Title: Former House Speaker endorses Disciples minister's "preach for
peace" initiative
Date: November 19, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
99a-78
FORT WORTH (DNS) -- The pastor of one of the largest congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has launched a nationwide initiative to spread the message of peace. The Rev. R. Scott Colglazier, senior pastor of University Christian Church, Fort Worth, Texas, is calling on every preacher in the United States to deliver a peace sermon on Jan. 2, the first Sunday of the new year.
Churches around the country are being notified of the call to preach peace. "There is no doubt that many topics are important to the Christian faith, but this concept of peace, God's shalom, is needed for our world as we turn the corner of a new century," said Colglazier. His peace-from- the-pulpit call is an outgrowth of his work with the Fort Worth Millennial Committee. That group is encouraging people to "pause for peace" 10 seconds before midnight, Jan. 1, 2000.
Former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim Wright supports Colglazier's plan. "Throughout our aching, weary planet, people yearn for peace but don't know where to find it. Perhaps just possibly if at a given time we all should, even briefly, lay aside our opinionated certainties, face our inadequacy and pray for mercy and guidance, something truly quite wonderful might happen to us all," Wright said in his Fort Worth Star-Telegram column. The column appears in other Knight-Ridder newspapers around the U.S. as well.
The initiative also has the backing of the Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "At a time when newspapers are packed with stories of division and hate, it seems imperative to that the church must speak out with its message of peace. Dr. Colglazier's plea for all clergy to preach for peace on Jan. 2 is calling for something we can do and should do," said the Rev. Ralph E. Glenn, Southwest regional minister.
"This past century has been one of the bloodiest, most violent centuries in the history of civilization," Colglazier said. "But the world can be transformed, and that is especially possible when people gather together in order to release hope into the world," he said. "The very one Christians call Lord and Savior, Jesus, is named 'Prince of Peace.' Even the universal greeting among Christians is, 'The peace of Christ be with you.'"
"If we of sundry faiths and nations can come to the dawn of the next millennium, laying down our own pitiful pretenses at righteousness, and honestly ask that good things happen for people who don't seem to like or treat us very well, there may be hope. For that troublesome neighbor. That unscrupulous business rival. That rude motorist who squeezed us out of our lane of traffic," Wright added.
Colglazier says he's spreading the call for peace sermons by contacting regional and national leaders in denominations and other faith groups. He's also spreading the word through clergy-colleague networks and sending news releases to religion news editors around the U.S.
Scott Colglazier has served as senior minister of University Christian Church since 1996. With more than 5,000 members, UCC is one of the fastest growing congregations in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He has authored three books and numerous articles on contemporary spirituality.
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