Episode 55: Swords to Plowshares: the Spirit can transform us
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The Reverend Bob Bergner is the priest in charge at Grace and St Peter's Church in Hamden. Bob's previous ministries have included interfaith chaplaincy at the Seabury Community in Bloomfield and in hospitals in New Haven and New York City, as well as protestant chaplaincy for Corrections Canada. Bob is a professional musician, an avid cyclist and swimmer, and a dedicated meditation and yoga practitioner. He lives happily with his wife, Pam, in East Rock, New Haven.
The Right Reverend James E. Curry (Jim) is a retired Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. For ten years he was convener for the House of Bishops Coalition: Bishops Working for a Just World. He is a founding member of Bishops Against Gun Violence and a contributor to the anthology, “Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace.” He is a board member of Mothers United Against Violence in Hartford. He is the Coordinator of Swords to Plowshares in New Haven. He works with faith communities and secular organizations to create public witness to challenge violence through liturgy, the arts, and legislative advocacy. |
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Swords to Plowshares started through a partnership with Newtown Action Alliance, the Episcopal Church, the UCC, and the New Haven Police Department. Three years ago, the Rev. Jeremy Lucas won an AR-15 in a raffle for a softball team and destroyed the gun and turned it into a gardening tool with the help of Raw Tools Inc. He dedicated that gardening tool to the Newtown Action Alliance, which led to a conversation about change in Connecticut around turning guns into gardening tools. Jim worked with the Yale-New Haven Hospital and churches in the New Haven area, and begun putting together the Swords to Plowshares Ministry Network.
Bob got involved through a meeting with the Rev. Rachel Field, former South Central Region Missionary, and Jim. Both Bob and Jim, along with Bishop Ian Douglas, participated in the first destruction of guns last fall with the New Haven Police Department and the Yale-New Haven Hospital (which the Episcopal Church in Connecticut covered here). Grace and St. Peter’s church in Hamden houses the traveling forge that is used for this ministry. The city of Hamden will also be participating in their own gun buy-back because city officials visited Grace and St. Peter’s and were inspired.
Swords to Plowshares comes from Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Jim said that the idea of “they shall learn war no more" has been powerful for not only religious folk but secular people as well. Swords to Plowshares is a way to live into God’s image of peace in this world, a “life-changing reality,” according to Jim.
Although Jim and other thought this would be a one-off event, to buy back the guns and forge them, there was more steam behind the work and they applied for a grant as a Ministry Network and used that grant to buy two forges. One belongs at the New Haven Correctional Facility to teach inmates how to blacksmith, the other is housed at Grace and St. Peter’s in Hamden and travels. Jim and Bob have taken the forge to various art festivals and other gun buy-backs — appearing in private and public spaces.
Alli asks why each person is participating in this ministry. For Bob, the transformational power has been the main reason. Bob shares a story about his time working in New York City walking by the passage from Isaiah on the wall across from the United Nations building. Bob said that whenever he mentioned Swords to Plowshares to other people, he has had very powerful conversations with people.
Jim has been doing anti-gun violence work for over 25 years. One of the turning point moments for Jim was the death of a 7 year old Marcelina Delgado in 1994. Jim said that the church forgot about her, and that it was a time when the church and Connecticut could’ve changed things and didn’t. Ever since then, Jim worked to find a symbol to unify the understanding and connect the violence in the cities and towns and suicide — swords to plowshares was just that symbol.
People who have either been victims of gun violence or have lost loved ones from gun violence are encouraged to participate in the forging of the gun parts at Sword to Plowshare events. Alli said that she has witnessed these participants come up and beat the guns and it was a very powerful image and expression.
This week, Jim spent time at Camp Washington to teach some of the campers how to blacksmith. They made 16 gardening tools and many hearts out of shotgun barrel to be turned into necklaces. Jim said that what was so joyful for him was the intensity of interest from the campers in this meaningful work.
Jim and Bob have also begun to make flutes out of shotgun barrels as well. Bob is a professional musician and played a flute he made out of a shotgun barrel for us (he also ended the show by playing the flute).
The heat of the forge transforms the metal and gets rid of impurities, just like what the Holy Spirit does, as Jim said. Forging is just as much a spiritual practice as it is a physical skill and artistic expression. Camp Washington’s camp theme this summer is the Way of Love, and Jim worked with the word “Turn” from the Way of Love with the forge, as transformation is another word for turn.
Alli finishes the conversation by asking two questions: how can people get involved with Swords to Plowshares and what has been something (besides blacksmithing) that Jim and Bob have learned through this ministry. People can get involved with Swords to Plowshares by reaching out to Jim or Bob and invite them to come host a demonstration at a church, fair, or event. Email Jim at jamesecurry1 (at) att.net or through Grace and St. Peter’s Church at https://www.graceandstpeters.org or office@graceandstpeters.org. They will be there Sunday, July 28 at 9:00 a.m. They are eagerly looking for assistance with this work: blacksmiths, coordinators, and are in need of a covered trailer to help transport the forge and equipment.
The one thing that Bob has learned was “the transformative community building power of acting in a constructive creative way in the face of necessity.” Jim has loved that he has been able to “recapture a biblical image that comes into peoples lives at the deepest level of their being,” and that “the Spirit can transform us."
Bob got involved through a meeting with the Rev. Rachel Field, former South Central Region Missionary, and Jim. Both Bob and Jim, along with Bishop Ian Douglas, participated in the first destruction of guns last fall with the New Haven Police Department and the Yale-New Haven Hospital (which the Episcopal Church in Connecticut covered here). Grace and St. Peter’s church in Hamden houses the traveling forge that is used for this ministry. The city of Hamden will also be participating in their own gun buy-back because city officials visited Grace and St. Peter’s and were inspired.
Swords to Plowshares comes from Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Jim said that the idea of “they shall learn war no more" has been powerful for not only religious folk but secular people as well. Swords to Plowshares is a way to live into God’s image of peace in this world, a “life-changing reality,” according to Jim.
Although Jim and other thought this would be a one-off event, to buy back the guns and forge them, there was more steam behind the work and they applied for a grant as a Ministry Network and used that grant to buy two forges. One belongs at the New Haven Correctional Facility to teach inmates how to blacksmith, the other is housed at Grace and St. Peter’s in Hamden and travels. Jim and Bob have taken the forge to various art festivals and other gun buy-backs — appearing in private and public spaces.
Alli asks why each person is participating in this ministry. For Bob, the transformational power has been the main reason. Bob shares a story about his time working in New York City walking by the passage from Isaiah on the wall across from the United Nations building. Bob said that whenever he mentioned Swords to Plowshares to other people, he has had very powerful conversations with people.
Jim has been doing anti-gun violence work for over 25 years. One of the turning point moments for Jim was the death of a 7 year old Marcelina Delgado in 1994. Jim said that the church forgot about her, and that it was a time when the church and Connecticut could’ve changed things and didn’t. Ever since then, Jim worked to find a symbol to unify the understanding and connect the violence in the cities and towns and suicide — swords to plowshares was just that symbol.
People who have either been victims of gun violence or have lost loved ones from gun violence are encouraged to participate in the forging of the gun parts at Sword to Plowshare events. Alli said that she has witnessed these participants come up and beat the guns and it was a very powerful image and expression.
This week, Jim spent time at Camp Washington to teach some of the campers how to blacksmith. They made 16 gardening tools and many hearts out of shotgun barrel to be turned into necklaces. Jim said that what was so joyful for him was the intensity of interest from the campers in this meaningful work.
Jim and Bob have also begun to make flutes out of shotgun barrels as well. Bob is a professional musician and played a flute he made out of a shotgun barrel for us (he also ended the show by playing the flute).
The heat of the forge transforms the metal and gets rid of impurities, just like what the Holy Spirit does, as Jim said. Forging is just as much a spiritual practice as it is a physical skill and artistic expression. Camp Washington’s camp theme this summer is the Way of Love, and Jim worked with the word “Turn” from the Way of Love with the forge, as transformation is another word for turn.
Alli finishes the conversation by asking two questions: how can people get involved with Swords to Plowshares and what has been something (besides blacksmithing) that Jim and Bob have learned through this ministry. People can get involved with Swords to Plowshares by reaching out to Jim or Bob and invite them to come host a demonstration at a church, fair, or event. Email Jim at jamesecurry1 (at) att.net or through Grace and St. Peter’s Church at https://www.graceandstpeters.org or office@graceandstpeters.org. They will be there Sunday, July 28 at 9:00 a.m. They are eagerly looking for assistance with this work: blacksmiths, coordinators, and are in need of a covered trailer to help transport the forge and equipment.
The one thing that Bob has learned was “the transformative community building power of acting in a constructive creative way in the face of necessity.” Jim has loved that he has been able to “recapture a biblical image that comes into peoples lives at the deepest level of their being,” and that “the Spirit can transform us."
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In Christ and Coffee,
Karin & Alli
In Christ and Coffee,
Karin & Alli