Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City
Above, Jeff Bass from the Emmanuel Gospel Center trains 8 new UniteBoston reps about “Living Systems Ministry” last Saturday at our annual UB Reps training.
While we all come from very different backgrounds, we are united because we all love Jesus!
Click here to learn more about UB Reps, or here to learn about other volunteer opportunities with UniteBoston!
Today begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity!
John Armstrong from the Act 3 Network shares with us more about the history of this movement. Check out his blog here: www.johnharmstrong.com
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between January 18 and 25. It is actually an octave, which means the observance lasts for eight days.
The observance began in 1908 and was focused on prayer for the church unity. The basic idea, and the January dates, were suggested by Father Paul Wattson, co-founder of the Graymoor Franciscan Friars. Watson conceived of the week beginning on the Feast of the the Conversion of St. Paul and concluding on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Peter. The dates and ideas actually were a variant of the Protestant version of these Catholic celebrations. (Wattson was himself a former Anglican priest.) In the mid-1920’s Protestant leaders proposed an annual octave for unity leading up to Pentecost. (Many local communities also celebrate this time and offered joint prayers for unity.) Pope Benedict XVI “encouraged its observance throughout the entire Roman Catholic Church.”
What is interesting is that this observance began in Catholic circles but once it jumped boundaries it took new forms and meanings. Abbé Paul Couturier of Lyons, France, who has been called “the father of spiritual ecumenism,” (a model that has profoundly influenced me and one also openly embraced by Pope Francis) had a slightly different approach than Father Wattson. He advocated prayer “for the unity of the Church as Christ wills it, and in accordance with the means he wills.” By this Abbé Couturier enabled other Christians with differing views of the Petrine ministry to join in this movement of prayer. In 1935, he proposed naming the observance “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” This proposal accepted by the Catholic Church in 1966. Abbé Couturier’s message influenced a number of Catholic leaders thus today this is the direction Catholics and Protestants take in their celebration of this week of prayer.
Locally in Boston, you can take part in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by attending:
Below, Protestant and Catholic members of the UB community joined to watch the Spotlight movie together last Sunday and discussed implications for ministry in Boston.
UniteBoston is excited to highlight the Boston Dream Center this week.
The Boston Dream Center is doing amazing work in the area to meet the needs of people in Boston through care and compassion ministries, groups, and outreaches!
Check out their video highlights from 2015 here:
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!
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.
