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Rev. Najla Kassab, president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, delivered a sermon reflecting on moral imagination. She shared the story of a lawyer burdened by ethical compromises who confessed it was not the sermon but the music that drew him to church.
“Sometimes,” he said, “it’s the difference between life and death.”
Drawing on global scenes of devastation—from the burning ruins of Notre Dame Cathedral to the blood-stained floors of a Syrian church—Kassab reflected on moments when words failed but singing endured. For her, singing is an act of resistance, remembrance, and renewal.
Recalling her own childhood in war-torn Beirut, where she and her family sheltered underground amid bombs, she said: “When words do not help, you sing. Singing is not an escape. It’s where God meets us—and reminds us we’re not alone.”
Rooted in Psalm 96, Kassab’s sermon called the church to “sing a new song,” not only in melody but in mission—to center worship in justice, foster inclusive communities, and carry the gospel’s witness beyond sanctuary walls.
Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, traced the organization’s lineage from the 16th-century Reformation to its formal founding in London in 1875, when 21 Presbyterian churches gathered to form the Alliance of Reformed Churches.
He recounted its evolution: merging with Congregational and other Reformed bodies to create the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1970, then uniting with the Reformed Ecumenical Council in 2010 to form today’s World Communion of Reformed Churches.
Karen Campbell, on behalf of the United Reformed Church, reflected on the strength of belonging to a diverse but united global family. “When we’re feeling lonely, we can see that we have siblings across continents and cultures… we belong to each other,” she said.
Rev. William McLaren, representing the Church of Scotland, called the World Communion of Reformed Churches “a family close to our hearts,” recalling his denomination’s foundational role in 1875 and celebrating the Reformed tradition’s worldwide reach.
Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum, general secretary of the Council for World Mission, noted a shared birthday between the World Communion of Reformed Churches and his organization—18 July—and praised their twin commitments to peace, justice and prophetic witness:
“This is not just a historical milestone,” Keum said. “It is the unfolding story of a communion born of conviction.”
