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Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18 – 25 January All Things in Common
An ecumenical group in Jerusalem invites the world-wide Church to pray with them for the unity of the Church and justice and peace in the Holy Land and through the world.
Resources from http://www.ctbi.org.uk/511
David Cornick, CTE General Secretary, writes in the January 2011 newsletter:
http://www.churches-together.net/Groups/44168/Churches_Together_in/News_Events/CT_E_NEWS/CT_E_NEWS.aspx
Enjoy yourselves and enjoy Christ in each other
There is a story told about St Francis and St Clare deciding to meet one day on opposite sides of a stream. But the stream was too broad for them to hear each other, and so they decided to follow the stream back to its source, and as the channel narrowed, they were able enjoy conversation and each other’s company.
Those who think of church unity as a kind of merger management, the frail solidarity of declining congregations, misunderstand. It is not about that. It is about travelling back to the one who is the source of all truth, the fountain of all grace, and the origin of all hope. As we draw closer to Christ, we draw closer to all those who call him Lord. The mystery and wonder of the Christian life is that in a way that is beyond our understanding, we are made one with Christ. And that, as Paul reminded the Ephesians, was not simply a matter of personal salvation, but a process of social reconciliation, of Jews and Gentiles being made one – ‘…he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups one…one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace.’ (Eph 2:14-15 NRSV).
As we come closer to Christ, the magnitude of the divisions between us will shrink as we recognise more of Christ in each other. Unity is God’s gift. It can’t be forced like early season rhubarb. Cover it with dark sheets of aims, objectives, key performance indicators and business plans and it will wither and die. The Spirit is peculiarly resistant to being packaged neatly, preferring the freedom of the wind and the open canvas of faithful discipleship. Rather unity has to grow from the rich soil of prayer and shared delight in the Christian life – enjoying each other in Christ, and Christ in each other. Unity isn’t about bureaucracy and endless committees, dull forms and mind numbing boredom. It’s about life and laughter and joy, celebration and service.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to be in Westminster Abbey for evening prayer during the Papal visit witnessed something extraordinary. What might have been a Christian version of celebrity culture turned into something completely, profoundly different. Here were Christian communities delighting in their common discipleship, seeing in each other a faithfulness to Jesus which made the divisions between us fade into insignificance, at least for a few precious minutes.
Unity isn’t a drag, its party-time, a celebration of God’s outrageous generosity in reconciling not just Jew and Gentile, but in laying waste all our neatly constructed human differences of race and gender and nation and class and culture by the radical love of Christ. Pray, then, during this Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, but more, enjoy yourselves and enjoy Christ in each other.
Friday 21 January 7.30pm in Lady Chapel at St Dominic’s Priory, Southampton Rd NW5 4LB
Prayer with Songs from Taizé – a reflective time with readings, silence, prayers and chants.
Please let Marion know if you would like to help with readings or leading the singing/music.
Sunday 23 January 4.30pm at Hampstead Parish Church, Church Row NW3 6UU
Choral Evensong with Churches Together in Hampstead followed by refreshments.
Tuesday 25 January 7pm at Holy Cross, Cromer Street, WC1 8JU
Candle-lit service of prayers and music with churches and student chaplaincies in and around Kings Cross.
Followed by bread, soup, cheese and fruit.
Last updated 18/1/11
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