Many Ways to Pray
by Ken Watts
NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP...
The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to introduce the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, with some of its background and its purpose in the Anglican Church of Canada. The second is to announce a series of articles entitled "Many Ways to Pray" that will be appearing in the coming months. This series will focus on some of the many different ways to pray within the Christian tradition.
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (Canada) is a part of the International Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP). The Purpose of AFP is to:
1. Promote the practice of Christian prayer by all
2. Encourage prayer for lay people, bishops and other clergy of the Christian Church with particular emphasis on the worldwide Anglican Communion
3. Bring people into a full redeeming, sanctifying communion with God through Jesus Christ, emphasizing to the parish church this is the main function from which all other work of the church in the world is derived.
4. Be a uniting force in the Church
5. Reach out to all Christians at the grass-roots level through the common experience of one Lord through prayer, dialogue, workshops and conferences.
AFP (Canada) exists to encourage and enable the ministry of prayer in Canada. It is inclusive of all forms of expressions of Christian church life, whether they be lay or clerical, catholic or evangelical, monastic or secular, formal or informal. AFP (Canada) seeks to be a teaching resource to assist both individuals and congregations to grow in the life of prayer. It seeks to increase and strengthen the companionship of Christian prayer throughout the world. For more information about AFP and a list of resources and links: Google "Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Canada."
AFP was a resource in our diocese some years ago. In renewing this vital resource for prayer, it is my hope and intention as the Diocesan Representative to AFP, and with the bishop’s approval, to work towards the following goals:
1. Make these resources available to clergy and parishes
2. Provide assistance to parishes who are looking to set up prayer groups
3. Encourage mutual support and contact between parish prayer groups within deaneries and across the diocese
4. Set a Diocesan AFP committee to facilitate this work.
Education about prayer is an important part of this work. So in the coming months we are offering a series of articles entitled "Many Ways to Pray" with various people writing about some of the many different ways to pray within the Christian tradition, starting with the following topics: the Anglican rosary; walking the labyrinth; embodied prayer; praying the office; intercessory prayer.
We would welcome any queries or comments. These can be sent to revken@shaw.ca.
WICC—A Well Kept Secret
by Sue Mackay-Smith
The Womens Interchurch Council of Canada, (known as WICC), is a well kept secret in most parishes of our diocese. Its history is interesting. WICC has been around a long time, known mostly as the source of the World Day of Prayer service and the Fellowship of the Least Coin newsletter, but not known for the many other resources it can provide.
Many denominations, including ours, followed the lead of the U.N. and declared a decade of "Churches in Solidarity with Women" from 1988 to 1998. This was promoted by the World Council of Churches and culminated in a great celebration in Harare, Zimbabwe in Dec. of 1998. At the end of this period many felt that the work should continue. In some denominations, there was a specific desk devoted to women's affairs in the church, but as finances got tighter, these positions were mostly folded into the justice area and no longer were specifically for women.
As a way to continue this work, there was a suggestion to support the ecumenical organization WICC, as their mandate was devoted to women's justice concerns as well as being the resource for some liturgy and information.
As this emphasis gathered support, churches allocated funds to WICC to carry out the work specifically of concern to women. Much of this work is justice work. The present emphasis covers a great variety of concerns...trafficking of women, sexual exploitation of women and children, the disappearance of aboriginal women, women’s poverty, racism, and so forth.
Financial support coming from the 11 denominations to WICC is minimal and most years there is a plea to increase it. Financial support comes from the World day of Prayer services held in many communities, although this money is designated to go to small projects of women Internationally and in some cases in Canada. Expenses for WICC are kept at a minimum. Its office is housed in the theological school at the University of Toronto and paid staff is minimal. The members of WICC are made up of those designated by each denomination and others that are elected. All members are unpaid.
There are great benefits in working ecumenically. I am so impressed with the work done by the Salvation Army regarding sex trafficking. The United Church has a special contribution about peace. Our denomination keeps the concerns of HIV and AIDS front and centre. Other denominations contribute as well.
For individual churches there are a lot of resources available from WICC. These include the magazine called "Making Waves" the newsletter about the "Fellowship of the Least Coin" which includes a service that can be used, and a resource workshop that is about violence against women, called "Healing Waters."
A service is available to remember December 6 and the Montreal massacre. There are also resources to help with racial justice in a workshop setting or for study groups. All can be ordered from WICC at :
47 Queen's Park Crescent E.
Toronto, Ont. M5S2C3.
The website is wicc@wicc.org. My hope is that those of you who read this will investigate and make use of the resources of WICC. It is a secret that should be shared.
