Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE...he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE...he descended to hel...: During the sermon series  I Believe: Exploring the Apostle's Creed , the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church is using  The Apostle...

WCC News: "Time is running out": WCC climate leader calls for church action during Season of Creation prayer

Archbishop Julio Murray from the Anglican Church in Panama and moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development delivered an urgent biblical message during this week's WCC prayer service. The Anglican Communion Environmental Network organized the service to promote the Season of Creation, with Murray drawing from Romans 8:19-22 to call the current triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and desertification "the groaning of creation under corrupt and unsustainable systems of greed and consumption." A man pours flood water out of his house during November 2014 flooding in Meulaboh in Indonesia's Aceh province. Flooding in the region has grown worse because of climate change and the proliferation of palm oil plantations. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth Pictures 10 September 2025 Speaking from his experience in Latin America, Murray connected Paul's ancient words to today's global climate emergency. "As Christians in Latin America, our reading of this text resonates with the struggles of people across the globe who endure injustice, poverty, and environmental destruction," he said. "These verses remind us that true transformation begins with metanoia—a change of heart, a change of mind by the power of the Holy Spirit." The prayer service brought voices from multiple continents together as part of the global Season of Creation observance. Dr Koshy from the Church of South India, Jo Chamberlain from the Church of England, Agnes Lam from Hong Kong, and Rev. Rachel Mash from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa all participated, while Rev. Ken Gray from the Anglican Church of Canada prepared the liturgy. "Between the years 2010 and 2020, mortality in these regions was 15 times higher because of climate-related disasters," Murray highlighted, pointing to the devastating human cost of the climate crisis. He noted that "the most affected are always the poor, Indigenous people, people of African descent, women and children." "Time is running out," Murray declared. "Churches must raise their prophetic voices to call for policies that protect the earth, hold corporations accountable, and demand that wealthy nations, the greatest polluters, lead in reducing emissions and in financing reparations for loss and damage." However, Murray's message balanced urgency with hope. The Anglican Communion Environmental Network has created comprehensive resources specifically for the Season of Creation, including liturgies that feature Indigenous voices and materials designed for church communities worldwide. These resources weave together biblical teaching with practical calls for creation care and climate justice. "We are called to restore our relationships with God, with one another, and with creation itself," Murray concluded. "May we walk this path together in faith, hope, and love." Churches and faith communities are encouraged to engage with the climate crisis through prayer, action, and advocacy. The Season of Creation resources from the Anglican Communion Environmental Network provide practical tools for congregational engagement and are available here. Litururgical resources featuring Indigenous voices Learn more about the Season of Creation here Season of Creation opens with call for “peaceful habitation” amid climate crisis (News Release, 02 September) WCC joins Ecumenical Patriarch in launching Season of Creation with call for "ecological repentance" (News Release, 01 September 2025) Over 100 African faith leaders gather online to strengthen Season of Creation (News Release, 21 August 2025) Faith leaders invite all to celebrate Season of Creation (News Release, 11 August 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC news: GETI 2025 Prayer Book: a spiritual companion for visible unity

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has released the GETI 2025 Prayer Book, a spiritual companion for the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) 2025, which will gather some 80 young theologians and ecumenical leaders around the theme “Where Now for Visible Unity.” 10 September 2025 Edited by Prof. Dr Prof. Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi, Rev. Dr Chad Rimmer, and Rev. Dr Joo Wee Hur, and designed to accompany the theological journey of GETI 2025, the prayer book weaves together prayer, scripture, reflection, and symbolic action. It affirms the WCC’s ecumenical vision of unity in faith and witness, reconciliation in a divided world, and communal transformation that integrates spirituality, intellect, and relationships. “The spiritual life at GETI 2025 is not an addition to the academic programme, but its very heartbeat,” said Prof. Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi, coordinator of GETI 2025. “In prayer and worship, we discover that theological reflection and spirituality belong together - grounding our studies in lived faith and opening us to the Spirit’s work of reconciliation. This journey is about more than learning; it is about being transformed together into signs of the unity we seek in Christ.” Structured around daily worship, the book offers a liturgical framework that blends scripture, psalms, hymns, and contextual prayers. Symbolic actions—such as tying ribbons, sharing stones, and weaving fabrics—invite participants to embody the movement toward unity. The prayers extend beyond the church, interceding for peace-building, human rights, ecological justice, and the inclusion of marginalized communities. As a whole, the prayer book embodies the ecumenical journey as a spiritual pilgrimage, offering worship as both a sign and foretaste of Christ’s prayer “that all may be one.” It seeks to form participants as agents of unity in today’s fragmented world, grounding visible unity in justice, reconciliation, and shared mission. Download the GETI 2025 Prayer Book Learn more about GETI 2025 WCC releases GETI 2025 reader—a theological collection meant to inspire (WCC news release, 4 September 2025)   See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, September 8 and Sunday, August 14, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, September 8, 2025 - That fathers and mothers in every American household would exercise godliness.
• Tuesday, September 9, 2025 - That students would have a passion for God.
• Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - That nations work to secure and enhance international peace.
• Thursday, September 11, 2025 - That we choose to show generosity and compassion to the poor and the needy.
• Friday, September 12, 2025 - That we work together to protect the natural environment that's been entrusted to our care.
• Saturday, September 13, 2025 - That we are thankful for the opportunities and responsibilities we've been given.
• Sunday, September 14, 2025 - That those in business, government and media would cherish honesty, integrity and humility.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, August 31, 2025

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: During the sermon series  I Believe: Exploring the Apostle's Creed , the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church is using  The Apostle...

Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE...he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - I BELIEVE...he suffered under P...: During the sermon series  I Believe: Exploring the Apostle's Creed , the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church is using  The Apostle...

WCC NEWS: WCC shares insights with young people during Taize Reflection Week in France

The World Council of Churches (WCC) shared insights during a Taize Reflection Week held 24-30 August in France. George Sahhar, advocacy officer with the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office and the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, shared two workshops on “The Truth Shall Set You Free: Truth-based advocacy for Justice and Peace in Palestine.” Young people gathered at Taize. Photo: WCC 02 September 2025 The workshops updated participants about human rights violations against Palestinians in the occupied territories of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza. “The aim was to show the gaps but also the advocacy tools that promote human rights, development, and empowerment; as the path forward towards peace and justice,” explained Sahhar. “We emphasized the need to tell the truth based on the situation of vulnerable Palestinian communities, rather than prioritizing the interests of powerful parties and special interest groups.” Participants in the Reflection Week were 18-35 years old.  “The workshops were received with thunderous applause,” said Sahhar, who shared the following quote from the Sufi poet Rumi: “If everything around you looks dark, look again, you may be the light.” Sahhar explained to participants how to follow up and take advocacy action towards justice.  “Peace was presented as not merely the absence of war and whereby the vulnerable communities are silenced, but as the presence of justice and truth,” he said. “Change begins inside the hearts and minds of people before it translates to action on the ground.” See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland