Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/20/2020
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
St. Mary's Catholic Church - Grand Rapids, MI
Categories
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY, JANUARY 18–25, 2020
“They Showed Us Unusual Kindness” (cf. Acts 28:2)
The 2020 theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been selected. “They Showed Us Unusual Kindness” (cf. Acts 28:2). Annually, leaders of faith communities throughout the world gather together to arrive at the theme for the annual celebration of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year the theme finds its origins in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 27:18 – 28:10). The initial work on the theme for this year was prepared by a group of representatives from the Christian Churches in Malta. Representatives of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Conference and members of Christians Together in Malta were gathered together to prepare the working draft of the materials. The texts were finalized during a meeting of the International Committee of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The members of the Committee joined with representatives of the Churches of Malta in September of 2018.
Fr. James Loughran, SA, Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute noted that “as we gather annually throughout the world to pray for the unity of Christians we are reminded of the importance of need for “unusual kindness” in the dialogue the leads to growth in unity. We do this in a world where separation and division hinder the quest for Christian Unity. In 2020, we are being called to show unusual kindness towards one another.”
During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Churches of all faiths are called together to form a vibrant and prayerful witness for Christian Unity by heeding Jesus’s prayer “that they all may be one.”
Fr. Tom Orians, SA, Associate Director of the Ecumenical Institute, noted that in choosing the theme for 2020, the Christians of Malta found that, as Paul recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, it was it is through their unusual kindness that a divided people were drawn closer together (cf. Acts 27:18 – 28:10).
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Servant of God, Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, Founder of the Society of the Atonement, to cover the original days of the feasts of the Chair of St. Peter (January 18) and the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), and therefore have a symbolic significance.
We invite you to take advantage of an opportunity for Christian prayer of reconciliation and unity: The Prayer of Peace is contemplative Christian prayer in the spirit of Taizé (pronounced “teh-ZAY”) using song, scripture, and silence. Ecumenical, it is accessible for Christians of all denominations. Contemplative, it includes many simple, short, repetitive songs that foster meditation.
► Set aside the time for our January prayer:
At 7:00 p.m. Monday, January 20 at St. Mary Church, 423 1st St. NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504. [MAP] Parking is available in the lots and streets immediately surrounding the church, in the block of Broadway, Second, Turner and First Streets NW.
• Involve your body as well as your heart
Volunteers can serve in many ways. A reader is needed to proclaim scripture. Extra hands to put everything away after the prayer are greatly appreciated. Musicians (instrumentalists and singers) are always needed to help lead the prayer. Looking further ahead, we also welcome anyone who would like to be part of planning the selection of songs & prayers to be used. If you would like to participate, please contact us at taize@prayerofpeacegr.org.
• Spread reconciliation
We look forward to seeing you there! Help us spread the news by inviting members of your Sunday assembly, friends, and family. Share this message, and share this event on social media.
God has blessed you.
— Larry Barton & Roberta Lewis-Barton
“…unusual kindness…”
“…una cordialidad poco común…” (Acts 28:2)
