​World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women
who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice.

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Receive children, Receive me.

Am I Being Unfair to You?

Program written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of 
​Cuba
Mark 10:13-16

¡Buenos Días! Good Morning!
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Maybe that is what Jesus would have liked to hear from the disciples when the little children were brought to him for a blessing! Instead, the disciples spoke sternly to them and Jesus challenged their behavior so that they could see God’s love in the faces of those children and to care for them. Let them come, and you will learn how to receive the Kingdom of God! Receive children, Receive me!

The attitude of prayer in the Worship Service, written by the Cuba Committee, begins with a welcoming coffee and a conversation about everyday life in Cuba. The service invites us to an inter-generational encounter where we celebrate the dreams of the elders, the vision of the young, and the wisdom of children.

In the program, the different generations represent glimpses of Cuba’s history, geography, culture, and faith. The older generation carries the Word of God, which they kept alive during the atheist policy of the Cuban government, which is presently over. The young adult generation provides the food that sustains the various ways women contribute to the society. The young generation brings light to illuminate their path in the midst of the social contradiction in which they live. The children unfold the three regions of the Island, so we can walk with them and listen to their stories. In doing so, we learn to meet God in the everyday life of the Cuban people.
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Receive children, Receive me brings us to Jesus and the disciple’s opposing attitudes towards the ones who were bringing the children closer to Jesus for a blessing. Which attitude has been yours? Who are the children whom Jesus embraces and blesses today? 

Program written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of the
​Philippines
Matthew 20:1-16

Mabuhay! Come to the circle and tell your story!
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In the story Jesus told about the kingdom of heaven, he saw no wrongdoing in giving equally. However, the workers who felt entitled to receive more greatly complained. This dialogue is turned into a question for the 2017 WDP theme - “Am I Being Unfair to You?”

As we prepare for worship, women and girls from the Philippines enter carrying symbols with a story. Merlyn, Celia, and Editha represent the lives of many Filipino women and girls who are victims of domestic violence or sex trafficking, migrant domestic workers in the country or abroad, and survivors harmed emotionally and economically by disasters in the environment or unsustainable development policies.

How can we hear these stories and not realize the sinfulness of structures that consolidate economic inequality? We are called to confess and take on our ethical responsibility to answer God’s call for justice.

A traditional cultural practice, known as dagyaw, is introduced in the program. Dagyaw is a communal way of laboring each other’s farms and equally benefiting from the harvest. It is used more frequently among organic farmers for sustainable agriculture.

“It is a good practice for building and sustaining a community, an actualization of compassion and care for each other.” Maybe this is the key to a collective answer to “Am I Being Unfair to you?”