church, efforts on behalf of peace and justice, opposition to antisemitism, and writings on theology and ethics that have been influential far beyond his German Lutheran context.
He was was hanged by the Nazis on April 6, 1945 in the Flossenburg concentration camp.

Check out  LPF's resources on this Lutheran Hero at:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Resources

Epiphany

Migrants and Refugees

Now when they had departed, behold,( an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13-15)

National Migration Week 2015 will be held from January 4-10 with a primary theme of "We are One Family Under God." As a child, Jesus himself experienced migration when he had to seek refuge in Egypt together with Joseph and Mary in order to flee the threats of Herod.

How we treat migrants, refugees, and undocumented people in the USA is a hot topic today. Pressure to migrate due to global economic problems, conflict, and climate change mean this will remain a hot topic. Here are a list of websites and resources for understanding the issue from a Christian perspective:

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
ELCA Message on Migration

Immigration: It's Our Community - Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Reform Immigration for America

America's Voice

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is America’s time to gather with friends and family to share a delicious feast. It involves giving thanks for having enough food to eat and having people with whom one can share love, reflections and good company.
One would think that in a country of such enormous abundance and wealth that everyone would be able to share and enjoy plenty on this national holiday. But according to these statistics, nearly one out of every six American families have had trouble getting enough food in recent years. While we can certainly attribute this fact to the recent economic downturn and rising unemployment, this study showed that even before the recession began, more than two-thirds of families with children who were defined as “food insecure” under federal guidelines contained one or more full-time workers. Food banks and meal programs are stretching themselves to the limit to serve more people impacted by increasing hunger in America.
For the last three years, the Lutheran Peace Fellowship has been implementing  the "Lutheran Hunger Volunteer Training and Support Project" to help support and train volunteers in U.S. hunger programs. This project has great potential to help by offering effective support, resources, and workshops to strengthen and expand a crucial element in Lutheran hunger programs: the core volunteers and leaders.
LPF’s expertise in these areas has such respect that in 2009 we were awarded a grant from Wheat Ridge Ministries to support the project. But there is much work still to be done. Please consider making a generous donation to LPF to help us keep this vital project going.

LPF offers the following free online resources to raise awareness of and take action to end hunger in America, and throughout the world:

Hunger Resources

Hunger Awareness Meal - This experiential meal illuminates hunger and poverty in the world.

Hunger advocacy: Here´s how you can make yourself heard, and how to send your message to your representative

Hunger and Development Links

Advocacy Alert: 2012 Farm Bill


This Thanksgiving, LPF is thankful as ever to you, our supporters.  We thought of you when we read this interview with Anne Lamott on her new book "Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Survival Prayers," about asking for guidance, offering gratitude and expressing wonder.  We give thanks for God and for you!

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children observed worldwide on November 20

What if all the religions of the world devoted one day a year to prayers and visible actions to promote the well-being of children? It would make an enormous difference for peace, and send a potent message worldwide.

This international movement is already happening! In 2008, Arigatou International launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Every November 20, people of faith and secular partners organize a community festival at a house of worship or public place. They follow up with a concrete project that will improve the lives of children in their area.

In 2009, more than 9,000 people in 22 countries took part. In 2010, more than 36,500 people joined in from 48 countries! Stopping violence against children was the World Day's campaign for 2011-2013. A guide to positive parenting and non-violent discipline will soon be released. See www.dayofprayerandaction.org for more info.

World Day Convening Chair Kul Gautam gives a video message. He is standing at the UN Assembly Building in New York City, in front of a monument to non-violence donated by Luxembourg.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake says, "Peace and security are the foundation of a world fit for children. Wars not only kill children, they breed disease and destroy economic hope. And in the end, real peace is not found in a piece of diplomatic paper. It is found in the secure and healthy lives of girls and boys." Mr. Lake played a key part in shaping policies that led to peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland, among other hotspots. (From

http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_53462.html.)

International Day of Prayer for Peace

What do you think could happen if churches everywhere prayed and acted together to nurture lasting peace? . . . among individuals, families, communities and societies? Well, that opportunity is here! And we invite you to join us in this collective effort, now held annually on and around September 21, and this year, emphasizing climate change.

In 2004, the World Council of Churches and the United Nations proposed the idea of an International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP) every September 21. Since then, this has become a special day of festive activity in virtually every denomination worldwide. LPF played a special role from the start: LPF leaders wrote the worship resource for the very first IDPP in 2004, used in 10,000 churches across the globe!

LPF has ideas and resources to help you and your congregation make the most of this occasion to share in meaningful worship, build understanding and encourage action toward planet nurturing. This year, Sept. 21 is:

The global “Day of Prayer for Peace” plus “The Largest Climate March in History," and Nonviolent Actions in over 130 communities that connect reversing climate change with ending war and poverty.

The coming together of these efforts offers a significant opportunity to educate and encourage congregation members, and to energize and strengthen efforts on the crucial issues of climate change and peace.

A good place to start is to invite your pastor or worship committee to include a prayer in the service on the Sunday before or after Sept. 21. There is a wealth of resources to help.

Another possibility is to invite your social justice committee (or a few members with peace and justice interest) to share advocacy materials during the coffee hour after church. Again there are a variety of options. Here are resources and links on all of the above:

• Many groups are offering prayer and worship resources. Here are a few from several religious traditions: Education for Justice, Climate Crisis Coalition, Climate Prayer, Catholic Climate Covenant, Christian Aid, to mention just a few.
• The People's Climate March (billed as the "Largest Climate March in History"): they offer posters and other resources and a long list of supportive groups. For the connection between climate change and peacemaking, here’s a link to LPF’s blog on the subject.
• Campaign Nonviolence members are planning actions that connect reversing climate change with ending war and poverty. “Over 110 nonviolent actions are planned across the country during the week of Sept. 21-27 … and that's just the start!”
• Lutheran advocacy possibilities: We can start with the ELCA's climate change conversation and urge Lutheran institutions to do what other denominations have done, divest from industries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions tied to global warming. We could also call on our leaders to follow the example of these Swedish Lutheran Archbishops, including their first female archbishop. 

We’d be happy to hear from you to discuss this further. And we’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions. This has considerable potential and offers many opportunities. Let’s make the most of it!

Advocacy Alert: Renewed Fighting in Israel-Palestine

The news media in recent days has been awash with stories about teen killings and military action in Israel-Palestine. Media coverage has often been sensationalist, one-sided, or superficial. We've heard from LPF members asking for help in moving beyond those depictions, to connect with root causes, and explore options for both de-escalation and lasting solutions.

In fact, this crisis urgently calls for a response from us – in particular, it is important for us to reach out to others, both those who are active on such issues, and those on the sidelines or who haven’t known how they might actually help in such a complex situation. (The basics are straightforward. As one commentator put it, "you can't bomb your way to peace.")

The best of our sister organization agree that a crucial need is for us to share information that would "change the public discourse on the conflict."

We can also be calling for specific responses including disinvestment to put pressure on the Israeli government -- a strategy which played an important role in ending apartheid in South Africa. The World Council of Churches has announced its support for divestment from corporations responsible for global warming. We can be asking our church leaders to take such a stand on this issue.

Our own government needs more encouragement to play a positive role. The message can be quite simple. As Rabbi Michael Lerner of the Jewish group Tikkun puts it "My fervent prayer: Stop all the violence, end the occupation, and create a lasting peace and a reconciliation of the heart." Challenging the enormous US subsidies for Israel gives us tremendous leverage. The threat of significant reductions could make a big difference.

Below are links to several sources of reliable and balanced information, from Lutheran and other sources. They can help us explore – and share with others – how the current struggle fits into the continuing spiral of violence, key underlying causes, and what the US can do to help move things in a positive direction.

We are called to respond and to encourage others to do so. Please don’t let this one pass by! Here are some good links to help us deepen our understanding of those crucial underlying issues, help others do so, and do our part to address this important challenge:

Tikkun: "End the Violence in Israel/Palestine: Cease Fire NOW!"
http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/end-the-violence-in-israelpalestine-cease-fire-now

American Friends Service Committee: "Ending oppression to end violence: The Gaza escalation in context"
http://afsc.org/story/ending-oppression-end-violence-gaza-escalation-context
*also the source of the image used above

Lutheran World Federation: "Israel-Palestine Peace Agreement Would Be a Sign of Hope to the World"
http://www.lutheranworld.org/news/israel-palestine-peace-agreement-would-be-sign-hope-world

Democracy Now!:
"After Palestinian Unity Deal, Did Israel Spark Violence to Prevent a New "Peace Offensive"?"
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/7/15/after_palestinian_unity_deal_did_israel
"Pressuring Israel, Presbyterian Church Divests from Firms Tied to Occupation of Palestinian Land"

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/6/23/pressuring_israel_presbyterian_church_divests_from

LPF's Holy Land Resources (dozens of more links)
http://lutheran_peace.tripod.com/holyland.html

Jewish Voice for Peace
http://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

ELCA campaign working for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel: http://www.elca.org/Resources/Peace-Not-Walls

Please share this alert and links with friends and congregation members by email and printed copies. The situation is urgent, and it also offers an opening to help break through the misinformation and stereotypes, better understand the issues, and advocate for responsible U.S. action.