Interfaith group to honor dead

Last Modified:
2:25 p.m. 9/12/2001

By Phil Anderson
The Capital-Journal

An interfaith worship service in honor of the dead and injured in Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania will be held at 7:30 p.m. today at First Christian Church-Disciples of Christ, 1880 S.W. Gage.

Dr. Jim McCollough, senior minister of First Christian Church, said the service was still "evolving" on Wednesday morning during a phone interview from his office.

Although the program hadn't taken shape at that point, he said he had confirmations that religious leaders from the Baha'i, Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths would participate in the service.

McCollough said he decided on Tuesday that something needed to be done to bring diverse faith groups together to pray for those affected by Tuesday's tragedy.

"This is a time when the religious community needs to come together, not thinking so much about our differences, but our common denominator -- our faith in God," McCollough said. "We need to pray together as a unified community."

Tonight's program will include prayers, hymns and Scripture readings from the various faith traditions.

The Baha'i community will be represented by Duane Herrmann, while Imam Omar Hazim and Dr. Ashraf Sufi will represent the Islamic faith. Rabbi Lawrence P. Karol of Temple Beth Sholom will represent the Jewish community.

Within the Christian community, McCollough said, he had received commitments from the Rev. Norbert Lickteig, pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church, and the Rev. Susan Candea, pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church. McCollough said he hoped tonight's program would bring hope out of despair for those who attend.

"We hope it will enable people to see beyond all the devastation," he said. "When all we hear is the news of hopelessness and despair, it not only affects those who are right there on top of it, but it affects our whole nation."

The service, he said, is designed to "remind us that God's with us through all of this, and will strengthen us as a nation."

A number of other services are scheduled in Topeka today and Friday, including the following:

• 12:15 and 6:30 p.m. today, St. John's Lutheran Church, 901 S.W. Fillmore.

• 6:30 p.m. today, in the chapel of First Baptist Church, 3033 S.W. MacVicar.

• 7 p.m. today, First Presbyterian Church, 817 S.W. Harrison.

• 7 p.m. today, Second Baptist Church, 424 N.W. Laurent.

• 12:30 p.m. Friday, ecumenical prayer service led by the Downtown Clergy Coalition, First Presbyterian Church.

• 1 p.m. Friday, Jumah prayer service, Islamic Center of Topeka, 1115 S.E. 27th.

• 7 p.m. Friday, candlelight memorial service sponsored by Bias Busters of Kansas, south side of Statehouse.

Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or panderson@cjonline.com.