EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND (ANS) -- The BBC is reporting that Edinburgh City Council in Scotland is to stop holding prayers during its meetings

A banner seen recently outside an Edinburgh church

“The local authority will instead introduce 10-minute ‘Pause for Reflection’ sessions before meetings of the full council,” said their story. “Group leaders and the Lord Provost agreed unanimously to the move.

“The sessions will be open to all staff, councilors and visitors who would normally be attending the full council meeting.”

The BBC said that the sessions will take place in the main council chamber 10 minutes before the monthly Thursday meeting.

The BBC Scotland news website revealed that the sessions will be delivered by representatives from a wide variety of civic and community interests, including faith and belief groups, civic institutions and community and voluntary sector organisations.

“The start of each ‘Pause for Reflection’ session will be signaled by a bell at 09:50, at which point the Lord Provost will accompany the person delivering the session into the chamber,” said the story.

“A further bell will be rung shortly before 10:00, when those not taking part in the session will take their seats for the meeting.

“After this, the city officers will bring in the ceremonial mace and sword to mark the official start of the meeting.”

The first Pause for Reflection session was held on June 28 and delivered by Charlotte Chapel Senior Pastor Paul Rees.

Lord Provost Donald Wilson

Lord Provost Donald Wilson told the BBC: “Scotland's capital is a place of tolerance, fairness and diversity and I am more than proud to stand as first citizen in such a forward-looking city.

“As a council, we have a duty to respect the beliefs, opinions and interests of all our residents, which is why this review of the current Prayers at full council meetings seems entirely appropriate.

“These ‘Pause for Reflection’ sessions will be genuinely inclusive, providing a time for contemplation open to all staff, councillors and visitors who would normally be attending full council meetings.”


 

Dan Wooding, 71, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. Dan has recently received two top media awards -- the "Passion for the Persecuted" award from Open Doors US, and one of the top "Newsmakers of 2011" from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 44 books, the latest of which is "Caped Crusader: Rick Wakeman in the 1970s." To order a copy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1 . Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.