Middle Church 2021 9/11 Commemoration

This September marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. In the immediate aftermath of that tragedy, Middle served as a resting place and organizing hub for first responders, and a refuge for a traumatized city. Some of our members first entered our doors through the smoke rising from those ashes, to find love that preached and continues to preach love amid any flame.

While 9/11 may be named by its date, its trauma extends far beyond that fateful day. We lost friends and family. Others, who responded, have been left with lifelong health impairments. Still others found themselves receiving Islamophobic bigotry no tragedy should engender. Our world still bears scars of that hatred transformed into policy. And our community carries wounds that time can tend but never heal.

This fall, we’re offering a few different ways you can commemorate what we lost. We’ll honor this ongoing pain by doubling down on the same love that sustained us 20 years ago—the love that connects us now.

All September:

Visit the New York Historical Society exhibit on the resiliency of New York City, featuring Middle’s own Liberty Bell, salvaged from our sanctuary. This exhibit tells the story of how our city continues to respond from tragedy in fierce love—a story at the very heart of 9/11 and the months and years that followed.

Thursday, September 9:

We invite you to join our interfaith partners for a 9/11 Interfaith Walk to 5 houses of worship in Midtown East. We will begin our interfaith peace walk at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, then we will walk over to Central Synagogue. From there, we will walk to The Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan and then walk over to a Hope Church Midtown. Finally, we will end our walk at the Manhattan Sikh Center. Let’s embody a love that refuses to be divided. Click here to register!

Saturday, September 11:

Join an interfaith peace vigil cohosted by Middle, with speakers from different faith traditions, music and ritual to mark the moment. Click here to register!

Sunday, September 12:

Join us for a special worship commemoration. Rev. Natalie Renee Perkins will preach “Tips for How to Get Unstuck,” asking how we can process the pain that remains stuck in our bodies. Rev. Ben Perry will talk to the youth about what it was like to be a young person on 9/11 in the shadow of the city. And we invite you to bring two candles to light as we respond to a prayer from Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, embodying a love that can never be extinguished.