Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites members of the ELCIC to pray for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and for the Alberta National Event, which runs from March 27-30, 2014 in Edmonton, Alberta.
“The call to listen to survivors of residential schools and to learn from history is of the utmost importance,” says Bishop Johnson. “Our church is committed to an ongoing process of finding truth and reconciliation together. We understand this to be both an urgent and a long-term commitment.”
TRC events provide an important opportunity for those affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools to share their experiences with the Commission and the public. They also serve to educate Canadians about the country’s 130-year history of residential schools, and their legacy for Aboriginal communities and Canadian society as a whole.
National Bishop Susan Johnson will be present at TRC Alberta National Event. This event is the seventh and final National Event mandated by the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. During her time at the event, Bishop Johnson will present an Expression of Reconciliation on behalf of the ELCIC as part of a ceremony that runs from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2014 in Hall A of the Shaw Centre. It’s a free public event and all are welcome.
The ELCIC’s gift will be a certificate bearing witness to the motion passed at the 2011 ELCIC National Convention on the Resolution on Right Relationships with Indigenous Peoples and a handcrafted pottery piece that was commissioned by the ELCIC.
The TRC welcomes Expressions of Reconciliation from individuals, organizations, and the parties to the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement who wish to publicly state their commitment to the journey of healing and reconciliation and speak to the ways in which they are contributing to that journey. A tangible gift is made to the TRC to accompany the statement of the Expression.
The ELCIC has prepared a prayer for use in congregations and personal devotions:
Creator, you make all people beautifully diverse in your image. As first peoples of this land and people from many nations and cultures, reform us into a united people that rejoices in our many different gifts. Bless the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Alberta National Event and all who participate on March 27-30 in Edmonton, Alberta. We pray that your Spirit of compassion, justice, forgiveness, and healing that Jesus gave to all will prevail, and that a new day of peace and hope will arise for first peoples and all people in Canada.
Additional information on the upcoming TRC Alberta National Event is available at: http://www.myrobust.com/websites/alberta/index.php?p=766
For those not able to attend, the TRC Alberta National Event will be livestreamed at www.trc.ca.
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
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