Praying and Preaching on HIV and AIDS
There are numerous fine resources for praying and preaching on AIDS. Many of them have been prepared for churches to use around World AIDS Day, which is observed on the 1st of December each year. Several local churches hold World AIDS Day services. Some offer quiet space for reflection, and focus on remembering loved friends and family members lost; others focus on the challenge of AIDS and poverty worldwide.
But praying and preaching on AIDS can be part of our worship at any time, not just on World AIDS Day. At one church, the difficulties faced by AIDS orphans formed part of the reflections on Mothering Sunday; a South African theological college did a Stations of the Cross with an HIV/AIDS theme during Lent.
CCOW has a wide range of print resources for HIV/AIDS liturgy, including the South African stations of the cross, past services from Diakonia in South Africa, USPG packs, Christian Aid liturgies (for World AIDS Day pre-2006), and more. We've included links to liturgies, sermons and theological reflections below.
You can also download our most recent AIDS resource from the resources page. This includes prayers from Diakonia and interviews with local (and some not-so-local) Christians who have become involved in HIV/AIDs work in various locations around the world. If you would like to put together a service with a speaker, get in touch with us. Many of those interviewed in the resource -- and others with whom we are in contact -- would be happy to come speak. We also have materials from Christian AIDS' campaigns around the world, and CDs of Christian music related to AIDS.
World AIDS Day
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has a very helpful page on how your church can get involved in World AIDS Day (This link will take you to the 2006 version; go to the main EAA page for any updates)
Collections of Liturgies, Worship Resources and Sermon Aids
There are dozens of liturgies and worship resources listed on the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS Resources page.
The Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa [CABSA] "aims to assist and support churches and faith communities in their involvement in the HIV and AIDS field. Their "Christians Praying about HIV and AIDS" page has a wide range of prayer resources; they also have a "Stories and Poems" page.
The World Council of Churches published Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy, a very rich resource.
Liturgies, Prayers and Presentations
CAFOD offers the "Voices of Women" liturgy prepared by Rev. Terry MacArthur for the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, 2004, as well as a selection of prayers.
Each year for the past several years, Christian Aid has released a liturgy for World AIDS Day. The most recent, Flesh of Your Flesh (2006), was written by John Bell and includes material from Christian Aid partners in El Salvador and Ethiopia. As noted above, CCOW has electronic and hard copies of most previous liturgies.
The United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life programme has an HIV/AIDS page with some prayers from the WCC booklet "Africa Praying" (see below) and Christian Aid services. It also has an Advent resource that includes stories from Bangladesh and further thoughts, prayers and points for action.
Several networks of the Roman Catholic church in the US combined to provide liturgical resources for World AIDS Day 2006. These are in part linked to the common lectionary (and hence refer to different readings than those for 2007/2008), but also contain many beautiful free-standing prayers, points for meditation, and reflections. The materials will be particularly helpful for churches which also celebrate either Christ the King Sunday or First Sunday of Advent alongside World AIDS Day.
Franciscans International has a World AIDS Day page with links to a downloadable prayer and material that could be used as background for a church service.
Tearfund's "Work a Miracle" campaign asks Christians and churches to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Tearfund's website offers ideas for creative worship and prayer (click on resources for your church on the sidebar), prayer points and a powerpoint presentation related to the campaign, as well as a "script" for use in churches.
The United Methodist Church (US) has a responsive litany that calls the church to caring action.
Anglican mission society USPG has placed on its website a selection of four prayers from its "Living the Gospel with HIV/AIDS" booklet.