“That we be given the ability to walk, see and hear with trust, hope and love, even at difficult times.”
Decatur Daily, January 4, 2019
Article by Catherine Godbey, Photo Credit Chris Shimek
On Tuesday the world celebrated the first day of 2019 — a time of new beginnings and restored hope. Following a tradition dating back centuries, global, national and local religious leaders surrounded these new beginnings with prayer.
In the United States, the tradition of praying in the new year dates back to Dec. 31, 1862. On that day, at churches across the South, slaves, free blacks and white sympathizers sang and prayed until the stroke of midnight, when the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves in the Confederacy free went into effect.
So began the tradition of sending out the old year and welcoming the new year in with worship. While the voices of the religious leaders offering up the prayers have changed, the content of the prayers have remained the same.
They pray for peace, patience, love, kindness, respect, salvation and wisdom.
During World War II, Alice Wallenfelz Cline penned “A New Year’s Prayer.” In the poem, she wrote, “We ask his guidance, we plead and pray that to all nations he’ll show the way. For the war and fighting and feuds to cease and the world will remain at peace.”
In his 2008 New Year’s prayer, the Rev. Billy Graham, who died in 2018, prayed for justice and protection.
“In the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need,” Graham prayed.
Pope Francis encouraged the world to embrace unity in his 2019 New Year’s address.
“How much dispersion and solitude there is all around us. The world is completely connected, yet seems increasingly disjointed,” he said.
Delivered on the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis also challenged every person to act as a peacemaker.
“We do not think that politics should be reserved only to political leaders: Everyone is responsible for the life of the ‘city,’ for the common good; and even politics is good in the measure in which each one does his or her part ‘in the service of peace,’ ” Pope Francis said.
As the world celebrates the beginning of 2019, local religious leaders shared their prayers. Here are excerpts:
Phil Waldrep, evangelist and founder of Phil Waldrep Ministries:
“My 2019 New Year’s prayer for our nation is to see people respect others, whether we agree or disagree with them, and for everyone to be more selfless.
"For our city to become a shining light in north Alabama by showcasing the quality and resources we have in the people who live here and by tapping those resources to move our city racially, educationally and economically in a positive direction.
"For me, my family and our ministry to grow in our relationship with Christ and to model Christlikeness so our Lord can use us to be part of the answer to the prayers we have for our country and community.”
Shannon Jordan, pastor at Westminster Presbyterian
“My prayer is my weekly benediction for the congregation, based on Ephesians 2:10. I pray that my congregation will more fully realize in 2019 that they are God’s beloved — God’s masterpieces — created in Christ, to do good in their families, workplaces, neighborhoods, throughout Decatur and wherever they may go. God has already prepared these good things for them to do and I pray that they will see these opportunities to experience and share God’s love with others who are hurting in body, mind or spirit.”
Bude Van Dyke, pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd:
“That we be given the ability to walk, see and hear with trust, hope and love, even at difficult times.”
Rick Chenault, deacon at Resurrection Catholic Chapel in Hillsboro:
“To … bring spiritual nourishment through our Lord’s Eucharistic presence and His holy word to all our brothers and sisters of Lawrence County and the surrounding area. For our country and all our leaders, that the good news of Jesus Christ this year may inspire them to serve the cause of right and that it will be a time of greater understanding and cooperation among all our leaders and the nations of the world.
"For the sick, the poor, the persecuted and the abandoned ones, that through the ministries of the Church they may be consoled by our Lord and His Mother who experienced their sorrow and hardship. That the victims of drugs and all forms of addiction may find new hope in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. For healing and justice for the victims and their families of any clerical abuse experienced in the Church throughout the world. For a greater unity of all Christians.”
A new song for 2018. This is an unedited studio recording of the first take.
