wfn.org | NCC Worship Focuses on Reconciliation and Rebuilding

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National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
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	50th Anniversary Newsroom - Nov. 8-12, 1999 call 216-696-8490

NCC11/11/99				FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC WORSHIP FOCUSES ON RECONCILIATION AND REBUILDING

Nov. 11, 1999, CLEVELAND, Ohio - "The lasting victim of contemporary war, 
of every war, is the truth," said the Rev. Irinej Dobrijevic, executive 
director of the Office of External Affairs, Serbian Orthodox Church, who 
preached for the National Council of Churches (NCC) morning worship service 
here Nov. 11.  The service focused on reconciliation and reconstruction on 
the day the United States honors veterans.

The Rev. Dobrijevic told the 300 worshippers that religious leaders joined 
together to attempt efforts toward peace at the outbreak of the Kosovo 
conflict, but the dialogue soon stopped.  And the clergy remained quiet 
when media coverage fell silent in the rebuilding that followed the end of 
the war, he said.
	
"Violence does not beget peace but only more violence," The Rev. Dobrijevic 
said. "There's nothing ethical about bombing."
	
The Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, executive secretary of the Middle East Council 
of Churches, also spoke at the service.  Recalling the Old Testament 
reading from Ezekiel on spiritual and physical renewal, he said, "The 
Middle East is an arena of conflict. If we were to visit Turkey we would 
see the dry bones that result from the massacre of the Albanians."
	
Dr. Jarjour called for a constant uplifting of spiritual truth and grace in 
the power of Christ. "Jesus took the bread and broke it and suddenly what 
was inside was revealed," he said. "The body of Christ was broken in two 
for us.  We can not deliver the message of Christ through human means 
alone," Dr. Jarjour said. "Freedom and justice equal opportunity and a call 
to unity for all of us. The Lord allows us to be a community."
	
The Rev. Alice O' Donovon, Tolland Conn., served as the liturgist for 
Thursday's service; she is a pastor of the United Church of Christ.

-end-

[This report was prepared by Megan Atkinson and Phaedra Solomon, students 
at Miami University of Ohio.]