By Linda Holt
Special to The PREVIEW
Women, men and children in more than 170 countries and regions will celebrate World Day of Prayer on March 6.
This year, the women of the World Day of Prayer Committee of Zimbabwe call us to worship considering the words “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk.” With these words as backdrop, we are invited to learn about Zimbabwe’s history and rich cultural diversity.
The World Day of Prayer 2020 program is based on Jesus’ encounter with a person who, although positioned for healing, had not acted upon the opportunities given (John 5:2–9a). Jesus asked, “Do you want to be made well?”
“Rise! Take your mat and walk,” said Jesus.
Our sisters from Zimbabwe are taking Jesus’ encounter to be a call to act in love for peace and reconciliation. The action verbs in Jesus’ command suggest that we should not be afraid to act on the word of God. God is offering us the steps for personal and social transformation.
This year’s service will be held on March 6 at 11:30 a.m. at John Paul II Catholic Church.
Babysitting is available if you let us know in advance. The building is handicap accessible.
After the service, there will be a potluck. Please bring a salad to share.
Invite your friends, family and communities of faith to join the women of Zimbabwe in prayer and song to support ecumenical efforts toward justice, peace and healing. The annual offering supports the work of World Day of Prayer USA and helps meet the needs of families in Zimbabwe and around the world who are victims of many forms of poverty, violence and injustice.
World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday in March. World Day of Prayer was founded on the idea that prayer and action are inseparable in the service of God’s kingdom. Each year, a different country’s committee serves as the writers of the World Day of Prayer worship service. And, each year, we are called to action in response to the concerns raised by the writer country.
For more information, contact Linda Holt or the national office of World Day of Prayer USA (www.wdp-usa.org).
