wfn.org | ACNS Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources available

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 4096     |     ACO     |	  18 JANUARY 2005

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources available

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will be observed by
Christian churches worldwide January 18-25, has adopted as its theme the
passage from Matthew 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered in my name,
I am there among them."

Chosen by an ecumenical group in Ireland, the theme is intended "to draw
attention to Jesus as the source of our unity" and to underline "the
simplicity of two or three coming together in Christian mutual love as a
vital means of building up relations between divided peoples and
communities," according to the World Council of Churches.

Week of Prayer resources are available online and include an
introduction to the theme; a suggested ecumenical worship service that
local churches are encouraged to adapt for their own particular
liturgical, social and cultural contexts; biblical reflections and
prayers for the "eight days;" and additional prayers from, and an
overview of, the ecumenical situation in the particular country that has
prepared the material -- in this case, Ireland.

The 2006 Week of Prayer materials are available on the World Council of
Churches website.
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop2006contents.html

"[We are] mindful that hope for the future, and peace and reconciliation
in the present necessarily involved dealing with painful memories and
hurtful grievances of the past," the Irish preparatory group said. It is
"in that spirit," they added, "that all Christians who use these Week of
Prayer resources are encouraged to come together in prayer and in mutual
love to seek to understand each other amidst differences."

Jointly prepared since 1968 by the World Council of Churches and the
Roman Catholic Church, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is
traditionally celebrated from January 18-25, although in the Southern
hemisphere, other dates are sometimes chosen, for example, around
Pentecost.

For additional information contact Juan Michel at +41 22 791 6153 or +41
79 507 6363, email: media@wcc-coe.org.

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