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Prayers to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Creation of PWRDF

September 1, 2009

By pwrdf

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On September 7, 1959 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada created The Primate’s World Relief Fund. Since then, Anglicans across Canada have raised more than $88 million dollars for emergency relief, refugees, sustainable development and global justice. This fall, on September 6th or any subsequent Sunday we invite you to celebrate The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund’s 50th anniversary in your parish worship by using any or all of the following liturgical resources and music.
The following prayers were written by Anglicans across the country for PWRDF and are suggested for use in your parish as is determined appropriate by your parish clergy and/or diocesan bishop and your parish traditions. Practices vary across the country in terms of using liturgical resources not found in The Book of Alternative Services or The Book of Common Prayer and we ask that you follow those local practices. Practices also vary in terms of following the Revised Common Lectionary or choosing readings for a particular Sunday, again we ask that you follow your diocesan practices in this regard.
Opening Sentence
You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. James 2:8

To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfil by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him. 
2 Thess 1:11-12
Collects (choose one)
Righteous God, friend of the poor and outcast, transform our narrow self-interest, and break open our hearts, that emboldened by your Spirit we may follow your Son in bringing hope and healing to our broken world, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
– The Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King
Great Creator of the universe, who loved our world so much You sent Your son to be one of us and redeem us for Yourself, give us eyes to see that world’s needs, ears to hear its cries for help, hearts to care and hands to reach out in love and thus follow in the footsteps of Him who saw and heard and reached out to all in need, Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
– Mrs.Grace Haldenby
Almighty God who sent Your Son into the world to live and die for us, give us eyes to see the world’s needs, ears to hear its cries for help, hearts to care and hands to reach out that we may obey His commandment to love our neighbours and further Your kingdom here on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
– Mrs. Grace Haldenby
God of steadfast love, from whom all compassion flows, inflame in our hearts a yearning for peace, compel your Church to proclaim your justice and mercy, and complete in us the good work begun through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever.  Amen.
-The Reverend Kevin Dixon (for use with these readings 1 Kings 17:8-16, Psalm 145:10-18, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Luke 4:20-30 chosen for PWRDF Sunday in his parish)
Prayer over the Gifts
Holy God, receive all we offer you this day, and use us in your service that your love and justice may take root and flourish throughout your world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
– The Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King
Gracious God, receive all we offer you this day — bread and wine created by human hands from the fruits of the earth, and money raised through human labour.  May the blessing that you bestow upon us through these gifts work in us to make us a blessing to those around us.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord.  Amen. 
– The Reverend Nigel Bunce
The Eucharist
(Alternative Eucharistic prayers are used at the discretion of the diocesan bishop. Please be sure to follow local practices in choosing to use this alternative prayer.)

The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
 
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth.  We give you thanks and praise for all your creation, and especially today for the work of The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund on the occasion of fifty years of care for those who suffer through disasters of both natural and human origin.  We offer our worship and praise in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, whose life and teachings offer us a glimpse of a life that is fully human, formed within your Creation yet at one with the divine.  And so, with Jesus, and with prophets, leaders, and all those unnamed ordinary people of every age who have sought out the less fortunate and the dispossessed and worked with compassion to bring them care and justice, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Holy, holy, holy Lord: God of power and might.  Heaven and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed be our brother and guide, Jesus the Christ, who came to offer healing and compassion to a broken and uncaring world.  Jesus called ordinary women and men to be his disciples.  He ate and drank with many whom society had rejected.  At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus sat at supper with his friends.  He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and offered it to his disciples, saying, “Take this bread and eat it.  Receive it as my body, which is given for you.  Do this to remember me.”  In the same way after supper, he took the cup of wine and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, “Drink this, all of you.  This cup marks the new covenant between God and humanity.  Whenever you drink it, you do so to remember me.”

Gracious God, as we prepare to receive the divine mystery through this bread and this wine, may we be instruments of your will.  Send down your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that we may bring blessings and spiritual nourishment to those around us.  In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ and make them new, and bring us to your eternal realm to be reunited with those we love who have gone before us, in the company of all your sons and daughters who have kept the faith in every age.

By Christ, and with Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, now and for ever.  Amen.
– The Reverend Nigel Bunce
Prayers after communion (choose one)
God of abundance, you feed us with your very self and call us to your holy work of transforming the world. Send us out with hopeful hearts, discerning minds and committed wills to work for your vision of justice and peace. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
– The Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King

Loving Creator, may we who have received the blessing of bread and wine in this Eucharist, be always a blessing to all those we meet who need our care.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.
– The Reverend Nigel Bunce
A prayer of thanks for volunteers
Holy God, we give you thanks for the ministries of all who volunteer in service of PWRDF, and we praise you for their imagination, vision and passionate witness. In the faith that awakens so many to selfless action, your love is set free among us; In the joining of so many hands to serve, your friendship and compassion is revealed in our world; In the hope inspired in so many hearts, your new life is kindled among us. So strengthen your whole church that, in renewed commitment, we may gladly attend to the work of justice in your world. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
– The Right Reverend Gordon Light
In addition to these resources we have:
Hymn written by The Reverend Peter Armour Niblock and Brigid Coult as an anniversary gift to PWRDF and for use across the country http://www.pwrdf50.org/sites/pwrdf/files/Niblock%20-%20Jubilee%20final.pdf

A full worship service celebrating our 50th anniversary at https://www.pwrdf.org/fileadmin/fe/files/res09_worship.pdf

Prayers of the people written to commemorate the Springhill mine disaster http://www.pwrdf50.org/sites/pwrdf/files/Prayers%20of%20the%20People.pdf

50th Anniversary Prayer http://www.pwrdf50.org/sites/pwrdf/files/50th%20anniversary%20prayer.pdf  PDF version of this story

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