Ula Ilnytzky of the AP reports:
An Army chaplain has won a national prize for an original sermon that he will deliver on Sept. 11 at a chapel near ground zero that became a sanctuary of consolation after the terrorist attacks.
The Rev. David Peters, of Austin, Texas, will give his winning sermon during a special morning service at St. Paul’s Chapel.
The inaugural Reconciliation Preaching Prize competition was launched by the Parish of Trinity Church, which includes St. Paul’s Chapel. It required all entries to address texts from Isaiah and Matthew — one calling for a future without war and the other instructing people to lay down their spears for plowshares.
… “In his powerful first-hand testimony, David preaches the message that reconciliation is learned and has to be practiced,” said Trinity’s rector, the Rev. Dr. William Lupfer. “It is our hope that his words will comfort those struggling with contemporary events and that they will foster understanding beyond the walls of our sanctuary and remembrance of 9/11.”
