AUGUST 3RD
PRAYERS FOR LIBERTY VIGIL
Prayers for Liberty will be holding interfaith vigils along the route of Paul Revere's historic ride. If you are interested in attending, check out our Find a Vigil page. We also encourage you to host a vigil in your own community. To do so, please read our goals and guidelines and then register below.
GOALS
BEAR WITNESS
We seek to acknowledge publicly our Federal Government's violations of the due process of law that protects the dignity and liberty of all residents of the United States.
CALL UPON THE DIVINE
We seek to bring together people of many faiths to call upon that which they consider sacred, meaningful, and holy for aid in this difficult time.
BUILD MOMENTUM
We seek to use these vigils as a path towards further organization and action. In particular, we want to encourage everyone who participates to join us again for our Labor Day Prayers For Liberty Walk.
REQUIREMENTS TO HOST
INTERFAITH
The interfaith nature of our organization is central to Prayers for Liberty's mission. All of our vigils will be open to all, and hosts must do what is possible to make sure that members of more than one faith or congregation are present.
TIME
Please keep your gatherings short. Attendees are being told to expect events no longer than 45 minutes, and all hosts are expected to keep to that schedule.
FOCUS
These vigils should stay focused on the preservation of our shared sacred values of democratic, constitutional governance. We ask that participants not mention any other issues, however important they are to one’s conscience or community.
FURTHER GUIDELINES
LOCATION
Though not a requirement, we recommend you meet in a city or town commons or other well known public location. We would prefer that, if possible, you not host the event in a house of worship, but you can use one as a backup location in case of rain.
FORMAT
Hosts are free to structure their vigils as they want, but we recommend the following format:
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Welcome attendees and discuss the event's purpose
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2-4 prayers or readings from members of clergy
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Sing 1-2 songs
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Announce the Labor Day Prayers for Liberty Walk and encourage people to attend
SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT THE JEWISH HOLIDAY OF TISHA B'AV
The Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, which is observed this year on Sunday, August 3, commemorates the destruction of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and the beginning of periods of exile and captivity, first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and then by the Roman government in 70 CE. It is marked by a day-long complete fast starting at sunset on the prior evening, and prayers of mourning and grief, and ultimately a glimmer of hope. The holiday reminds us how unchecked power and the erosion of freedom and liberty can lead to the devastation of sacred communities and the silencing of spiritual life.