Winnipeg, 6 September 2012–Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites members of the church to pray for the global community on September 21. In a letter to the church from Bishop Johnson, she encourages ELCIC members to add their prayers "to those of our sisters and brothers around the world" and pray for peace. The World Council of Churches marks September 21 as International Day of Prayer for Peace.
The full text of the letter follows.
Dear members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada:
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
I write to you, this early fall day, to ask for your prayers. Pray is one of the seven action words associated with the call to spiritual renewal and deeper discipleship that I am encouraging throughout our church. I invite your prayers in two directions.
First, Id like you to pray for your leaders, for the members of National Church Council (NCC) and for those who support this work. NCC will meet in Winnipeg September 6-8 and have a busy and full agenda ahead of them. Please hold your leaders and your church in your prayers.
Second, I want to invite you to pray for the global community. The World Council of Churches (WCC) marks September 21 as an International Day of Prayer for Peace. Let us add our prayers to those of our sisters and brothers around the world. Let us pray for peace.
The following are two links, which you might find helpful to you and to your congregation or community. The first is a link to the WCC International Day page and to further resources. The second is the website of Project Ploughshares, a Canadian Council of Churches agency sponsored by nine Canadian churches, including the ELCIC.
· www.oikoumene.org/en/news/events/ev/se/article/1634/international-day-of-pray-10.html
· www.ploughshares.ca
I would be grateful if you would join with me in praying for our church, as well as joining with me and with Christians around the world in praying for peace.
Please know that every day my staff and I uphold you and our whole church in prayer.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Susan C. Johnson,
National Bishop,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
View a PDF copy of the letter: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/20120904WCCPrayers.pdf
