The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Service was held on February 11 at Trinity United Church in Preeceville. The service was sponsored by the Preeceville and District Ministerial Association.
Background material explains that the traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 17-24, said Rev. Miles Russell. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul Wattson to cover the days between the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, and therefore have a symbolic significance.
In the southern hemisphere where January is a vacation time, churches often find other days to celebrate the Week of Prayer, for example around Pentecost which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the church.
The Anglican Church took the lead in organizing the local service. The date of the service was selected by the Preeceville and District Ministerial Association.
For the last few years, the Preeceville and District Ministerial Association has been celebrating one ecumenical service at a time that works for the local communities, rather than eight daily services,
A potluck supper was held prior to the service.
The service was hosted by the Ministerial, which included representatives from the seven congregations that are part of the Association. Those congregations are the Endeavour Fellowship Chapel, St. James Anglican Church of Endeavour, Evangel Tabernacle of Preeceville, St. John Lutheran Church in Preeceville, Trinity United Church of Preeceville, Grace United Church of Sturgis and St. Patrick鈥檚 Roman Catholic Church of Sturgis.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Individuals who participated in the service were representatives and members of the Preeceville and District ministerial: Rev. Miles Russell, Pastor Rob Lagrove, Rev. Hein Bertram and Pastor Brad Steppan.
Other participants from the member congregations included: Tom Treen, Hazel Urbanoski, Aileen Lubiniecki, Leona Pollock, Shelly King-Kaminsky, Carla Lewis, Gaylene Paligan, Raymond and Debbie Blender, Grant See, Kathy Ambrose and Lennette Geistlinger. Debbie Blender was the pianist for the service.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽"The resources for this year鈥檚 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the churches of the Caribbean," said Kathy Ambrose, an organizer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The history of Christianity in that region contains a paradox. On the one hand, the Bible was used by colonizers as justification for the subjugation of the original inhabitants of these lands, along with others who were transported from Africa, India and China. Many people suffered extermination, were put in chains and enslaved, and were subjected to unjust labour conditions. On the other hand, the Bible became a source of consolation and liberation for many who suffered at the hands of the colonizers, she stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Today, the Bible continues to be a source of consolation and liberation, inspiring the Christians of the Caribbean to address the conditions that currently undermine human dignity and quality of life.
鈥淎s the iron chains of enslavement fall from our hands, a new human bond of love and communion emerges in the human family, expressing the unity prayed for by our Christian communities,鈥� said Ambrose.
