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Ecumenical service tonight

The public is invited to the Alpena Area Ecumenical Worship Service tonight to celebrate the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” with a soup supper at 6 p.m., followed by the service at 7 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 201 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.

Pastor John Shipman of St. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) will be preaching.

An offering will be collected for Salvation Army’s “Call Us for Help” program.

In addition to Shipman, the service will include: host Rev. Paul Lance, First Congregational UCC; the Rev. Tom Orth of Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) and chairman of LARC (Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic); the Rev. William Rayment of First Presbyterian Church; The Very Rev. Bill McClure of Trinity Episcopal Church; the Rev. Joe Muszkiewicz of All Saints Catholic Parish; Mark Hermansen, Alpena branch president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Dr. Ben Eggleston, second counselor, Traverse City District Presidency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Kat Tomaszewski will provide organ and piano accompaniment and there will be a combined choir (consisting of singers from the several churches) under the direction of David Delano.

The worship resources were prepared by a variety of Christian churches in Malta, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. According to tradition, the Apostle Paul reached the shores of Malta in about the year 60 CE. He and his companions had been shipwrecked, but the natives “showed us unusual kindness.”

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated around the world, will focus this year on “hospitality to the stranger and the foreigner in our midst, who should be welcomed on our shores.”

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