Christian women around the world celebrate the Women's World Day of Prayer at the beginning of March. Every year, women from different countries prepare the liturgy for the World Day of Prayer. They also provide an overview of the country and its people, culture, history, and geopolitical challenges. This year, the Cook Islands women concentrated on the theme “wonderfully created!” from Psalm 139. The women of the Adventist Church in Tübingen prepared a service with prayers, songs, readings, and a sermon, and led the congregation on an informative and inspiring virtual journey to the South Pacific.
In the Maori culture of the Cook Islands, every child is wrapped after birth in a flax mat woven just for that child. The tightly woven mat is intended to protect the child as it grows up. There is also a curriculum for early childhood education in the Cook Islands which, like a mat, supports the development of the children. The concepts and goals of the curriculum are designed to help the child grow into a healthy, balanced, happy person. They are like the different fibers from which the mat is woven. These concepts are also important for us as Christians so that we grow mentally and spiritually, and they are all contained in Psalm 139.
Exploration - God knows us
God knows us better than we know ourselves. That is why we are invited to open ourselves up to God so that He can show us which path we are on and guide us on the path that leads to eternal life.
Well-being - God surrounds us and gives us security
We are surrounded by God on all sides. He holds his hand over us. We feel comfortable in our connection with God who knows and protects us.
Participation - God is with us
Can we imagine what it is like to live on a tropical island, far away from the nearest mainland? And God is there, too. We cannot flee far away from God. It is wonderful that we can experience God's closeness no matter where we are in the world. And God wants us all to participate in this experience.
Communication - We can talk to God
We can come to God with our problems. We can talk to him. If the day seems dark, we can tell God and He will light our way.
Wonderfully created
God created us as his beloved children. He wanted us and made us wonderful even before we were born. No two fingerprints are the same. God created us unique in our identity and knows where we stand. He placed us in our human families, to which we are allowed to belong. But we are also God's children, His daughters and sons. God has a plan for each of us. He wants us to discover and live this plan and be a light in the world.
During the sermon a “mat” was woven from these concepts to show how they are connected and envelop us so that we can experience a close connection with God and grow spiritually.
On International Women's Day on March 8, not only all the women, but the whole congregation came together for a joint service, which was held in German and Ukrainian. Psalm 139 was the message in the children's story, in the songs, prayers, readings, and the sermon, and will certainly be remembered for a long time to come. The Day of Prayer ribbons that were tied to the women's wrists will also help with this.
Reported by Hannele Ottschofski, Tübingen SDA church, Germany