Even Small PEACES are Important...Calling All Peacemakers

Presbytery’s Resource Center wishes to share the following resources that can promote discussion about current moral issues and provide peacemaking guidance during the process. How does our religion impact our actions?

Please contact the Presbytery office (910-862-8300, ext. 5) if you’d like to borrow a resource or have a question.

Youth

1) Peace DVD Especially for Youth – This DVD is designed to be used as a 6-session series of studies on peace for youth. Youth will be encouraged to ask and answer the question, What can one person do to bring about peace in today’s world? Jesus’ sermon on the Mount is used as a guideline for the study. The study guide outlines for each session, including DVD segments, scripture passages, discussion questions, and an assignment.

2) A Song of Peace – sung by the Zehnder brothers can be found on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXaOynkWi8Y&feature=youtu.be

Adult

Reclaiming Civility in the Public Square by Cassandra Dahnke, Tomas Spath & Donna Bowling– This book explores 10 rules that promote civility in the public square. 10 Practical steps to help bring us into relationship with each other once again are shared in the book. It explores a topic whose importance cannot be underestimated. As Lincoln said, “A nation divided cannot long endure”. The authors maintain that we can survive our division if they are handled with civility and respect. They are fully aware of the differences between groups that often lead to political friction and they offer constructive suggestions for all of us.

2) Season of Peace Bible Study – free download at https://www.pcusa.org/resource/season-peace-bible-study-full/ .

Session 1: The Things that Make for Peace

Session 2: Finding Peace

Session 3: Practicing Peace

Session 4: Extending Peace

Session 5: Living Peace

3) In Defense of Civility: How Religion Can Unite America on Seven Moral Issues That Divide Us, by James Calvin Davis. Book. From “the big four” (abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, and stem-cell research) to war, poverty, and the environment, this timely book considers religion’s impact on moral debates in America’s past and present. James Calvin Davis argues for religion’s potential to enrich both the content and the civility of public conversation. This book will interest all concerned citizens yearning for more careful thinking about the role of religion in public debate.

Click here to see a TV interview with James Calvin Davis.

4) American Politics and Christian Responses (downloadable study at http://www.thethoughtfulchristian.com/Products/TC0519/civility.aspx

What happened to civility in public discourse? While civility has long been a factor of Christianity and even in American politics, more recently it seems that our society and many of its leaders suffer from an appalling lack of it. When everyone is screaming at each other it becomes difficult to conceive of a different, better way of thinking about politics and public debate. This three-session, adult study by James Calvin Davis considers ways to think about political discussion between people who disagree in light of the four virtues of civility and the principles of civility found in Christianity. Session three of the study provides guidelines and applications for practicing civility.

5) The Things that Make for Peace – Bible study (free download) – https://www.pcusa.org/resource/things-make-peace-complete-bible-study/ – The Things That Make for Peace is a five-week adult study for small or large groups to be used during A Season of Peace or any time of the year. It focuses on the inner and outer path to peace as foundational to faithful discipleship. Each session has a “dig deeper” section for study through the week.

Download PDF

6) Neighbor: Christian Encounters with “Illegal” Immigration by Ben Daniel – Book. Using a blend of travel narrative, interviews, theological insight, and biblical scholarship, Daniel tackles the controversial issues that surround undocumented migration in the United States by taking the reader to the spiritual, legal, and geographical front lines of the immigration debate. Here, the political becomes personal and talking points have a human face. The result of this journey is a compelling argument that encourages Christians to meet undocumented migrants as neighbors and as friends. Study questions are included.