World AIDS Day Sermon
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The Upper Room chapel will hold a special worship service, Wednesday, November 28 at 8:30 a.m. (CST) in The Upper Room Chapel, 1908 Grand Ave. The Rev. Don Messer is the speaker.
On World AIDS Day -- Saturday, December 1 -- we invite you to join the worldwide community in prayer, remembering all those who struggle throughout the world with HIV and AIDS.
The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and the grim global statistics associated with the 46 million people infected worldwide.
The annual observance includes special programs on HIV and AIDS education and religious worship services that focus on intercessory and healing prayer, hope in God and love, and compassion in the midst of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
In addition to the special worship service and dedicated prayer times, Upper Room Ministries-- in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office -- is printing a special prayer book for those persons suffering with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases is the newest in the Pocket Prayer series.
"The HIV & AIDS pandemic is bigger than our human capacity. We must make the very best use of medical research, medicine, social work and education ... they all play a part in solving the crisis. However the motivation, depth of compassion and perseverance to care for those infected and affected must come from prayer. Ultimately, we are depending on God for a solution," said Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide.
Bryant says, "What is unique to this resource (Prayers for Encouragement) is that a number of meditations are written by persons who are HIV+ with full-blown AIDS ... persons seeking God's healing presence while living with stigma, discrimination, and rejection from family and friends."
The 32-page book contain meditations, scriptures and prayers written by persons who have HIV and people who minister with people with HIV & AIDS from around the world.
The goal is to provide the booklet to one million persons around the world who are living with HIV & AIDS.
Since 1981, the US AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing and by the beginning of 2005 there were estimated to be just over 1 million persons living with HIV and approximately 415,000 people living with AIDS in the US. AIDS is thought to have killed over half a million Americans, nearly ten times the number killed in the Vietnam war ... and more become infected every day. |