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Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Home News Recovery Sunday focuses on addictions

Recovery Sunday focuses on addictions

Blog Posted: 22 October 2021

Sunday, 31st October will be another milestone in the history of the battle against addiction to alcohol, drugs and other harmful behaviours in Wales, says Wynford Ellis Owen, Specialist Counselling Consultant for CYNNAL – the counselling service for all clergy, ministers of religion, Christian workers, and their families.

This is Wales’ tenth Recovery Sunday. On this Sunday, we invite Christians to unite in prayer for those who are dependent and trapped in addiction, asking God to help us to help them.

Recovery Sunday encourages churches not only to think about those suffering from various dependencies or addictions, to learn more about their situation, their needs and the help available through such centres as Adferiad, the Living Room, Inroads, and other providers, but also to encourage churches to do something practical to help.

This could involve a financial contribution towards the work. Others may take note of what is said in Hebrews 13, 3 “Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them.” The author of the letter to the Hebrews no doubt refers to a literal, physical prison, but on Recovery Sunday let us remember that addiction to alcohol, drugs, food, sex/pornography, gambling etc. is a prison for so many people today.

The service is based on the parable of the Prodigal Son - a parable that reminds us of three steps which, when taken, release us to a new opportunity and therefore to a new life: Recognizing, Arising and Contributing.

"Whatever steals our self-esteem, our life from us, whatever the mask of our respectability, or our dependency, when these and our lives fall naked and annihilation closes in about us, we feel his Love welcoming us, warming us, and restoring us."

“I was a vicar for goodness sake! Sadly, I was a vicar who had spent 18 years believing

that God wanted me to work 70 or 80 hours a week.

Step by step, day by day, I returned to the shattered burnt out shell of my life and slowly, as if from

outside saw it reassemble fragile as porcelain.”

We have also commissioned a new hymn, ‘Recovery Prayer’ especially for this service. The words are by Siôn Aled, and the tune by Sioned Webb.

The service will be broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru on the morning of Sunday 31st October – and you can use this service in your churches. It is available for download from our website: www.cynnal.wales.

Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation and support.