Event tweaks theme to emphasize unity

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast has a unique guest this year: the Grey Cup. With the city celebrating last year’s Grey Cup victory, prayer breakfast organizers appointed 1976 Grey Cup champion Gerry Organ as this year’s speaker.

“Knowing the Grey Cup would be held in Ottawa this year, for ‘Canada 150’, we through it would be great if we could get the actual trophy on site,” says Richard Long, one of the event organizers. “The CFL was very gracious to agree. So we also got on the official Ottawa 150 list of events as a result.”

Since it started, eight years ago, each breakfast featured the theme, “Who is my neighbour?” but this year Organ tweaked it for a double entendre.

“The theme will be ‘Let’s have a drink together,’” he explains. “Ever since Jesus’ day, the best way to teach, preach, and influence was over a meal and a drink. I’m building the case that we really need to drink together as a preparation for working together to love our neighbours and advocate for them.”

“Getting together is an essential component of what God has called us to do.”

Organ says the theme plays off the idea of loving our neighbours by emphasizing the need for Christian unity.

“The one thing CFL teams all desire to do is drink together from the Grey Cup. Good teams work together. They play hard together and they challenge each other toward excellence. [The Church] needs to be strong like a good team by metaphorically drinking together, having fun together, and celebrating together, and then loving our neighbours.”

The Breakfast always has a focus of praying for Ottawa’s leadership and first responders. This year is no exception, but Organ says praying for and supporting the city and its officials takes a community.

“Getting together is an essential component of what God has called us to do. The stronger we are as a community, in fellowship, the stronger we can be in praying for and supporting the endeavors of our city leaders and those who provide security. Their job becomes easier when we do our work of prayer, service, and loving our neighbours.”

“We feel that God is pouring out a spirit of prayer on our city.”

Long says another addition this year is that they made special arrangements so pastoral leaders could gather for prayer after the Breakfast.

“This year there is an extra effort to increase the prayer happening on this date and going forward,” states Long. “We feel that God is pouring out a spirit of prayer on our city and we want to do our part to facilitate this.”

The prayer breakfast is scheduled for Friday, October 27, starting at 7:15 at the Ottawa Conference and Convention Centre.