View the live Web cast of this service.
With news of more violence flaring up in Gaza and Israel after a set of ceasefires, lasting more than nine days, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness calls upon Presbyterians to mourn for those who have died in Israel-Palestine and pray for a lasting and durable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. If you are in the Washington D.C. area please plan on participating in a service of mourning for all those who have died in Israel-Palestine as a result of the most recent violence. The service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church (Washington, DC) on Wednesday September 3, at 6:00 PM. For more information about the service please click here. The full announcement can also be found at the end of this e-mail.
If you are unable to attend in person, we encourage Presbyterians throughout the country to gather together and plan their own service at the same time as the one in Washington, DC. You are invited to either live-stream the DC service, or plan your own service. We will provide the specific information for live-streaming the service when it becomes available. If your congregation or fellowship group already has a set service on Wednesday evenings, consider adding some time of prayer specifically for our Palestinian and Israeli brothers and sisters. In these uncertain and increasingly violent times, we are called to bear witness to God’s unfailing love for God’s people and creation, to mourn with those who have lost loved ones, and to pray for reconciliation and justice. Regardless of whether you are able to attend the service in person, plan your own, or live-stream the service, we ask that you commit yourself to a praying for God’s peace to envelop Israel-Palestine.
National Service of Mourning In Remembrance of Those Who Have Died in Palestine and Israel:
In response to the most recent violence in Israel-Palestine, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is joining with ecumenical partners for a National Service of Mourning for those who have died in Palestine and Israel. The service will take place at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC on Wednesday September 3, 2014. We invite all Presbyterians, and ecumenical friends, in the Washington, DC. area to join. The service will also be livestreamed for those unable to make the service in person.
A National Service of Mourning
In remembrance of those who have died in
Palestine and Israel
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
6:00 PM
Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
The loss and suffering resulting from the latest conflict between the Israeli military and Palestinian groups in Gaza is staggering. More than 1,400 civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced. Weeks of overwhelming destruction have devastated land, homes, and infrastructure. The siege of Gaza and the military occupation of Palestinian territory cripple normal life. As the people of the region cry, “How long, O Lord”?, we join our prayers with theirs in a service of worship. In the midst of sorrow and grief, please join us in a witness to faith, hope and love.
Sponsored by:
Alliance of Baptists
American Friends Service Committee
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Church of the Brethren
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Moravian Church in America
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi USA
The Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Institute Justice Team
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
This service is coordinated by the Faith Forum on Middle East Policy, a network of national Christian denominations and organizations working for a just peace in the Middle East with a primary focus on Israel and Palestine.
The service will take place in the sanctuary. Metro: Gallery Place Chinatown. Parking available on street or in paid parking garage adjacent to Calvary Baptist Church on 8th Street, NW.
For more information, contact: Mike Merryman-Lotze, AFSC at MMerryman-Lotze@afsc.org