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

https://www.facebook.com/uniteboston10/videos/189480632249005/
Here is a video of of the People’s Baptist Church youth singing some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite songs.
https://www.facebook.com/cdmalano/videos/10103041480470667/
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

Want to Get Involved with UniteBoston? Here’s What You Can Do

Here are some things you can do to continue the momentum towards Christian unity after the 2019 Celebration of Worship:

1. Build relationships with other Christians 

While large events are great, the power of Christian unity comes from relationships. It is relationships across our varied church traditions and backgrounds which empower inter-church collaboration. Thus, one of the greatest things you can do is to set up a time to meet with someone from a different background than you – perhaps ethnically, denominationally, or socioeconomically. To do this, you can visit a worship service from another church in your neighborhood, asking, “What can this form of Christian worship teach me about God?” It’s often as we step outside our comfort zone that our false understandings are revealed and we discover the manifold wisdom of God present within the church (Eph 3:10).

2. Join a UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner

UniteBoston has a team of nine dinner coordinators that are coordinating regular gatherings for prayer and fellowship within neighborhood communities.  The goal for the dinners is to build relationships and to let our relationships inform our shared mission of revealing Jesus’ love within our communities. We gather to hear our personal stories of faith in Christ and to answer two questions: “What is God already doing in our community?” and “What can we together to better demonstrate the love of Christ?”

You can sign up for a dinner in your neighborhood by clicking here. Our neighborhood dinner coordinators are also happy to sit down with you and grab a cup of coffee to learn how we can be supporting you and what God is doing in your midst. Please contact us – We’d love to hear from you!

Neighborhood Dinner at Adam’s house in East Boston

3. Share about UniteBoston on Facebook or Instagram

This year, we increased our marketing strategy and have discovered the power of social media. We encourage you to take one of our photos and share it on Facebook (@uniteboston10) or Instagram (Uniteboston) – or simply email your friends and encourage them to get involved with UB/sign up for our weekly newsletter!

4. Submit an event from your church/ministry to UniteBoston’s weekly newsletter

UniteBoston has a large infrastructure for promotion and advertising. Our website is viewed by 2,000+ people monthly and our weekly newsletter goes out to over 3,000 Christians in the Greater Boston area, so it’s a great way to get the word out about your event and increase visibility. Many people attest that posting on UB helped them to connect with new people and increased their event size!

There are two options for posting:
-Free: Posted on the UniteBoston.com website OR

-$30/week: Featured on our weekly e-newsletter  

Click on the link here to submit your event to UniteBoston!

5. Join our team!

The current UniteBoston team is a tight-knit group of people that is committed to one another and to joining God in His work in this city. If you believe in Christian unity and want to be a part of a community that is working to make the unity we share in Christ visible, please prayerfully consider joining our team!

Right now, we have volunteer opportunities available in finance, administration, journalism, and neighborhood dinner coordination.

Thanks to each of you for being part of the UB community – it is a joy to serve alongside each of you, as together we seek greater gospel movement in our city!

What’s Next After the Worship Night And Photo Contest Winners!

Group photo of UB volunteers! Photo Credit: Koo Chung

By Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston Team Leader

When I agreed to Chloe Gaydos’ idea last summer to organize a worship night in the Boston Common, we had no idea what God would do. As she began recruiting for the worship team, we were amazed to see the interest and involvement of Christians from a variety of communities. The attendance at this year’s worship night was over 1,000, which was double or triple the amount from last year, including Christians of all denominations and ethnic backgrounds and many people passing by who were in the park that evening.

 

The worship team did an incredible job leading us in a variety of types of music, including gospel, Christian rap, Messianic Jewish, charismatic, and traditional hymns. I helped to coordinate the sponsored tables of thirteen local churches and organizations that surrounded the perimeter of the premises. There was also great fellowship – a family reunion of sorts – and even a woman who painted canvases throughout the evening and a spontaneous dance party! A sense of joy filled my heart as I saw all these groups come together in worship as we sought to witness to the love found in Christ.  Check out the photo gallery here!

A great crowd at the event, and thirteen sponsored tables! Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson

 

Worship. Photo Credit: Koo Chung

 

Lori Dupre painting “One City.” Photo Credit: Koo Chung

 

The 2018 UB Worship Team in front of Lori Dupre’s paintings. Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson

 

One of the greatest joys for me as the Team Leader of UniteBoston is seeing more and more people running with the vision of Christian unity. Unlike other UB events where I’ve been the main person to make everything happen, at the very heart of this event was unity: an amazing team of volunteers, sound technicians, and musicians to plan and implement all of the logistics.  Thanks to the UB community, the event on Facebook was shared 228 times, and over 50,100 people viewed the event (yes, that’s 50 thousand people! Not a typo!)

Below are some stories of people who were impacted; click here to give your feedback and input from the worship night – We would love to hear your input on how this movement can continue to build and grow!

Personal Stories

“You’d be hard pressed to find as diverse a crowd of believers worshiping together in Spirit and Truth as were gathered that night. Some have moved to Boston because they believe the Holy Spirit is not at work. Strange how those people never attend events where the fullness of the Church is being expressed in the diversity of God’s people!”
-Rev. David Wright, Black Ministerial Alliance

“As we gathered on the Boston Common, our ‘common neighborhood backyard,’ the vibrancy, joy, diversity of our common faith came alive. It was truly incarnational, if one had to use a theological term. Although much of the style of the event was different from my Catholic style, I felt welcomed and engaged. Christ is our Center, our Life. Thank you so much.”
-Fr. Michael McGarry, The Paulist Center

“The August 19 evening worship on Boston Common was as filled with God’s Spirit perhaps as the Common has been on a number of historic moments over many years, such as the First Great Awakening there in 1740 or the Billy Graham meetings there in 1950.  We pray God is increasingly filling Boston with His Spirit now in 2018.”

-Ralph Kee, Emmanuel Gospel Center Church Planting Collaborative

Continue the Momentum Towards Unity 

Ephesians 4:16 says that the body of Christ is joined and held together by every supporting ligament. This is Christian unity: Every person has a part to play to build up the body. The participation of every community matters. You have a unique, valuable contribution, by which others can learn and receive from.

Here are some things you can do to continue the momentum towards Christian unity after the worship night:

1. Build relationships with other Christians 

While large events are great, the power of Christian unity comes from relationships. It is relationships across our varied church traditions and backgrounds which empower inter-church collaboration. Thus, one of the greatest things you can do is to set up a time to meet with someone from a different background than you – perhaps ethnically, denominationally, or socioeconomically. To do this, you can visit a worship service from another church in your neighborhood, asking, “What can this form of Christian worship teach me about God?” It’s often as we step outside our comfort zone that our false understandings are revealed and we discover the manifold wisdom of God present within the church (Eph 3:10).

2. Join a UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner

UniteBoston has a team of nine dinner coordinators that are coordinating regular gatherings for prayer and fellowship within neighborhood communities.  The goal for the dinners is to build relationships and to let our relationships inform our shared mission of revealing Jesus’ love within our communities. We gather to hear our personal stories of faith in Christ and to answer two questions: “What is God already doing in our community?” and “What can we together to better demonstrate the love of Christ?”

You can sign up for a dinner in your neighborhood by clicking here. Our neighborhood dinner coordinators are also happy to sit down with you and grab a cup of coffee to learn how we can be supporting you and what God is doing in your midst. Please contact us – We’d love to hear from you!

Neighborhood Dinner at Adam’s house in East Boston

3. Share about UniteBoston on Facebook or Instagram

This year, we increased our marketing strategy and have discovered the power of social media. We encourage you to take one of our photos and share it on Facebook (@uniteboston10) or Instagram (Uniteboston) – or simply email your friends and encourage them to get involved with UB/sign up for our weekly newsletter!

“Organizations have programs. People have friends. Friends trump programs every time…The world has been shouting over the noise of our programs that it doesn’t need more presidents or organizations, what it needs is more friends.” – Bob Goff in Love Does

Photo Credit: Koo Chung

4. Submit an event from your church/ministry to UniteBoston’s weekly newsletter

UniteBoston has a large infrastructure for promotion and advertising. Our website is viewed by 2,000+ people monthly and our weekly newsletter goes out to over 3,000 Christians in the Greater Boston area, so it’s a great way to get the word out about your event and increase visibility. Many people attest that posting on UB helped them to connect with new people and increased their event size!

There are two options for posting:
-Free: Posted on the UniteBoston.com website

-$30/week: Featured on our weekly e-newsletter

5. Join our team!

The current UniteBoston team is a tight-knit group of people that is committed to one another and to joining God in His work in this city. If you believe in Christian unity and want to be a part of a community that is working to make the unity we share in Christ visible, please prayerfully consider joining our team!

Right now, we have volunteer opportunities available in finance, journalism, and neighborhood dinner coordination.

Photo Contest Winners!

And here are our photo winners from our photo contest! Each of the three people below will receive a gift card to Neighborhoods Cafe, which is a cafe run by David and Betsy Hill from CityChurch. Neighborhoods is a local coffee shop in the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood that has organic fair trade direct trade coffee and crepes. Thank you Betsy Hill for donating the gift cards to UniteBoston!

Harim @Hrl88 from Highrock Cambridge wrote “One day, we will remember that this was the start of everything.” We loved this photo that highlighted her creativity and graphic design with the worship night theme!

 

Kristine Guo @kristine.guo with her friends Faith, Godwinna, and Elizabeth! Kristine told us that Faith was a close friend that she met at UMass Boston last year and they unexpectedly found out that we were both Christian after following each other on Instagram and seeing that they both had Bible verses in our bios! Kristine attends CBCGB, the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston.

 

Camille Gaydos @anursewhocares posted this photo. We loved how she caught this moment of worship amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, which captured the worship night’s theme of “One City, One Love.”

Begin with the End in Mind

Last year, Chris White hosted a dialogue at Harvard sharing about race. In this week’s UniteBoston blog, Reverend White encourages us to “begin with the end in mind” as he shares his story on racial reconciliation.

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As the end of 2014 approaches, it is important that we take time to look back on the year. My hope for unity in Boston and America is that we will “begin with the end in mind.”

We learn by stories, so I will share mine. I was adopted from Bogota, Colombia into a white family. My Mom is Polish and my dad is English, hence the last name White. They say we have a castle in London but I have yet to see it. I grew up in Peabody. If you aren’t from Boston, it is pronounced as one word really fast, “Peabody.” My skin color isn’t white, but I grew up white; I lived in a white neighborhood and was brought up Catholic which is predominantly white. I also experienced white privilege, which to me is better schools, safer neighborhoods, and higher paying jobs.

As a person of color, I also experienced racism. I remember when I was studying at UMass Amherst, I was rollerblading and fell. I started bleeding and across the street there was a white woman. She stopped, stared, did not say a word, and walked away. It hurt not just the pain from the cut but that I was ignored.

Some say you are born into what you believe. For me, that statement rings true. I often wondered why I was brought up in Boston with a mom who’s family was Catholic and part of my dad’s family who was Jewish. My mom thought it would be a good idea to experience both religious traditions. It probably would have been if I didn’t encounter Christ when I was in college.

It wasn’t until I read The Purpose Driven Life that I understood better why God made me the way He did and put me in America. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.“ (Acts 17:26)

I enjoyed my Catholic upbringing and had an amazing priest named Father Bruce. During my second year of college, I met some friends who were Mormons and inspired me to learn more about God. To make a long story short, I made Jesus my Savior and became born again.

I was ordained by the American Baptist of Massachusetts in 2009. We do many things together to reflect unity in Boston. We have joint services with blacks and whites, we help minorities build stronger congregations, and we provide funding for minority children to come to Camp Grotonwood.

In his famous book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey encourages us to “begin with the end in mind. Picture you are in heaven, and think about what that looks like as you sing to God, “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

Heaven is a place where all the colors bleed into one. If heaven is going to be blacks, whites, Catholics and Protestants worshiping together and living as one, wouldn’t it make sense to do ministry the same way?

My hope for the churches of Boston is that we would do more together. Yes, the scripture in John 17:23 calls us to be one. But what does that one look like and who are these people in the organizations making the decisions? During my time there were many older white men in leadership. I hope that the leaders would come from many different backgrounds and ethnicities.

I also hope that the Catholic and Protestant Churches would work together, as well as various ethnic groups. As we work together, think about those who are worshiping with you. If you are trying to get black people to come to your events make sure you include some Gospel.

I’d also encourage churches to share your wealth! Many black churches don’t have the funds that white churches have because of slavery and discrimination. Whenever possible, we need to support black missionaries and minorities. Minority staff are not going to have as much access to funds that white staff have available to them. I know this personally from my experience working with Intervarsity and Campus Crusade for Christ; the diversity of the staff wasn’t as strong as I would have liked, but I am thankful that both organizations are working on this.

Finally, I’d encourage Christians in Boston to be intentional as they live. No one likes to be ignored and people of color feel that way a lot. It is important to say hello and acknowledge them. Stretch yourself and your network by attending a black church or white church, by helping out at a Catholic event or a Protestant service. One of the best things you can do is to have a friend of the opposite race. Be like Jesus and break down the racial and denominational barriers. Begin with the end in mind!

To learn more about Chris White’s ministry, visit revchrisopherwhite.org or email: revchristopherwhite@gmail.com, like him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChrisWhiteMinistries

“What God is doing in Boston is Truly Amazing” – John Armstrong’s Reflections on His Visit to Boston

John Armstrong, founder of the unity-minded Act 3 Network, visited Boston last month to lead the Unity Factor Forum hosted by Boston’s new Institute for Christian Unity. Read below to hear his encouraging reflections relating to the unity that He sees within the Christian community in Boston.

Blog originally posted here on John Armstrong’s Act 3 Network. Reprinted with permission.

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I was in Boston for three days last weekend working in a number of exciting missional-ecumenical contexts. Boston is best known, in terms of its Christian leadership, for the work of Cardinal Sean O’Malley. I pray for Cardinal O’Malley, a leader who represents Pope Francis and his vision as well as any American leader in the Catholic Church. Let me explain some of what I mean by sharing about my recent experience in Boston.

On Sunday evening (November 16) I met with twelve ecumenical leaders from the city. Included among those at the table were some wonderful folks such as the leader of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, the newly appointed dean of the Orthodox Cathedral, the evangelical catalyst for overseeing the joint efforts of ten seminaries in the greater Boston area, a lay leader in the office of ecumenism for Cardinal O’Malley and various religious leaders, both clergy and non-clergy. We were Catholic, Orthodox, charismatic, evangelical, mainline Protestant. We were Asian, white, black and hispanic. We were male and female, young and old. It was quite a group and the energy in the dialogue was rich and Spirit-directed. The prayers moved some of us very deeply and we wept with joy. Friendships were strengthened and made. It was all around a delightful evening meal hosted by two dear Focolare friends that I met in June in New York at the Luminosa Award ceremony. All of these lovely guests are active in mission for unity in Boston. My host for three days was my long-time friend Dr. Mark Yoon and my new friend, Scott Brill. (I also met Scott in June at the Luminosa ceremony.) Scott is an ecumenical leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and the co-founder of the new Institute for Christian Unity. The Institute sponsored our first Boston Unity Factor Forum on Saturday, November 15.

You should also check out UniteBoston on Facebook, a movement that is doing some great work in the city. The leader, an energetic and visionary young woman, shared in this same dinner. She has a heart for unity like few I’ve met in the U.S. I look forward to forging new friendships through Unite Boston as she gets to know me better. She is now reading Your Church Is Too Small since I gave her my only copy I took along on this trip.

In addition please check out Emmanuel Gospel Center. I will write a longer blog on the EGC mission next week. The story of this evangelical witness in an urban context is truly one of the greatest stories of missional-ecumenism I’ve personally encountered in America. EGC hosted our ACT3 Unity Factor Forum last Saturday, November 15. Mark Yoon is the chairman of the EGC board and also serves as the evangelical chaplain at Boston University. Mark and I met a decade ago in Chicago after his daughter studied at Wheaton College Graduate School. I thank God that Grace Yoon insisted that I meet her dad. We did meet and became close friends for life.

What God is doing in Boston is truly amazing. One older leader called the Boston story a “quiet revival.” I am inclined to agree based upon my small three-day sample. Here, in greater Boston, the Spirit has been moving for decades. This work is not about politics or ideology but rather about unity, grace and reaching the unchurched with the good news of Jesus. This work is neither sectarian nor overtly linked to any one church expression. One of the greatest visible supporters in this movement of the Spirit is Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Cardinal O’Malley was interviewed on CBS 60 Minutes while we were enjoying our Sunday evening meal. You can see the program online. I will watch the entire program in the next day or so. CBS called the interview with Cardinal O’Malley one which revealed his “careful candor.” I love that. Journalists are missing this “candor” because they do not understand it well but many Christians have missed it as well, including some bishops! The second clip is so fascinating if you want to get perspective on how such an interview is actually done.

Pope Francis has called Cardinal O’Malley the leader that he trusts and looks to for leadership in America. I can understand why this is true when I see and hear this man of God speak of the joy of the gospel. Pray for Boston and all Christian believers in this great city.

On Sunday morning, November 16, I preached at a young church on the campus of Boston University. This evangelical church, which is less than five years old, draws well over 300 young adults and is growing and reaching the unchurched every single week. (The average age of the congregation that I preached to in the morning was about 23!) Please do not tell me that young adults will not respond to the gospel when it is presented with joy, in the power of the Spirit, and in a context that understands and relates to their story.

The Cardinal O’Malley interview is worth reading about here:

Cardinal O’Malley: ‘If I were founding a Church, I’d love to have women priests’.


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