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Worship and action ideas for the war on Iraq

NEW! Jan 2008 video:

AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) YOUTUBE video with the facts about the economic costs of the war - on top of the tragic human costs. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wnq6cD5jk1Q

On YouTube, the more views a video gets, the more visibility it gets.

So:

watch this video (at least once)

rate it (you need to login to YouTube to do this) and

send it to your whole network of friends and family with the same message.

Pray Without Ceasing: Continuous Witness

We need a surge in the nonviolent army of the Lord. We need a surge in conscience and a surge in activism and a surge in truth-telling. —Reverend Warnock, March 16, 2007 at Washington National Cathedral. He is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, once pastored by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Advent 2007 materials

Prayers and Petitions: A Call for Advent Prayer and Action

Weekly Prayers

To receive a weekly prayer for Iraq by e-mail, drop a note to

Read the Weekly prayer archive

Christians across the United States are witnessing and praying around the clock to create real security and peace in Iraq through orderly U.S. troop withdrawal. Many denominations have committed to a specific day of the week. Building on our weekly prayer meetings, Mennonites have chosen Wednesdays. Will you, your family, your Sunday school class, your congregation—join the unceasing prayer?

Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, with Mennonite Church USA Peace and Justice Support Network as a Partner, sponsored an ecumenical witness in Washington, D.C., on March 16th. This same group, now joined by Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office, is continuing their commitment to publicly worship Jesus as Prince of Peace and say no to war.

Please join CPWI and schedule your vigil!

Handouts to invite prayers for peace: Color (221k PDF) Black & White (206k PDF)

Fourth Anniversary of the War In Iraq

Worship Resources for Observance of The Fourth Anniversary of the War In Iraq
Read More...

Faith, war and government

A Mennonite Church USA study resource for congregations in response to delegate discussion and action at the Charlotte (NC) 2005 Delegate Assembly about relationship to government and the war in Iraq Published December 2005.

Read more

July 2005 materials prepared for Charlotte 2005

Wage Peace: Possible actions (45k PDF)

Proclaiming Truth and Healing brochure (70k PDF)

Paper plate with budget facts

Delegate Statement on Iraq

Two Year Anniversary

Cure our warring madness
Lead us in the ways of peace

March 19, 2005 marked the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Vigils were held around the world in a search for peace. Mennonites are offering you these resources in response:

March 20, 2005 bulletin insert (856k PDF) with worship resources and information about the costs of war. Authors: Sheila Provencher, CPT; Leo Hartshorn, minister of peace and justice, MMN; J. Daryl Byler, MCC Washington Office; Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
[Download and Print Now] (856k PDF)

How much is $150 Billion? As of late 2004, the war in Iraq has cost the American taxpayer about $150 billion. We're adding over $1 billion more to that total each week.

Cost of the War in Iraq

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To see more details, click here.

Iraqi Civilian Deaths
http://www.iraqbodycount.net

Casualty counter--US military deaths
http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/#count

Iraq Body Count: Reported civilian deaths
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/webcounters.php

Estimate of deaths from justforeignpolicy.org

MCC response: Several MCCers traveled to the region in February 2005.
- Read the Report from the MCC Advocacy Delegation on Iraq
- View MCC's current work in Iraq

"Tools for our Time: Congregations in a country at war"
On April 12, 2005 9:00 EST, Susan Mark Landis hosted a phone call and live internet broadcast to
- draw us together in worship and community,
- inform us,
- equip us to be Christians of peace in the United States, and
- send us out in action.

You can listen to a web broadcast.

Understand the Crisis

	Overview of Iraq
	The Weeds of War (April 2004) J. Daryl Byler, MCC Washington Office Director
	Christian Science Monitor, May 2004 Commentary by Earl and Martin and Pat Hostetter Martin, Harrisonburg, VA: "On Abu Ghraib and war itself: See through relativism of abuse." Pat and Earl worked for Mennonite Central Committee for 25 years. In this article, they ask, "But is the logic of warfare and occupation really wise? Do we really believe that we have created a safer and more stable world because we launched a war in Iraq? http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0517/p09s01-coop.html

Listening for Hope

Bulletin Insert Series, May 2004:

	#1 Turn loose our imaginations! (55k PDF or HTML) by Ron Kraybill
	#2 Cost of the Cross (52k PDF or HTML) by Christie Schmid
	#3 "Please, you are a message of peace." (57k PDF or HTML) by Esther Epp-Tiessen
	#4 "The Harvest of War." (54k PDF or HTML) by Titus Peachey
	#5 Prayer for leaders and right leadership (62k PDF or HTML) by J. Daryl Byler

Bible

Worshiping with the Psalms in Time of War: Perry Yoder, Professor of Old Testament at AMBS, Elkhart, IN, offers the psalm groupings as a guide for constructing worship services in time of war. First published on the AMBS website, www.ambs.edu

Bread for the Enemy
The Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective explanatory comments state that the biblical concept of peace embraces personal peace with God, peace in human relations, peace among nations and peace with God's creation. This volume takes the reader through the Bible exploring traces and hints of this multifaceted peace. Dorothy Jean Weaver, professor of New Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Introduced at Nashville 2001. 64 pages. Order Now

Action

A Call for Pentecost: Flowers for Healing and Remembering CPT invites Christians who wish to honor life and faith in the midst of a world of torture and shame to compose a special bouquet of flowers for worship on Pentecost Sunday, May 30, 2004. The bouquet may be presented as part of a liturgy, offertory procession or special remembrance in the course of worship.
http://www.cpt.org/

Prayers

Ordinary lives in extraordinary times: Classroom prayers in a time of war, Mary H. Schertz, professor, AMBS
Printable bulletin insert format:
    Number 1 (252k PDF)
    Number 2 (229k PDF)
    Number 3 (229k PDF)
    Number 4 (253k PDF)
    Number 5 (233k PDF)
    Number 6 (248k PDF)

Prayer for Iraqis and Americans by Esther Epp-Tiessen, Peace Ministries Program, MCC Canada
Prayer Against Violence 1 by Carol Penner
Prayer Against Violence 2 by Carol Penner

Litanies

	Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you
	Reading for a Nation on the Brink of War (all Bible verses)
	CPT litany of resistance (15k PDF)
	Litany for Many Voices: Statement of Faith following September 11 (95k PDF)
	Blessing of oil lamps for peace in Iraq order oil lamps
	Call to Worship: God is our refuge and our strength
	A candle lighting litany (for the people of Iraq--rewriting needed for these times)
	Jesus rejected violence (perhaps for children)
	A responsive reading based on article 22 of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective regarding peace and justice.