SADLY because of lockdown we were unable to be together in St Boniface RC Church for our World Day of Prayer ecumenical service. However, more than 40 people joined a zoom meeting led by the Rev Alison Richardson of the Methodist Church.

Every year the World Day of Prayer is planned and written by women of a particular community worldwide.

This year is was the turn of Christian women from the republic of Vanuatu – a scattered group of islands stretching about 400 miles some 1,100 miles to the east of Australia in the south western Pacific.

The islands are vulnerable to frequent tropical storms, earthquakes, cyclones tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Vanuatu is one of the first countries to start to pray on the Day of Prayer, helping to set off the wave of prayer throughout the entire world.

The theme of the service was "Build on a Strong Foundation".

The parable of the Wise and Foolish builders was read. We were each asked to bring a pebble and, as an Act of Commitment, we were asked to hold the stone which is special and, like us, unique.

God, the house builder uses each one of us as a stone to build a strong foundation of love.

We made a commitment to build our lives on this foundation and used the stone as a representation of our personal prayers and commitment to God. We said together the Vanuatu motto "In God we Stand".

Bronwyn Nott