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Church prepares for inaugural Jerusalem Sunday

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Published on 
April 25, 2014

The Anglican Church of Canada is preparing for a new annual church observance.  Jerusalem Sunday takes place on Sunday, June 1, 2014 and celebrates companionship with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which extends over Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.  It is home to several thousand Arab Anglicans in thirty parishes. Situated in one of the world’s holiest destinations for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim pilgrims, the Diocese is an active member of the Christian, ecumenical, and interfaith community in the Middle East.

Jerusalem Sunday is an opportunity for Anglicans in Canada to learn more about and support God’s mission in the Diocese of Jerusalem. Parishes are encouraged to use liturgical resources developed for Jerusalem Sunday. The Anglican Journal website is hosting complementary resources including videos, diaries, background information, and photography to enliven parish celebrations of Jerusalem Sunday.  The May print edition of the Anglican Journal also features background stories from the Holy Land.

Jerusalem Sunday is also an opportunity to send a measure of financial support to the ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem, including the Penman Medical Clinic in the West Bank. The Penman Clinic is housed in the parish of St. Matthew in Zababdeh. The clinic is a busy gathering place for those seeking diagnostic tests, examinations, and medical consultations. It is the only clinic for many miles around and each year serves thousands of townspeople, villagers, and farmers from the surrounding area.

Many who receive treatment in this and other diocesan institutions cannot afford tests and prescriptions. The directors of the Diocese’s medical ministries hope to expand the Penman Clinic into its own building, refurbished with additional consultation rooms, diagnostic equipment, and health care workers.  This will become a reality through the generous support of local, regional, and international companions.

For more information on celebrating Jerusalem Sunday in your parish, please visit the Jerusalem Sunday webpage. 

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.