A plea for healing

Prelude

Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, Krystle Ford, Director

O Day of Peace – arr. Charles Callahan

Dr. Heather Hinton, Organist, North United Methodist Church

Processional

Baba Tony Artis, Amoah’s African Drum Works

Adrian Alora, Seda Negra/ Black Silk Dance Company

Kelvin Burzon, Seda Negra/ Black Silk Dance Company

Welcome

Rev. John Denson, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Invocation

Angela Brown, Convener, A Plea for Healing Prayer Service

As we gather in this space, let us join our voices together…

Angela: Shalom

All: Shalom

Angela: Salaam

All: Salaam

Angela: Namaste

All: Namaste

Angela: Ase’

All: Ase’

Angela: Peace

All: Peace

Angela: We gather on this day to share in a plea for healing

All: To share in a song of hope

Angela: We come from different places

All: With different life experiences

Angela: We gather to listen, to learn, and be as one voice together

All: Proclaiming this city a place of peace

Angela: A haven of hope

All: A community of care

Angela: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

The Lord’s Prayer - A. H. Malotte

Angela Brown, soprano, and Heather Hinton, organ

A Plea for Leadership

Rev. Dr. Andrew Scanlan-Holmes, Senior Pastor, Roberts Park United Methodist Church

Rev. Dr. Scanlan-Holmes: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

A Plea for Communities

Rabbi Jordana Chernow-Reader, Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

Rabbi Chernow-Reader: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

O, Divine Redeemer - C. Gounod

Angela Brown, soprano, and Heather Hinton, organ

A Plea for Protection

Keesha Dixon, Executive Director of Asante Arts Institute of Indianapolis, Inc.

Ms. Dahl: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

A Plea for Children

Dr. Preston T. Adams III, Amazing Grace Christian Church

Zara M. Brown, Third Grade Student, The Oaks Academy

Dr. Adams and Zara: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

Black Lives Kyrie    Ken Medema, music - Laura Cook, poetry

Angela Brown, soprano

Tasha Jones, writer, poet, educator, performer

Paulo Castro, music director and piano

Baba Tony Artis, drum

Plea for Healing Vocal Ensemble

  Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones, soprano

  Tiffany Gilliam, mezzo soprano

  Min. Josiah Ray McCruiston, tenor

  Andy Riggs, baritone

  Victoria Korovljev, soprano

  Katherine Kincaid, mezzo soprano

  Will Upham, tenor

  Dalton Woody, baritone

Adrian Alora, Seda Negra/ Black Silk Dance Company

Kelvin Burzon, Seda Negra/ Black Silk Dance Company

Poetry performed by Tasha Jones:

Black lives shattered
Black lives scattered
Black lives stammer
Black lives rattle
Black lives would rather be seen deemed worthy of the same inalienable rights leaned so heavily to those who claim this land 

You maim
And hand the blame down to the next man
No one ever really rightly reaping responsibility
For these necks slashed
Heads bashed
Them bones smashed against concretes
Permanent sleeps: no more dreaming
We weepin’ due to loss of breath
We’re not breathing—we’re screaming due to fear
Due to voiceless cries you cannot hear
They taunt us: “Go back!”
But you brought us here
To this place of needing to face these mirrors
To unions with allies that lift and cheer us
Amalgamation
Unification is not a station of hate for us
It is a must to bust through these realities
Of poverties beyond finances, dreamed the epitome of success

We are not the less we have been made to believe
We have risen well past winged beings and trees
And as Maya sings, still, we rise
Crushing lies
Our lives matter
Check yourself if that triggers
Mad Hatters litter the air with insanities
Go figure 

A Plea for Inclusion

Rev. Jeffrey Bower, Associate Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Rev. Bower: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

A Plea for the Nation

Dr. Winterbourne Harrison-Jones, Senior Pastor, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church

Dr. Harrison-Jones: Spirit of Love

All: Hear our Plea

Give Us This Day – Edwin Hawkins, music and lyrics

Angela Brown, soprano, and Paulo Castro, piano

A Plea for Peace

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.

 - Sandy Garcia, Student, Christian Theological Seminary (Spoken Word: Spanish)

With God, our Creator, we are family.*

Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

 - KP Singh, Interfaith Leader (Spoken Word: Punjabi)

Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take, may this be my solemn vow.

 - Giora Sharon, Cantor (Spoken Word: Hebrew)

To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

 - Anselme Blaise Argelier, Newly Naturalized United States Citizen (Spoken Word: French)

Closing Hymn  

Let There Be Peace on Earth - Jill Jackson and Sy Miller, words and music*

All are invited to sing.

Benediction   Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes, Pastor, The Garden Church

Recessional

Baba Tony Artis, Amoah’s African Drum Works

Adrian Alora and Kelvin Burzon, Seda Negra/ Black Silk Dance Company

Postlude    Heather Hinton, Organist

Prayer Service Participants

in order of appearance

Metropolitan Youth Orchestra – Krystle Ford, Director

Dr. Heather Hinton, Organist, North United Methodist Church

Baba Tony Artis, Amoah's African Drum Works

Adrian Alora, Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company

Kelvin Burzon, Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company

Rev. John Denson, Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Angela Brown, Convener of A Plea for Healing and Soprano

Rev. Andrew Scanlan-Holmes, Senior Pastor, Robert Parks United Methodist Church

Rabbi Jordana Chernow-Reader, Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

Keesha Dixon, Executive Director, Asante Arts Institute of Indianapolis, Inc.

Dr. Preston T. Adams III, Amazing Grace Christian Church

Zara M. Brown, The Oaks Academy, Third Grade Student

Tasha Jones, PhD(c) Performance Poet and Educator

Paulo Castro, Pianist and Conductor

A Plea for Healing Vocal Ensemble

    Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones, soprano

    Victoria Korovljev, soprano

    Tiffany Gilliam, mezzo soprano

    Katherine Kincaid, mezzo soprano

    Min. Josiah Ray McCruiston, tenor

    Will Upham, tenor

    Andy Riggs, baritone

    Dalton Woody, baritone

Rev. Jeffrey Bower, Associate Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Dr. Winterbourne Harrison-Jones, Senior Pastor, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church

Cantor Giora Sharon, Share Tefilah Congregation (Spoken Word: Hebrew)

KP Singh, Interfaith Leader (Spoken Word: Punjabi)

Sandy Garcia, Christian Theological Seminary Student (Spoken Word: Spanish)

Anselme Blaise Argelier, Newly Naturalized United States Citizen (Spoken Word: French)

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes, Pastor, The Garden Church

Thanks to:

The Clergy, Staff, and Congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Indianapolis

Easterseals Crossroads, American Sign Language Interpreter

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes, Spoken Word Curator, Pastor, The Garden Church

Iris Rosa, Director, Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company

Thomas Mueller, Photographer

David Starkey, General Director, Indianapolis Opera

Leslie Nelson, Board Member, Morning Brown, Inc.

Joshua Thompson, Board Member, Morning Brown, Inc.

Janet Jarriel, JEJ Artists, Producer

* Approved alternate lyrics. Copyright permission granted by OneLicense.net 401937-M

Speakers and performers subject to change.

The one-hour service is built around the following prayers offered by multicultural faith, civic, and arts leaders, lay leaders, and citizens of all ages, races, traditions, and perspectives from across Central Indiana.

• Invocation (call to prayer)
• Prayer for Leadership
• Prayer for Communities
• Prayer for Children
• Prayer for Protection
• Prayer for Inclusion
• Prayer for the Nation
• Prayer for Peace
  

Music, dance, and spoken word representing a wide range of styles and traditions, enhancing the spirit of evocation and unity, are woven through the prayer service.  This prayer service gives the church another opportunity to truly lead as the ordained community conscious-giving voice to offer a collective prayer for peace, justice, restoration to our community, and acceptance of one another as children of God.

Join us in person or via livestream (YouTube: @angelabrownsoprano) on March 7, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. 

Special thanks to:

  The Clergy, Staff, and Congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Indianapolis

  Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes, Spoken Word Writer and Curator, Pastor, The Garden Church

  Iris Rosa, Director, Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company

  David Starkey, General Director, Indianapolis Opera

  Thomas Mueller, Photographer

  Easterseals Crossroads, American Sign Language Interpreter

  Leslie Nelson, Board Member, Morning Brown, Inc.

  Joshua Thompson, Board Member, Morning Brown, Inc.

  Janet Jarriel, Producer