"All God's creation is very good!" Local churches celebrate World Day of Prayer 2018

The basement of Zion-St John Lutheran Church in Sheffield had a unique atmosphere Saturday morning, with peculiar wooden figurines, exotic flower centerpieces and other odd looking trinkets. Dozens of patrons flocked to the facility to partake in this year's World Day of Prayer, which Pastor G Kim Wills and the Lutheran Church had the pleasure of hosting.

This year, the organization behind the World Day of Prayer and the churches that support it lifted up the country of Suriname. Located in the northeastern region of South America, the nation is over 90% blanketed by dense tropical rainforest, according to a pamphlet released by World Day of Prayer USA. Because of Suriname's richness in flora and fauna, a predominant theme in the program was environment conservation, and the destruction the country's rainforests face.

Attendees studied the nation's biodiversity and beauty, including its large population of giant sea turtles and mangrove trees, and the protective measures in place to avoid endangerment of the former.

The crowd partook in song, skits, and group recitations of scripture to celebrate and acknowledge the country of Suriname. A handful of women performed monologues of wives and mothers native to the country to demonstrate life for a female in Suriname, including suffrage rights, domestic violence, and access to education. Volunteers recited verses and were punctuated by an exclamation in unison from the group: "All God's creation is very good!"

Read the full story in the March 8 edition.

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