WDP 2008 - Guyana

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is located on the northern coast of South America, but culturally Guyana is Caribbean and it is considered part of the West Indies. It is the only English-speaking country on the continent. It was known as British Guiana, but on becoming independent in 1966, it adopted the name Guyana, which is an Amerindian word meaning "Land of Many Waters". Three great rivers, the Essequibo, the Demerara and the Berbice divide the country. One of the headwaters of the Essequibo River is the source of the mighty Kaieteur Falls, the highest single drop waterfall in the world.

Click here to download background information about Guyana.

The theme of the service is "God's Wisdom Provides New Understanding" and the main text is
from Job 28:28: "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."

When we take up this theme for 2008, it might be helpful to begin with a memory that fills us with awe and fear. Recall the memory and its intensity. Hold both the wonder and the trepidation. Be aware of how your amazement is coloured by fright. In an attitude of reverence tinged with trepidation we are ready to take the first step.
The WDP Committee of Guyana welcomes us to the marvels of God to be seen in the natural beauty of Guyana’s rivers, waterfalls and ocean coast, its savannas and its exotic flowers and birds, its peoples of diverse cultures. The response is Psalm 111, a hymn of praise and a reminder, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
We press forward in our understanding of wisdom by taking up the Book of Job and the distressing dilemma of suffering. Job does not find answers but rather gains a new depth of relationship, a keener awareness of God’s holiness. Thus the Book of Job tells us that wisdom is not something we can learn but rather a relationship that grows through experience, questions and struggles. God is near, going through the process with us, no matter how difficult.
We are sent forth by taking up John 15: 9-17. This text is part of the great discourse Jesus makes at the last supper. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. With Jesus, our relationship with God grows beyond our imagination. It is a relationship rooted in love of God and love of one another. The fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom, continues to grow and becomes a relationship centred in love.

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WDP Scottish Committee - Scottish Charity No: SCO 20446