On Tuesday JRS UK brought together refugee friends and volunteers to pre-record a service for BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship. Focusing on the Gospel passage that tells of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt, the recording will be aired on Sunday 30th December and will feature music by Soul Santuary Gospel Choir and the JRS UK Refugee Gospel Choir. By drawing on the Holy Family and its connections with the story of The Exodus and the voice of Rachel, the service reflects on the experience of the refugees and asylum seekers accompanied by JRS in the UK and the parallels between their lives and the readings we hear.
Led by Fr. Dominic Robinson SJ, parish priest at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, the service had been crafted alongside refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom read druing the service. Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, gave a reflection on the readings where she drew upon the stories of some of the friends accompanied by JRS, stories that echoed the feelings and emotions heard in Jeremiah and the Flight to Egypt, drawing especially on the need to recognise the sufferings within the stories and open ourselves up to be moved by this.
The recording will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday Worhsip at 8:10 am on Sunday 30th December.
