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Jan 17 2024

Who is My Neighbor?: Unveiling Today’s Justifications for Exclusion

During this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are discussing practical implications of the theme of “Love Your Neighbor” for Christians in Boston. Last week, Rev. Kelly Fassett discussed “To Whom Must I Become A Neighbor?” and this week, Rev. Devlin Scott challenges us to consider how we might inadvertently seek to justify ourselves instead of fully embracing Jesus’ radical acceptance.


Jesus was known for who He “included” rather than who He “excluded.”

And to that statement, let the church say, Amen. We’re familiar with the narratives showcasing Jesus’s profound love and the courageous sense of community he embodied. He interacted with diverse individuals—the woman at the well, the outcast in the wilderness, the woman caught in an illicit act, the tax collector who exploited his people, the zealot, and those with physical impairments. The company Jesus kept was quite extraordinary and diverse, including individuals with varying interpretations of scripture (the Torah).

Jesus had been establishing a reputation that revolutionized how people perceived their God and faith. However, a segment of society regarded his approach as excessively radical, potentially sinful, and even blasphemous. In an apparent show of bravery, yet with an underlying motive to test Jesus, one man engaged in a series of questions. He initiated with, “What must I do to inherit eternal life” (Luke 10:25 NIV)? This query, a common concern across various religions and notably within Christianity, delved into the pursuit of eternal life and the essence of religious law, commonplace in Judaic discussions. It’s worth noting the man’s presumption that his actions could merit or contribute to attaining eternal life.

Jesus steered the conversation back to the teachings of the Old Testament, an area where the man held expertise and which served as the primary source of religious wisdom. When asked by Jesus, the expert in the law promptly cited the familiar commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” This mirrored Jesus’ own instruction (Mt 22:37-40), indicating the man’s familiarity with these teachings found in the Old Testament (Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18). Jesus appreciated the accuracy of the man’s response, much like praising a child who flawlessly recites a memorized verse. However, the subsequent question wasn’t a test for Jesus; it aimed to justify the man’s position or perhaps refine the command. Commentator and Biblical scholar Kenneth L. Barker suggests, “The only way to justify oneself is to limit the extent of the law’s demand and consequently limit one’s own responsibility.” The expert in the law sought to rationalize or narrow down his personal obligation by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”

This move doesn’t just fall short; it actually achieves the opposite effect. Jesus responds by sharing the parable of the Good Samaritan. As Kelly eloquently delved into last week, Jesus’ answer to the man’s query didn’t narrow down his responsibility to his neighbor, nor did it restrict the definition of who could be considered a neighbor – it widened both aspects. Essentially, Jesus’ reply to the question, “who is my neighbor?” highlighted that he had more neighbors than he had assumed and to truly embody being a good neighbor, he needed to extend far more care and support than he might have initially imagined.

Photo by Alvin Engler on Unsplash

I wonder what derivative of this law-limiting, responsibility-shrinking question we are still asking today? When confronted with the idea of loving our neighbor, are we still attempting to rationalize ourselves, our stances, our theological perspectives, our doctrinal convictions, and our traditional values? While we might acknowledge the command, similar to the expert in the law, are we interpreting it in a manner that enables us to evade a radical response, akin to the teachings Jesus imparted through the parable of the Good Samaritan? What is our version of the evading question, “who is my neighbor?”  Let’s consider two examples; one that is quite familiar and one that I propose we reconsider.

The saying “love the sinner, hate the sin” is a common phrase, often seen by many Christians as a reasonable way to express care for individuals while maintaining strong convictions on various matters. It’s a poetic, passionate, and powerful notion, frequently quoted and attributed to Mahatma Gandhi in his 1929 autobiography. However, Gandhi’s full statement delivers a different message: “Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which, though easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world.” This fuller context might not align with the intent of using it to justify or limit responsibility. Moreover, when considering the perspective of the “sinner,” they might not perceive themselves as your neighbor upon hearing this phrase. It’s an easily accessible idea but falls short of encapsulating the depth of Jesus’ message portrayed through the actions depicted in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Consider this: Churches nowadays often emphasize being “Bible-believing” as a distinguishing factor. The statement would suggest that there are “churches” that do not believe the Bible. Certainly, that can be true. There are gatherings of people that might identify as a church where the Bible is not the sacred word of their deity, nor is it considered in their religious spaces. By this description, these wouldn’t be Christian churches and neither would they claim to be.  Additionally, “Bible Believing” churches might even say that if a church does not see the Bible as inerrant or infallible they do not see the Bible as the authoritative Word of God thus they aren’t “Bible Believing.” But that is not a view that those they are describing would support. A more accurate description of what is juxtaposed to a “Bible-believing” church should be articulated as follows: A Bible non-believing church is a non-Christian organization because Christ and his work and its significance are found in the Bible. Thus to be Christian, of any sect, would require belief in the Bible.

The concern is not that “Bible believing” is clarifying Christian verses non-Christian, but that it’s about segregating one kind of Christian from another; “our kind” of Christian versus “their kind” of Christian.  Moreover, this emphasis is often used to specify who the group will associate with or support. And therein lies the derivative of the self-justifying, law-limiting, responsibility-shrinking question, “Who is my neighbor?”

Setting aside the idea that “Bible believing” as a label against other Christians suggests that your understanding of the Bible allows you to assert ownership over it, the phrase tends to serve as an exclusionary rather than an inclusive marker. Once more, I doubt that those presumed to be “Bible non-believers” feel a sense of neighborliness when this barrier is raised.

Jesus adeptly navigated this by providing the dignity, acceptance, and sense of belonging that those usually marginalized within the church required, all the while upholding the OT law instead of abolishing it (Matthew 5:17-20).  

I encourage you to reflect not only on “who your neighbor is,” but also on how we might inadvertently seek to justify ourselves instead of fully embracing Jesus’ radical acceptance. Remember, Jesus prophesied in his prayer in John 17 that the world would recognize him through how we, his followers, understand and live out our responsibility to one another, that we are unified as one.

As we prayerfully contemplate the theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, let us strive to emulate Jesus – aiming to include rather than exclude. Let’s introspect, examining our hearts for instances where we might be attempting to justify ourselves by restricting the law or our responsibility. May we lean towards generosity, compassion, and love, rather than starting from a place of scarcity or segregation. Let’s simply and boldly love our neighbor – all of our neighbors – deeply and without reservation.  Let the church say, Amen.

Photo by Tim Bish on Unsplash

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog, FAITH & JUSTICE, FROM THE UB LEADERSHIP, Who is My Neighbor? · Tagged: christian belonging, good samaritan, love thy neighbor, week of prayer

Jan 10 2024

To Whom Must I Become A Neighbor?

Some might say that “Love Your Neighbor” is the quintessential call of a Christian… but what might this mean practically for Christians in Boston? This year’s theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “You should love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). For the next two weeks, UniteBoston staff Rev. Kelly Fassett and Rev. Devlin Scott will be sharing wisdom on how we can live out God’s call to love our neighbors. Read below as Kelly invites us to consider, “to whom must I become a neighbor?”


As I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan these past few weeks, there are two things that have stood out to me: The willingness of the Samaritan to help his “enemy,” and the way the Samaritan dropped everything, sacrificing his own time, attention and resources to treat the injured man. He was moved with compassion, and so must we, when our “neighbor” is in need.

Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash

First, this parable was quite provocative in Jesus’ day because of the hostility present between Jews and Samaritans. Individuals in these two groups hated one another because of their different religious beliefs. Samaritans claimed to be descendants of Israel, and believed that worship should be done at Mt Gerizim, not Jerusalem. These differing religious beliefs eventually became violent – In the intertestamental period, the Jews destroyed the Samaritan temple; and around 6AD the Samaritans spread human remains in the Jewish temple and sanctuary during Passover. Jesus’ followers who heard this story were so provoked because the hero in this story isn’t a religious leader, he isn’t even Jewish; he is a hated Samaritan, an outsider. 

Second, the Samaritan demonstrated abundant self-sacrificial time, attention and resources to the Jewish man. Not only did he bandage his wounds to treat immediate needs, he risked his life by transporting the wounded man to an inn within enemy territory, and spent several days’ wages to continue his care at an inn. He took a risk and modeled costly love for the sake of a stranger, who was perceived as his “enemy.”

By telling this story, Jesus is expanding the idea of “neighbor” beyond the typical understanding of those who are in close proximity to us. The question is not just “who is my neighbor” but “to whom must I become a neighbor?” Jesus describes that neighbor is one from the outside group, the one whose beliefs or practices we don’t agree with and may even harbor feelings against: an “enemy.” The neighbor is someone we may avoid at all costs or we might secretly wish would fail. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t take sides, because I’ve learned that standing up for what is true and right is especially needed on issues of justice. The point is that too often I see God’s people drawing hard lines to keep ideological purity with “our tribe,” which can lead to underlying arrogance, hostility and antagonism, rather than upholding a posture of listening and engaging, treating one another with the love, care and respect that Jesus models and is core to our Christian witness.

In verse 33, the passage describes how Jesus was moved with compassion, which is the Greek verb splagchnizomai. This verb means to be moved in the inward parts, or to experience a deep visceral feeling. Mirriam-Webster defines that “Compassion is the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” Do we know one another enough to feel this type of deep compassion?

Here, Jesus is calling us to step outside of our comfort zones to show mercy. Yes, I know how easy it is as a Bostonian to put your head down and ignore all those around you to get what you need done every day (and many of us have a lot on our plates!) It’s also very easy to just stay with those who look like us and believe like us. I’ve learned that especially for the BIPOC community, being with “your people” is absolutely crucial to rest, heal, and avoid the micro-aggressions that are all-too common. Yet, Jesus said that even sinners love those who love them (Lk 6:32). This parable makes it clear that loving your neighbor isn’t about what is easy but about what is costly. It involves laying down our agenda, our time, energy, power, and resources for the sake of the other. It involves actually sitting with those on the “other side,” feeling what they feel, and even risking yourself for their sake, without expecting anything in return.

I invite you today to consider – To whom might God be inviting you to become a neighbor? Is it a particular person, or a group of people? What can you do to tangibly risk your life for their sake, offering your time or resources, in the likeness of what Jesus has done for us? 

Being a neighbor might be risky, but it may lead to connection or friendship, or even change the course of two people’s lives, as it did for the Samaritan as well as the Jewish man in this parable. May you listen to God’s invitation during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and beyond, that we might not cross the road from human need but lay down our lives for our friends and neighbors.

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog, FROM THE UB LEADERSHIP, Racial Justice, Unity & Reconciliation, Who is My Neighbor? · Tagged: good samaritan, love thy neighbor, week of prayer

Jan 23 2019

2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Photos and Stories

Week of Prayer for Christian UnityThe 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). In 2019, the theme was “Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue,” (Deuteronomy 16:20), and was chosen by Christians in Indonesia. We coordinated a combination of nightly worship services and neighborhood dinners aligned with this theme to focus attention on how we can contribute to acts of unity, justice and mercy in our personal lives and within our communities.

Check out the photos below, and be encouraged by the growing interest in neighborhood-based collaboration among Christians from a variety of backgrounds – for the glory of God and the good of the city.

Night 1: UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner: North Shore

We had an incredible start to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Thursday evening with the inaugural North Shore neighborhood dinner, hosted by Peggy Hothem from Our Savior Lutheran Church. 35 people from 16 different churches crowded into her home in South Hamilton. We shared a potluck meal together, discussing our various ministry interests and the justice issues that each of us care about. We then joined our hearts in prayer and sang together “The Church’s One Foundation.” You’ll see there are three photos below – too many people to fit in one picture!
 
There was a tangible desire shared among the group to partner across our congregations and model a different way of doing “church” that is characterized by unity and reconciliation, rather than conflict and division. A particular highlight of this gathering was the large representation of both Catholics and Protestants. What a great start to the week!

Night 2: The Art of Hope: Creation

This event had art, spoken word, music, and creative performances related to creation, hosted by Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge. Kiki Densamo, who is a UB Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator in Cambridge, also showed her short film documenting the story of a young man who immigrated from Ethiopia to the US. It was awesome to see how this evening intentionally welcomed people who don’t normally attend church!

Day 3: UniteBoston Neighborhood Brunch: Watertown/Belmont

Rebekah and Stephen Nyakairu from Grace Chapel Watertown graciously opened their home for a delicious brunch and great conversation around racial justice, multiethnic congregations, and reconciliation. Here is a discussion guide that can be used to foster conversation within your own home or community group around racial justice, which incorporates the artwork of Stephanie Irwin.

Night 3: Anchor Prayer and Worship Service

We had a moving prayer service on Saturday evening for the anchor gathering of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – it was great to join together in prayer amidst the snowstorm outside.  Thank you to Rev. Amy and St. Paul’s Cathedral for hosting this beautiful time of worship and prayer, as well as all participating clergy and congregants. 

The many clergy present represented a variety of traditions, including Catholic, Evangelical, Episcopal, and United Church of Christ.

The Crossing band led us in lively song – jazzing up the traditional Christian hymns and choruses.

Ylisse Bess Washington preached a powerful word, describing that truth telling, truth seeking and living is the beginning of justice, and how we need each other to do this well. Click here to listen to her sermon.

We then lit candles and passed the light from one person to the other – A great symbol of our need to receive from one another in sharing the love of Christ to the world.


The evening concluded with writing our own commitments of how each of us can contribute to acts of justice in our own lives. Each person was invited to take home the card displaying someone else’s commitment to remember our need for one another in the work for justice and to keep them in prayer.

Day 4: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Service Projects

UniteBoston’s Team Leader Kelly Fassett at the Boston Cares MLK Day of Service at Boston Latin School. They had a variety of opportunities, including creating conversation Jenga games and journals for English Language Learners and constructing bed frames for youth who don’t have a bed to sleep in. She helped to paint this mural – It had the word “unity” in different languages.

UniteBoston’s Cambridge Neighborhood Coordinator Kiki Densamo served at the Cambridge MLK day of service by creating valentines for elders and veterans.

Night 5: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Dinner

There was a great group at our Jamaica Plain neighborhood dinner! Good conversation about the need for economic justice, yet a recognition that systemic complexity provides no easy answers. There was enthusiasm for neighborhood-based connection and collaboration among the group to minister to the needs of the community in the likeness of Christ. Thanks to Kate Devane Brown and her husband Matt from Mosaic Boston for their gracious hospitality in opening up their home for their first neighborhood dinner!

Night 6: Medford/Malden Neighborhood Dinner

We had a great conversation last night at the Malden/Medford neighborhood dinner. There were some deep thinkers in this group – we considered questions involving the tension between unity, justice, and truth, and how we might keep unity at the forefront of our minds in the midst of conflict. It was also great to see the partnership between Mambi and Rebekah working together to host this dinner. 

Night 7: Greek Orthodox Vespers Service

We had the opportunity to experience an Orthodox Great Vespers service this evening – for many of us, this was the first time ever worshipping in the Orthodox tradition. What a deep, rich, reverent style of worship that takes seriously the historical roots of the Christian faith!

We are grateful to Rev. Dr. Demetrios Tonias, Dean of the Anunciation Cathedral of Boston, for hosting us and teaching us about the Orthodox Church, such as their understanding of liturgy as the meeting of heaven and earth. People expressed gratitude for this opportunity to learn about the beautiful ancient traditions within the Orthodox Church, and the continuity with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.

Delicious Greek food and fellowship with our Orthodox brothers who led us with the chanting of the service.

We are grateful to these clergy and priests who have served as ecumenical pillars in leading the work towards Christian unity. This group represents Catholic, Lutheran, and Greek Orthodox traditions.

Night 8: Taize Prayer Service

The concluding gathering for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was Taize Prayer at the MIT Chapel. Taize prayer connects people with God though contemplation, prayer, and melodic singing and has an international message of Christian reconciliation and unity. Together, we will continue to pray, “Lord our God, you have revealed yourself as One who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people. Be present with your church, Lord, as we respond to your call. Set us free from pious exercises that prevent us from the true worship you choose: Sharing bread with the hungry, sharing homes with the homeless, sharing clothes with the naked, sharing hearts with our own kin. May your justice roll down like waters, your righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Lead our footsteps to stand with the poor, that we might stand with you.”


Experiences & Stories

“During the discussion at the Jamaica Plain dinner, I was struck by the emphasis on place in the week’s theme passage from Deuteronomy, which describes the need to pursue justice “in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you… that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Our conversation reminded me that my specific neighborhood is not only a calling but also a gift to me, and I am so excited to continue building these new relationships with neighbors!”
-Kate Devane Brown, UniteBoston Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator and member of Mosaic Boston

“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Anunciation Cathedral of Boston and worshiping God in the tradition of a Greek Orthodox Vespers Service, which I attended as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The service was beautiful in spirit and in ritual and Rev. Tonias’ explanation of the Orthodox tradition and liturgy following the service was a total treat…fascinating and inspiring and enlightening!”
-Matt Crane, Director of Christian Education for the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury, and Director of the WEE Forum for the Institute for Christian Unity

“I love how UniteBoston has embraced this important international expression of ecumenism that has been around for decades and integrated it with UB’s vision to bring all the streams of Christianity together to enjoy and learn from one another. This year’s theme “Pursue Justice, Only Justice” helped me to understand how critical “pursuit” is to not only justice, but unity and so much more. We had an enlightening discussion at the Medford/Malden neighborhood dinner I attended: We realized that unity and justice are not things we can create but only pursue, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And pursuit means placing yourself in settings outside your familiar faith communities – like an Orthodox or Episcopal Cathedral. Each time I set foot in these unfamiliar places, God blesses me in unexpected ways with new relationships and perspectives. I am realizing that unity and justice grow out of the pursuit of those new relationships and perspectives rather than pursuing them in and of themselves.”
-Rev. Dana Baker, UniteBoston Board Member and Pastor of Social Justice, Multicultural Ministry, Grace Chapel

“Worshipping with believers from different streams of the church at the Saturday service at St. Paul’s made me thankful for all the hard work Kelly and the team at Unite Boston have put into promoting the unity of believers in our city.  I had several significant discussions with people I had never met after the service that were uplifting and which made me glad to have been at the service.  God is good.”
-Pastor Dave Hill, Abundant Grace Church

“This year it was a pleasure to see the Deacons of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston at so many of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity events. The services I went to were incredibly beautiful manifestations of our bond in Christ and the desire to complete that unity.”
-Vito Nicastro, Member of the UniteBoston Board and Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

“Given the divisiveness and fear in the air all around us these days, as well as the injustices that threaten to overwhelm our hearts and hope, it was deeply nourishing to stand together affirming our commitment to one another and to a better future.”
-Amy McCreath, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston

“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not meant to be the only time we come together as followers of Jesus, but an energizer for our doing so throughout the year. The wonderful cornucopia of dinners, discussions and prayer services during the week here have likely lit that fire in the hearts of many. Let’s keep the fire burning! Winter is not the only season Jesus’ heart needs warming in seeing his followers join hands and hearts and voices.”
-Fr. Tom Ryan, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations at the Paulist Center in Boston

“At the Malden/Medford neighborhood dinner, I learned three things:
-We should make choices to get to know others of different backgrounds, even when it’s messy
-We should start each endeavor asking, “how can I seek unity in this?”
-We should remember that seeking unity means unity comes from God rather than our tired efforts to create it.
If we do these things, we will be closer to the will of God and to the rest.”
-Rebekah Kerstetter, leader of the UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinners in Malden/Medford and member of Highrock in Arlington

“I’m always encouraged to see the number and diversity of people who God has called to his service in Boston, and of their visions for his Kingdom work here.  The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity reminded me that the grandness of God’s redemptive work for our city (and country, and world) extends far beyond the imagination of my own congregation!”

-Jeremy Wolcott, member of Park Street Church

 

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston, christ, christian unity, ecumenism, jesus, justice, neighborhood, uniteboston, week of prayer, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Jan 31 2017

2017 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Photos and Testimonies

This year, we sought to make the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity truly reflective of the denominational and ethnic diversity within Boston’s Christian community.

By God’s grace, this happened! The anchor event on Saturday, January 21st had 22 co-sponsoring churches and institutions, drew together over 800 people, and has been called the largest and broadest gathering for Christian unity in Boston ever.

The concluding line in the gospel reading for that day was “We have seen incredible things today.” Indeed, God did great things in our hearts as we lifted up Jesus together, both on Saturday and throughout the week of nightly prayer gatherings. But, don’t take my word for it! Check out the photos and testimonies below to celebrate what God has done!

Photos

 

 

Wed Jan 21: Jamaica Plain Churches, including River of Life Church, Heart Change Fellowship, Bethel AME Church, the Community of St. Egidio, and Unidos en Cristo
Wed Jan 21: Jamaica Plain Churches, including River of Life Church, Heart Change Fellowship, Bethel AME Church, the Community of St. Egidio, and Unidos en Cristo

 

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Wed Jan 21: Video of singing “Amazing Grace” together at River of Life Church

 

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Thurs Jan 19: Fr. Antony Hughes from St. Mary Orthodox Church and Fr. Mina Kaddis from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Boston

 

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Thurs Jan 19: Snacks and Fellowship together

 

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Fri Jan 20: Hispanic Pentecostal Worship, including Pabellon de la Fe Church and Congregation Lion of Judah

Co-Presiders from diverse Christian traditions at the January 21st Prayer Service. From left to right: Pastor Barry Kang from Symphony Church, Rev. Dana Baker from Grace Chapel, Rev. David Wright from the Black Ministerial Alliance, Metropolitan Methodios from the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Boston, and Bishop Arthur Kennedy from the  Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

 

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Sat Jan 21st: Large liturgical worship gathering with over 800 people in attendance! Pilot photo / Mark Labbe

 

Another great shot of the large liturgical gathering on January 21st

 

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Sat. Jan 21st: Catholic Cardinal Sean OMalley and Orthodox Metropolitan Methodios exchange greetings. Pilot photo/ Mark Labbe

 

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Sat Jan 21: Missions fair to further missional partnerships across churches. Pilot Photo / Mark Labbe

 

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Sun Jan 22: Taize Prayer at the MIT Chapel

 

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Mon Jan 21: Evangelical worship, including Symphony Church, City Church, and Abundant Grace Church

 

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Monday Jan 21: Praying a blessing over one another at Symphony Church

 

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Tuesday Jan 24: Beautiful depiction of the resurrected Christ as the centerpiece of our worship with joint Catholic / Lutheran service in conjunction with the commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

 

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Tues Jan 24: Joint Catholic/Lutheran Gathering in conjunction with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Our worship concluded with lighting candles and standing in a circle as a sign of the flame of Christ that we all carry within us.

 

Kelly Steinhaus shares about the week of prayer at beautiful Trinity Church.
Wed Jan 25: In the concluding gathering, Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston’s team leader, shares about the week of prayer at beautiful Trinity Church, with worship led by a youth choir.


In the News:

Boston Pilot: “Hundreds join in prayer at Boston’s Christian Unity service”

Testimonies:

 

“I would like to express my gratitude to all who contributed a piece to the rich mosaic-experience we all enjoyed on January 21st. It is one of the stand-out Week of Prayer for Christian Unity events in my 35 years of ministry devoted to the cause. All who gathered around tables for both food and faith-sharing, who in church joined their hearts and voices in prayer, young and old, black, white and brown, robed in various styles—all, together, represented a microcosm of the human family and gave us a glimpse of God’s dream for us: reconciled to God and to one another. Jesus must have had a joyful smile on his face!”
-Fr. Tom Ryan, Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations 

 

“What a great privilege and delight to worship the One True God together in the unique forms of each branch of the Christian Church. It was incredible to experience our agreement in who God is and who we are. I’m especially thankful for the Cardinal, his leaders, and the leadership of the Orthodox church, for their humility and at the depth of their willingness to come together.”
-Ellen Bass, Black Ministerial Alliance

 

“Saturday’s event was honestly the most powerful event I have ever attended. It was incredible to have in one room members of the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, and the Orthodox Church gathered together to worship and praise our Lord, our Father. During the prayer service I was incredibly moved by the word “OUR”. And when at the end, we all said the Lord’s Prayer in ONE voice I was awestruck by the most powerful recitation of the prayer I’ve ever heard. This is the way it ought to be. We are weak divided, but together we stand strong in Jesus Christ.”

-Daisy Hanna, Coptic Orthodox Church

“What an amazing witness this was of the variety and Christ-centered unity found in the Body of Christ!”
-Edouard Pichette, OneUnited

“This was the most impressive ecumenical event I have ever been to.  The Holy Spirit was clearly at work in this event.”

 – Father David Michael, Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done…” On Saturday, all of us present at Holy Name witnessed a portion of God’s will done in the City of Boston. An undertaking such as this requires an immense amount of hard work and effort that can only be achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thank you all who made this happen, and may God’s Grace continue to bless all involved, and our city, til Kingdom come.
-Steven Hardy, UniteBoston Rep and member of St. Paul’s Parish, Harvard Square

 

“On January 21st, the Body of Christ in Boston got a glimpse of itself for the first time in its entirety.”
– Dr. Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Office of Interreligious and Ecumenical Affairs

 

“When my mother walked into the church she was amazed. It was at the moment of the entrance procession when all the various Christian groups came one after another to be together and worship that she began to cry. She said, ‘This is what Christ wants.’ It was very moving.”
-Natalia Pellicano, Office for Ethnic Apostolates, RCAB

 

“God wants this Church to be one… and to see that expressed so beautifully here, that’s really fun. It’s different tastes and different flavors, and you start to realize folks love Jesus in ways that you don’t appreciate until you see them and get to connect with them. You see that people are really different, and yet their hearts are coming from a love of the Lord that’s really neat to see.”
– Jeff Bass, Executive Director, Emmanuel Gospel Center

 

“It was incredible, wonderful to see so many different Christians together and the music… I was crying. The Holy Spirit was there.”
– Lorna DesRoses, Director of Black Catholic Ministries

 

 “I’ve always felt the importance of Ecumenism. I’m a very strong Greek Orthodox Christian, but I went to Catholic schools and I’ve had very strong friendships, relationships with Catholic Christians, and they’ve just given me so much support in my faith. I just love the coming together of people of different Christian denominations, and I feel so excited about progress in Ecumenism. I feel like we’re getting closer.”
– Maria Makredes

 

It was a very moving experience.  It was so inspiring also to see the church so completely filled… Holy Name Church was such a beautiful venue for the gathering.  We are so grateful to [those] who worked  so hard with so many different groups to bring this very important celebration together. It was astounding.
— Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston

 

“What brings us all here really is Christ, and that’s what the point of Christian unity is. If Christ says we should all be one, we should see that, and frankly the world doesn’t feel like that today. I’ve grown more in my faith, and I feel like as a young person I especially have the obligation and responsibility of witnessing to my vocation as the member of the body of Christ.”
– James Kelley, St. Joseph Parish, Roman Catholic, Needham

 

“I loved the prayer service- beautiful diversity and beautiful unity – that was the greatest part for me, was worshiping together with my fellow Christians. It was very moving. To hear the Greek Orthodox chant, and the Pentecostal choir, and the Cardinal’s homily. Thank you for doing this!” — Craig Dyke, Director, Family Life Office, RCAB

 

“We can be too preoccupied with the “doing”- what are we going to do together, the Martha part- and we forget the “being,” who and what we are called to be together, the Mary part. We forget that for God, the goal is not something we have to do. He came to form a people for His own. Jesus prayed that we be one as He and the Father are one– that is the witness, that is part of how the world comes to believe. That witness – especially these days, that witness is important for the world. That’s what we increased on January 21st.”
-Deacon John Koza, Holy Name Parish

But wait! There’s more…

Click here to view the entire photo album on Facebook, and add your own pics too!

 

Share your story!

How was your faith in Christ impacted by worshipping at churches throughout the city? We’d love to hear from you – Click on this link to fill out a short survey!

 

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: christian unity, ecumenism, prayer, week of prayer, worship


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