Southwest Awake 2021

Individuals could sign up, but the aim was to do this in community with a group of friends or family from a church, either staying together at the same spot or spreading out over the mile.

Each person or group registering their involvement chose a location from the map on the sign-up web page, and multiple choices for a location were coloured red, to suggest choosing another.

Participants were asked to pray at 10.30am, whilst looking out to the sea and into the land during the 30 minute time together, and be aware of possible variations of styles and traditions in the event of other groups arriving to pray and worship. Suggested prayers in a range of styles were issued to help with this.

The Revd Margaret Preuss-Higham tweeted a picture - and was soon visible on the BBC story!

Margaret says:

"Can you imagine it, 630 groups standing together and praying for the population of the southwest? I chose to put our benefice down to pray at St Catherine’s Chapel at Abbotsbury and I was delighted to be joined by five parishioners and a dog.

"It was awesome to think that, at every mile of the coast path, fellow Christians were praying that God would awaken the hearts of each person who lives in the Southwest. We were standing together as one, covering the southwest with prayer, looking both inland and out to sea. At the end we clapped and cheered.

"As we were in an elevated position we could see along the coast and we all remarked how wonderful it was to know that we are not alone in praying, we were five people of faith amongst others were doing the same."