Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Saturday 18th January 2020The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is ‘Unusual Kindness’.
Hospitality is a much needed virtue. It calls us to a greater generosity to those in need. The people who showed unusual kindness to Paul and his companions did not yet know Christ, and yet it is through their unusual kindness that a divided people were drawn closer together. Our own Christian unity will be discovered not only through showing hospitality to one another, but also through loving encounters with those who do not share our language, culture or faith.
In our diocese, we have a unique partnership at Christ Church, Nelson. Last November, a service was held to renew the values tying the Methodist and Catholic community together in their shared place of worship.
During the service, a commitment was made to engage in joint worship, prayer and study to enhance understanding and value among one another, and to make a clear commitment to each other.
The church has been shared by the Methodist Church and Roman Catholic Church since 2004, which is an arrangement entirely unique to Lancashire, but the Renewal of the Covenant is a new ceremony which it is hoped will be repeated annually going forward.
Parishioner at Christ Church, Maggie King, said: “The partnership we have is just fantastic and most of all, it’s unique. It’s about more than sharing a building, it’s about learning, coming together and being tolerant of each other’s beliefs. The future is bright!”
The partnership at Christ Church is just one example of Christians working together to find common ground and live out the Gospel.
Find resources to use in your parish by visiting Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Tagged | Catholic Church
