G7 and COP26 Prayers

Back in April, the Cornwall Faith Forum participated in the Quaker initiative to join on a walk as part of a journey of awareness, understanding and action ahead of the COP 27 climate talks.  Our walk took place in a secluded area on the outskirts of Truro.  At intervals we heard prayers from the different faiths in relation to creation.

Prior to the G7 Summit coming to Cornwall from 11th – 13th June, the Cornwall Faith Forum have been invited to provide prayers and reflections for the G7 which will be displayed as a reflection in the Truro Cathedral.  The prayers below will be included in the display:

 

From Ahmadiyya Muslim Commmunity Devon and Cornwall

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful,

We implore Thee, Who art the Source of Peace the Bestower of Security to bestow Peace and Security on all those meeting together in the G7 Summit here in Cornwall.

Oh Allah Who art the Wise, All Aware, All Powerful God bestow wisdom on these powerful leaders and grant them awareness of the means to achieve peace. Enable them to work together successfully to create true Justice and Compassion within and between nations so that each one of us can develop to our full potential and serve our countries well.

Oh Allah Who art the Creator, Self Subsisting and All Sustaining, enable those who lead us to make decisions that will enable us to protect and sustain Thy Creation for our future generations.

Grant us Thy Mercy and Guide us on the right path that we may do those things that please Thee and benefit each other.

Oh Thou Who Created us all, Guide us and help us to know Thee and to Love one another as Thou has commanded.

 

Quaker Faith and Practice 25.02 – London Yearly Meeting 1988

Our planet is seriously ill and we can feel the pain. We have been reminded of the many ways in which the future health of the earth is under threat as a result of our selfishness, ignorance and greed. Our earth needs attention, respect, love care and prayer.

In comfortable Britain we are largely insulated from the effects of the environmental crisis. It is the poor of the world who suffer first.

As a Religious Society of Friends we see the stewardship of God’s creation as a major concern. The environmental crisis is at root a spiritual and religious crisis; we are called to look again at the real purpose of being on this earth, which is to till it and keep it so as to reveal the glory of God for generations to come.

It is a stony road ahead but our faith will uphold us; the power to act is God’s power, which is mediated through each of us as we give and receive support one from another. We can all listen if we will to the sounds of the earth, tuning into it with joy.

 

Muslim Faith Prayer

Salam all

May Allah make us all be good people, good neighbours and kind communities.

May Allah guide those who hurt each other in his name and his prophets

May Allah teach us that all faiths have peace as their core

May Allah forgive us for our mistakes and make us first to aid all those in need

May Allah remove all bad virus and diseases from earth

May Allah appreciate his bounties and our good health we take for granted

May Allah bless all those who are needy and allow us to end all wars

May Allah spread his blessings to every person all over the world

May Allah show our scientist the way to clean the earth we have spoilt

May Allah accept our repentance and end famine, droughts and poverty

Amen

 

A Pagan prayer

(each sentence is repeated in Cornish)

 

The Call to Peace

Let us begin by giving peace to the quarters, for without peace no work can be.

 

Re bo kres yn kledh

May there be Peace in the North

 

Re bo kres yn deghow

May there be Peace in the South

 

Re bo kres yn howlsedhes

May there be Peace in the West

Re bo kres yn howldrevel

May there be Peace in the East

 

Re bo kres dres oll an norvys

May there be Peace throughout the whole world.

 

 

Quotes from the Bible from the Jewish Faith

The Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in justice, The Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:16)

It has been told you, O human being, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justly, love chesed (mercy, kindness), and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Take away from Me the noise of your songs and let Me not hear the melody of your stringed instruments but let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:23, 24)

If there shall be among you a needy person, one of your brethren, within any of your gates, in your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother; but you shall surely open your hand unto him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wants. (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)

Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 23:9)

 

 Prayer from Co-lead Chaplain, Devon and Cornwall Police

Dear heavenly father,

I thank you so much for the gifts of cooperation and grace that are promised to each and every one of us.  As the G7 summit approaches I ask that your Holy Spirit will preside over it.  Lord, many important and in some cases world changing issues will be discussed, alliances made, friendships renewed and decisions deliberated.  Issues such as human welfare and the environment will be thought through.  These decisions at their heart are too overwhelming for mere human understanding.  Give all delegates your wisdom to choose and choose wisely.  Finally Lord, I ask for protection, especially for all police officers and police personnel who are giving countless hours to this summit.  Regardless of rain, heat, long days and interactions, they remain steadfast to their role during that week.  I pray provision for them and their families with the assurance of safety and care.

In your precious name Jesus, Amen

  

From the Baha’i Faith tradition

OThou kind Lord!  Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock.  Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household.  In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

O God!  Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all.  Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.

O Thou kind Lord!  Unite all.  Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home.  May they all live together in perfect harmony.

O God!  Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God!  Establish the Most Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.

O Thou kind Father, God!  Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love.  Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance.  Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Conflict in Israel Palestine Statement

Cornwall Faith Forum (CFF) is very aware of the recent upsurge in violence in Israel Palestine. As an organisation that works for peace this is distressing in many ways, not least because we greatly value both our Muslim and Jewish members equally, together with people from other faiths and none who seek to build, learn and share peace together. The rights and wrongs of the current situation are of course political and complex, although we recognise that religious identities and sensitivities are also pertinent.

However CFF remains a place where tolerance and understanding is developed so any messages or sentiments of hate that may be expressed do not have the support of CFF in any way at all. We know that we do not have ready answers to such long standing issues but by bringing people together, growing positive relationships with each other, and reaching out internationally to other peace groups, we quietly and steadily grow the peace that the world so badly needs.

Cornwall Faith Forum’s Values

We commit ourselves,
as people of many faiths or none, to work together
for the common good,
uniting to build a better society,
grounded in values and ideals we share:

community,
personal integrity and courage,
a sense of right and wrong,
learning, wisdom and love of truth,

care and compassion,
justice and peace,
respect for one another,
for the earth and its creatures.

We commit ourselves,
in a spirit of friendship and co-operation,
to work together
alongside all who share our values and ideals,
to help bring about a better world
now and for generations to come.

 

Andrew Yates, Chair, Cornwall Faith Forum

Journey to COP26 – Saturday 10th April 2021, happening wherever you are!

In the lead up to the UN Climate talks to be held in Glasgow in November, Quakers in Britain, part of the Christian faith community, have invited people of all faith communities and none to:

‘Join together remotely and share our belief in the sacredness of all life, ahead of the UN climate talks, COP26

This is a crucial time for building the movement for climate justice. People in Britain and beyond want radical action to prevent climate breakdown – and we must make sure that the UK government knows that.

We are a group of Quakers calling on all concerned communities in the UK, including people of other faiths and people of no faith, to join us on our journey of awareness, understanding and action ahead of the climate talks.

On Saturday 10th April, we invite you to participate in a celebration of our environment by making a short journey to any place that is sacred to you.  Numbers participating within your faith community are obviously dependent on Covid restrictions by then, see https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Members of Cornwall Faith Forum are hoping to walk from Kenwyn, Truro, to the Dor Kemmyn Peace Field at Penmount. Meet at 10.30 am at Kenwyn Church, Truro.   We will be adhering to Covid restrictions.  Please register for this walk.  (see sheet Journey to COP26 10 April 2021 – Information FINAL for further information)*.

This action is a way for us to strengthen our collective sense of purpose in protecting the Earth and all its inhabitants.”

https://quaker.org.uk/events/journey-to-cop26-un-climate-talks

For more information see attached sheet and contact

Rita Stephen [email protected] 07775 937485 or email [email protected]

 

Flyer for event:  Journey to COP26 10th April 2021 FINAL

 

Holocaust Memorial Day Events – Sunday 24th & Wednesday 27th January 2021

Jeremy Jacobson on behalf of Kehillat Kernow (Jewish Community of Cornwall)  invites you and your colleagues and their families to:

Holocaust Memorial Service and Talk on Sunday 24 January, 5:00 p.m. via Zoom

This event will consist of the following parts:

1. Two short animations prepared by students and teachers at the University of Falmouth.

2. Candle lighting.

3. Service led by Pat Lipert and Adam Feldman, based on the Yom HaShoah service and including some additional readings from other sources.

4. Holocaust testimony of Blanka Engelberg, late mother of Kehillat Kernow member Cynthia Clare Hollinsworth.

Cynthia will share with us the testimony of her mother describing her horrific nightmare of the Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz II (Birkenau), her remarkable story of survival and ultimately her journey to a meaningful life after liberation.

The whole event will last a little over one hour.

Please feel free to share this invitation with people you know, but please ask them to send their names to this email address [email protected] if they wish to attend.

We wish to thank the Cornwall Faith Forum and Falmouth University for their co-operation in preparing our event.


Holocaust Memorial Day – Wednesday 27th January 2021

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD)  will be on Wednesday 27 January and the theme for 2021 is ‘Be the light in the darkness’.

HMD is always held on 27 January and is, as ever, an opportunity to stand together with people of all faiths to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year for the first time all activities will be online and the resources all reflect this.

The theme of ‘Be the light in the darkness’ encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide.

The UK Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 ceremony: Register for the HMD ceremony which will run from 7–8pm on 27 January and share this link with others. Encourage others in your diocese to register and join in the National Moment of Lighting the Darkness by putting a candle in a window at 8pm.

 

If you have any questions relating to HMD please contact Andrew Yates, Chair, Cornwall Faith Forum [email protected]

 

Feedback from Interfaith Week 2020

We would normally have run care workshops in the hospital for members of staff. These workshops focus on caring for people of different faiths. Unfortunately, this couldn’t happen this year.

This year, The Inter-Faith Network for the UK had a very good idea. They suggested an ‘Inter-Faith Week Buddies scheme’. It involved two people of different faiths or of a particular faith and of a non-religious belief, talking together. This could be done by email, telephone, zoom or by letter.

Several questions were proposed by the Inter-Faith Network and we decided to choose two questions to focus on:

How does your faith or non-religious belief shape your daily life?

How does your faith or non-religious belief support you during difficult times?

It offered an opportunity for sharing and learning, on a one-to-one basis about what is important to us. The conversation could go anywhere.

We had a sharing about the scheme on the 3rd of December.

The people taking part were members of the Muslim and Jewish Communities and Christian and Pagan Communities and someone with an interest in all Faiths.

Everyone said that they learned a lot and really appreciated the rare opportunity to ask personal questions in a safe environment.

We also talked about what the most surprising thing was, we had learned. I learned from my Buddy that whenever times were difficult, she would pray more and ask for more help. I found that really helpful to hear because although it makes sense to pray more, it is often more difficult during times of stress and strain.

We all decided that the Inter-Faith Buddies Scheme was a good experience and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. We would like to do it again next year with more people. Please let Rita [email protected] know if you are interested in taking part.

Weekly Noon Thursday Prayers – 3rd December 2020

Cornwall Faith Forum is sending love and courage to all of you. We will be able to meet in Penmount again.

There will be Thursday Noon Prayers on Thursday 3rd of December at 12:00 in our Peace Field by the Dome of Human Kindness.

Please contact Rita on [email protected] if you would like to come.

On  7th November, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs very sadly died.   Cornwall Faith Forum would like to thank him for his wisdom, compassion and courage.

We are very grateful to Paul who send us the quote that he received from Rabbi Sachs before his walk for Peace in 2015:

“God found only one blessing large enough to contain all other blessings – its name is peace”. (Talmud)
May your walk and your work bring us a little closer to this blessing!

Here are some more quotes (from rabbisachs.org):

“The best way of breaking down barriers between people or communities is through simple, unforced acts of kindness. One act can undo years of estrangement.”

“Acts of kindness never die. They linger in the memory, giving life to other acts in return.”

“We are as great as the challenges we have the courage to undertake”

“Freedom is won by making space for the people not like us.”

Interfaith Week 8th – 15th November 2020

Interfaith Week Buddies

Inter Faith Week this year is from November 8th to 15th. Cornwall Faith Forum is inviting you to take part in an Inter Faith Buddies scheme https://www.interfaithweek.org/resources/inter-faith-week-buddies to celebrate this important time.

The scheme involves two people of different faiths holding a conversation to share their thoughts on topics such as:  

  • How does your faith shape your daily life – including at this time of COVID-19?
  • What, in your faith encourages service to others in society?
  • Or on anything else that you might want to share experiences

This is an opportunity for sharing and learning, on a one-to-one basis across a limited period of time, about what is important to us, in the context of our wider community. The process may, of course, lead to longer term conversations and new forms of practical co-operation.

If you are interested in taking part we will require your name, and your Faith tradition and we will pair you up with a member of a different faith community within Cornwall.  You may wish to state if there any particular faith or belief background or backgrounds from which you be would be interested to have an ‘Inter Faith Week buddy’ from.  We will try and match you up but we cannot guarantee this.

Please also provide details of the means by which you are willing to make and receive contact. i.e. Phone and/ or email. In doing this you are at the same time giving your permission to share your contact email address and/or phone number with someone who would also like to be a ‘buddy’. Safeguarding is very important. Buddies should be over the age of 18 years old and commit to engage in respectful listening and dialogue. You should also respect the privacy and security of other buddies and their families.  We will email you more information on safeguarding and safety once you let us know you wish to participate.

To be involved please register at [email protected]  before Thursday 29th October .

As a reminder we will require:

Your Name:  

Your Faith tradition: 

Your Phone or email address (the means by which you are willing to make and receive contact):

Whether you wish to ‘buddy up’ with someone from a particular faith or belief background:


Looking forward to hearing from you and some fruitful buddying!  For more information click HERE

Cornwall Faith Forum Annual General Meeting – Wednesday 4th November 2020

Our Annual General Meeting is going to be held on Wednesday, 4th November at 7.00 pm.  Unfortunately we will not be able to meet in person but shall spend time together via Zoom.  We will have look at our three areas of work throughout the year:  Learning, Sharing and Building for Peace, followed by the more formal part of the meeting. Do join us for this meeting by emailing [email protected] and the Zoom link will be emailed onto you.

Cornwall Faith Forum Income and Expenditure 01/04/2019 – 31/03/2020:

Independent Examiners Certificate:

Notes of Annual General Meeting 30.10.2019: Notes of CFF AGM held on 30th October 2019

Consitution Chart: Constitution chart

 

Weekly Noon Thursday Prayers – 15th October 2020

Cornwall Faith Forum sends warmth and love to everyone in Cornwall. We need it now the Autumn has really started !!
Next time we will be meeting at Penmount will be on Thursday 29th October at 12:00 noon. Please contact Rita [email protected] if you would like to come.

The prayer for today is from Gormola Kernewek – Celtic Praise – Prayers of Praise from Cornwall by Revd. Pat Robson.


You are my hiding place, O Lord. 
You know me by name. 
My thoughts and deeds are seen by you, 
and their memory brings pain. 

I come to you with a tear-worn soul, 
I come to you in grief. 

I need the love from your loving heart, 
that I may be at Peace. 

Reach out, my Lord, and touch my soul
Reach out and draw me from the dark
and let your love-light in. 

Your love that fills my soul with joy, 
that makes the wild wind sing, 
in cleanness, brightness claim my soul, 
my loving heavenly King. 

Weekly Noon Thursday Prayers – 8th October 2020

Cornwall Faith Forum is sending warmth and courage to everyone in Cornwall.

Sister Iqbal very kindly send us a prayer.

This prayer is in the light of the death of Sgt. Matt Ratana.

Sister Iqbal writes: “Here is a prayer from the heart”.

Bismillah Inrahmaa Niraheem

In the name of Allah, the most merciful &the most beneficent

Please Allah protect us from all who seek to harm those who protect us.

Bless all those who lose their lives in this service as the recent death of Sgt. Matt Ratana, lovingly known as the gentle giant.

Please Allah , Protect our families, our homes, our loved ones, the down trodden and the down and out from harm and pain and bad diseases as Corona.

Please give us strength to do good work in your name.

Please Allah forgive our mistakes and make us better in protecting each other and the beautiful world you gave us.

Forgive us and teach us to care for each other of all backgrounds and faiths and collectively protect this fragile earth.

Please let us not forget those suffering in poorer countries and in war torn countries and those affected by natural disasters as fire, flood and famines.

Allow our hands to do good deeds.

Ameen (Amen, let it be)

Poppy

(Sister Iqbal Warsi (M.Phil)