On the evening of June 28, National City hosted worship with the Latino Christian National Network (LCNN) for a Service of Lament & Hope: An Affirmation and Celebration of the Presence and Contributions of Immigrants on Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary. The service was a national ecumenical effort to bear faithful witness to the suffering of immigrants, celebrate their contributions to the United States, and remember that Christ calls us to welcome the stranger and protect the most vulnerable. The evening was a historic gathering of the Latino immigrant church to speak a prophetic word to the nation at the threshold of its 250th Anniversary of Independence that offered music, reflection, lament and witness to hundreds of worshipers in our sanctuary and online.
Speakers included leaders from across the Latino Christian National Network including president Rev. Carlos L Malave as well as preaching by Rev. Lori Tapia, National Pastor for Hispanic Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra, Academic Dean for Centro Latino and Associate Professor of Mission and Global Transformation at Fuller Seminary. Other leaders from across the DC metro area, Capital Area Region of the Christian Church and General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Rev. Terri Hord Owens, were in attendance to support this historic gathering.
The music team led worshipers through several songs of hope and lament but one particularly memorable moment was the singing of “I am a Citizen” which transitioned into “I’m Trading My Sorrows.” Worship drew to a close with a powerful Call to Action where worshippers were given mylar blankets, like those distributed in detention centers, to wrap around their shoulders as they participated in a liturgy that called for “not only to pray for justice but to participate in the work of justice. This worship continues in our barrios, neighborhoods, city council meetings, legislative offices, and even in the halls of Congress, We are called to use our voices to advocate for committees whose lives and futures are impacted by public decisions.”
National City continues to work with ministry partners across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the wider church to be a place of witness, welcome and hope in our nation’s capital. We continue to be grateful for partners like the Latino Christian National Network, who allow us to do the work of maintaining the vision of our founding to be a place where power is held accountable in our nation’s capital. As we say each Sunday in worship “Nos Necesitamos” or “We Need Each Other.”