Friday morning was bright and crisp as we journeyed from our hillside retreat center toward the center of Rome. Traveling in four large buses, we arrived for a morning service at the famed church that houses the chains with which Paul was bound while in prison in the city. The planners of the conference wanted to have a service in the church as a sign of reconciliation between Roman Catholics and Baptists. Marking the sharp contrast between the RC and Baptists, three Baptist clergywomen and one man led the service. Bishop Rusudan Gostsiridze, a Baptist clergywoman of the Republic of Georgia, vested in robe and clerical collar, underscored the Baptist affirmation that “all are one in Christ Jesus,” even male and female. It was quite moving to be in a catholic church with women leading; indeed, within sight of the chains that Paul suffered for his proclamation of liberation.

The liturgy was simple; the symbolism was rich. My pastor, Dr. Heather Entrekin, brought the beeswax candles that we had lit on Christmas Eve at Prairie Baptist to be used in the service. Indeed, these were Georgian candles, long fragrant tapers she had brought to Kansas from the Republic of Georgia. They passed to our hands here, and we exchanged them as a sign of peace with the words of Jesus: “my peace I give to you.” With these words of blessing and affirmation of common identity in Christ, we sensed the Spirit drawing us closer as we conveyed peace to one another. We concluded the service by lighting them and singing “Christ, Be Our Light.”

The day was spent visiting various sites. The pilgrims with which I was traveling chose to go to the Vatican to see the Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Church. Longer than a blog is necessary to describe the sheer vastness and grandeur of what we saw. Suffice it to say, the artistry of Michelangelo everywhere on display is stunning. While his theology of creation, temptation, and judgment might be questioned, the beauty of his work as sculptor and painter cannot be. Especially moving to me was the Pietà, the tender strength of maternal love holding the crucified one.

The conference concluded with evening worship at the oldest Protestant Church, the Waldensian Church, where the Italian Baptist Union locates its headquarters. The lovely old church, the oldest Protestant church, predating Calvin’s Genevan reform that spilled out of Switzerland to Italy, throbbed with music and passionate preaching in the ensuing service of nearly three hours. Surely it was an expression of “tarrying” in the Lord.

As I return home, I am filled with gratitude for this opportunity to connect with the larger Baptist family. I am persuaded that our calling as peacemakers will be strengthened by the learning and fellowship experienced in these days.

Ora Pacem
Dona Nobis Pacem

I am learning a little Italian, and to my knowledge at this point, I have not said anything very rude. It is a lovely, musical language—always spoken with passion and wit. Writing some of these blogs from a computer with Italian language, I am learning to dismiss appointment reminders with elimina tutti and work through spelling corrections with a bold ignora!

The focus of worship on Thursday was working for justice for all of creation. As the morning service began, the sun broke through as we sang “Heaven is Joyfully Singing Alleluia”; with beaming enthusiasm, it joined us in worship. [Yesterday it snowed briefly; so the sun was welcome. I did greatly enjoy, however, observing the Africans marveling at their first encounter with snow.] Our brothers and sisters in Christ from the tropics are challenged by the cold; those of us from the Midwest find it a welcome respite from what has been for many a rough winter.

The sermon illumined the water crisis in the world—its shortage, its lack of sanitation, and the threat of its privatization. So many diseases and famine could be solved with dependable sources of water—something that could be addressed rather easily through attentive planning and conversation. Communion was a simple cup of water drawn from the public works water of Roma. Drinking it was celebratory as we acknowledged how many in places other than the developing world we simply take ample water supply for granted.

At dinner on Wednesday evening I commandeered the microphone to announce to the gathering that Central would be honoring Daniel Buttry, ABC Global Consultant for Peace and Justice, with a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa at our commencement on May 16th. The dining hall erupted in applause as Dan is an acclaimed and beloved leader around the globe. [It was also a good plug for Central which, I recall, is a part of my description].

In the afternoon I attended a workshop led by Ruth Mooney, ABC missionary to Costa Rica, entitled “Teaching for Peace.” Her theme was to ensure that the content and methodology of our teaching promotes God’s shalom. Too often, our pedagogical pursuits are oppressive rather than promoting peace.

Tomorrow we journey into Rome to visit some of the revered sights such as the prison whether Paul spent his last days. We will worship in the morning at St. Paul’s outside-the Wall. Dr. Heather Entrekin, pastor of Prairie Baptist and Central board member will be providing leadership in the service. In the evening, we will worship at the Walden Sian Church.

The beauty of the hillsides, verdant with olive trees, reminds me of the treasure that has been entrusted to us to tend. Truly, God has made everything beautiful!

Tu di doni il cibo della terrae l’acqua dell fonte
You give us the food of the earth And water from its springs

Yesterday was full of opportunity for learning, worshipping, hearing the stories of oppressed persons, and concluding with a concert of the best of Italian music—from Puccini to folk music from the north to the south of Italy. It is a blessing to share this rich fellowship.

Dr. Gustavo Parajon of Nicaragua offered the main presentation of the morning, describing some of the trauma of his country with the Sandinistas. He spoke of the non-violent witness of his church and colleagues, which transformed armed conflict to peaceful resolution. At the end of his narrative, a man from Congo stood and began to vigorously speak of his own country’s reign of terror. He went on at length, and members of the audience grew restive. Dr. Parajon, a medical doctor, listened attentively to the man; when he finally concluded, Dr. Parajon simply said: “To be able to tell one’s story is a necessary part of psychological health after such trauma.” Perhaps more than what he had recounted, his treatment of a hurting brother in Christ was transformative.

Other presenters continued his theme, maintaining that violence only breeds more violence—and Jesus has shown us a better way. I am reminded of Marjorie Suchocki’s text The Fall to Violence which maintains that the original sin of humanity was its violent action toward all of creation, including other humans. We demonstrate the way of Christ when we resist violent means of resolving conflict; indeed, we are at our best (or worst) as Christians in how we treat the “least of these.”

The evening concluded with a concert by a choir drawn from 20 Italian Baptist Churches, conducted by a former opera star. She does conduct with a flourish! [Her authoritative cut-off seems like a wonderful tool when discussion drags on a bit at varied meetings.] Also, the program featured a dramatic soprano, a jazz harpist, and a folk duo, adding great variety to the musical gala. With bravo and brava reverberating throughout the chapel, we enjoyed music of the finest quality for over two hours. [One should never presume to tell Italians that perhaps their music goes on a bit long…]

We are practicing a new song in this conference. We are practicing the way of peace through being present to one another, attentive listening, and patience with the challenges of language.[Of course, persons from around the world do better than we Americans.] I pray that by tuning our voices together in Rome, we will sing the song of freedom and justice more creatively and effectively for our distinctive cultures.

A Dio cantata un canto nuovo
We sing to God a new Song

About 65 of us gathered all day yesterday for the seminar "Building a Theology of Peace." The morning began with Dr. Paul Fiddes, one of my theological heroes, presenting a paper on "Biblical Principles of Human Wholeness." The next major paper, by Rob Sellers of the US, explored the role of "Jesus as Peacemaker." Three other major presentations on the "God of Peace," "Communities of Peace," and the "Hope of Peace" rounded out the day. Interspersed between the theological papers were briefer presentations that sought to apply the more theoretical foundations to concrete situations such as the challenge of living on the border between Burma and Thailand, Christian-Muslim Encounter in the aftermath of violence in Indonesia, non-violent approaches to evangelism, and strategies of peace in multiculturalism and local congregations. At the end of the day, we attempted to draw the varied threads together and construct a workable theology for the work of peacemaking. The very process of listening carefully and thinking deeply was an exercise to that end. I look forward to our work being published--at least on the Global Peace Conference website.

When we gather for a meal, the room literally hums with energy as persons eagerly introduce themselves and learn of the varied Baptist ministries around the world. At dinner time I was privileged to share the table with Norman Kember, an elderly British man who had spent time as a hostage in Iraq because of his witness for peace. His testimony is moving; his humility and deep faith is remarkable. His wife talked about the worldwide support they received from Baptists of other communions who prayed and wrote to her in his absence.

Today I will attend workshops on interfaith dialogue and strategies for reconciliation in the midst of conflict. The conference has as its aim equipping persons to function more effectively in the varied conflicts we face, both large and small. The testimonies of people persevering in almost impossible situations attests to the power of the Spirit working for peace and justice in our world, calling them to demonstrate the values of the Reign of God.

The closing of each day with a service of Compline (the prayer of completion) filled with the music of Taize, accompanied by guitar and cello, is exquisite in the juxtaposition of pain-filled prayer for the world while blessing God for the safekeeping many enjoy.

Venite, guardate le opere del Signore, Egli fa sulla terra cose stupende.
Come, look at the works of the Lord, who does marvelous things on earth.

Last evening was simply amazing! We began our conference with worship--in three languages: Italian, Spanish, and English. Our singing, praying, and dancing demonstrated the great tapestry of Baptists from Europe, Asia, Africa, USA, Caribbean, and Central/South America. My heart rose up as we began by singing "Holy, Holy, Holy," each in our own language but with unifying praise. "How good and pleasant it is when sisters and brothers dwell together in unity" (Psalm 133).

The preacher for the evening was Rev. Anna Maffei, President of the Italian Baptist Union, which is the hosting regional body. Each of the main services of worship will focus on a particular area in which peacemaking initiatives are needed. Her message, drawn from Matthew 18:1-14, focused on the promise that God is not willing that any of these little ones be lost. Other services will highlight different themes, e.g., care of creation violence toward women, lingering racial divides, etc.

It was a joy to connect with Dr. Maung Maung Yin of Myanmar Institute of Theology, a partner in global Christianity for Central. He and I will be discussing the summer sessions "Doing Theology under the Bo Tree" in which some of our faculty and students will participate this summer. Central welcomes this opportunity to strengthen an historic partner in theological education, especially one that knows much about faithful Baptist witness under circumstances more difficult than most of us can comprehend. We have much to learn from them.

The Catholic conference center, Villa Mondo Migliore, is located about 40 minutes by train from the heart of the city. The center is on a hill overlooking a lovely Lake; the Pope's summer home is on the other side of the lake. (If it were summer, I would wave!)

Or il Dio della pace sia con tutt voi. Amen. The Grace of Christ, the love of God--that Christ revealed as our Parent--and the companionship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all, now and forever. Amen

Like pilgrims of old, three of us are on the way to the eternal city-Rome-for the Global Baptist Peace Conference. In the bleak mid-winter we are traveling to join Baptists from varied ecclesial communions to work together on biblical and theological foundations and strategic practices that will encourage peacemaking initiatives.

I am traveling with two friends, a leading American Baptist pastor and board member of Central, and Dianne Shumaker, a fellow church member and friend of Central. We feel keenly the privilege of being a part of a larger movement of Baptists who seek to listen to the guidance of Jesus about pursuing "the things that make for peace."

We arrived this morning about 6:45 am, with rain softly falling. Though we were a bit punchy from flying through the night, our anticipation is growing. We have discovered Baptist friends already: Stan Murray of ABC, area director of Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as members of the North American Baptist Peace Fellowship, came in on the same plane. Soon we will be shuttled to the conference center, just outside of Rome. The expected attendance is about 300 Baptists from 50 countries.

The conference begins this evening with opening worship. Tomorrow begins the varied workshops. I will be a part of a daylong seminar on "Building a Theology of Peace." I have prepared a paper: "Creating Space: God's Peace Initiative," which grounds peacemaking in God's own trinitarian virtue and practice. Paul Fiddes, Regent's Park at Oxford University, will convene the seminar. Presenters are literally from around the world.

I look forward to sharing this experience with you. Thanks for taking time to read these daily updates. I am grateful to represent Central in this manner. I trust that spending time with varied leaders will connect Central further in our quest to become global Christians. In particular, I welcome the opportunity for conversation with Maung Maung Yin, Dean of Myanmar Institute of Theology, to strengthen our connection with that school and prepare for the summer program where members of our faculty and student body will participate July 2009.

Arrivaderci. Grazie!