The celebration of the World Day of Prayer (WDP) originated in the 19^th century, as women from the US and Canada began developing various means to support the participation of women in missionary activities, both at home and worldwide. As early as 1861, women began founding women’s boards to encourage the engagement of women in prayer and leadership within their mission organizations.  Presbyterian women in the US, led by Mary Ellen Fairchild James in Brooklyn, called for a day of prayer in 1887, and a Baptist day of prayer for foreign missions was initiated in 1891.  A committee of delegates from six denominations began developing a common worship service in 1897 on a rotating basis. In 1911, women in the US celebrated the 50^th anniversary of women’s involvement in missionary activity by organizing a series of lectures across the country to promote ecumenical cooperation.  In 1926, North American women distributed an interdenominational prayer service to missions in many countries worldwide and the response was enthusiastic.  In 1928, the call to prayer for a “World Day of Prayer for Missions” was shortened to “World Day of Prayer” (WDP.) More information regarding the ecumenical spirituality of World Day of Prayer can be found here.

Initially called United Council of Church Women, three organizations of women missionaries merged to form Church Women United (www.churchwomen.org) in 1941, bringing together members from seventy Christian denominations.  Catholic women became members following Vatican II in the 1960s.

Church Women United is an ecumenical group, founded with a mission to be a racially, culturally, and theologically inclusive group that serves today to celebrate unity in diversity and to advocate working for peace worldwide.  They sponsor four international worship celebrations each year, including the WDP that is observed in 170 countries around the world on the first Friday of March.  The motto of the rotating WPD initiative is “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action.”

WDP 2018 will be held this coming Friday – March 2, and the host country this year is Suriname, which is a small South American country located just north of Brazil.  The theme this year is “All God’s Creation is Very Good,” which is based on the creation story in Genesis chapter 1.

The women from Suriname write, “Our main city, Paramaribo, is settled near the Atlantic Ocean, and many places are now flooded in the rainy season. Many other countries are faced with drought, hurricanes, and floods. Scientists believe that underlying changes to the environment can have serious consequences. We note the devastating effects of natural disasters on the environment and manmade disasters like polluting rivers with mercury when mining for gold. The harmonious life of humans, animals, and nature is totally out of balance. Many agree that we, as human beings, are responsible for much of that. At the same time, we are the ones who can bring solutions and restore the harmony between humankind and God’s creation.  As women in Suriname, we believe that the Christian faith community can make a great contribution to the preservation of a livable, healthy, and safe environment. Actually, the future of the earth and what we leave for the next generations matter to us. We see this as one of the key elements of the Christian faith. We are reminded of the relationship between God and creation, and God and humanity. It is about having respect for every living thing.”

In witness of the testimony of the women from Suriname and the good example set by Church Women United, Friday March 2 would be a good time to pray for the humility and courage to work collectively toward a more sustainable and peaceful existence for all of God’s creation.