Walk. Pray. Worship. Peace Walk will converge with 'Unite OKC' event
A Peace Walk movement is about to converge with another community event with a similar premise.
Stronger Together's next Peace Walk is set for 4 p.m. Sept. 11, with participants encouraged to walk from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to Scissortail Park, where Unite OKC, an evening of community worship, will begin about 5 p.m.
Leaders for both events, the Rev. Clarence Hill and Amy Frazier, said the convergence works because both activities have the same goal: unity.
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"We have the same heart when it comes to seeing the walls come down and to see us stand united and worship God together," said Hill, founder of the Stronger Together movement.
"We have always promoted the idea of groups that are seeking unity to actually work together. Amy Frazier and her efforts with City Night of Worship have done an amazing job bringing together worship leaders from several different churches and backgrounds."
Frazier is founder of City Night of Worship, the group leading numerous churches and other organizations for the Unite OKC event. She said City Night of Worship members have been planning the coming Christian event for a long time and they are excited to see it finally happen.
"Imagine Scissortail Park packed — no division, nothing separated — it's all one body unified together to worship Jesus," she said.
"The beauty of this is that Unite OKC is strictly a worship night. It makes it so easy because it's not going to be about a denomination or anything. We're just going to sing songs, so that's what's so great."
Walking for the peacekeepers
Hill, pastor of Antioch Community Church in Norman, and the Rev. John-Mark Hart, pastor of Christ Community Church in Oklahoma City, envisioned the Peace Walks as events that would bring people from different areas of the Oklahoma City metro area together for prayer and opportunities to forge relationships. The walks have gained momentum since the first one in May, with people of all ages, faiths and from different parts the community, walking together, despite the heat of the summer Sunday afternoons.
Previous walks have focused on different members of the community or different areas of the city, such as south Oklahoma City, northeast Oklahoma City and the Asian community. Each walk included prayer, worship, testimonies of faith and brief presentations by local leaders and residents. Hill said October's walk will be in Norman and the November walk will focus on the Native American community.
Sunday's Peace Walk will focus on first responders.
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Hill said these days, conversations about police often cause division, with people feeling like they are being "forced to have a choose a side" between police and community.
He would like to see people come together instead and let go of conversations that seem to pit one group against another, making "enemies out of potential allies because there is no middle." What if, he asked, the narrative centered on police who are doing a great job in their role and police who agree that things need to be changed.
"I believe that 70% plus of society would rather not be arguing with one another and be divided," Hill said. "I believe 70% of our society really just wants healthy relationships, meaningful work and some fun time with family and friends."
Uniting in worship
City Night of Worship brings worship leaders from several metro area churches together for fellowship and discipleship.
Frazier, a worship leader at Westmoore Community Church, said the group has held monthly worship events at Coffee Slingers, 1015 N Broadway Ave., which they consider their home base. They have also held Night of Worship events at various churches.
Frazier said Sunday's event will be on a much larger scale as a city-wide night of worship.
Through worship events, the leaders have become a "bridge" of unity between churches across the metro area, she said. The idea is to open each church's "circle" to create one big circle of churches.
"That's where transformation happens, the ability to see beyond oneself and to speak to the true needs of our people around us, and that's including our brothers and sisters in Christ," Frazier said.
Unite OKC attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the park event. Food trucks will be on site about 4:30 p.m.
"This is going to be a big event," Frazier said. "And I think it'll be one we do every year, Lord willing."
Peace Walk
When: 4 p.m. Sept. 11.
Where: Oklahoma City National Memorial, 620 N Harvey Ave.
Information: Click on the "Events" link at https://www.strongertogether.global/united-voice-oklahoma.
'Unite OKC'
When: 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 11. Food trucks will set up at 4:30 p.m. and the event will have a soft open.
Where: Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7.
Information: City Night of Worship's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/citynightofworship.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Peace Walk on first responders to travel from memorial to park
