Diocesan News16 May 14

Diocese’s 24–7 Prayer Scroll Crosses Strangford Lough

Revd Gill Withers hands the scroll to Dean Henry Hull

Down and Dromore’s ‘Prayer Scroll’ symbolic of a commitment to sustain prayer night and day, crossed Strangford Lough on Wednesday 14 May.

The scroll began its journey in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter at midnight on 31 December 2013 marking the beginning of a year of 24–7 Prayer in the diocese.

The scroll had travelled through 30 parishes before being handed over mid–journey on the upper deck of the 9.45 a.m. ferry to Strangford.

Revd Gill Withers, rector of Greyabbey and Kircubbin with Ballyphilip and Ardquin, passed the scroll to The Very Revd Henry Hull, Dean of Down Cathedral, representing parishes in the Lecale Area. They will hold the scroll and pray continuously until 19 May before handing over to Kilmegan and Maghera.

24–7 Prayer has been a blessing in each location and Revd Gill Withers’ experience was no exception:

‘Everyone just worked together to get our prayer room up and running,’ she said. ‘People wrote down comments saying they came and met with God and went home feeling a bit more at peace and in control of their situations and their lives. There was a sense of God’s presence there and people thought it was awesome and amazing.’

Each 24 hours of the year is divided into slots so that night and day throughout 2014, at least one person will be interceding in a prayer room in the diocese. All of the parishes are taking part, each praying continuously for between 3 and 7 days.

The scroll is a symbol of the parish’s commitment to sustain prayer but it also documents the prayer journey through the diocese. Parishes are filling in the dates on which they have held the prayer scroll as well as an encouraging story or comment from their time praying. They also write a prayer of blessing for the next church.