A plea for healing
On March 7, 2023, at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Indianapolis, Angela Brown convened A Plea for Healing, a community-wide prayer service. A part of the Faith, Justice, and the Arts initiative of St. Paul's Church, this service brought together arts, civic, and multi-faith leaders to demonstrate solidarity and our collective vanquishing of the noise and confusion that divide us. You can watch the entire service on Angela's YouTube channel and follow along with the program below.
A Plea for healing
A prayer service of faith, justice, and the arts
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.
About A Plea for Healing
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
Service Leaders and Participants
Musicians
Angela Brown, soprano
Heather Hinton, organist
Paulo Castro, pianist and music director
Baba Tony Artis
Amoah's African Drum Works
Krystle Ford, Director
Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
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
Dancers
Adrian Alora
Kelvin Burzon
Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company
Spoken Word and Prayers
Tasha Jones
PhD(c) Performance Poet and Educator
Rabbi Jordana Chernow-Reader
Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation
Dr. Winterbourne Harrison-Jones
Sr. Pastor, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church
Dr. Preston T. Adams III
Amazing Grace Christian Church
Zara M. Brown
The Oaks Academy, Third Grade Student
Michelle Dahl
Founder, Michelle's Little Free Pantry
Rev. John Denson
Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Rev. Jeffrey Bower
Associate Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Cantor Giora Sharon
Leader (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)
From Angela about the prayer service
In September 2005, I was deeply honored to be invited, by President George H. Bush, to sing for the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance Service at the Washington National Cathedral. The prayer service was held in response to the physical and spiritual devastation of communities and families in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The communal experience to lift our mourning nation in prayers offered by leaders of diverse faith traditions has remained with me ever since. Inspiring invocations, readings, and musical offerings provided a shared time and place for grieving, healing, and rebuilding. As our nation and world struggle with the turbulence of the pandemic, social unrest, racial injustice, divisive political rhetoric, and general anxiety of our time, I am convening a similar edifying prayer service in the context of and for my own community.
During the height of the pandemic, I was approached by composer and pianist Ken Medema to record his piece titled Black Lives Kyrie. Medema set Psalm 127 and the Kyrie from the liturgical Mass for chorus, soprano, speaker, and piano. The music surrounds and supports the spoken word of Laura Cook’s moving poem Black Lives. The layered poetry, music, scripture, and Kyrie create a plea for acknowledgement and accountability for lives shattered due to racial injustice. This poetry and anthem serves as one of the focal points of the service.
I am inviting faith, community, and arts leaders, everyday citizens, and lay leaders to convene and demonstrate the impact and power of community strength. It is my hope that this purposeful gathering will transform beyond one prayer service to rouse a rallying cry for cooperative and impactful action throughout the city of Indianapolis.
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