The Olympic torch is on its way

The Olympics are just around the corner … yesterday saw the start of the 100-day countdown to the Games and, a month from today, on 19 May, the Olympic torch starts its journey around the UK in Lands End – finishing 70 days later, in the Olympic Stadium in east London.  The 70-day Cascade of Prayer begins on the same day.

The Olympic flame will come within ten miles of 95 per cent of the UK population and the URC is urging its churches to check out the detailed, street-by-street, route to see how close it will pass to your church:   http://www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay 

As the torch travels the length and breadth of the UK, the excitement around the Games will build – and it will be fantastic to see United Reformed churches being part of this wave of energy and enthusiasm.  There’s still time to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Games; and the torch relay provides a great focus for this.

More than Gold, the ecumenical umbrella organisation co-coordinating the churches’ response to the Games, have prepared a paper available here  which gives more practical information about the torch relay and prayer cascade, including ideas around prayer, worship and church led community events.  

 Photo credit: Olympic Torch 2010 by beckysnyder
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckysnyder/4261192991/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en