Prayers for personal and parish use.Archbishop Deng has issued a ‘Call to Prayer’ for Sudan and the process of the coming weeks and months. The following prayers may be helpful for Anglican Christians around the world who want to respond to this ‘Call’.
Here are some prayers and background material which may help you to identify with Christians in Sudan at this time. If your Church has further material which you wish to share and to have included, do please send it to: clare.amos@aco.org
Prayers
Lord Jesus, you who said to us; “I leave you peace. My peace I give you.” Look upon us your sisters and brothers in Sudan as we face this moment of referendum. Send us your Spirit to guide us. Give us the wisdom we need to choose our future where we will know your true peace. You call us out of slavery, oppression, and persecution so that we may have life in abundance. Grant us peace with one another. Give peace among ethnic groups. Help us to work together for the good of all. We ask this in your name, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(Adapted from a prayer by Bishop Desmond Tutu, being used in Sudan for the 101 days of prayer before the referendum)
God our Father,
whose son Jesus Christ wept over your people who knew not the way of peace,
and were as sheep without a shepherd,
hear our prayer for the people of the Sudan.
Turn the hearts of their leaders to reconciliation and peace.
Bless their Archbishop and clergy, that they may be true shepherds of your flock.
Strengthen those who heal the wounded and feed the hungry.
Hasten the time when all nations will own your just and gentle rule and receive your gift of peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Prayer for Sudan used in churches of Salisbury Diocese, England)
Let us encourage our hearts in the hope of God
who once breathed the breath of life into the human body.
His ears are open to prayers; the Creator of humankind is watching;
He reigns from his high place, seeing the souls of those who die.
Turn your ears to us: upon whom else can we call?br> Is it not you alone, O God? Let us be branches of your Son.
(Mary Alueel Garang, Episcopalian Christian of the Diocese of Bor, Sudan)
Let us give thanks to the Lord in the day of devastation,
and in the day of contentment.
Jesus has bound the world round with the pure light of the
word of his Father
When we beseech the Lord and unite our hearts and have hope,
then the demons have no power
God has not forgotten us
Evil is departing and holiness is advancing,
these are the things that shake the earth.
Mary Alueel Garang, Episcopalian Christian of the Diocese of Bor, Sudan)
Useful links and web references
(We are willing to include links to other appropriate resources and material if they are drawn to or attention)
The Provincial page for the Episcopal Church of Sudan on the Anglican Communion website can be found at http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/province.cfm?ID=S6
The website of the Episcopal Church of Sudan is available at http://www.sudan.anglican.org/
The ‘Sudan Link’ pages of Salisbury Diocese which has a formal link with the Episcopal Church of Sudan, contain useful information and resources http://www.salisbury.anglican.org/mission/the-sudan-link
The Episcopal Church ‘Season of Prayer for Sudan’ webpages are available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/sudan/
The American Friends of the Episcopal Church of Sudan website http://www.afrecs.org/index.htm
The communiqué of a significant interreligious conference held in September 2010 which brought together Christians and Muslims through the work of the ecumenical Christian organisation PROCMURA can be found at http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2010/10/14/Christians-and-Muslims-call-for-peace-and-an-end-to-religious-stereotypes-in-Sudan
The December 2010 issue of the Christian-Muslim digest produced by NIFCON, the Network for Inter Faith Concerns of the Anglican Communion, has a particular focus on Sudan. It is available at http://nifcon.anglicancommunion.org/digest/pdf/NIFCON%20Digest%204%202010.pdf
The following are the dioceses of the Episcopal Church of Sudan: Akot, Aweil, Bor, Cueibet, El Obeid, Ezo, Ibba, Juba, Kadugli, Kajo-Keji, Khartoum, Lainya, Lui, Malakal, Maridi, Mundri, Nzara, Pacong, Port Sudan, Rejaf, Renk, Rokon, Rumbek, Terekeka, Torit, Twic East, Wad Medani, Wau, Yambio, Yei, Yirol see http://www.sudan.anglican.org/map.php for a map of the dioceses.