UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

2020 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Photos & Stories

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international initiative where Christians worldwide are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17:21).

Locally, UniteBoston coordinates evening collaborative gatherings of fellowship, prayer and worship from January 18-25 annually. 

This year’s theme was about how we can show “unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2) to become witnesses of God’s love to all people. This year, we had an incredibly diverse denominational representation, including Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Baptist, and more. Check out the photos below to get a sense of the diverse array of ethnicities, traditions, and geography that make up the Church in Boston!

A group shot with some of the leaders who hosted worship gatherings and neighborhood dinners during this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
“Let us pray that we may learn what it means to be God’s hospitality to our world, that the barriers that divide us may be broken down…” This is just one of the prayers that we prayed on Sunday night at the MIT Chapel. God met us deeply as we prayed in the style of Taize, with beautiful harmonic singing and scriptures read in languages representing God’s children around the world.
The youth led the service at Peoples Baptist Church, which included trivia about Martin Luther King Jr., singing MLK’s favorite songs, and interceding for the needs of the community. The youth are involved in outreach to the homeless and attendees were invited, at the end of the evening, to make small bags of toiletries, gloves and other items and take them with them to bless those they might meet in the weeks to come. Young and old, black and white, Catholic and Protestant sang together to conclude the service: “We shall overcome / We’ll walk hand in hand.”
An incredibly diverse group of people came out to the prayer service at People’s Baptist Church – spanning race, generation, and denomination.

I had a great time visiting People’s Baptist Church! I knew about this church and its rich history but had not yet visited. I got a chance to visit during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity when I attended an event there held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was so blessed by the love and generosity of the Youth Minister and her children who ran the service!
-Cleopatra Muhammad, UniteBoston Dorchester Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator and member of Restoration City Church

Here is a video of of the People’s Baptist Church youth singing some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite songs.
Paulist novice Christopher Malabo created this video with highlights from Monday’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer service led by the youth of People’s Baptist Church.

“Being at the UniteBoston Monday evening service led by young people who are part of People’s Baptist Church was so on-target to me.  It is critically important that in today’s Boston twenty and thirty year old committed  Christians need to be seen by all Bostonians as TOP Christian leaders here, and I saw that at that UniteBoston meeting.”

-Ralph Kee, Greater Boston Church Planting Network

We had a great time of food, conversation and prayer with Christians from a variety of congregations in Dorchester on Tuesday night. The first Christians in Malta were shown “unusual kindness” by the islanders (Acts 28:2), and we are called to do the same.
Small group conversation on “unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2). May God show us together how to demonstrate this kindness, that Christians might be known in our neighborhoods for our love! (Photo Credit: Josh Wilson from The Table)

“This was my husband’s and my first time at a UB neighborhood dinner and it was great! We met Christians from lots of different churches in a friendly home setting, and we heard about God at work in house churches in various corners of the city. We also prayed the same prayer with Christians all over the world praying that same week. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of.” 

-Jess Mason, Member of Forest Hills Covenant Church

The Protestant / Catholic divide was breached on Wednesday evening as Catholics and Episcopals from downtown congregations joined together to pray for Christian unity. Rev. Colin Leech challenged us to respond to all calamities with kindness, because that in itself will be unusual and witness to the reign of God.

The Taizé community in France is an ecumenical Christian community dedicated to prayer, reconciliation, and Christian unity. While taking part in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity as the leader of Taizé prayer at MIT, I encountered the Paulist Fathers for the first time, and discovered that the mission of the Paulist Fathers includes seeking unity among Christians and building bridges of respect and collaboration with members of other world religions. I was delighted to pray deeply in the company of fellow spiritual seekers, both in “my house” (the chapel at MIT) and “their house” (the Paulist Center in downtown Boston).
-Susan Butterworth, graduate of the Episcopal Divinity School and leader of the weekly “Song & Stillness: Taize at MIT” prayer service in the MIT Chapel.

At our Medford/Malden neighborhood dinner on Thursday night, Christians who lived near one another met for the first time! We also considered the people in our lives that God might be inviting us to show “unusual kindness” – coworkers, housemates, and neighbors.
On Friday evening, thirty people came out for a spirit-filled prayer service in one of Boston’s storefront churches dedicated to innocent convicts and law enforcement officers, led by Ossy Osagie of The Innocent Convicts.
Brother Osagie is passionate about his work. “As of today, the National Registry of Exonerations lists about 2,480 men and women who’ve been cleared of wrongful convictions in the last 25 years – 40 percent had been incarcerated for at least ten years before their exonerations.”

“Boston is filled with storefront churches throughout Roxbury, Dorchester and many other surrounding communities. These vibrant communities of faith are often overlooked when people from outside Boston talk about how this area is unchurched. Christ Church International is where Brother Osagie attends. He invited Pastor Sharon to lead the prayers not only for the innocent convicts but for the eyes of law enforcement and judicial system officials eyes to be opened to these wrongful convictions and to resist systemic pressures that might lead to such convictions in the first place. I have a heart for systemic issues related to mass incarceration but I learned to pray in a whole new way that night.”

-Rev. Dana Baker, UniteBoston Board Member

People from a variety of Christian backgrounds – Catholic, Evangelical, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, and more – gathered at Faith Lutheran Church on Saturday evening for the concluding prayer service. We also heard testimonies of how people had seen the unity of the church throughout the week, whether through reconciled friendships or experiencing God in a new way through worshipping in a new tradition.
Pastor Robin invited one of the leaders of the Eritrean Church that meets in his building to share part of their story – a story of persecution in their homeland. He encouraged Christians in the United States to use our freedom to worship God, as many Christians throughout the world are not free to worship. We also sang a song in Tigrinya. It is not unusual for churches in Boston to host 2, 3, or more (often immigrant) congregations in their buildings – often “showing unusual kindness” to one another.
Final group shot the last evening – Shout out to Antioch Church for all the young people who came out to pray that evening! They represent the next generation of leaders that are being raised up towards unity rather than division.

“It was inspiring to be in the presence of Christians who express and go about their faith in different ways than I regularly experience.  Some of it arose in me what I imagine the roots of our Christianity to have felt and looked like.”

-Erika Salloux, Member of St. Cecilia Parish in Boston

“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity services were an experiential exemplification of the richness of spiritual gifts the different traditions of Christian faith offer to one another–the contemplative eve of Taize prayer at MIT . . . the energetic movement and music and prayer at People’s Baptist Church . . . the dynamic preaching by the UCC pastor at the Paulist Center . . . . It was a wonderful witness to the mutual enrichment offered to us all in our relations with each other! “
-Fr. Tom Ryan, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations

“I valued the opportunity to gather with believers at different houses of worship in the city that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. It made me realize that there’s an outpouring of worship for God happening all across the city and I didn’t even know it! Every event that I went to that week made me see the beauty of the body of Christ in ways I did not expect or anticipate. Taking part in these worship gatherings in discrete enclaves throughout the city and seeing the earnestness of the believers in prayer and action warmed my soul and provided encouragement that the Church really is the hope of the world. After having participated at various prayer gatherings that week, I feel more connected with the life of the Church in Boston and hope that this experience will foster more of a desire for that amongst believers in the city.” 

-Saranya Sathananthan, Ministry Development Associate at the Emmanuel Gospel Center and member of Antioch Community Church Brighton

The Upper Room Worship Experience

We are inviting all Pastors, ministers, and Christians to join us in worship and prayer during the week of prayer for Christian Unity.

This is an event open to all or non-denominational Christian communities to bring unity in the Body of Christ. We want to give Boston the opportunity to come together and worship but most importantly pray for Christian unity.

For more information about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, visit www.uniteboston.com/wpcu

When Heaven Rejoices

United, diverse worship in the Boston Common at the UB Celebration of Worship this past summer. Photo Credit: Benji Wagner

With the new year 2020 fast approaching, many experience a call to “start anew,” whether it be through resolutions, habits, or even lifestyles. In the spirit of thoughtful reflection and great change taking place during this time, we’re excited to share an inside look into singer Jen Aldana’s original music video: “Heaven Rejoices.”  Jen is a Boston based singer-songwriter and worship leader at Impact Church in Medford, MA. She was also a singer in UniteBoston’s 3rd annual Celebration of Worship and in the blog below, she also shares about how her experience in the band shaped her understanding of different denominations within the Church.

Released on November 1st, “Heaven Rejoices” captures the stories of those who may be struggling or feel disconnected, but ultimately find their way back to a state of grace through facing their fears and reconnecting with God. These stories are shown from the perspectives of three primary characters: 

  1. The “Happy” Couple, played by Jen’s Impact Church friends Saskia and Jalen, focuses on a woman who feels tied in an unhealthy relationship with her significant other, but finds the strength to walk away after realizing “she deserves better than this” because she is “beautifully, wonderfully made and loved by God.” 
  2. The Dreamer, played by Jen’s song producer Danny Godwin, touches on struggles with anxiety, prescription drug addiction, and emotional disconnection from friends–culminating in a “moment of relief” when the character lets go of his addiction in order to “give it up to God.” 
  3. The Runaway, played by Jen’s Impact Church friend Brittany, serves as the most abstract character “running away” from an unseen fear in the woods, but eventually “brings the whole video together” through her “rejoicing” and “dancing.” 

According to Jen, the video’s anecdotes are adapted versions of her own experiences building her relationship with God through challenging circumstances, but are told in a broader “fill in the blank” framework so viewers can relate them to their own lives. “With the video concept, I didn’t want it to be like ‘let’s show a bunch of people in a group and suddenly they get saved,’” Jen said. “It’s beautiful when that happens, but I also wanted to show imagery of struggles that relate to my story as well. Man and women alike can relate to the stories displayed in the video, and how easy it is to get tangled in these situations.” 

Tying it all together, the chorus of Jen’s song “Heaven rejoices when the lost are found” acts as a thread woven throughout that inadvertently communicates the ever-cited hopeful perspective that ‘that it’s never too late to start anew.’ That said, Jen is quick to point out that the characters’ illustrated scenarios are complex, that their transitions are based on individual decisions rather than A-to-B transformations, and that the struggles represented may still continue even while walking with God. “I wanted to show for the people who already believe that this walk is not easy,” Jen said. “You’re still going to struggle, and tough things are going to happen, but God is always present”. 

Jen’s motivation to share such individual experiences stems from her drive to communicate topics “that are not openly spoken about or shown in art or music you would put under a ‘Christian’ category. “I’ve always been a person to tackle a heavy topic, and I wanted to express myself the same way I would artistically if the music wasn’t faith-based,” Jen said. “So I just want to show, this is what real life looks like, but God is still there. He can still be there for you, and present in your life if you want him to be there.”

Inspired by Luke 15:10, Jen sees her own music work in close alignment with UniteBoston’s mission for “Christian unity” because the underlying themes of ‘rejoicing’ and ‘starting anew’ ring “true regardless of denomination.” Reflecting this back to experience at this year’s UniteBoston Celebration of Worship, Jen said her “awesome conversations about Jesus” with fellow singer Lucia Maria were “very unifying” because they had the “same heart rooted in Jesus, originating from different denominations (Protestant and Catholic).” “Heaven still rejoices when you choose God, when you accept Him into your life,” Jen said. “Every church home offers a different thing, but Jesus is all the same, the same God that we serve. And I think that pretty much embodies what UniteBoston is about: breaking barriers and bringing people from different denominations and church homes together. It was just such a beautiful moment for me.” 

Jen Aldana with the vocalists at the UB Celebration of Worship (PC: Benji Wagner)

INVASION

About 2000 years ago, the eternal word of God invaded our world by becoming flesh and walking on the face of the earth (John 1:1-14). As followers of Christ, we celebrate His miraculous birth regularly, however, during this time of the year we have the opportunity to make an even bigger deal of this INVASION as the whole world tunes in during the Christmas season. Come join us as we celebrate and worship the King of Kings through song, dance, spoken word, rap, art, and musicianship. More than 5 Greater Boston church ministries will come together on this night to offer our artistic abilities to the glory of God, and we are looking forward to you joining us.

The tickets are priced so that everyone can afford to come out so see you there on Saturday, Dec 14th @6:30PM. Come for the show, and stay for the afterglow with DJ Guital!

 

Grace and Peace

Meet the Two New UniteBoston Board Members!

On the left, Pastor Robin Lutjohann from Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge, and at right, Father Tom Ryan from the Paulist Center in downtown Boston

The UniteBoston Board is an incredible team of clergy, leading Christian communities from a diversity of denominational and ethnic backgrounds. Together, we seek to model the unity we have in Jesus Christ amidst our ecclesial diversity. You can meet the entire UB Staff, Volunteers, and Board here – and below are the board profiles for our two new board members, Pastor Robin Lutjohann from Faith Lutheran Church and Father Tom Ryan from the Paulist Center.

Pastor Robin Lutjohann

Ministry Roles:

“I am glad to serve as pastor to a quirky and lovely little church in Cambridge: Faith Lutheran Church. It’s a community full of grace, which I believe is desperately needed in an often grace-starved world. It’s also a church that somehow its able to hold a variety of theological perspectives, age groups, and ideological commitments in one body. To be sure, we are very flawed, but we mostly know it too. And from that self-awareness, we can appreciate God’s lavish kindness and pass it on to others.”

Why Robin enjoys serving with UB:
“I am impressed by UB’s ability to bring very different followers of Jesus together. In fact, our church has already benefited from this in a number of ways. I believe in the unity of the church, not just as an aspiration, but as a present reality. In my own Lutheran tradition, we have a somewhat minimalist conception of what “church” means. Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed and people gather to share the sacraments — there is the church of Christ. So, I see UniteBoston simply manifesting what is already true about the Body of Christ. Our unity is not something to achieved — it’s something to be lived! And I want to be a part of that.”

About Robin:
“I am a native of Berlin, Germany. I came to this continent for college and stayed because I fell in love with my wife Heather and with the city of Boston. I am a proud Allstonian and can be found cycling manically to and fro various coffee shops, bars, churches, and museums. I grew up unchurched in a loving family of musicians, bartenders, poets, hippies, and trouble-makers. When I was in college, Jesus decided to blindside me with the full heft of the Gospel and plunk me into an ecumenical community of Christian students. My best friends were the daughter of a Pentecostal missionary, a Catholic woman with a conflicted call to the priesthood, a environmentalist who had recently converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, and an aspiring Jesuit brother. Through many conversations and countless long nights of reading and praying, I ended up in the Lutheran church (ELCA). I was baptized in the Charles River, not far from one of the boathouses in Cambridge. Ever since, God has been throwing me into the wonderful company of the saints, and I am beyond grateful. After some time of study at Harvard’s Divinity School and a brief stint of appeasing the needs of a Lutheran education in the Midwest, I have found myself right back where it all started, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Father Tom Ryan

Ministry Roles:
Executive Director, Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, located since 2016 in downtown Boston

Why Tom enjoys serving with UB:
‘The ecumenical movement has produced volumes of dialogue Agreed Statements over the past 50 years, which by and large are gathering dust on bookshelves. Those Agreed Statements need to find concrete expression at the grassroots level among church members, and that’s the significant and vitalizing contribution Unite Boston is making in neighborhoods and congregations in the region.  My passion too is grassroots engagement, and it is a deep joy to join hands in the gospel work of this Holy Spirit-animated network, responding in concrete, practical ways to Jesus’ prayer for his followers that ‘they all may be one’.” (Jn 17:21).”

About Father Tom:
A member of the Paulist Fathers, Fr. Tom did his theological studies at the Washington (DC) Theological Coalition, the University of Geneva and the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Switzerland. He directed the Canadian Center for Ecumenism for 14 years; founded and directed Unitas for 5 years, an ecumenical center for spirituality co-sponsored by 8 denominations in Montreal; then founded the Paulist North American Ecumenical Office where he has served the past 20 years in NY City, Washington DC, and now Boston.  Among the 17 books he has authored are Tales of Christian Unity: The Adventures of an Ecumenical Pilgrim; A Survival Guide for Ecumenically-Minded Christians; and Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference. He leads ecumenical workshops and retreats across the U.S. and Canada.


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