Web viewLeader: The Wave of Prayer has been a daily act of prayer and reflection since 1921. It emphasises the importance of prayer in our worldwide organisation

Diocese of Leeds Mothers’ Union

Wave of Prayer Planning Sheet

This leaflet has been produced to help you plan the Wave of Prayer Service between 8th/10th January 2017 with our link dioceses of Ogbomoso and Etche in Nigeria, Kibungo in Rwanda, Hanuato’o in the Soloman Islands and Lesotho, whether in church, in a small group or as an individual.

We suggest that you place a candle in a prominent place, which is to be lit during the opening paragraph of the service, as you receive the Wave of Prayer from ..............................................

It would be useful to have a world map with small candles/tea lights placed on each of our link dioceses with named cards.

The service has been written so that various members can take part giving readings and there is an opportunity to sing hymns. Alternatively the Hymns and the Taize chant could be recorded and played.

Suggested hymns –Father, hear the prayer we offerIn Christ AloneLord Jesus Christ, you have come to usFather I place into your handsSpirit of the Living GodBe still for the presence of the LordBreathe on me breath of God

If you are on your own, read the information, picture the link diocese, imagine the lives of Mothers’ Union members and say a prayer.

Wave of Prayer 8 th to 10 th January 2017

Faith in Action Leader: The Wave of Prayer has been a daily act of prayer and reflection since 1921. It emphasises the importance of prayer in our worldwide

organisation. Every hour of every day members somewhere in the world are at prayer. (Light candle) I light a candle to illustrate the receiving of the Wave of Prayer from ........................................; let us take this time allocated to us, to pray particularly for our Linked Dioceses of Etche and Ogbomoso in Nigeria, Kibungo in Rwanda, Lesotho, and Hanuato’o in the Solomon Islands. They in turn will be holding our Diocese of Leeds in their thoughts and prayers. We celebrate today members who come from different races, cultures and traditions to whom God has distributed a wide variety of gifts. We rejoice in the diversity of people who have responded to His call and join with them at this special time. Whether we are praying alone or in a group, our concerted prayers unite us as members of the Mothers’ Union worldwide fellowship of over four million Christians in over eighty countries.

Hymn:

Leader: God has promised us that when two or three are gathered together in his name, He will be there among them.

Grant us awareness of your presence that together in the Spirit we may pray for, and with, our sisters and brothers throughout the world. Prayer has always been, and always will be, the power of our Worldwide Organisation. The needs of our linked Dioceses are not always known to us, but God knows them and will use our prayers.

All: Father we rejoice that we share fellowship with members of our one great family across the world. Lead us into the opportunities of service, which you have given us.

Leader: Lord, in your mercy.All: Hear our prayer.

2Leader: We thank you for all Christians and Mothers’ Union members throughout the world who have the courage and faith to speak out in your

name, to declare their faith and testify to the new life you have given them in your Son Jesus Christ. Amen


Reading: Matthew 25. Verses 34 - 40

Leader: We pray for world peace.Our world is scarred by war. People’s lives are damaged, communities destroyed by the actions of others. Health is denied to millions as the west exploits the resources of the developing nations and takes more than it gives. Father, we bring before you all those who are blighted by poverty, who have little or nothing to eat whilst we over-indulge. We bring before you all those, whose livelihood is affected by unfair trading methods and the greed of others. Forgive us, we pray, when we have contributed to the suffering of others by expecting a high standard of life at the expense of the poor and make us aware, in our everyday activities, that what we do impacts on the lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.


Leader: As we take over this Wave of Prayer, we remember the members in the Episcopal Areas of Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Ripon and Wakefield, those who have been praying before us and all who live in our link Dioceses.

3All: O God our Father, who made the whole earth and with whom there is neither day nor night, we remember with joy that you are present everywhere in your world and will guide those who put their trust in you.

Help us to grow in love and understanding of each other and of the lands in which we live. Unite us in the bond of prayer and worship and the knowledge that we are all one in Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless those who live in lonely places. Support those whose lives are overwhelmed by HIV/AIDS and other health issues. Protect the healthy, calm the frightened, give courage to those in pain, comfort the bereaved, strengthen those who care for the sick. May we be united in the fight against all disease and fear.

Leader: Mothers’ Union in Nigeria was founded in 1908 by Mrs Abigail Oluwole, it has now over 100,000 members. Mothers’ Union members are working on the empowerment of women and girls, through prayer conferences which also have a focus on health issues. We also remember all the girls who have been taken from their homes and schools.

Voice 1: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for the Diocese of Etche in the Province of Nigeria.

Etche is in the Niger Delta Province of Nigeria. In 2012 following the continued rapid expansion of the Church in Nigeria the formation of 14 Ecclesiastical Provinces with a total of 161 Dioceses has resulted.

The Diocese of Etche was formed in 2007. Agriculture is a major industry with Cassava and Yam being important crops. Palm Oil production by smallholders is a significant part of the economy.

Improvements to the road infrastructure is required to help the communities boost the economic activity in the Etche Area. One of the challenges in the Diocese is literacy.

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The Mother’s Union has established a Nursery and Primary School. We pray for their Diocesan President Mrs Precious Onyinye Okey-Nwala.

In your mercy, hear us.

All: Hear our prayer.(The singing of the chant – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer Come and listen to me.

Voice 2: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for the Diocese of Ogbomoso in the Province of Nigeria. Ogbomoso is in the Oyo State, in the south west of Nigeria. The city of Ogbomoso was a walled city founded in the 17th century. It was described by an early missionary as a picturesque town which was well watered and isolated. The majority of the people are members of the Yorumba ethnic group. Agriculture is important in the region, with Yams, Cassava, Maize and Tobacco key products.

Ogbomoso has three Universities, a prominent landmark is the Central Mosque, it has several mosques and churches. It is also the headquarters of the American Baptist Church of Nigeria.

Nigeria has a very traditional culture including the role of women. Mothers’ Union members continue to work towards improving the role and education of women and girls.

We pray for their Diocesan President Mrs Bolatito Olayinka.

In your mercy, hear us.All: Hear our prayer.

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(The singing of the chant) – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer

Come and listen to me.

Voice 3: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for the Diocese of Kibungo in the Province of Rwanda.

Kibungo Diocese started in 1997, during the war in Rwanda and following the genocide in 1994. It is located in the Eastern province in areas bordering with the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi. The area is hilly throughout with small rivers and streams running between the hills with a good number of lakes. It started with 17 Parishes and it now has 36 parishes with 219 congregations. Mother's Union in Kibungo Diocese started in 2002 and has many members and is the right hands of the Bishop in supporting families through the five objectives and in helping women to work in groups and in developing a variety of craft work. The Worldwide Parenting Programme is thriving and has seen facilitators being equipped and empowered to transform their own lives, so that they can go out and share with others through the running of parenting groups. The trainee facilitators are learning about pregnancy and child development, they are now transforming their own homes to provide nutritious food for their families.

Please pray for the Mothers’ Union groups as they try.

* to develop a credit union programme.

* set up Sunday Schools and Youth programmes.

We pray for their Diocesan President Joyce Ntazinda..


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(The singing of the chant) – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer

Come and listen to me. Voice 4: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for Lesotho.

Lesotho is in Southern Africa, is a Kingdom which is landlocked by South Africa. Lesotho gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. It is often known as the Kingdom in the Sky, the entire country is 1000 meters above sea level. It is a poor country but does have some natural resources including water. However as recently as 2007 they had their worst drought for 30 years and in February 2016 the country declared a food emergency.

A key industry is crop cultivation, 50% of the population earn some income from this and animal husbandry. Unemployment increased when the textile industry ceased due to cheaper products from other countries. This affected the poorer communities.

HIV/AIDS is prevalent with a high number of child-headed families as a result. Gender based violence and violence towards children is quite high and members are working to change mindsets and attitudes towards this.

Mothers’ Union members attend training and workshops and their activities include visiting people who are sick, volunteering in their local communities by planting trees and building walls to combat the devastating effects of soil erosion.

It is essential for the country to have continued stability and to develop and prosper.

We pray for their Diocesan President Mrs Vitalina Taaso

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In your mercy, hear us.All: Hear our prayer.(The singing of the chant) – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer

When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer Come and listen to me.

Voice 5: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for Hanuato’o in the Solomon Islands.The Diocese of Hanuato’o, is on the Island of Makira in the Solomon Islands, Melanesia.

There are many Islands that make up the Solomon’s, the largest island is Makira, (also known as San Cristobal). The Diocese of Hanuato’o is one of nine current dioceses of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, it was set up in 1991 and was inaugurated at St George’s Church, Kirakira, (the capital of Makira) on St Peter’s Day, 29th June 1991. The Church is now her Cathedral, rededicated as St Peter’s Cathedral.

Members of the Mothers’ Union are committed to strengthening the institution of marriage and family life in teaching, praying and worship through home to home fellowship. The Mothers’ Union works in partnership with the Girls Friendly Society and Literacy Co-ordinators to carry out their work across the parishes, in particular addressing the issue of literacy and the needs of women and families, which they say are great. Their aim is to work with grassroots communities. However, transport is very limited due to lack of roads, the use of canoes between the islands is essential. This form of travel is not easy as the seas can be very rough.

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Leadership training and confidence building workshops are a very necessary element of Mothers’ Union input into delivering effective services and mission to impact people’s lives.

We pray for their Diocesan President Mrs Edna Sital and their Community Development Worker Mrs Annie Diututa’a.

In your mercy, hear us.All: Hear our prayer.(The singing of the chant) – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer Come and listen to me.

Leader: Now our thoughts and prayers return nearer to home as we pray for our York Provincial President, Barbara Taylor. We give thanks for all the work, projects and activities undertaken by members in this Province.

Voice 6: As I light a candle, let us be still and pray for the Diocese of Leeds. We pray for our Diocesan Bishop, Nick Baines, our President, Jean Thurman, our Chaplain the Ven. Peter Townley and members of the Board of Trustees. We pray for all Mothers’ Union volunteers who give their time and expertise in running the numerous projects in our diocese. We ask for your blessing on all families and individual people who we reach out to and touch.

In your mercy, hear us.All: Hear our prayer.(The singing of the chant) – O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer When I call, answer me O Lord hear our prayer, O Lord hear our prayer Come and listen to me.

9Voice 7: As members in the Episcopal Area of .........................................we pray for our Bishop, .............................................. our Area President ........................... our Chaplain .........................and our Diocesan and Indoor Members. We bring before you all Clergy, Readers and the needs of the parishes and local communities ............................................................


All: Creator God, lift the shadows of fear, of prejudice, of misunderstanding, from each of us, and let us weave together in our world, a new Tapestry for living with our neighbour. A Tapestry of new-born hope, woven with threads of love. May we be made as small children again, allowing ourselves to be made vulnerable in Your love, and aware of our weakness. And in drawing the warp and weft together, create a Tapestry of people that is tough and durable; the Holy Spirit becoming the warp, strong in texture, supporting and strengthening, yet not so taut that the threads will break, but pliable, giving, responsive to each other. Release us from self, that together in peace, we can come to You, united in Your love. Amen.

Voice 8: In our Parish of ......................, we pray for our Priests, .....................Reader ..........................., Lay Pastoral Minister................. and those who work with our young people. For Mothers’ Union members and supporters. Those who work in our parish, and those who travel outside to work. Care workers, doctors and nurses. Our local schools, the children, teachers and helpers and for all who work in our community.


10Leader: As we pray with our sisters and brothers around the world, we remember our World Wide President, Lynne Tembey, members of the Trustee Board, Beverley Jullien the Chief Executive, members of Unit Committees and all who work at Mary Sumner House.


All: Loving God, I thank you for my membership of the Mothers’ Union and for the privilege of belonging to a worldwide group of Christians concerned with marriage and family life. Thank you for the friendships made and memories shared. In the coming year enable me to maintain the commitment made, when I became a member, and to continue to uphold in prayer the work of the Mothers’ Union. Amen.

Leader: As we prepare to hand over the responsibility for this Wave of Prayer to ..............................................., we also pray for the Diocese of Winchester who will take over the Wave of Prayer from our Diocese of Leeds on Wednesday. Let us say together the Mothers’ Union prayer.

All: Loving Lord, we thank you for your love so freely given to us. We pray for families around the world. Bless the work of the Mothers’ Union as we seek to share your love through the encouragement, strengthening and support of marriage and family life. Empowered by your Spirit may we be united in prayer and worship and in love and service reach out as your hands across the world, In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Leader: Let us join together in saying the Lord’s Prayer.All: Our Father ............

11Leader: Lord God, help us to love one another, because of our differences, not despite them; and to rejoice in each person’s individual part of the whole picture. Help us to grow and work together. Spurring one another on towards love and good deeds, so that your will, not ours, will be done and your kingdom will come in this place. Amen.

Hymn:

Leader: Let us close our Wave of Prayer with Mary Sumner’s Personal Prayer. All: All this day, O Lord Let me touch as many lives as possible for thee; and every life I touch, do thou by thy Spirit quicken whether through the word I speak, the prayer I breathe or the life I live. Amen The Grace

Documents

Web viewLeader: The Wave of Prayer has been a daily act of prayer and reflection since 1921. It emphasises the importance of prayer in our worldwide organisation