Christian radio station Star is launching itself into uncharted waters for the duration of Holy Week by running adapted versions of the NZPB Morning and Evening Prayer.

The services – of seven minute duration, and broadcast at 5.30am and 11.45pm – are being read by the Rev David Guthrie, the Anglican priest who, in early 2007, began to post the daily prayer offices online.

“This is a major departure for the station,” says David, “and they are interested in gauging what the response of listeners might be to this. The services are developed from my online offices which are broadcast on my website, david.guthrie.net.nz.”

David says the online ministry on his website has grown “exponentially” over the past year, especially in North America and the United Kingdom.

His site is offering the daily morning and evening prayer, Night Prayer, a weekly sermon and semi-regular blogs. He says he is planning to add Midday Prayer to the offering shortly and will make further developments as he can resource them.

“The emails that I receive almost daily,” says David, “tell a story of extraordinary impact that the daily offices are having on people’s lives. They are becoming cornerstones of spirituality.

“Over and over again, people tell me how they are telling everyone in their church about them.

“One priest with an international ministry said that he speaks of them wherever he is in the world. One of the significant features of the offices is that they bring together the whole spectrum of the theological positions.

“I think that two factors are causing this sudden explosion of growth.

“One is the development of data devices that enable people to tune in on phones, iPads as well as computers, wherever they may be.

“The other reason may be deeper: I believe that there is, especially in the United States, a very clear and quite dramatic return to liturgically-based spirituality, especially among the young.”

To find the Star frequency in your area, go to http://www.southernstar.net.nz/