WorldHope Corps

It was cold and wet today in Newark. Yet the Solidarity Sunday March for Hope and Peace went on as scheduled as people gathered under umbrellas at City Hall and walked in groups to Lincoln Park for the rally. Ministers, Street Warriors, representatives of community-based organizations and associations, and local political leaders had their turn to speak out about how best to end the violence in the city; and soloists and choirs sang in the rain. Before the event concluded, at least 500 people showed up from the city and the suburbs as an act of solidarity and the spirit of Hope and Peace. What follows is Dave Kerr's report on the event: One way to look at Solidarity is simple: what can do in love for others. There are problems but let's not spend a lot of time finding out who is at fault. First, let's help the one who is hurt and work together in solidarity to prevent the problem from happening again and hurting others. Let's work to heal rather than hurt. Let'...

Here's a note from Dave Kerr, one of the organizers of Sunday's March for Peace and Solidarity: Again we encourage and give thanks for the support of suburban faith based groups. Our Newark brothers and sisters are battered by violence and addiction and homelessness needing your prayers and mentoring and support. We hope that you will attend this grass roots Solidarity movement on the 30th. We will meet at Newark City Hall on the afternoon of November 30th at 1:30pm marching to Lincoln Park for the rally at 2pm, even and especially on Thanksgiving Sunday. Pastoral Care Response – Parents, families, and the community are working to overcome their grief at the loss of a loved one. The faith community will work to share that burden each time loss of life occurs in the city. This effort will strengthen families and provide a visible response to those working through their loss. The clergy would also expect to be a leading presence as citizens, community leaders, government of...

Friends of Shalom: Read the article below from Tuesday's Star Ledger on the Peace and Solidarity March in Newark this Sunday afternoon, November 30th, in the aftermath of a new wave of street violence in the city and about the need for hope and peace. My family and others from Drew and the burbs will join our friends in Newark in an simple ministry of presence solidarity--to stand and march with those in the city that want to call attention to the need to engage gang culture more positively, help shape a more productive police response, and reduce youth violence, drugs and guns. The march will begin after church at 1:30am at City Hall. We will walk down to Lincoln Park and attend a rally from 2pm till about 4pm. Attached is the flier circulated by Integrity House and the Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Peace--of which Communities of Shalom is a part. Hope to see you there! Michael The Star Ledger Tuesday, November 25, 2008 Newark activists sensing a moment They pl...

An Invitation to March for Peace and Hope in Newark was issued this week by Dave Kerr, Founder of Integrity House, member of our Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Peace, and one of the organizers of this solidarity event with Newark residents who continue to experience waves of street violence in their city: Michael and group, Thanks to you and Deen Shareef for your able representation at our recent Bridge Breakfast. The following is information to discuss at or upcoming meeting on the 11th at 4:30pm. The Newark Interfaith Coalition needs to take a leadership role in this budding movement for peace, hope and realistic help to members of our community in need, many of them violent and involved in gangs. We would like to involve suburban churches in this march and rally and wondered if any of you have some ideas? You might want to approach this in a different way but I have always felt that we need to "strike while the iron is hot." If we are going to pull off a ma...

My eyes welled up last night and this morning as the national milestone of putting an African American family in a White House built by slave labor. Anyone with a social justice bone in their body, whether they voted for Senator McCain or not, must be over-whelmed with a deeper joy today in seeing the flood of images of jubilation from around the world. "The people have spoken!" said Senator John McCain. “All Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday.” said President George W. Bush. Now the real work begins of systemic change in “remaking the Nation, block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand, said President-elect Barak Obama. And I would add, “zone by zone of shalom.” As the images of joy and celebration continue to stream in from around the world, and tears fall down our cheeks, let us also remember how fearful at least 25% of those who voted for McCain feel about an Obama presidency, according to the polls. Many are conv...

Stewardship Sermon: “Spread the Wealth Around” (Luke 16:1-13) By Michael J. Christensen If one were to cast a vote on Tuesday based on just one social issue, what would that issue be? The candidate's position on abortion rights? Homosexuality? War? Immigration, Economics? Interestingly, for Christians, Jesus did not take a pro or con position on abortion, homosexuality, war or immigration. Never addressed these important issues. But he had plenty to say about taxes and riches and the right use of money. Economic justice looms large in the Gospels. What is the second most frequent topic addressed in the entire Bible? No, not sexuality. Not killing. But Money! Second only to the topic of the Kingdom of God. Hundreds of scripture verses about money! So if we want to major on the issues the Bible majors on, and on what Jesus cared most about, it's 1) the Kingdom of God and 2) Use of Money. Our political candidates aren't talking too much about God's Kindgom of l...