This Sunday is a Day of Mourning

Day of Mourning 2023 This Sunday 22 January you are invited to join others across the Uniting Church in observing a Day of Mourning.  In marking this day, we celebrate the survival and resilience of First Nations people, we honour their ancient culture and spirituality and we confess and seek forgiveness for the dispossession and violence committed against First Peoples in these lands.  The observance of a Day of Mourning on the Sunday before 26 January arises from a request from the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) which was endorsed by the 15th Assembly in 2018. A Day of Mourning worship resource is available to support communities to mark this day. In its introduction, UAICC Interim National Chair Rev Mark Kickett and Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis say, "In marking the Day of Mourning, we live into our covenant relationship to stand together with, and listen to the wisdom of First Nations People in their struggle for justice." You might take this opportunity to begin a conversation in your community of faith about how you will continue to live out the covenant. Explore the Assembly’s Living the Covenant Locally resource as a way to begin or continue this journey. Please email us to share how you marked the Day of Mourning on or around 22 January or tag your social posts with #UCADayofMourning Images: Day of Mourning services at Manningham Uniting Church and Wonthaggi and Inverloch Uniting Churches in 2021 and NYALC in 2019.  Don't miss: A Survival Day message from the President and UAICC National Chair will be shared next week. Go to the Day of Mourning Worship resource And don't forget.... Get zooming to register for NYALC online The first online National Young Adult Leaders Conference is coming up next weekend, Saturday 28 January from 2pm-4pm AEDT. Come hear President Rev Sharon Hollis share on leadership and help shape the full in-person NYALC in 2024. Join us in prayer for All those marking a Day of Mourning. May we hear God's call to action that joins us, First and Second Peoples, in a shared future marked by truth-telling, justice and healing.  Flood-affected communities in WA, and those experiencing intense rain and flooding in Queensland. We pray for safety and care as communities recover in the short and long term, and for the work of our Bush Chaplains and others who are providing support.   Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. Stay tuned for the first full edition of National Update next Wednesday!  If you are not already subscribed, click the button below to sign up to our weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church across the nation each week.  Subscribe now

Copyright © 2023 Uniting Church in Australia, All rights reserved. We're sending you weekly updates because you opted into news from the Uniting Church in Australia. Our mailing address is: Uniting Church in Australia Lvl 4 262 Pitt St Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia