Christian Concern for One World - Prayer

Prayer

admin — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:36:03 +0000

Located across our website are prayers and prayer responses related to the areas in which we work. This area of the site brings together a list of all those prayers and prayer responses in one place.

Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe (click to read more)

Maranda — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:10:54 +0000

Like many people, we've been following the news from Zimbabwe with mounting anxiety since the election. Despite the bans on reporting, there is evidence of growing violence and of electoral corruption. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe recently noted that "Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party . . . has been unleashed throughout the country, particularly in the countryside and in some high-density urban areas. People are being abducted, tortured, humiliated by being asked to repeat slogans of the political party they are alleged not to support, ordered to attend mass meetings where they are told they voted for the 'wrong' candidate and should never repeat it in the run-off election for President, and, in some cases, people are murdered."

The Zimbabwean church leaders made their comments as part of a strong appeal for justice and peace. They have been joined by other church leaders in Africa including Rubin Phillip, Bishop of Natal, and other civil and religious activists, who brought the court interdict that prohibited arms for Zimbabwe from being released for transport to that country, and Thabo Makgoba, the Archbishop of Cape Town, who has written an open letter calling on the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. In the UK, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury have also issued a joint statement on the situation.

Within this context, there has been a call for churches around the world to make Sunday, 27 April, a day of prayer for Zimbabwe.

Please do consider joining in this day of prayer, either personally or through your church.

The following prayer points are taken from the Zimbabwean Church Leaders' statement. Please pray that:

the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) may work towards arresting the deteriorating political and security situation in Zimbabwe
there may be an immediate end to political intimidation and retribution arising from how people are perceived to have voted in the March 29, 2008 elections and arising from the desire to influence how people will vote in the anticipated run-off in the presidential poll
youth militia and war veteran/military base camps that have been set up in different parts of the country may be closed
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission may release the true results of the presidential poll of March 29, 2008 without further delay
the Zimbabwean people may maintain and protect their dignity and their vote, refusing to be used for a political party or other people’s selfish end especially where it concerns violence against other people, including those who hold different views

Please pray too for continued strength and wisdom for the church leaders and members in Southern Africa, for all who suffer from hunger and lack of access to shelter or medication because of the ongoing crisis, and for all who have been injured or who mourn loved ones injured or killed during the violence.

Please give thanks for those who have stood for peace and justice, and for the success of the campaign to turn back a shipment of arms destined for Zimbabwe.

If you would like to use a Zimbabwean prayer as part of your worship, you can find one at the Commitment for Life website.

Praying and Preaching on Debt

Maranda — Sat, 05 May 2007 16:44:46 +0000

The very name of the Jubilee campaigns indicates their Biblical origins, and many have Christian groups as founders or core members -- so worship materials in this area abound.

Prayer

Online Resources

God grant me your Spirit . . . .
That I may rest and work in the vision of a new future
Where all are linked by the bonds of humanity,
Not enslaved by the chains of debt.

Extract from "Grant me your spirit," a World Debt Day prayer by Linda Jones of CAFOD

Prayer on debt issues is appropriate at any time -- but especially on or around World Debt Day, celebrated in the UK on 16 May, the anniversary of the Birmingham G8 chain. "Grant me your spirit," a prayer for World Debt Day, can be found in full on the JDC worship resources page.

The JDC worship resources page also contains "Jubilee Worship," a compendium which includes

materials for preparation (announcements, bulletin notes and thoughts for creating worship)
an introduction to set the theological context
facts and stories about the impact of debt
an exploration of Jubilee
a reading from Leviticus 25 with a litany to follow
a Jubilee sermon (by Bono)
prayers

Another JDC worship resource is a prayer pilgrimage called "Praying in Public Places: A Pilgrimage for Our Time ," put together by JDC Board member Merryn Hellier. "Praying in Public" invites Christians to walk to local places such as hospitals or surgeries, schools and banks to reflect on and pray about debt and the impact that it has on people's access to essential services. A very powerful service -- and act of witness.

Some of the materials on the JDC's worship resources page originally come from Jubilee USA, which published in 2005 its "Jubilee Congregations Handbook." This resource offered at the time everything a [US] church needed to engage with the campaign -- background information, stories about the impact of debt and debt relief, pages explaining the links between debt and other global issues, worship material (including a Roman Catholic liturgy for debt), Bible studies and more. The fact that it was written before the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative means that some of its background information is now outdated. But the liturgical material and Bible studies remain very helpful.

CAFOD offers a variety of prayers on debt relief.

Preaching

Online Resources

The Jubilee Congregations Handbook contains several suggested sermons, as well as theological reflections designed to inspire sermons. A sermon contributed by by David Golding is also on the JDC worship resources page.

Another invaluable resource is the linked lectionary entitled "Development Matters ," compiled quarterly by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and available on the Diocese of Bath and Wells' website. This resource takes the main lectionary readings for each week and links them with global-justice issues, providing facts, illustrations and quotes that preachers can use in their sermons. There are many illustrations concerning debt, and because the resource is created afresh each quarter, the examples are up to date.

Praying and Preaching on Climate Change

Maranda — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:58:49 +0000

Father we confess that we have been blind to how our lives impact others, and especially the poorest communities.

Father, we confess that we have taken the earth for granted, using fossil fuels without a second thought and failing to recognise our part in the problem of Climate Change.

Father, we turn back to you and ask you to help us to live simpler lives and to be much more careful in all the resources we use - because it is your earth.

Lord we trust that you are in charge and you can help us to change and live in a way that allows the earth to sustain life for all. Amen

The churches' calendar offes a rich variety of opportunites to bring our concern for climate change into worship. Covenant services, Rogation Sundays, Lent, Environment Day (around 5th June), Harvest Festival and One World Week are all appropriate occasions. More recently the European Christian Environmental Network -- and as of 2008 Churches Together in Britain and Ireland -- have promoted 'Creation Time' (1 September to 4 October) - as a special season to focus on creation.

The prayer above (adapted) is part of a Service on the theme of Climate Change which can be downloaded by clicking on the 'Service' link below. Other sources for liturgy on climate change include:

Probably the most comprehensive set of worship resources on climate change currently available are those put together by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland as part of the Creation Time initiative. The available resources include two series of sermon notes, one based around the Lord's prayer and one around the lectionary readings for the period; a complete service and a wonderful 90-page book of prayer materials.

Christian conservation organisation A Rocha has done a great deal to promote Environment Sunday (held near the 5th of June). Their 2008 resource is based on Dave Bookless' Planetwise, and includes service materials, bible studies relating to Planetwise, recorded talks by climate experts, sermon notes, short video clips, powerpoints, and material for children and youth. It costs £10 and can be ordered from the A Rocha website's Environment Resource Packs page. Their 2007 resource, "The Heat is On: Climate Change and Christian Faith" is also very relevant. It contains worship material, sermon notes and powerpoint illustrations, as well as scientific background information and materials for use with children. It is no longer available for order, but can be borrowed from CCOW. The 2005 and earlier packs can be downloaded directly from the website, with a suggested donation of £5.

Christian Ecology Link offers a rich variety of resources for worship and study, including liturgies, prayers, sermon notes and a daily prayer guide. It also has a various useful page with links to worship resources, which refers you to material from many Christian environmental and development organisations.

Eco-Congregation's Module 2 "Celebrating Creation" has a delightful range of prayers and imaginative worship ideas around the theme of creation, including a plan for all-age worship, a list of hymns (from various traditions) with a Creation theme, and reflections on familiar Biblical stories. Module 3 -- "Creation and Christianity" -- looks at some theological underpinnings for environmental concern, while Module 6 -- "Exploring God's Green Word" -- offers material for House Groups and two sets of five multi-part Bible studies. All modules can be downloaded from the Ecocongregation website.

The European Christian Environmental Network has liturgical material, including the new booklet "A Time for God's Creation," on its website as part of its invitation to all the churches in Europe to celebrate "creation time" in the Church calendar each year, from 1 September to the second Sunday in October.

Operation Noah, the CTBI climate campaign, has a new resource to enable a day of "prayer, fasting and campaign against climate change." Operation Noah's website also offers an "inspiration" section with theological reflections on climate issues.

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Praying and Preaching on the MDGs

Maranda — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:10:03 +0000

There are abundant resources available for praying and preaching on the Millennium Development Goals.

Weekly Prayer Reflections from Micah Challenge

Each week the Micah Challenge campaign sends out a prayer reflection, containing a short reflection, prayer points for the week, and a statistic relating to the MDGs with suggestions for meditation. You can sign up to receive this on the Micah website.

Prayers about the MDGs

There is a specific MDG prayer, which can be found on the School Sisters of Notre Dame's very helpful page on the MDGs and the order's response to them.

The Episcopal Public Policy Network also has a fine bidding prayer touching on each of the goals. You might also like to take a look a litany of penance based around the MDGs.

Complete Liturgies around the MDGs

There is a fine prayer service from the Sisters of Mercy.
CAFOD has a school assembly on the MDGs, including a dramatic reading (for multiple readers), prayers and a reflection. While the assembly is designed for children at Key Stage 4, it could be used in many different church contexts.
The Episcopal Public Policy network has a shortened form of evening prayer for Advent with prayers for the end of global poverty.
If you're looking for something to do with a youth group, you might want to look at Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation's U2charist , which combines liturgy, U2 lyrics and the MDGs. . . .

Sermons and Sermon Aids around the MDGs

If you're preparing a sermon and would like some background, there are many resources.

On the web, have a look at Micah Challenge UK's introduction to praying on the MDGs, which offers Biblical bases for action on the goals. Micah also has a resource page that could help inspire a sermon . . . or, if your church uses multimedia presentations, offers powerpoints and video clips to use. In print, Sabina Alkire and Ed Newell's "What Can One Person Do?" [Darton Longman, Todd, 2005] is a treasure trove of information, reflection and prayers.

Activities for Sunday School or Children's Groups

World Vision Australia has produced a wonderful guide with activities for each of the MDGs.

Do you have a prayer or a sermon on this topic you would like to share? Please email it to us at maranda@ccow.org.uk.

Praying for CCOW

Maranda — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:35:12 +0000

Prayer support is essential for any Christian work -- and Christian Concern for One World's work is no exception. We invite you to pray now and on a regular basis for CCOW; please pray for the trustees, for Maranda our co-ordinator and for all our partners and supporters throughout the world.

Loving God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, Grant that we who follow Christ may have strength and discernment to fulfill His commands.

Give us the desire to seek first your Kingdom of love and justice in all that we do, the wisdom to understand what this entails in our globalised world, and the courage to follow where you call, trusting in your loving support. Strengthen our partnerships with your children around the world and grant that our common labours may be a witness to you and a foretaste of your Kingdom.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

God and Father of all, you have taught us to care for one another and to live in peace, grant that our policies towards other nations may be dictated not by self-interest but by concern for the common good, and that we may seek to further the cause of economic justice in the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (adapted from Christian Prayers ref 94.142.)

CCOW's Monthly Prayer Points

Our monthly prayer points cover both CCOW's own needs and also selected issues and situations on which we work. To receive them as a monthly email, please send an email to ccowinfo@fish.co.uk with the subject "Prayer List."

More generally, you can find prayer resources for key situations and topics by going to our homepage and clicking the "prayer" box on the left hand side of the page. This will connect you with the "Praying and Preaching" pages for each topic.

Praying and Preaching on Trade Issues

Maranda — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:17:59 +0000

"I dare to pray: Lord, let the rules be changed,
for I long to see trade bring justice to the poor . . . "

Extract from the Trade Pledge Prayer by Peter Graystone, Christian Aid

Praying

There are several compilations of trade-related prayers. Three online sources are:

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance in Geneva which hosts a tremendously rich gathering of worship resources -- individual prayers, litanies and complete orders of service -- from around the world
CAFOD 's worship section which offers prayers on trade and quotable quotes to spur reflection
Traidcraft's "Prayers, Poems and Reflections" sheet which offers a short selection of useful material

In addition, Geoffrey Duncan has produced a variety of collections for Christian Aid which contain material on trade.

Preaching

In addition to its prayers, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has sermon themes and sample sermons.

If you want help reflecting theologically on trade issues before you preach, you might want to look at

Trade Justice: A Christian Response to Global Poverty , the Christian Aid/Church of England report on the Trade Justice Campaign, which contains a section on the theological background,
"Lifting the Burden, Weighting the Rules" the Christian Aid report on the faith foundations for trade justice campaigning, or
Prof Dr Christoph Stuckelburger's "When Trade Serves God's Justice: Biblical and Ethical Flashlights and Considerations" in the Briefing Papers section of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance website

Praying and Preaching on Fair Trade

Maranda — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:27:47 +0000

Lord God,
In the fields of the poor
Even when abundant fruits ripen,
Injustice sweeps them away,
And families hunger.

Help us to share
The fruits of your bounty
So that all your family may benefit
From your gracious gifts. Amen.

Prayer

Praying for Fair Trade in church allows us to bring trade issues before God, asking that His love and justice will transform the current system and assist those who suffer because of unfair trade. It also can stir the hearts of those praying with us.

Each year, the Fairtrade Foundation produces a "Church Action Guide," which contains a wealth of prayers, Bible studies, and other helpful material. To go to the 2008 Church Action Guide, click here. If you want guides from before 2008, CCOW has copies of several available on request.

There are additional prayers on the Traidcraft and CAFOD websites (Traidcraft also has a Fair-Trade-related harvest pack), and some of CCOW's Fair Trade prayers can be downloaded at the end of this page. You'll notice some overlap with the Fairtrade Foundation resources; all four agencies are contributors to the Church Action Guide.

Fair Trade prayers can be as conventional or as innovative as you wish. If you’re from an informal tradition, why not try something new? For example, following a suggestion by Peter Graystone, hand everyone a sample tea bag as they come into church. During prayer time, ask them to hold it, to sniff the aroma of tea, to pray for all who have grown, picked and transported the tea – and for justice in the tea trade over all. Or show a powerpoint sequence of images of Fairtrade producers (the Fairtrade Foundation has photos available for download) as a focus for your prayers.

Preaching

If you’d like a sermon on trade during Fairtrade Fortnight, the “Church Action Guide” contains meditations and sermon guides based on the lectionary readings for at least one Sunday in the Fortnight.

If you’d like to preach (or suggest that someone else preach) about Fair Trade or trade issues at other times during the year, you might want to look at “Development Matters,” a week-by-week linkage of the lectionary readings to development issues. It’s put together by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and is available in hard copy from CCOW or on the Anglican Diocese of Bath and Wells’ website.

Plays

If your church is open to plays, why not try a sketch?

If you have the technology, you could even go for a film. The Fairtrade Foundation has short video clips on their website.

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