advent 2024
Hearing the Cry of the Holy Innocents
As the holiday season approaches and we find ourselves inundated once again with manufactured emotion, saccharine sentimentality, and consumerist excess, we mustn’t be lulled into forgetting that the true story of Christmas is a story of unspeakable violence. With the magi’s visit, King Herod is confronted with the illegitimacy of his position as Rome’s imperial puppet in Jerusalem, and he lashes out in a genocidal rage worthy of Pharoah himself.
The contemporary parallels would be uncanny, if they weren’t so horrifying.
The Herods of our time and their imperial patrons must never be allowed to silence the cries of the innocent. We must continue to hear their cry, refusing to be comforted by the lies and enticements of privilege; we must amplify their plea, ensuring that the powerful be forever haunted by the cries of their victims.
As the magi read the words of the prophets, they find hope, seeing in them the promise of new life, of deliverance and liberation. Herod, meanwhile, instrumentalizes the very same prophecies to enact unimaginable terror in an attempt to prolong his idolatrous reign. Again, we can’t help but notice the contemporary parallels:
The court prophets of Christian Zionism continue to subvert the promises of Christ’s reign, as they provide ideological cover for imperial violence and settler-colonial conquest.
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in al-Ram, weeping and great mourning, Rahil weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
This Advent, will you hear the cry of the holy innocents?
Will you Preach Palestine and help cut through the noise of the imperial propagandists and genocide apologists who work hard to silence (or even justify) their screams.
Responding to the call of our sisters and brothers in Palestine, FOSNA calls upon all communities of faith and conviction to stand firm in the light of truth and Preach Palestine this Advent season.
Like the mothers of Bethlehem, may we refuse to “be comforted” in the face of genocidal evil.
We have gathered resources for worship planners from a diversity of traditions and voices that lift up liberation, from Turtle Island to Palestine and beyond. Please consider:
an entire service or a single prayer
a study series or a guest lecture
a film screening or a fundraising event, and/or
direct action or justice advocacy
We are asking you once again to Preach Palestine and lift up the Palestinian people such that they would come to experience the joy, justice, and peace of Christ's liberating reign, as a very real light in this age of darkness. Preach Palestine and take a stand against apartheid, dispossession, and genocide, in Palestine, in Lebanon, and beyond.
How to Participate
Commit to Preach Palestine this Advent season, sign up here, and help spread the word.
Join us for a movement call on Friday, November 22nd to learn how you can preach Palestine this Advent, and hear our announcement of a national day of action for the holy innocents of Palestine and Lebanon. Our movement call will encourage everyone to Preach Palestine in a multitude of ways, including:
Leaning on our database of resources for liturgy and prayer
A day of action: help your representatives and leaders hear the cry of the holy innocents
Joining FOSNA's online services with Kairos Center's Freedom Church of the Poor
Joining FOSNA/Sabeel's Advent solidarity delegation with Christians for Ceasefire
and more!
Explore, share, and utilize the Worship Resources below, from prayers to sermons to children’s stories.
Record the service and send it to friends@fosna.org. We are also calling for Advent 2024 submissions, now, as we continue to build our library of Preach Palestine resources.
Take part in the special events and actions listed below.
Consider contributing a special collection to Sabeel, FOSNA, or another solidarity or aid organization supporting Palestinians.
Explore ways to deepen your congregation's understanding and take action. Review FOSNA’s Stay Informed—Take Action—Get Involved Solidarity Guide, explore our Direct Action Database & Countering CZ Toolkit.
Featured Activities and Resources 2024
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Winter Offensive: Advent of a Revolution & Birth of a Movement
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VFHL Film Salon: "What's in a Word? - Defining Zionism"
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FOSNAs Guide to Difficult Conversations about Christian Zionism
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Friends of Palestinian Detainees
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Anti-Palestinian Racism and How to Counter It (UUJMI)
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Advent Solidarity Delegation
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Take a Stand for the Holy Land
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FOSNA Solidarity Guide
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Advent against Apartheid
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Cornerstone: Christmas Amidst Massacres
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Lenten Resources 2024
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Direct Action Database
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Countering Christian Zionism Toolkit
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SABEEL- KAIROS UK, ADVENT SERIES
Worship Resources
Sermons, sermon Starters, Bible Studies, & Devotionals
Liturgy
Prayer
Children’s Stories
Art, Music, poetry, & Multi-Media
Additional Resources
Statements, Responses, & Resources
Christmas Message Of The Patriarchs And Heads Of The Churches In Jerusalem 2023
Moving forward on that road from Jerusalem to Gaza (EPF PIN)
Prophecy vs. the Prophetic
Not exactly from Avent, but with a few adjustments it could be.