advent 2023: A Call to Preach AGAINST apartheid
"Hope," in the immortal words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."
Responding to the call of our sisters and brothers in Palestine, FOSNA calls upon all communities of faith and conviction to stand firm in the light of truth and preach against apartheid this advent season. Preach Palestine and work to dismantle the darkness of oppression and segregation endemic to the Israeli apartheid regime.
We have gathered resources for worship planners from a diversity of traditions and voices that lift up liberation from Turtle Island to Palestine and beyond. Be it:
an entire service or a single prayer,
a study series or a guest lecture, and/or
a film screening or a fundraising event,
we are asking you once again to Preach Palestine and lift up the Palestinian people such that they would come to experience the joy, justice, and peace of Christ's liberating reign, as a very real light in the present darkness. Can you commit your congregation to preach against apartheid this Advent season?
Preach Palestine 2023:
Exposing Apartheid with the Light of Truth
How to Participate
1.
Commit your congregation to Preach Palestine this Advent season, sign up here, and help spread the word within your various networks.
2.
Explore, share, and utilize the Worship Resources listed below, including everything from prayers to sermons to children’s stories. Please note the Featured Resources for 2023.
3.
Record the portion of the service focused on Palestine and send it to friends@fosna.org. You may also wish to submit your original sermon notes, prayers, etc. as we continue to build our library of Preach Palestine resources.
4.
Consider contributing the morning’s collection to the Sabeel movement, sending a church contribution to support the work of FOSNA, or pledge to support Palestinians through another organization as your congregation sees fit.
5.
Although we are only asking you to choose at least one Sunday during Advent, consider preaching against apartheid throughout the entire Advent season, reflecting upon the many parallels between First-Century Palestine and today. You might choose to use a recurring prayer or litany during each service.
6.
Explore how to deepen your congregation's understanding and action in response to the situation in Palestine. Consider hosting a FOSNA webinar on Palestinian Liberation Theology or Christian Zionism. Study the Kairos Dossier on Apartheid, the Cry of Hope and the Kairos Document, or the works of Naim Ateek and other Palestinian theologians as a congregation. Host a film screening.
Featured Resources 2023
-
![]()
Advent vs. Apartheid: A 3-Part Study
A study based on the Kairos Dossier on Israeli Apartheid, as prepared by Rev. Dr. Allison Tanner
-
![]()
Actions to Take this Season
Preach Palestine. Then, take a stand against apartheid, dispossession, and genocide!
-
![]()
Cornerstone: Christmas Amidst Massacres
This Crisis Demanded a theological response from Palestinian theologians.
-
![]()
A Statement on the Celebration of Advent and Christmas in the Midst of War
—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
-
![]()
Challenging Apartheid: 4 Studies
A study series prepared by Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer of Sabeel-Kairos UK.
-
![]()
Apartheid-Free Communities Campaign
Take the pledge to become an apartheid-free congregation.
-
![]()
Kumi Now! Rise up Together for Justice
Connecting global activists with the organizations working on the ground to bring a just and lasting peace based
-
![]()
The First Advent in Palestine: 5-Part Study
Advent from the perspective the original and contemporary Palestinian context of empire and resistance.
Worship Resources
October - November 2023: Statements, Responses, & REsources
Liturgy
Prayer
Children’s Stories
Sermons, sermon Starters, Bible Studies, & Devotionals
Art, Music, poetry, & Multi-Media
More Resources
"We cannot serve God while remaining silent about the oppression of the Palestinians" - Cry for Hope