The On Earth Peace (OEP) board and staff concluded its spring board meeting at the Maria Kaupas Center in Chicago feeling invigorated by positive accomplishments and energized by a new sense of direction and momentum. As a spiritual focus for board conversations about values, vision, and mission, each session of business was opened with devotional reflections on what has been called Jesus’ mission statement:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” -Luke 4:18-19

Lucas Al-Zoughbi, former OEP intern and newest board member, led one of the devotions and read the scripture in his home language of Arabic:

 «رُوحُالرَّبِّعَلَيَّ،لِأنَّهُمَسَحَنِيلِكَيأُعلِنَالبِشارَةَلِلفُقَراءِ. أرسَلَنِيلِأُنادِيَلِلأسرَىبِالحُرِّيَّةِ،وَبِالبَصَرِلِلعِميانِ

وَلِأُحَرِّرَالمَسحُوقِيْنَمِنَالأسْرِ، وَأُعلِنَأنَّوَقتَالرَّبِّلِلقُبُولِقَدْجاءَ.

On May 14th, avid hiker and OEP supporter David Curtis is going to Europe to walk for peace and raise funds along the way! Along with his wife Barbara, their granddaughter Taryn Dwyer, and friend Kent Childs, David will embark on the seven day, 111-mile (180KM) Hungarian Walk of Friendship. After a brief rest in Lenti, Hungary, the group will begin the European Peace Walk, a 12-day, 205-mile (330KM) walk to Trieste, Italy. 

“But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened”. -Luke 24:12

Several times a year, On Earth Peace prepares worship resources to share with our community.

We’ve heard that these are as often used for personal devotion as for actual worship planning, so for Easter 2019 we’ve expanded what we’re providing, to include some traditional worship resources along with poetry, art, and music.

Please use these resources to pray, to plan worship, or however you see fit!

The You Deserve Love project, an initiative coming out of On Earth Peace’s Prison Justice Community of Practice (CoP), received media attention after achieving their goal of sending death row inmates Valentine's cards by February 14^th.  Roanoke area NBC and Fox affiliated television news stations covered the story on Valentine’s Day, interviewing OEP Prison Justice CoP organizer Claire Flowers and her son, 4 year old Otto Waggener, who designed and helped send the Valentine's.

In January, twelve people gathered online from the On Earth Peace & Church of the Brethren constituency to discuss and share the “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.”  To learn more about this opportunity to organize around systemic racism and poverty, ecological devastation, and the war economy, please join us on February 21! We will share about our own experiences with the PPC, any questions we have, and talk about how to engage our own congregations and denominations in the Poor People’s Campaign. The meetup will be convened by Sara Haldeman-Scarr (pastor, San Diego First Church of the Brethren), Alyssa Parker (OEP racial justice organizing intern) and Matt Guynn. Contact Alyssa at racialjustice@OnEarthPeace.org for more info.