St Martin of Tours - Feast Day

St Martin of Tours is known as the first conscientious objector and a great peacemaker in the Christian church. His feast day of 11 November (or the nearest Sunday) which is also observed as Remembrance Day for remembering those killed in wars (it was called Armistice Day following the First World War).

Lutherans have had a long history of responding to the gospel call to be peacemakers. One of the initial motivations for the formation of a Lutheran peace movement in the US was the need to support those resisting the draft through conscientious objection to military solutions to conflict. LPF traces its roots to this movement dating back to 1940.

For more contemporary information on current issues relating to the military service, see LPF's resource: Youth and the Military

For further information on St Martin of Tours, here are several links:

Martin of Tours

St. Martin's Day

St Martin — patron saint of conscientious objectors

November 11th. St. Martin of Tours.

SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS BISHOP, CONFESSOR—316-400

St. Martin of Tours

World Food Day

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.

The World Food Day theme for 2011 is "Food prices - from crisis to stability". Price swings, upswings in particular, represent a major threat to food security in developing countries. Hardest-hit are the poor. According to the World Bank, in 2010-2011 rising food costs pushed nearly 70 million people into extreme poverty. Food prices are now at an all time high and have gone up 40% over the past 4 years. Prices for cereals have gone up even more with staples such as wheat up 64% and corn more than doubling in price in just the last year. This spike in food prices puts at risk the eradication of hunger and child malnutrition.

“FOOD PRICES – FROM CRISIS TO STABILITY” has been chosen as this year’s World Food Day theme to shed some light on this trend and what can be done to mitigate its impact on the most vulnerable.

On World Food Day 2011, let us look seriously at what causes swings in food prices, and do what needs to be done to reduce their impact on the weakest members of global society.

resources:

LPF Hunger Resources, Hunger and Development Links

World Food Day Website

Wikipedia article

FAO warns of high, volatile food price effects

They live in a world of plenty, but one in seven will go hungry today

World Food Day USA Directory of Organizations

World Food Day Sunday Dinner

Bread for the World

ELCA World Hunger Program

"Taking Root" five-part congregation education program on hunger.

Genetically Modified Foods and World Hunger

Advocacy Alerts

Calling for a Faithful Budget

"Make Your Voice Heard"

In the face of massive deficits and the daunting task ahead of balancing the federal budget, Congress needs to hear your voice: a moral voice of reason, calling for placing the needs of the most vulnerable at the center of budget policy decisions.

Twelve legislators, known as the "Super Committee," have been given immense power over budget decisions that will impact many years to come. If partisan politics rears its ugly head and the committee fails to reach consensus, then an additional 1.5 trillion in across-the-board cuts will become mandatory, slashing social safety net programs such as WIC, SNAP, Medicaid, Social Security, and others. . . read more & take action

Tell Congress not to cut

life-saving foreign assistance

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus sets a standard for how we should greet those who have been cast on the side of the road by poverty and violence. The famine and drought that continues to devastate the Horn of Africa is just one stark reminder that we must support those in need of life-sustaining food and support. . . read more on p.2 of our advocacy alert

International Day of Prayer for Peace

The International Day of Peace 2011 and The International Day of Prayer for Peace, are observed widely on Sept. 21 in congregations and at the ELCA Center in Chicago. the UN has chosen the theme of "Make Your Voice Heard," under the overall idea of peace and democracy.

LPF and the ELCA offer a variety of peace prayers and other resources that can be used throughout the year. We have a bulletin insert, and other resources and activities below to make this a meaningful and useful experience for all.

more resources:

• Encouraging Shalom in the Congregation: a resource guide


• ELCA webpage on the International Day of Prayer for Peace


• United Nations: International Day of Peace


• International Day of Peace Website


• On Earth Peace

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Pathmaking for Peace:

Resources for Sept 11+10 and Beyond

Sept 11 commemorations will hold a particular significance for many people this year, a decade after 2001. LPF invites all peacemakers to explore and use our list of free downloadable resources. Let’s help our congregation, group, and community honor this milestone with meaningful worship, activities, and intentional discussions on peace, on or near 9/11+10.

"As a native New Yorker from Chinatown, located 10 blocks northeast of Ground Zero," says LPF board member Lily Wu, "I will never forget the people who sacrificed themselves to save others, and the Lutherans near and far who poured out their love to hasten our healing. Love and action hand in hand made the difference. That's still true for anything we do in the name of the One who sacrificed his life so that people everywhere can live.

"And that's why LPF hopes that Sept 11+10 will be a time not only for sacred observances, but also intentional pathmaking for peace. You could create a path by introducing one or more of the following resources to your congregation. Where else can people discuss issues and appropriate responses in the context of their faith?"

Resources for the 10th Anniversary of 9-11

go to a resource list http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=548&Itemid=397.

Also, NRCAT has prepared a litany http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=549&Itemid=398

FCNL:A Solemn Day and a Turning Point
http://fcnl.org/september11/

Worship Resources for 9-11+10.
Here are two of the more helpful surveys of resources:

http://epfnational.org/resources/worship-resources/
http://epfnational.org/lutheran-resources-for-911/

Local "9-11+10" commemorative activities

Contact your synod office, regional Church Council, LPF network, etc. to identify worship services and commemorative activities. Share what you learn with others in your area, and send links to LPF for posting on our website for others to see.

We can help make 9-11+10 activities meaningful by sharing resources from the above in emails to our friends and within our congregation. Here are some materials that might help:
In a time of tragedy http://lutheran_peace.tripod.com/thoughts_in_tragedy.html

This would also be a great time to write a letter to the editor of publications in our area to help others avoid the myths and grasp the real lessons of 9-11+10.

Peace is profitable: time for the US to invest

The US ranked an abysmally low 82 on the recent Global Peace Index. Unless America invests in the structures to promote peace, it will continue to find itself at war. The peace dividend is worth it: The world could have saved $8 trillion if it had been at peace last year. read more . . .

“Bin Laden Killed, Americans Celebrate”

* Issues, Implications, Options…

by Glen Gersmehl

Peacemaking friends,

Here is the resource a network of us are using in talks, discussions, articles, and letters to the editor.

At a minimum, I encourage you to check out other useful articles by Chris Hedges, Kathy Kelly, Randy Schutt, Stephen Zunes, Richard Deats, John Feffer...links at the end (and perhaps at least the first, fifth and a few following paragraphs of the resource...) from many PJSA, PJRC, LPF... folks and would be happy to hear your thoughts on this, other resources, etc.

Thank you for being the community we so dearly need these days if we are to respond as we can.

Gratefully, Glen Gersmehl