“Beauty from Brokenness” is the theme chosen for this year’s World YMCA and World YWCA Week of Prayer and World Fellowship, which runs from 7th to 13th November 2021. The Week has been observed every year since 1904.
Worldwide, the global YMCA and YWCA Movements continue to bring good news and to offer well-being services to young people and their families. The story of our Christian faith is that while we may be like pots of clay, ordinary and easily broken, each of us has the capacity to contain the light of Christ within us, a light that can heal brokenness and burst through, reaching out to those around us.
The theme gets inspiration from Kintsugi, the Japanese art of restoring broken pots using lacquer and powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Kintsugi teaches people humility to embrace imperfections and to live purposeful lives even amid brokenness, continuing to serve humanity and radiate God’s love to all.
For the reflections of each day during the Week of Prayer, the following sub-themes have been selected.
- Day 1, 7 November: “Beauty is Being Loved by God”
- Day 2, 8 November: “Beauty is Healing and Restoration”
- Day 3, 9 November: “Beauty is Dignity and Inclusion”
- Day 4, 10 November: “Beauty is Forgiveness”
- Day 5, 11 November: “Beauty is Serving Others”
- Day 6, 12 November: “Beauty is Renewal”.
YMCAs and YWCAs around the world are called upon to reflect and pray focused on the theme and sub-themes during this week. A booklet has been published as a guide for this purpose, with the help of a group of young people from the YMCAs around the world. The booklet is available for downloading in English, French and Spanish, alongside other resources at https://www.ymca.int/week-of-prayer/.
We invite all our YMCA members worldwide to join us at an online worship on the World YMCA Facebook Page on Friday 12th November 2021 at 16:00 hours Central European Time.
Local and national YMCAs are also called upon to hold an act of collective worship – jointly with the YWCA if possible – on Saturday 13th November 201. A suggested liturgy for the collective worship is available in the booklet.
Please use the hashtag #WWOP21 in social media posting.