World Day of Prayer, March 1st
Article content
Every year for close to a century, Christians around the world have gathered together to celebrate the international World Day of Prayer.
This year, locally, the multi-denominational event is being held on Friday, March 1 at 1:30 p.m. at North Broadway Baptist Church in Tillsonburg.
“It’s an annual event, it’s been going on since 1920,” said Karen Hodges, coordinator for the local World Day of Prayer in Tillsonburg.
“There’s 12 or 13 churches from the area involved this year and there’ll be representatives from all of them coming and taking part in the program.”
For the past 97 years, over 170 countries around the world and 2,000 communities across Canada have come together to pray.
“World Day of Prayer is an international event. It was started by women, to come together as women, to pray for the women of the world.”
Although women organize the event, men are invited to participate as well.
Each year, a different country is chosen to put a program together - the women of France are organizing and writing this year’s program.
“There’s music, there are prayers and scripture readings, as well as a few surprises. We just come together that day, and when we’re doing it here, all of the countries that are involved are doing it at the same time in other churches around the world.”
The Tillsonburg Senior Centre Singers, under the direction of Rachel Parker, will be participating in the local World Day of Prayer.
When the event wraps up at approximately 3 p.m. there will be refreshments provided in the gym at North Broadway Baptist Church.
In addition to a host country, there is an annual theme for the World Day of Prayer, focusing on sharing the love of Christ and applying Christian teachings in different ways. This year’s theme is ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’
“That means that if I’m home and somebody comes to my door, and I don’t know them, I should be welcoming them in. It’s the concept of if Christ came to my door, would I welcome him or shut the door? The most important thing is love.”
The international World Day of Prayer is an opportunity for Christians to reflect on the importance of loving others as Christ loves us, as well as the important role prayer plays in every day life.
“For someone who was looking for more information or looking for an answer – I think the theme says it all. ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’ So on Friday, March 1, we are welcoming strangers, Christians, and people that we know from other churches, here to celebrate this World Day of Prayer.”