Why We Cannot Turn Away: A Service and Conversation About Palestine

Our congregation spent time in conversation about Palestine while I was on sabbatical and created a draft resolution, and the delegates at last month’s annual General Assembly voted to approve an Action of Immediate Witness on Solidarity with Palestinians and a Responsive Resolution on UUA General Assembly Support for October 7 Hostages.  This morning, we’ll explore options for our own resolution and action, and we’ll have time after the service for a multiplatform congregational conversation.

We invite you to explore several links to help prepare you for this service and conversation:

Image Courtesy of Elvert Barnes, Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic | Flickr

Worship Associate – Susan Podebradsky

  • The Share the Plate for Sunday July 28th & Sunday August 11th is the Jawdat Family in Gaza. Yasmine Jawdat Arafat Madi, a 37-year old mother of five children, lives in a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah on Bahr (in Abi in Karak Al-Thaniyya next to the Water Authority), with her husband, Josie Abdul Karim Ibrahim and her children. Having lived in the north of Gaza, they are currently in the south of Gaza because of the displacement. Words do not do justice to the difficult situation the family is in now. The money raised will be used for food, clothing, clean water, more hygienic conditions and medicine. The Jawdat family was nominated by Jennifer Hedstrom. 

Share the Plate – click here to donate

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Order of Service

  • Gathering Song  “Come, Come, Whoever You Are” #188
  • Welcome
  • Prelude “The Urgent Call of Palestine” by Zeinab Shaath
  • Call to Worship
  • Lighting the Chalice and Musical Response
  • Shared Music  “Answering the Call of Love” #1014 (teal hymnal)
  • Time for All Ages  “Sitti’s Bird” by Malak Mattar
  • Shared Music  “Where Is Our Holy Church?” #13 (gray hymnal)
  • Wisdom from the World’s Traditions
  • “prayer for palestine – hope in the face of hopelessness” by adrienne maree brown
  • Reflection 
  • Offering  “Keep Your Key” by Llunr
  • Joys and Sorrows
  • Shared Music  “There Is More Love Somewhere” #95 (gray hymnal)
  • Extinguishing the Chalice and Benediction