Donna Alexander
Osoyoos United Church will be hosting this year’s event scheduled for Friday, March 6
Osoyoos residents are being invited to participate in the World day of Prayer, a special celebration where people from more than 170 countries take part.
The origins of World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women from Canada and the United States initiated a variety of activities in support of women’s involvement in missions at home and other parts of the world, said local co-ordinator Donna Alexander.
The Osoyoos United Church will celebrate World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 6 at 2 p.m.
“These activities related to the concerns for women and children,” she said.
Following the First World War, several female leaders across Canada saw the tragedy of war and incorporated the conviction that world peace was intrinsically tied to world mission, said Alexander.
“Women renewed their efforts for unity … and in January of 1920, the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada organized its first national day of prayer,” she said. “The same year, the United States held their first joint day or prayer for missions.
“Soon the day of prayer spread rapidly throughout the United States and around the world, By 1927, the call for an annual day of prayer was so successful that it become a World Day of Prayer.”
There are currently more than 170 countries celebrating World Day of Prayer. In Canada, there are more than 2,000 communities taking part.
Each year, a different country is celebrated through writing from a local country committee.
“This year we are celebrating through word, songs and food from the country of Bahamas,” she said. “Each year the theme is different. The Bahamas’ theme this year will be celebrating the activities that take place on that island country.
“The women of Bahamas want you to show genuine interest in others in positive steps forward in maintaining unity among believers and reaching out to the community.”
While women led the way for this event to be celebrated around the world, men are more than welcome to participate and all denominations are also invited to take part, said Alexander.
“I would like to see a full house at the United Church,” she said. “Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.”
There are tens of thousands of people from around the world who participate in World Day of Prayer and she’s just happy to be doing her small part to ensure that local residents who want to be part of a very special occasion have the opportunity to get involved, said Alexander.
Anyone wishing to participate on March 6 should get to Osoyoos United Church before 2 p.m.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
