Presidential Inauguration 2021: Prayer and Action

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As people of faith and as citizens of the United States, we watched the violent incursion at the U.S. Capitol on the Feast of the Epiphany with horror, fear and sadness. Violence aimed at subverting the will of the people determined through a fair and free election is unconscionable.

As we approach the January 20 Inauguration of a new President and VIce President, we encourage all people of faith, to move intentionally with prayer, reflection and action.  Let this be the moment we unmistakably demonstrate that the Gospel has no tolerance for the hatred, racism and lies which led to the violence at the Capitol. Let this be the moment we, as a community of disciples of Jesus, motivated by redemptive love, claim our vocation as truth-tellers, healers, reconcilers, and peacemakers.

Please consider taking advantage of the following offerings developed by the DC Catholic Coalition and others with whom we work. In addition, we offer tools you can use to share a message of hope, justice and faith on social media.

Monday, January 18

Prayer Vigil

You  are invited to join the interfaith community for a 24-hour prayer vigil. Share your prayers online with the hashtag #PeaceWithJustice. Pax Christi USA has prepared a prayer service based on the words and prayers of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Moral Monday 

Join the National Interfaith Service of Love, Light and Leadership sponsored by the Poor People’s Campaign Monday, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Tuesday, January 19 

Interfaith Prayer Service 

Sojourners will host a virtual prayer service from 7-8:30 p.m. ET. Ecumenical church leaders will offer their prayers for #PeaceWithJustice in our nation on the eve of the inauguration. RSVP HERE.

Wednesday, January 20

Social Media Messaging

We encourage you to publicly mark the inauguration beginning at 11 a.m. EST via tweetstorm, sharing comments, testimonies, and commitments on Twitter — all with the hashtag #PeaceWithJustice. Sojourners will be sharing details on their website.

 

DC Catholic Coalition has prepared a number of social media graphics and suggested tweets with faith-filled messages.

Thursday, January 21

Traditionally, the National Cathedral hosts the Inaugural Prayer Service on January 21 at 10:00 ET.  Check their website for a possible virtual event.  You might also find info on the Inaugural website.

 

Join NETWORK’s Post-Inauguration Day Community Conversation at 7:00 p.m. ET for an evening of celebration, reflection, and discussion! It will include reflection on Joe Biden’s Catholic identity and the implications for our nation. Register HERE.

Non-dated Resources
The National Council of the Churches of Christ (NCC), in partnership with the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (WISC), offered an Interfaith Prayer Service of Reflection, Lamentation and Hope (90 minutes) for members of Congress, their staffs, and all who work at and protect the U.S. Capitol on January 15. It can be viewed on YouTube.  The Prayer Service was organized to bear witness to the trauma and to bring comfort and hope to all who work at the Capitol complex.

 

An Interfaith Eco-Justice Series–Sacred Land: Food and Farming

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Sacred Land: Food and Farming
An Interfaith Eco-Justice Series offered by NM Interfaith Power & Light
Thursdays, 5-7PM, Starting February 4th, ends March 25th
Join NM IPL for an eight-week interfaith/interspiritual series on Food and Farming exploring the connection between spirituality and caring for the land. In (virtual) community with others, you will learn how food and farming practices affect the climate crisis, marginalized communities, and even your own health and spiritual wellbeing. You will explore practical ways to implement sustainable food and farming practices in the communities and institutions of which you are a part.
This offering is free and open to people of all spiritual or religious backgrounds who are interested in the connection between spirituality and food production. You will only need to borrow or purchase the book Braiding Sweetgrass.
To sign up, send email to carlos@nm-ipl.org.

NM House, Senate Members Propose Environmental Rights Initiative

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(January 11, 2020) Santa Fe, NM:  New Mexico leaders are applauding the Joint Resolution pre-filed Monday, January 4, by Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, Senator Bill Soules, and Representative Joanne Ferrary to amend the New Mexico Constitution in order to add enforceable environmental rights.  Senator Mimi Stewart, Senator Harold Pope, Jr, Representative Tara Luján and Representative Andrea Romero are signing on as co-sponsors in support.   The Joint Resolution proposing the amendment was pre-filed by the sponsors on the first day legislators could pre-file their legislative proposals for the 2021 legislative session.

The Joint Resolution proposes amending the state constitution’s Bill of Rights to recognize and protect the rights of all of the people of New Mexico “to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment”; to ensure these rights are protected for present and future generations; and to designate all the state’s government officials as trustees of the natural resources of the state constitutionally obligated to “conserve, protect, and maintain” them.  If passed, the new language would replace the language currently found in Article XX Section 21 which environmental leaders believe has failed to provide the enforceable environmental protections its original supporters had intended.

“New Energy Economy expresses sincere gratitude to our true representative leaders like Senators Sedillo Lopez, Soules, Pope, Senator Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, and Representatives Ferrary, Luján and Romero who are championing the Green Amendment, a self-executing provision in our New Mexico Constitution that will provide individuals and communities with the legal right to protect our water, land and air from contamination. The Green Amendment, like other Constitutional Amendments will grant us inalienable rights, and require the preservation and protection of our beloved home for future generations,” said Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy.

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