Prayers composed by children at an inner-city Church of England primary school are being across the U.K. as part of the diamond jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The students St. Matthew’s Westminster in downtown London created prayers using the church’s resource kit. The “Worship Workshop” helps Anglicans develop ceremonies for all kinds of different occasions, by season and across topics ranging from courage and creation to thankfulness and reverence.
This resource is available online and has been circulated in print to 4,800 Church of England primary schools, more than 200 secondary schools and 16,000 churches.
“Our children, who come from a wealth of religious and ethnic backgrounds, relished the opportunity to write prayers in honour of the Queen,” head teacher Emily Norman told the Church of England’s media office. “They were all able to choose qualities they admire in the Queen and give thanks for who she is.”
She added that celebration and thankfulness are important values at St. Matthew’s. “I am very proud of what they have produced and how these prayers are now able to be used by others.”
According to Mary Hawes, the national children’s adviser for the Church of England, the prayers of the children from St. Matthew’s have caught people’s imagination. “They are being used in schools and churches across the country-and beyond!”
Hawes has received a lot of feedback about the following prayer, written by a little girl called Miracle:
Dear Almighty God and giver of life, we thank you for blessing our Queen with long life. We pray that you continue to strengthen her, as only you are able to do, so that she may continue to reign with love and compassion. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen
“It seems to really go to the heart of the celebrations,” said Hawes.
