Richard Froese
South Peace News
Easter will be celebrated March 31 and a tradition that started in High Prairie about two decades ago is back!
People in northern Alberta and around the world are invited to join the Holy Week Bible Reading Marathon online March 24-28.
Readers of all denominations are welcomed to read the Bible aloud in one-hour blocks on Zoom in the 100-hour marathon organized by the Anglican Diocese of Athabasca.
St. Mark’s Anglican Church in High Prairie started the event about 20 years ago where the Bible is read in public from Palm Sunday at 1 p.m. to Maundy Thursday at 5 p.m.
“We always had people from many denomination in the local area take part,” says the Rev. Deacon Peter Clarke, of High Prairie, who initiated the community event that was held in the church for many years.
“Now, anyone in the world can register and take part.”
The reading was opened up to the world online in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions closed churches in spring 2020.
The Archbishop of Canterbury in England, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, has agreed to read this year.
“We are pleased with that,” Clarke says.
He is the most senior cleric in the Anglican church worldwide.
Anglican Diocese of Athabasca Bishop David Greenwood, of Peace Peace River, will read Scripture in the first hour and the final hour.
All believers are welcome to participate.
“Please consider being a part of these wonderful few days,” Clarke says.
We encourage families to share the reading of a one-hour time period – you could sing or chant a passage.
“The joy comes from taking part in a worldwide broadcast of reading the Word of God to people you may never know or listening as they proclaim God to you.”
Readers are invited to read from their own Bible translation in any language.
During the last three years, the Bible has been read from numerous languages – English, French, German, Portugese, Shona and Tagalog.
Anyone wishing to participate may register online on the diocesan website at athdio.ca.
A link will enable a person to register.
All times shown are Mountain Time, so the reader will need to calculate the time to read in their local community.
The marathon is broadcast on a Facebook link to the Zoom platform where people can be viewed reading.
