Faith in the Public Square

The annual ecumenical Good Friday Service of the Capital Area Council of Churches will be at noon on April 18 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Albany. It also will be live-streamed.   Based on the last seven words of Christ on the cross, the service will feature clergy and laity from a variety of denominations . The year’s speakers are:   The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson (Episcopal Diocese of Albany) The Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañón-Santos (Sycamore Collaborative) The Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff (Westminster Presbyterian Church) The Rev. Elizabeth Moses (Bethany Reformed Church) The Rev. David Moore (Presbyterian, retired) Fr. James Kane (Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany) The Rev. Glendora Battle (Welcome Chapel, Missionary Baptist Church) To register for the livestream, click  https://www.capareacc.org/programs/good-friday-ecumenical-service/

In response to a letter from several Palestinian Christian leaders to their fellow Christians around the world, the New York State Council of Churches is inviting people to join a “Living Stones” solidarity tour of Palestine and Israel in May.  The tour, May 4 to 16, will be led by Dr. Michael Spath, Executive Director of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, who has led multiple trips to Palestine and Israel. In their letter, the Palestine Christian leaders wrote, “We write to you with heavy hearts but steadfast spirits, seeking your solidarity and presence in a time of great need. The land where Jesus once walked, the Holy Land, has been enduring decades of turmoil, displacement, and violence. Our communities are under continuous attack, and our people, though resilient, feel increasingly isolated. We deeply appreciate the prayers offered from afar, but now, more than ever, we need our Christian sisters and brothers to join us here, to pray with ...