Friends who are participating in the DC Witness activities this week,
We are looking forward to our time together this later this week. This email contains many of the details that you’ve been waiting for! Hundreds of you have signed up, and we expect that hundreds - maybe even thousands – more will join us for worship and witness in the park together. We’re grateful that you have chosen to be a part of building a strong, interfaith witness for peace across the U.S., and for committing to do so in a way that honors the best of each of our religious traditions through prayer, worship and public action.
This is a long document with a great deal of detail included. Please use the headings and read carefully to discover:
- Workshop, NV Trainings and Legal Briefing locations
- Worship locations
- 10,000 Feet of Hope
- Speakers for the Interfaith Witness at Upper Senate Park
- A reminder or those who plan to risk arrest
- A note on help you will receive for Legislative visits
- Events on Saturday
If you haven’t done so already, please DONATE NOW to help us cover the costs of our Witness.
Thanks for helping us to make this important event come together!
Workshop, Nonviolence Trainings, and Legal Briefing Locations:
Thursday Workshops
Nonviolence training and legal briefing
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
Today's COs in the military (Part 1)
Location: Friends Meeting House of Washington, 2111 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. (from Dupont Circle metro walk north (uphill) on Connecticut Ave 2.5 blocks; turn left onto Florida, walk about 1 block to Meetinghouse on the right)
Healing the Troops
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
Nightmare Beyond Borders: The Iraqi Displacement Crisis and What can be Done to Stop it
Location: Lincoln Congregational Temple U.C.C., 1701 11th St., NW, Washington, D.C. (near the Shaw Howard University Metro stop)
Escalating Diplomacy: A new foreign policy towards Iran
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church (Chapel), 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
The Global Marshall Plan
Location: Church of the Pilgrims, 2201 P St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(from Dupont Circle metro stop walk west on P St. NW about 3 blocks to the church)
Pledge to Seek Peace Thursday workshop CANCELED; offered Friday morning
Friday Workshops:
Nonviolence training and legal briefing
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
Healing the Troops
Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
Nightmare Beyond Borders: The Iraqi Displacement Crisis and What can be Done to Stop it
Location: Lincoln Congregational Temple U.C.C., 1701 11th St., NW, Washington, D.C. (near the Shaw Howard University Metro stop)
Raising Tomorrow's COs in our Faith Communities (Part II)
Location: Friends Meeting House of Washington, 2111 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. (from Dupont Circle metro walk north (uphill) on Connecticut Ave 2.5 blocks; turn left onto Florida, walk about 1 block to Meetinghouse on the right)
The Global Marshall Plan
Location: Church of the Pilgrims, 2201 P St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 (from Dupont Circle metro stop walk west on P St. NW about 3 blocks to the church)
Escalating Diplomacy: A new foreign policy towards Iran
Location: Western Presbyterian Church, 2401 Virginia Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. (near the Foggy Bottom, GWU Metro stop)
Pledge to Seek Peace
Location: Western Presbyterian Church, 2401 Virginia Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. (near the Foggy Bottom, GWU Metro stop)
Worship and Prayer Locations:
All worship services will be held on Friday, March 7, at 12 Noon in Washington, D.C. Muslim prayers will take place from 1:30 to 2:15 in Upper Senate Park (see below for details).
Shalom Service with Rabbi Arthur Waskow Location: Methodist Office Building, 110 Maryland Ave. NE (Near the Senate Office Building)
Muslim Jummah Prayer with Dr. Sayyid Syeed Time: 12:30 – 1:15 pm Location: Upper Senate Park (Constitution Ave. between Delaware and New Jersey Aves.)
Unitarian Universalist Service with Rev. Bill Sinkford Location: All Soul’s Church, 2835 16th St. NW (near Harvard and Columbia Streets NW, 3 blocks from Green Line, Columbia Heights metro stop)
Ecumenical Service with Mark Lomax, Sharon Delgado & Celeste Zappala and Gospel Music Location: Lincoln Congregational Temple U.C.C., 1701 11th St. NW (3 blocks from Green Line, Shaw Howard University metro stop)
Ecumenical Service with J.Daryl Byler & Beth Pyles including the Sacrament of Communion & Taize Music Location: Church of the Brethren, 337 N. Carolina Ave. SE (corner of 4th St.; 2.5 blocks east of Capitol South metro stop)
Ecumenical Service with Susan B. Thistlethwaite, Graylan Hagler & Cliff Kindy including the Sacrament of Communion and Iona & Mennonite Hymn Singing. Location: Capitol Hill Presbyterian, 201 4th St. SE (Fourth and Independence Ave. near Capitol South metro stop)
Quaker meeting with Peter Lems (All Welcome) Location: Friends Meeting House of Washington, 2111 Florida Ave. NW, (from Dupont Circle metro walk north (uphill) on Connecticut Ave 2.5 blocks; turn left onto Florida, walk 1⁄2 block to Meetinghouse on the right)
Episcopal Service with Michael Battle & Noah Baker Merrill including the Sacrament of the Eucharist (All Welcome) Location: Christ Episcopal Church; 620 G St. SE (near Eastern Market metro stop)
Emergent worship with Brian McLaren, Gilda Carbonaro & The Cobalt Season band including the Sacrament of Communion (All Welcome) Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square metro stop)
Catholic Mass with Bishop Martin Holley presiding and speakers Sr. Anne Curtis & Joshua Casteel (All Welcome) Location: St. Aloysius Church, corner of North Capitol and I Sts., NW, (900 Block of North Capitol St. NW; 19 “Eye” St.; near Unio Station)
10,000 Feet of Hope:
As worship participants leave their places of worship, those with sections to add to the “rope of hope” will be invited to lead the procession (walking or by metro) to Upper Senate Park. As you arrive at Upper Senate Park, please carry the sections of rope to the area near the stage, where they will be joined with others from prayer and worship services around the city and across the country. Two Ropes will be created and will fan out to either side of the crowd from the stage, creating a contained space and feeling of unity as we gather from a variety of faith traditions. As the public witness ends, the two ropes will continue our witness of unity as we process to the Cannon and Hart Office Buildings.
Interfaith Peace Witness
Upper Senate Park: Friday, March 7, 2:30 – 4:30
(Located on Constitution Ave. between Delaware and New Jersey Avenues)
Musical Gathering;
Musical Call to Intention – Sharon Abreu, Hawah Kasat, Native Deen
Welcoming Invocation – Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon NCC
Why We Are Here
Rabbi David Saperstein
Rev. James Forbes
Ms Asma Mirza
Fr. Louie Vitale (Letter to be read by Franciscan Fr. Joe Nangle)
Musical Response
Lifting Up Our Spirits to the Work and its Success
Dr. Sayyid Syeed (ISNA)
Rev. Bill Sinkford (UUA)
Rev. Bob Edgar (Common Cause)
Ms. Sammie Moshenberg (National Council of Jewish Women)
Chris Montone (Director of Shambhala Center, D.C. Buddhist)
Parting Blessings – Commissioning a Delegation
Rabbi Arthur Waskow (Shalom Center – OBIPP)
Samina Faheem Sundas (American Muslim Voice)
And other religious leaders…
Musical Closure and Send Off -- (Sharon Abreu, One Common Unity/HawaH)
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Update:
If you have questions about the plans for the public action, and about risking arrest in particular, please go to http://www.olivebranchinterfaith.org/book/scenario-what-this-event-will-...
Please note that if you plan to participate in nonviolent direct action that may lead to arrest, we ask that you have completed a “Nonviolence Training” either in the past or with us (offered Thursday night and Friday morning), and we are asking all participants to attend the legal briefing offered at NY Ave. Presbyterian on Thursday evening at 8:45 or Friday morning at 10:15. (register now at http://www.olivebranchinterfaith.org/webform/sign-up-form ).
Legislative background for congressional office visits:
We encourage you to set up visits with your congressional representatives or their staff, either in Washington or in the office in your district. We will be sending an email by Wednesday with suggestions on how to frame those conversations about legislative initiatives.
Remember, if you are staying through Saturday, there are three more events in which you can participate.
All Saturday events will be held at New York Ave. Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. (intersections of H St, 14th St, and New York Ave. NW; near McPherson Square Metro stop)
2:30 to 5:00 p.m. – Coordinating meeting for anyone who would like to be a regional/local volunteer organizer for the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq
5:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Pizza and viewing of “Soldiers of Conscience” Film with Producer Ian Slattery (bring a few bucks to throw in for the pizza).
7:00 to 10:00 p.m. – Faith-Based Peace and Justice Coffeehouse with musicians Native Deen, David LaMotte, and Cobalt Season!
With many blessings, and prayers for Peace!
