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World Day of Health and the Veneration of the Holy Cross: two celebrations with significant meaning

This year, the World Day of Health, which is celebrated annually on 7 April, falls on the third Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church that is dedicated to the Veneration of the Holy Cross.

11 April 2024

Rev. Dr Stavros Kofinas

News

World Health Day prayer focuses on giving hope and courage

A World Council of Churches (WCC) prayer for World Health Day on 8 April focused on giving hope and courage in a suffering world.

08 April 2024

News

protrait photo of Rev. Dr Mikie Roberts, WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life

Barbados Gospelfest will express churches’ affirmation and celebration of persons with disabilities

The upcoming Barbados Gospelfest, set for 21-28 May, will express churches’ affirmation and celebration of persons with disabilities in musical and other creative ways.

17 May 2023

News

Bottle of hand sanitizer sits on wooden table in the foreground, in front of a blurred crucifix in the background.

Norwegian Church Aid, WCC focus on role of church leaders amid world’s challenges

As Norwegian Church Aid continued a digital visit with its global partners, leaders from the organization met with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to discuss creative responses to the world’s increasing needs, and the vital role of church leaders in those responses.

13 January 2022

Blog post

Bible in the Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, sun shining on the page open with Isaiah 42

New Year’s resolutions: a biblical reflection

The year often begins with making firm resolutions, taken with earnestness and commitment. The following weeks and months are familiarly littered with broken promises and failures. Successful and consistent adherence to new years’ resolutions is, from my experience, rare. To change this pattern of failure, I look to the holy scripture for help.

05 January 2022

Manoj Kurian

Prayer

A Window into Eternity

(Rev. 21)

Responsive prayer written by the Presiding Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Bavaria and Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany

14 July 2021

Prayer

A call to intercession and recommitment to active compassion, from the Church of the Lord Worldwide

This prayer call was also published as part of the publication Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage, available in English, French, German and Spanish.

07 July 2021

Prayer

Prayer by an alumna of the Asian Ecumenical Institute, Indonesia

This prayer was also published as part of the publication Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage, available in English, French, German and Spanish.

16 June 2021

Prayer

Prayer at a time of pandemic, by the Archbishop of Canterbury

This prayer was also published as part of the publication Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage, available in English, French, German and Spanish.

09 June 2021

Prayer

Prayer from Chile for strength during pandemic

By Pablo Ríos Rodríguez, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile, IELMA parish Punta Arenas

02 June 2021

Prayer

Almighty Master, the help and salvation of the world; the redeemer and Savior of the sick; the physician and aid of the ailing; the healer of the sorrows of mankind’s bodies and souls; who vanquished death: our God. We now beseech You, cleanse and rid us of every malady of body and soul. Lord be not far from us. Send down upon us Your heavenly power of healing. Cast far from us every lurking illness. Grant us aid in this time of pandemic and deliver us from every evil, grief and sorrow...

Prayer from the Network of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Pastoral Health Care

This prayer was also published as part of the publication Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage, available in English, French, German and Spanish.

19 May 2021

News

“Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage” now available in French, German and Spanish

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has made available the collection of global prayers “Voices of Lament, Hope and Courage” in French, German and Spanish, in addition to the English version published in March for a Week of Prayer in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

07 May 2021

Prayer

We confess to You, O Lord, that we have persevered in our sinfulness, We admit to You, O creator of the universe, that we have corrupted Your creation, We confess to You, Lord of the universe, that we have forgotten Your commandments, We confess to You, Loving Father, that we have offended Your love, We confess to You, O Most Merciful, that we did not show mercy to each other, We admit to You, who are Able, that we were not able to curb our greed, We confess to You, Redeemer, that we did not respect..

A Confession from the Middle East Council of Churches

By MECC secretary general Michel E. Abs

28 April 2021

Prayer

God, In faith and hope, we come to You and confess our weakness and vulnerability. At this time of our fragility, fear, and death, we come to You. Make us well, and we will be well, Be our Saviour and we will be safe, For us, You are our hope. We believe that You are our strength; You are our shield; In our helplessness, we trust that You are our refuge. In our vulnerability, You are our shelter. In the midst of darkness, You give us light and rays of hope...

A prayer from the Christian Conference of Asia

By CCA general secretary Mathews George Chunakara

21 April 2021

Prayer

God of all people and all nations hear us as we pray. We hear the news that more than 2.6 million* people have died from this terrible pandemic, more than 500,000 in our nation alone, and we confess to becoming numb to the sorrow and pain. Help us to remember that these are not mere statistics on a chart or a graph. Remind us that each one was a human being with a family and friends, each is one of your beloved children. Do not allow us to move to quickly from our grief and become reckless in our desire to

A prayer from the National Council of Churches USA

By the NCC USA general secretary Jim Winkler

07 April 2021

Prayer

Ever-faithful and compassionate God, “Emmanuel”, we thank you for accompanying us in this time of anguish. As we come into the light of your Presence, we open ourselves to the healing power of your Spirit, laying bare our brokenness, our anxieties, and our pain. In particular, we open to you the pain of separation and loss – especially the loss of loved ones to death’s deep shadow. Gracious God, we thank you that – despite its darkness – this moment has shed light on our common humanity. We pray that this s

A prayer from the Caribbean Conference of Churches

By the CCC general secretary Gerard A.J. Granado

31 March 2021

News

Collage of poster with Coronavirus restrictions and people praying in a church

Let us pray together in the time of COVID-19

We pray in lament. We pray for our communities. We pray for our leaders. For protection. For healing.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will convene a global online prayer service on 26 March at 2 pm (CET) as part of “A Week of Prayer in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

25 March 2021

Prayer

God of life, you promised your people abundant life. And this is what we seek and long for. At the same time, you tell us that in this world we will have tribulation. Still, you call us to have courage, for you have overcome the world. As the world finds itself in a time of a terrible pandemic, many families having to bury their loved ones and sustain pain and hopelessness, we ask you to grant us courage and wisdom so that we trust in your promise to overcome whatever faces us. Stand with us as we try to...

A prayer from the All Africa Conference of Churches

By the AACC general secretary Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki

24 March 2021

News

Prayers of lamentation begin Week of Prayer in the Time of COVID-19

The World Council of Churches (WCC) began its Week of Prayer in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic on 22 March, with prayers and reflections of lamentation.

23 March 2021

Publication

Voices of Lament, Hope, and Courage

A Week of Prayer in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

To commemorate a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic, the World Council of Churches provides this resource for a week of prayer.

This book was designed as a resource for use in prayer groups, congregational services, personal prayer, and in the pastoral accompaniment of those directly affected in different ways by the pandemic. The prayers, messages, reflections, statistics and WCC resources have roots in faith challenged by mourning, fear and uncertainty in different contexts worldwide.

18 March 2021