One year after wildfires destroyed more than 18,000 homes and forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate, Lake Avenue Church will host “Songs of Remembrance: A Service of Hope and Renewal” with best-selling Christian author Philip Yancey.
The free service takes place Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m., marking the first anniversary of the January Eaton and Palisades fires that swept through Eaton Canyon and Pacific Palisades, leaving what organizers describe as “deep scars on local neighborhoods and congregations.”
Lake Avenue Church’s Chamber Orchestra and Sanctuary Choir will lead the musical program, featuring sacred hymns, choral anthems and classical works designed to “invite reflection, comfort, and renewed hope.”
Yancey, editor-at-large for Christianity Today and multiple Gold Medallion Award winner, has long written about faith and suffering.
His books include “Where Is God When It Hurts?” and “Disappointment with God.”
He previously spoke at the 20th anniversary remembrance service for the Columbine High School shooting in 2019.
“This will be a meaningful opportunity to come together and find something redemptive in the midst of tragedy,” Yancey said.
“Ironically, it’s often tragedy that brings people together.”
The Eaton Fire killed 18 people and destroyed 9,418 structures; the Palisades Fire killed 12 and destroyed 7,854 structures.
Lake Avenue Church has raised funds for fire relief and partnered with Samaritan’s Purse, which completed 1,247 work orders in Altadena with 2,303 volunteers contributing 39,514 hours.
Songs of Remembrance: A Service of Hope and Renewal will run on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Lake Avenue Church, 393 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena.For more information, call (626) 844-4700 or visit https://lakeave.org/event/564.
