Ephesians 4:1-6:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. In these verses, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that unity is an expression of the trinitarian life revealed in us through our taking on and living out the gifts of faith, hope, and love.
Those who experience the joint workings of various types of Christian church often find them to enlightening and uplifting. They come away enriched in their faith by the dialogue that they have with others. The fellowship is uplifting and life-giving, especially when we are facing painful issues and difficult choices about where and how we can share time and resources.
It can be very difficult to express to power of such shared time. It needs to be experienced to be fully understood. As we look around our church communities we see that too many of us are still not getting the opportunity to meet with others. Some of the barriers are structural – people do not have enough opportunities to meet in the course of the “normal” life of the Church. Other barriers can be more personal, such as when we lack confidence because we feel that that the other place is ‘different’.
As we reflect on the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which set out common dialogue and regulation for the work of the Christian Churches, it is a good time to examine on how we are speaking now about the work of Christian unity, and whether we could do this more effectively.
There is much to celebrate in the achievements of our ecumenical journey and the way in which this work contributes to unity in mission and collective witness to our faith in the public square. It is understandable that when we come together we would wish to focus more on the things we share, and what connects us, yet it is equally important to avoid the temptation to minimise our differences and play down the tensions.
Today in our ecumenical work we continue to rely on structures to provide space for regular meetings and joint ventures, to give confidence by setting parameters for dialogue and establishing processes to deal with issues that can put pressure on our relationships.
Prayer: Loving God, May the unity to which we are called in Your name, shine like a light for all to see. Help us to support one another in difficult times, keeping each other on the right path, the path that leads to restoration of relationships in justice and mercy.
Give us the courage and humility to navigate the tensions we encounter being led not by our own interests and convictions but being guided by the Spirit. We know that this work of unity is not to be kept behind closed doors and that Christ has shown us how to live and share our faith in dialogue with others. Help us to follow that example. Amen.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 18-25, 2025
