worship – Page 9 – UniteBoston

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

16265306_10154981779093035_1037100832519585475_n — Thurs Jan 19: Fr. Antony Hughes from St. Mary Orthodox Church and Fr. Mina Kaddis from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Boston

16107466_10158246624610601_404901059484926888_o — Thurs Jan 19: Snacks and Fellowship together

16299603_10154981748548035_4496910588366706955_o — 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.

16112780_10211985721264773_1393097025071341106_o — 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

16300175_10154982665753035_5590171300135956786_o — Sat. Jan 21st: Catholic Cardinal Sean OMalley and Orthodox Metropolitan Methodios exchange greetings. Pilot photo/ Mark Labbe

16265870_10154991629768035_2829462166413651809_n — Sat Jan 21: Missions fair to further missional partnerships across churches. Pilot Photo / Mark Labbe

16114925_10154982572193035_7975707805595384810_n — Sun Jan 22: Taize Prayer at the MIT Chapel

16298862_10154986189118035_1230239911473325598_n — Mon Jan 21: Evangelical worship, including Symphony Church, City Church, and Abundant Grace Church

16266176_10154982571343035_3317014257065274800_n — Monday Jan 21: Praying a blessing over one another at Symphony Church

16196037_10154991527083035_3772233709252755141_n — 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

16299608_10154986142078035_1984102783552207363_o — 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!

Nov 28 2016

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

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 for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is from Isaiah 1:17, “Do good; seek justice.” The entire scriptural passage for the theme is Isaiah 1:12-18, lamenting a lack of justice among the People of God. Yet, it also promises redemption by encouraging acts of justice in how we can live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time.

The 2023 theme was developed with the assistance of a group of Christians in Minnesota, USA, convened by the Minnesota Council of Churches. Minneapolis, MN became a flashpoint for calls for racial justice and equity during the responses of communities to the George Floyd murder. This received world-wide attention and spurred on an awakening for the unjust reality that communities of color have faced for centuries and the change that is so imperative today.

In its Introduction to the Theme, the organizers write: “Today, separation and oppression continue to be manifest when any single group or class is given privileges above others. The sin of racism is evident in any beliefs or practices that distinguish or elevate one “race” over another. When accompanied or sustained by imbalances in power, racial prejudice moves beyond individual relationships to the very structures of society – the systemic perpetuation of racism. Its existence has unfairly benefitted some, including churches, and burdened and excluded others, simply due to the color of their skin and the cultural associations based upon perceptions of ‘race’.”

Calling to mind our common Christian commitment to justice and mercy, we pray that the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2023 will be full of moments of conversion of heart through our encounters, so that “all may be one.”

Mark Your Calendars – You are invited to mark your calendars and plan to attend the evening gatherings! In this time of Epiphany, we encourage you to receive the manifestation of Jesus Christ through those of different denominations, races and cultures. Let’s make the most of these opportunities in order to truly be the family of God and serve as the body of Christ in the world.

Spread the Word – We also appreciate help spreading the word to people in your congregation, family, friends, and neighbors. A personal invitation goes a long way.

Schedule

Worship and Prayer for Justice

Thursday January 19 at 7pm | In Person (Newton) and Zoom

Join a diverse group of believers and NewCity Church of Newton for a gathering to lament and repent regarding the church’s role in past and present injustices. Let’s lean on the Holy Spirit to bring true peace and empower us for the work to achieve it. Email Rev. Devlin Scott at devlin@newcitychurch.cc to RSVP for the specific address or Zoom info.

Christian Unity Taizé Prayer

Sunday, January 22 at 5 pm | St. Michael’s Church, 26 Pleasant St, Marblehead

Join for a Taize prayer gathering around the theme “Do Good, Seek Justice” through scripture readings, chanted song, and shared silence. All are invited to share in this experience of God’s quiet grace.

Christian Unity Prayer Gathering

Due to inclement weather, this gathering will be hosted online.

Please join us to pray and live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time.

We will be using the worldwide prayer template around the theme “Do Good, Seek Justice” that Christians throughout the world will be using this week. Rev. Edwin Johnson, Director of Organizing at Episcopal City Mission will be preaching, and we will hear stories testifying to how Christian unity can help overcome injustice from Rev. Jua Robinson (Boston Collaborative) and Savina Martin (MA Poor People’s Campaign). Co-presiders include Dean Amy McCreath (Episcopal), Rev. Devlin Scott (Assemblies of God), Rev. Kelly Fassett (American Baptist), Deacon Chuck Hall (Catholic).

We look forward to praying with you.

Join us on Zoom

Join The Youtube Livestream

Download the Service Program

Christian Unity Prayer Service

Sunday January 29 at 4:00pm | St. Barbara Parish, 138 Cambridge Rd, Woburn

A Christian Unity Service will be held on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00 PM at the Woburn Catholic Collaborative – St. Barbara Parish. This prayer service will be led by Fr. Edmund Ugochukwu, a Nigerian Catholic priest, alongside Deacon Ed Giordano, and Pastoral Associate Michelle Park. Please join us to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Photos from Previous Years

In 2017, we coordinated a large worship service on January 21st in alignment with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, that had over 8 co-sponsors and was attended by over 800 people.

Here are many of the leaders hosting gatherings for the 2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

UB City-Wide Dinner Launch – November 2017

UniteBoston dinner at Sally’s house in West Roxbury

Prayer Gathering at the Greek Metropolis of Boston

Neighborhood Dinner at Adam’s house in East Boston

Co-presiders from various Christian traditions at the 2017 Week of Prayer Anchor Gathering

Apr 26 2014

A call to participate in the National Day of Prayer

This coming Thursday, May 1st, churches and individuals across our city will be joining together for the Annual National Day of Prayer gathering in downtown Boston. Sheila Donegan, the UniteBoston Journalist, had the opportunity to sit down with Latonya Brown to hear more of the history behind this year’s event.

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We have a rich history of prayer as a nation. The National Day of Prayer was first signed into law by President Harry Truman on April 17th, 1952. He asked that the people of the United States would come together on this day and collectively turn our hearts to God in prayer and meditation. But the call to pray goes back much further than this. In fact, days of prayer have been called for in the United States since 1775, when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer as the new nation was forming.

In his 1983 declaration, Ronald Reagan said, “From General Washington’s struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future.”

As a country, we are celebrating the 63rd year of this event with over 40,000 gatherings across the United States. LaTonya Brown, this year’s coordinator for Massachusetts, told us that this year the focus is on mobilizing and equipping the Body of Christ to pray for sustained worldwide revival, reformation and restoration. LaTonya shared that in Massachusetts, we will be joining the millions across our country as we pray and seek the face of God on behalf of our city, state, and nation. There are currently fifteen prayer gatherings scheduled across the Commonwealth.

There will be two strategic events in the city of Boston:

National Day of Prayer Noonday Prayer Gathering at the State House

Gardner Auditorium, 12pm – 1pm

“That They May Be One” Clergy and Intercessors United in Prayer for Massachusetts

7pm – 8pm

Location: Congregation Lion of Judah, 20 Reed Street, Boston

(Worship lead by Zenzo Matoga)

“There is a move of the Holy Spirit happening across the earth and it is being strongly felt within Massachusettes and New England. We are here to call the body of Christ in our communities to come together and stand in the gap on behalf of our city, our region and our nation.” LaTonya shared. “We hope that all that are a part of the Body of Christ in the Boston and Greater Boston area will join us in this most significant time as we come together as one and lift up the Name that is above all names…the Name of Jesus over our city. May we see His Kingdom come here and his will be done on this earth as we do!

For more information on the National Day of Prayer in Boston and how you can be a part, watch the video below or email: latonya@praymassachusettes.org

Oct 16 2013

United Together, Hand in Hand

Today, Megan Lietz, Administrator at Abundant Life Church and member of the The Greater Boston Minister’s Prayer Summit team, shares her reflections from 10 Days Boston’s Cambridge service. This article was written for and initially published in ALC’s monthly electronic newsletter.

Photo credit: Lydia Maxwell

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

John 17:20-21 is often quoted as an ideal for us to strive for, but the week of Oct. 4th – 14th, as churches gathered together for worship, we got a glimpse of this in-breaking reality.

For the 10 days between the Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, churches came together across the greater Boson area to fast, pray, and host collaberative worship services. Each evening was hosted by congregations of a certain ethnic group, tradition, or geographical location that was encouraged to lead the greater Body in worship in a way that reflected their own community. These same churches opened their doors for prayer during the day and gave people the opportunity to participate in local evangelistic outreach. What made the gatherings so beautiful is that they were not the fruit of any single church, but the result of diverse churches working together to worship God in a way that reflected their experience in the Body of Christ.

Photo Credit: Lydia Maxwell

Abundant Life was honored to participate in the 10 Days by hosting the Cambridge gathering on Friday Sept. 6th, 2013. We gladly welcomed ministers and laypeople of diverse cultures, ethnicities, and ages to lead worship and prayer.We used a concert of prayer format, small group intercession, scripture reading, musical worship, and personal reflection to lift up the Church, our city, and especially the youth of our community.

Ministries that participated included A Place to Heal Ministries, Cambridgeport Baptist Church, First Holiness Church, Journey Church, Pentecostal Tabernacle, Rush Memorial Zion Church, Spirit of the Living Word Ministries, St. Paul AME, Union Baptist Church, The Greater Boston Vineyard, and Young Life. It was a beautiful expression of the diverse members of the Body of Christ in Cambridge. As we concluded the night, hand in hand as a sign of unity, there was expectation for what God would do. As we work together, may people know that Jesus was sent by God and encounter his transformative love in their lives.

Please explore the following links to learn more about 10 Days Boston or other 10 Days Gatherings across the country.

Photo credit: Kelly Steinhaus

Photos from Previous Years

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