Sometimes a move toward peace begins with putting down the fork. <\/p>\n
As violence escalates between Israeli forces and Hamas, two Texas pastors say their fellow United Methodists can do something in response. They are urging churchgoers to join with Jews and Muslims, who on July 15 plan to fast and pray for peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors.<\/p>\n
[quote_box_right]WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES<\/p>\n
The United Methodist General Conference, the denomination\u2019s top lawmaking assembly and the only body that can speak for the church, has adopted a number of resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The following are in the 2012 Book of Resolutions, which include the denomination\u2019s teachings on current social concerns.<\/p>\n
[\/quote_box_right]The two pastors in the\u00a0Texas Annual (regional) Conference<\/a>\u00a0were inspired by an article in the Jewish Daily Forward by Sigal Samuel. The article reported that\u00a0the grieving families of murdered Israeli-American teen Naftali Fraenkel and murdered Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir are drawing comfort from each other<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a fantastic story of these families transcending these things that we think cannot be transcended,\u201d said the Rev. Ben Trammell, lead pastor of\u00a0Faith United Methodist Church in Richmond<\/a>, a Houston suburb. \u201cIt resonated with me, with them making the effort to come together and talk about the grief they know.\u201d<\/p>\n The article also reported that another group of Palestinians had visited the Fraenkel family to offer condolences. During the visit, the Palestinians mentioned a joint Jewish-Muslim fast on July 15 to express a desire to end violence in the region.<\/p>\n Trammell this Sunday plans to invite his congregation, which sees about 700 people in worship each Sunday, to join in the fast. He said he hopes the fast might help humanize what for many Americans may seem like remote news stories from half a world away.<\/p>\n Trammell also shared the story with his friend the Rev. C. Chappell Temple, who agreed to join in the fast. Temple was formerly senior pastor of\u00a0Lakewood United Methodist Church in Houston<\/a>\u00a0and soon will be lead pastor of\u00a0Christ United Methodist Church in Sugar Land<\/a>. Temple and Trammell on separate trips have visited the Holy Land this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is an intractable, retributive evil here that keeps playing itself out in a cycle of violence,\u201d Temple said. \u201cUntil this cycle can be broken, there is absolutely no possibility of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n But when the disciples faced an intractable problem, Temple noted that Jesus\u00a0in Matthew 17:21<\/a>\u00a0urged them to fast and pray. This passage does not appear in some newer English Bible translations that use older manuscripts of Matthew.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the spiritual discipline of abstention is something all three Abrahamic faiths share.<\/p>\n And this year, July 15 offers an ideal time for a joint fast, Trammel and Temple said. The date happens to fall on a fast day in both the Jewish and Muslim calendars.<\/p>\n For Muslims,\u00a0most of July is Ramadan<\/a>, the holy month that celebrates when Muslims believe God through the angel Gabriel gave Muhammad the teachings of the Quran.<\/p>\n During Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to refrain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, restore relationships, be especially generous with others and reread the Quran in its entirety. Because Muslims follow a lunar calendar, Ramadan shifts about 11 days earlier each year in Western calendars.<\/p>\n In the Jewish calendar, July 15 coincides this year with the 17th<\/sup>\u00a0day of the month of Tammuz or Shiva Asar B\u2019Tammuz. This\u00a0fast day commemorates calamities experienced by the Jewish people<\/a>. These include:<\/p>\n Zechariah 8:19 says this and other fast days should\u00a0\u201cbecome joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth\u00a0and peace.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n No question both the people of Israel and Palestinian territories have a great need for peace right now.<\/p>\n Fraenkel, 16, along with Gilad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrach, 19, were three Jewish seminary students, who were abducted and found shot on June 30. The body of Khdeir, 17, was found beaten and burned on July 2, a day after the other young men\u2019s burial.<\/p>\n Since the four teens\u2019 deaths, forces in Gaza and Israel have intensified the exchange of rocket fire. The Israeli military said it has called up about 20,000 reservists for a possible ground invasion of Gaza. As of July 10,\u00a0Palestinian officials reported at least 78 Palestinians had been killed, including 14 age 15 and younger<\/a>.<\/p>\n [quote_box_right]WALKING WITH PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS<\/p>\n The United Methodist\u00a0 Board of Global Ministries and Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio will hold the\u00a0\u201cWalking with Palestinian Christians\u00a0\u2026 for Holy Justice and Peace<\/a>\u201d conference on Aug. 7-8. Workshops\u00a0will focus on biblical\/theological perspectives; pilgrimage and presence; political, economic and social advocacy and actions; and involvement and positions within The United Methodist Church. The deadline to register is July 30..<\/p>\n How best to foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians has long been a contentious topic around the globe, including among United Methodists. But no matter a person\u2019s views of Israeli settlements or other aspects of the region\u2019s political situation, Temple said, everyone can pray and many people can fast.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bible says to\u00a0pray for peace in Jerusalem<\/a>,\u201d he said, \u201cand I think we should do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas Kemper, the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, shares that sentiment. The denomination\u2019s mission agency and Ginghamsburg Church, a United Methodist congregation in Tipp City, Ohio, will hold a conference in August on\u00a0\u201cWalking with Palestinian Christians,\u201d<\/a>focusing on people who are often caught in the crossfire of the conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many people of faith invested in peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine,\u201d Kemper said. \u201cWhen we pray together, we remember that God is bigger than any conflict and paves the way for honest dialogue. The upcoming \u2018Walking with Palestinian Christians\u2019 conference will have prayer and worship woven throughout the workshops and plenary session. A day of fasting and prayer is a wonderful way to bring together Muslims, Christians and Jews for a common purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Trammell has no idea how many people will accept his and Temple\u2019s invitation. But he is hopeful those who do will make a difference.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have a big movement. We won\u2019t have a parade,\u201d Trammell said. \u201cWe\u2019re just asking folks to fast on July 15 to help the world look more like what God wants it to be.\u201d<\/p>\nThe significance of July 15<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Growing need for peace<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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