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by Sharon Ely Pearson

This year we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and our nation. September 11th falls on a Sunday this year – so how do we remember this day in our worship and education?

The lectionary readings for the day (Proper 19) give us a clue: forgiveness.

The Rev. Becky Crites, Diocesan Ecumenical Inter-religious Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia writes, “ As Christian communities strive to discover ways to speak Jesus to a media driven, individualistic and “spiritual” populace, we should be deliberate about marking events of the world that cry out for a vision of God’s Kingdom. The tenth anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 should be deliberately marked–not only within our congregations but with other faith communities.  Rabbi Gerald Zelizer says concerning 9/11 “Lives are only transformed spiritually and permanently when religious experiences accumulate in regular life passages, such as birth, adolescence, marriage and old age, and when religion is given the chance to repeat itself in fixed rituals and … prayers. Religion that calms after national traumas like Sept. 11 is comparable to an aspirin, which eliminates immediate pain.” He further reflected that such events cannot nurture souls because “those kind of cataclysmic happenings are too infrequent and isolated to build permanent and long-lasting faith.”

In a statement released on July 25, 2011, the National Council of Churches stated, “Rarely in human history have the events of a single day so profoundly affected the lives of so many on this planet. The terror attacks of September 11, 2001 – starkly and universally abbreviated as 9/11 – set in motion a worldwide chain reaction that has not ebbed in the decade that has passed.

Knowing that the tenth anniversary of 9/11 will be a time of spiritual reflection for all who were touch by these events, many churches and people of all faith traditions have developed resources for use worldwide on this day of remembrance. For many churches, this will also be a day when Christian formation activities will begin for the program year. A time for energy and joy, it will also be a day marked with sadness of the events of ten years ago.

I recently compiled a listing of prayers, liturgies, links, and resources that churches can tap into for their 9/11 commemorations in my monthly newsletter, Living IN-Formation. You can download the document here.

More resources:

• Story Path – Use children’s literature with the Sunday readings. Story Path offers particular children’s books that can be used to reflect upon the memory and outcomes of September 11th.
• Congregational Resource Guide offers suggestions for sermon preparation
• The Call to Compassion from Washington National Cathedral offers an opportunity to share your own reflections and read those from others.
• Suggestions on how to talk about 9/11 with children from Teaching Tolerance.
• 9/11: Beyond Hate from the Odyssey Networks (Stories of faith in action. Stories changing the world) offers a great compilation of denominational postings and resources commemorating 9/11
• Trinity Wall Street (New York City, adjacent to “ground zero” will be offering numerous services and forums. If you are not in the area, check their site for live podcasts. Trinity’s rector, the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper offers some sermon notes as we prepare for the day.
• Carolyn C. Brown, who writes at Worshipping with Children, offers some lesson plans associated with this Sunday’s lections.
• 9/11 Remembrance and Christian Education Sunday from Association of United Church Educators (AUCE).

Join in the conversation on Building Faith’s Forum. What will your church be doing to commemorate 9/11?