Bluegrass gospel band Monroe Crossing is coming to Benson! Thursday, March 21 at 7pm they will be playing at the Junior High Auditorium. Tickets are available at Benson churches, Breen's Thrifty White Drug and Clarks' Rexall Drug. Cost for tickets is $25 for families, $8 for adults ($10 at the door), and $5 for children under 12. 

Named in honor of Bill Monroe, Monroe Crossing dazzles audiences with an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites across the United States and Canada. 

Since the year 2000, Monroe Crossing has released 11 CDs and a live concert DVD and has made over 1250 concert appearances throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The secret to the band’s longevity and success? According to fiddler and lead singer Lisa Fuglie, “It’s just plain hard work and dedication. We all share a love for bluegrass music and for performing on stage. We appreciate every audience, large or small, and understand that we’re there for them, not the other way around.” 

In 2007, they were selected as an Official Showcase Band at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass Convention in Nashville, and later that year, they were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

See Monroe Crossing’s recordings, schedule and booking information on the band’s website: www.monroecrossing.com

To make Christian unity a visible part of the call for justice and peace, and inspired by the struggles of Dalits in India, this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity explores the theme, “What does God require of us?” (Micah 6:6-8).

The week of prayer is traditionally celebrated between 18 and 25 January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere). It brings together Christians from diverse confessions and backgrounds from around the world, who organize special ecumenical worships, prayer services and events.

“The search for visible unity cannot be disassociated from the dismantling of casteism and the lifting up of contributions to unity by the poorest of the poor,” states the introductory text for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013.

The theme brings into focus the strong call for justice by the prophet Micah in the Old Testament. As the introduction says, “In many ways, the situation facing the people of God in the time of Micah can be compared to the situation of the Dalit community in India. Dalits also face oppression and injustice from those who wish to deny them their rights and dignity.”

The Student Christian Movement of India was invited to prepare the resource for the week of prayer, along with the All India Catholic University Federation and the National Council of Churches in India.

Since 1968, the liturgical and biblical material for the annual week of prayer has been jointly coordinated by the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission and the Roman Catholic Church (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity).

Resources for the week are available in English, French, German and Spanish, and include: introduction to the theme; a suggested ecumenical celebration which local churches are encouraged to adapt for their own particular liturgical, social and cultural contexts; biblical reflections and prayers for the "eight days"; and introduction to Christianity in India.

• More information on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
• WCC's Commission on Faith and Order
• Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
• WCC member churches in India