Congregation holds first Break the Silence Sunday service: ‘Still more work to be done’

Gossamer fabric in shades of lavender, buttercup, periwinkle, and rose — bedecked with paper butterflies — floated down from the stained glass window in the sanctuary of Emmanuel United Church of Christ. And as the late afternoon sun shone, its rays filtered through the fabric, illuminating the image of the cross that was central to the window.

In front of the ethereal display was a table anchored by leftover purple Advent candles surrounded by tapers to light as prayers of healing were said for “our ancestors, loved ones, those unknown, and ourselves,” said the Rev. Leanne Rose, interim pastor of the Dousman, Wisconsin.

Emmanuel was holding, for the first time, a stand-alone worship service for Break the Silence Sunday. Observed in the United Church of Christ on the last Sunday in April, Break the Silence is a time to acknowledge the trauma of rape and sexual assault and to begin conversations that lead to healing and hope for survivors.

“Our service was small, but meaningful,” said Rose.

The pastor, who is intentional in raising awareness of sexual assault and offering prayers of healing for survivors throughout the year, felt a special urgency to debut a stand-alone Break the Silence service due to recent “the Epstein files” news headlines. She wanted to create a space for all in the Dousman community, not just her congregants, to be seen and heard.  

Rose was also mindful to craft a service acknowledging the violence without it being “trauma inducing. And so, she relied heavily on the expansive prayer resources available on the Break the Silence website and searched YouTube for a compilation of mediative music.

“It is a topic we need to broach because when I do mention from the pulpit the statistic that one in five women have been sexually assaulted, you begin to look the sanctuary and realize someone has such a story,” said Rose.

The stand-alone Break the Silence Sunday service wasn’t completely a new venture for Emmanuel UCC. The congregation has been holding quarterly healing services.

“We chose to make this specific to Break the Silence Sunday as there is still so much work to be done,” said Rose.

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.