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Bishop of Norwich encourages Day of Prayer for Media

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As the Day of Prayer for the Media approaches on Sunday, 3 November 2019 churches across the country are being asked to pray for those within the media including Christian journalists.

The annual initiative is a project of Christians in Media, a UK network and community that supports, encourages and inspires Christians who work in, and with, media.

The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, is a contributor to the Day of Prayer for the Media resource pack, produced to help churches take part.

Bishop Graham writes:

“God of grace, news  of your  Son  spread  first  amongst  the  villages  of  the  Galilee, was gossiped  about in  the  streets, ruminated  about  in  the  places  of  debate,  sometimes  with  wonder  and  intrigue,  at other  times  as fake  news,  and  has since  spread to  every  corner  of the  world. May your Holy Spirit equip all who work in the  media  to  be  seekers  after  truth, so  that  our world’s headlines  and  news feeds  may  draw nearer  to  your ways  of justice,  mercy  and  humility  that  we  see in  Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The resource pack also includes a prayer from Rt Revd Jan McFarlane, Bishop of Repton and formerly the Archdeacon of Norwich and Director of Communications for the Diocese of Norwich.

The Bishop of Repton writes:

“Lord  Jesus,  Pilate  once  asked you,  “What is truth?”  Today  we  ask  the  same. Fake  news?  Spin?  Poetic licence?  Or  the desire  to  reach  to  the  very  heart  of things: To  inform, teach, reflect,  ponder  this  messy  business  of being  human. Guard, guide  and  protect  our journalists.  Make  them  harbingers  of  truth. And  for those  who  know  you  as  their  Lord, heralds  of  the Gospel  of truth. May  your Kingdom  come.  Amen.”

The Day of Prayer for the Media also encourages churches to have a positive voice and engage regularly with the media.

This article originally appeared in Network Norfolk.