Merry Christmas, Gabriel – Uh can I see some ID?
In his blog “Merry Christmas, Gabriel – Uh can I see some ID?” Blake Coffee from churchwhisperer.com asks the important question, “Do I greet Christian brothers and sisters looking them in the eye with a genuine expectation of seeing Christ there?”
Click here to read his timely message.
All of us at UniteBoston pray that you and your loved ones would find the incarnation of Christ present with you as you celebrate His birth this week.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Guest Blog: God Is Not Served By Human Hands
Kelsey Karys, UniteBoston Rep and previous intern with Cru campus ministry, is passionate about Christian unity. She shares her reflections after attending the Taize Prayer service at MIT during UniteBoston’s 10 Days Boston event.
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I remember helping my dad build our swing set when I was a child. He handed me a hammer, and showed me how to pound, pound, pound a nail into a piece of wood while he looked on, guiding my hand when I needed, and always giving the finishing pound, burying the nail into the wood. I eventually reached an age where I realized that what took me thirty pint-sized pounds, my dad could have done with one, but his affection towards me was so great that it didn’t matter.
CALLED OUT
As I take a step back from college ministry for a season, I am having one of those moments again, where I realize first, how great an architect my Daddy is, and second, how much love and patience He has for me, fumbling around in this grown-up world.
I worked in campus ministry for two years, with the goal of seeing a house of prayer rise up on every campus in Boston. So when God called me out of the campus scene so quickly, in my me-centric world I asked Him, “How is there supposed to be a revival in Boston if I’m not on campuses starting houses of prayer?!” I thought my fears were validated when I heard the news that the MIT House of Prayer would not be continuing this school year.
I heard a familiar voice saying, though, “Hey Kelsey, answer me one thing. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 1:4)
A NEW THING
I was seated in MIT’s dimly lit chapel before an icon of Jesus, surrounded by flickering candles. I knelt on a prayer rug with about 30 others, and while they chanted in Latin, I just listened. I tried to listen beyond the haunting echoes off the tall stone walls, past the frustration that I didn’t know the language, and beyond the discomfort of having to sit still, so different from the charismatic worship gatherings that I so easily box God into.
As I listened, I asked, “God, what are you doing here? Where are you?”
Sitting next to me was Sabrina, a new Catholic missionary at MIT with a heart to bring together the different fellowships in prayer and worship. Kelly, a close friend who leads a movement called Unite Boston, bringing together churches and denominations around the city to pray and worship Jesus together, chanted on my other side. In front of me was Erik, one of my former Cru students with a heart for unreached people groups. Behind me was a large group from the Lutheran-Episcopal Ministry, who in all my time at MIT I had never seen gather with the larger Christian population. A girl from Intervarsity sat nearby, and a professor stood in the shadows in the back.
In the stillness of this Taize gathering, God whispered back, “I am doing a new thing”.
Taize prayer is a contemplative ecumenical prayer style started by a protestant monastic community in Switzerland in 1940. There is no one leader, and much of the gathering is silent, but at a few points different people read scripture in their own tongue, and the songs, which are more like chants, are often sung in Latin.
At the end of the gathering, one of the Lutheran campus ministers stood and announced that a Taize prayer gathering would be happening once a week in the MIT chapel for the remainder of the year.
MY DREAMS ARE TOO SMALL
I have dreamed and prayed for weekly prayer gatherings in the MIT chapel for years, but my dream was too small because it was just that — my dream, shaped by mycomforts, my prejudices, and my ambitions. Just as King David wasn’t allowed to build God a house, it was never going to be my job to build God a house at MIT. I may have placed a few nails and pounded them a few times with my hammer, but God won’t be limited by the ceiling of the dreams I’ve built. Instead, He lets me dream with Him, just big enough to require faith, and even shows me the fulfillment of some of those dreams.
This year, the MIT chapel is finally becoming a house of prayer — Taize-style prayer that is. For me, it stands as a reminder that “the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything,” (Acts 17:24-25).
*Note: Taize services take place on Sunday evenings at 8:00pm in the MIT Chapel. Come and join for a rich contemplative time of worship and prayer.
*Originally published on campusrenewal.org; republished with permission
UB Pics: “Better Together” Workshop and UB Bonfire!
On November 12, UniteBoston hosted Paul Fleischmann from the Better Together Ministry.
Stories and S’Mores on Singing Beach!
UniteBoston hosted a bonfire on Singing Beach on Saturday November 21st.
The night was beautiful; with a moonlit sky and the ocean waves crashing behind us, we shared stories around a campfire about how God was working in our lives.
New friends, great laughs, fun songs.
Exciting Announcement: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
Today is an exciting day for us at UniteBoston!
When’s the last time that you saw an article on Christian unity published in the Boston Globe?
This morning, it was announced that Catholic and Lutheran leaders will be observing the 500th anniversary of the reformation together.
Below is the press release, and check out the Boston Globe article here: “Groups Vow Unity Ahead of Reformation Anniversary”
UniteBoston will be helping to coordinate united service projects as part of this initiative; stay tuned for more details!
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In the Spirit of a Commitment to the Journey to full unity, Catholic and Lutheran Leaders announce Preparations for the Observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
Braintree, MA – November 10, 2015 – Five centuries after Western Civilization split into two halves, Catholic and Protestant, and more than 50 years of international dialogue, the two sides are using the 500th anniversary of the Reformation to move closer together. From now until October 2017, with cooperative ventures in service, arts, academics, and evangelization, it is the hope and prayer of Catholics and Lutherans that this effort will contribute to advancing the goal of full unity.
In a joint letter (above) Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley and Lutheran Bishop James Hazelwood wrote, “Our common ground lies in the life-giving Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We share one baptism into Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.” They added, “As we proceed toward this observance, we give thanks for our mutual baptism into Christ Jesus and our irrevocable commitment to full visible unity. For this we must all work and pray.” The full text of the letter is available at www.nesynod.org and www.bostoncatholic.org.
Recently the USCCB issued a statement stating that “Lutherans and Catholics together have issued the “Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist,” a unique ecumenical document that marks a pathway toward greater visible unity between Catholics and Lutherans. The October 30 release of the document comes on the eve of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation.” The USCCB noted that at the heart of the document are 32 Statements of Agreement where Lutherans and Catholics already have reached consensus in terms of the church, ministry and Eucharist. The document also indicates differences still remaining and possible paths forward.
Bishop Hazelwood (Lutheran), “This is an opportunity to pursue a shared commitment to the journey to full unity, coming together around our common agreement on the Heart of the Gospel, listening together to our responsibility to the environment, serving together our world, connecting together to the regional, national, international ecumenical commemoration.”
Vito Nicastro, PhD, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, said, “It is important to understand that this is a mission driven event. In fact all ecumenism is an evangelization opportunity because our unity is around the gospel. The opportunity to learn from each other is exciting. The worldwide observance is turning this event into a sign of hope.”
As the commemoration progresses there are increasing opportunities for participation of all denominations of Protestants.
For more information, contact:
-Andy Merritt, Communications Director of the New England Synod, ELCA, amerritt@nesynod.org, 508-333-1761
-Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of Boston, 617-435-0019, vnicastro@earthlink.net
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