Every Church a Peace Church will offer three excellent events during the month of May. We hope you will be able to join us.

Monday, May 9 will be our bimonthly potluck. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 2914 W. 44th Street, in Minneapolis. The evening's program will include a chance to see the new Frontline documentary called The Soldier's Heart, which describes life for veterans returning from the war in Iraq. Following the film, clinical psychologist Al Bostelmann and psychologist and nurse Kim Doss-Smith will have some brief commentary before facilitating a discussion on the role churches can play in helping returning vets.

On Monday, May 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. we will offer a workshop titled "Is America a 'Holy Nation?': The Future of American Civil Religion." Although prominent in our lives, American civil religion is little discussed. The Reverend Neil Elliott, Chaplain at the University Episcopal Center, will help us identify American civil religion and see how it differs from Christianity. This workshop will be held at Mayflower Congregational Church, 106 E. Diamond Lake Road (at Hwy. 35W), in Minneapolis. It will be a provocative, informative evening.

A Memorial Day service of Prayers for the Dead will be Monday, May 30, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 3rd Avenue So., in Minneapolis. This will be a time to remember those who have died in wars past and those who will die in wars yet to come before we put an end to mass killings. Bishop Lowell Erdahl will deliver the eulogy.

Please mark your calendar. You may have noticed our new e-mail address. If you need to reach folks in the Twin Cities area Every Church a Peace Church network, you can now send an e-mail to this address: ecapctc@....  We are eager to help you in any way we can.

Also, a new worship resource book featuring the theology of non-violence has been written by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and Brett Hesla.   Worship in the Spirit of Jesus: Theology, Liturgy, and Songs Without Violence. Publisher: Pilgrim Press, ISBN: 0829816747

In the case of Christianity, violent images and expectations of God permeate our theology, worship, music, and liturgies.  Worship in the Spirit of Jesus has three main goals:  1. To engage adult lay Christians in discussions that examine how and why Christianity came to have so many violent images and expectations of God  2. To describe the historical and modern consequences of these violent images and expectations  3. To offer alternative theological understandings and worship resources that are rooted in the nonviolent spirit of Jesus.

The book is currently available at St. Martin's Table: 2001 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454   (612) 339-3920

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