World Day of Prayer at St. Marys
The World Day of Prayer service 2022 was held at the United Reformed Church Vaughan Road on Friday 4 March at 10.30am and also via Zoom at 7.45pm
This year’s service was prepared (three years ago) by the Christian Women of England, Wales & Northern Ireland with the theme of God’s promise found in the book of Jeremiah chapter 29 “I know the plans I have for you”, focusing on freedom, forgiveness, justice and God’s peace which can be a sign of hope for all people. The prophet Jeremiah lived some 600 years BC at a time when the southern kingdom of Judah had been invaded by the Babylonians and many of its people taken from Jerusalem into exile. The people had lost their land and the future looked bleak.
How reminiscent of what is happening in Ukraine at present !
The hymns, prayers, readings, and reflection reminded us of God’s promise of his plans for our welfare and not for harm, to give us a future with hope. Then when we call upon him and pray to him, he will hear us.
We lit seven candles during the service with us all saying this prayer afterwards: “God, our Mother and our Father, we light a candle of hope to celebrate with all your people as we watch and wait for your plans and promises to be fulfilled”
We were given a packet of sunflower seeds in our Order of Service and encouraged to plant them, this was very apt as the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.
A collection was taken for the work of the World Day of Prayer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and projects run by Christian charities around the world
After the service we enjoyed refreshments with people from the various churches in Harpenden.
We left the church with hope for today’s world, where millions of people are living in exile because of war, persecutions and hunger. Others are on a difficult journey to what they hope will be a place of safety. For so many there is little possibility that they will be able to return home in future.
Jean McIntosh