Prayer relay as Olympic Torch reaches Norfolk
The Olympic Torch Relay is encouraging a cascade of prayer and praise through villages, towns and cities across Britain. Now get ready, as the prayer baton comes to Norfolk on the 4th to 5th July.
The ‘More than Gold’ collaboration is using the Olympic Torch Relay to inspire a surge of prayer for local communities, the 2012 Games and the nations as it moves across the county.
Now as the Olympic Flame reaches Norfolk on Wednesday 4th July there is an opportunity for individuals, house groups and churches to get involved in the Prayer Relay.
Preceding the Torch’s arrival on
Tuesday 3rd July, 7pm (for a 7.14pm start), Christians from Norwich and Norfolk are invited to gather for a
‘Prayer Flashmob’ - an hour of public prayer in
Norwich city centre at the open space in
Hay Hill, just off Haymarket/Gentleman’s Walk, in front of Next. To take part, you will need to bring a copy of prayers, topics and words of songs, which can be downloaded from the
Call to Prayer website
www.call2prayer.co.uk.
A
Prayer Baton Exchange is taking place in each city where the Olympic Torch stops overnight. On
Wednesday 4th July a delegation from the
Kings Gate Community Church in
Peterborough will hand the prayer baton over to a meeting of Norfolk ministers at a Prayer Relay blessing exchange lunch at the House of Prayer, Norwich. The baton will then be handed over to a delegation in
Ipswich the following day.
The ‘More than Gold’ collaborative has produced a free downloadable guide
‘Praying During the 70-day Prayer Relay’ containing more ideas of ways to take part in the Prayer Relay. It includes suggestions such as prayer walking part of the route or around your local community, or being a ‘prayer presence’ amongst the celebrations when the flame arrives.
You can also download the popular
‘Keep Praying and Bless’ booklet, a 70 day prayer guide for use during the Torch Relay, written by Norwich’s Call to Prayer Director Jill Gower in collaboration with the
House of Glory in
Thurston, Suffolk. The day-by-day guide has been prepared to enable Christians to unite in prayer during the strategic run-up to the Olympics.
A detailed street-by-streep map of the route can be found here on the
BBC website. In brief on
Wednesday 4th July, the Olympic Torch Relay will go through
King's Lynn, South Wootton, West Rudham, East Rudham, Fakenham, Holt, Cromer, Aylsham, and finally into
Norwich on Wednesday evening.
On Thursday 5 July, the Olympic Torch will travel to Hethersett High School for an event early in the morning before being run through more parts of Norwich, Acle, Filby and through Great Yarmouth onto Suffolk.