wpcu – UniteBoston

Jan 07 2017

Press Release: Diverse Christian Leaders Unite for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Today, the UB Blog features a press release for the upcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is taking place from January 18 to 25, 2017!

Diverse Faith Leaders Unite for Worship and Blessing Service in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Today, Greater Boston faith leaders announce “Christian Unity 2017 – The Love of Christ Compels Us To Witness and Reconcile,” a collaborative event on Saturday, January 21, 2017 to join hundreds of Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, and Protestant Christians together for the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Marking the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation, the program celebrates the progress towards Christian unity and fosters dialogue around Christian approaches to the issues of our day including race, diversity, interchurch families and the global persecution of Christians.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston said, “Pope Francis has challenged the Catholic community to build bridges with our ecumenical colleagues by seeking unity in the name of the Lord. Joined by our faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to work together to build a civilization of love. It is my prayer that this gathering will strengthen our shared mission of bringing Jesus’ love and peace to the people we serve.”

The event will begin at Holy Name of Jesus Church in West Roxbury with noontime lunch followed by workshops on Christian unity’s relation to: evangelization, interchurch families, global persecution of Christians, racial reconciliation, the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation, Scripture in the Christian Life, and Pope Francis. Cardinal Seán O’Malley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Boston, Rev. Dr. Bryan Wilkerson of Grace Chapel, Rev. Dr. Roberto Miranda of Congregación León de Judá, Rev. Dr. David Wright of the Black Ministerial Alliance, Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church and other leaders will co-preside at a Worship and Blessing Service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at two o’clock. The event will conclude with a Mission and Volunteer Reception where participants can engage with various organizations in their ministries.

“For the first time in this region’s history, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will reflect the face of the new global Christianity,” explained Dr. Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Office of Ecumenical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Boston. “This event will join Asian, Pentecostal, Black, and Oriental Orthodox churches alongside the Evangelical and Mainline Protestants, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox- in countless variations, and on a new scale. Together, we will provide the tinder for God to spark a new local prayer movement drawing us closer to Christ and to each other.”

To date, partner organizations collaborating on the event include: Alpha New England, Black Ministerial Alliance; Community of Sant’Egidio; Congregación León de Judá; Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New England; E-Net New England; Emmanuel Gospel Center; Focolare; Glory of God in New England/Glory of God on Cape Cod; Grace Chapel; Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston; Institute for Christian Unity; InterVarsity New England; Lord’s Day Alliance; Massachusetts Council of Churches, Massachusetts Family Institute; Park Street Church; The Paulist Center; Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston; UniteBoston, 3 Armenian Churches of Watertown, and a growing list of others.

“All the partner organizations seek to inspire a generation of prophetic leaders who will build relational, missional and theological bridges across historic divides among Christians,” said Scott Brill, Co-Founder of The Institute for Christian Unity and Assistant Regional Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Kelly Steinhaus, Executive Director of UniteBoston, the organization that created the local, week-long programming explained, “We build relational connections through our events to show a more unified testimony to the strength of God’s love for every person. As Christians identifying with many different denominations, we can better serve our city together with dialogue around our common beliefs and values.”

For more information on the event, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1819327351612594/

The event is free and open to the public. Lunch is $8 and free for those under the age of 35. Holy Name of Jesus Church is located at 1689 Centre Street in the West Roxbury neighborhood of the City of Boston. Parking is available and the Church may be accessed via the MBTA. Take the 38 Bus from Forest Hills Station (Orange Line) to Wren Street via Centre Street.

For a complete schedule of events in Greater Boston for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, please visit https://uniteboston.com/wpcu.

Media Contact: Timothy McGuirk; mcguirkt@rcab.org; 857 225 1537

Jan 28 2015

Pope Francis on Christian Unity

In honor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Scott Brill from the Institute for Christian Unity compiled these quotes from Pope Francis:

Photo credit: NBC News

Vespers: “Christian unity will not be the fruit of subtle theoretical discussions in which each party tries to convince the other of the soundness of their opinions. The Son of Man will come and will find us still arguing. We need to realize that, to plumb the depths of the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who harmonizes diversities and overcomes conflicts; to reconcile our differences.”

Colloquium: “There is no unity without conversion. Religious life reminds us that at the center of all search for unity and, therefore, of every ecumenical effort, is first of all conversion of heart, which entails the request and the granting of forgiveness. To a great extent it consists in a conversion of our look itself: to seek to look at one another in God, and to be able to place oneself also in the other’s point of view: here is a twofold challenge linked with the search for unity, whether within the religious communities or between Christians of different traditions.

There is no unity without prayer. Religious life is a school of prayer. The ecumenical commitment responds, in the first place, to the prayer of the Lord Jesus himself, and it is based essentially on prayer. One of the pioneers of ecumenism and great promoter of the Unity Octave, Father Paul Couturier, used an image that illustrates well the bond between ecumenism and religious life: he compared all those who pray for unity, and the ecumenical movement in general, to an “invisible monastery” that gathers Christians of different Churches, of different countries and continents. Dear brothers and sisters, you are the first leaders of this “invisible monastery”: I encourage you to pray for Christian unity and to translate this prayer in your daily attitudes and gestures.

There is no unity without holiness of life. Religious life helps us to be aware of the call addressed to all the baptized: the call to holiness of life, which is the only true path to unity. It is evidenced with incisive words in the Conciliar Decree Unitatis Redintegratio:”May all the faithful remember that, the more they promote, rather live in practice the unity of Christians, the more they will take care to live a life in greater conformity with the Gospel. In fact, the closer their communion is with the Father, with the Word and with the Holy Spirit, the more profoundly and easily they will be able to render mutual fraternity” (n. 7).”

Jan 17 2015

Celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 18-25, 2015

Beginning this Sunday, millions of Christians throughout the world will be praying for Christian unity during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Below are a few opportunities below taking place here locally in the Greater Boston area.

May we join together with Jesus to pray “that we would be brought to complete unity so that the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:21)

Ecumenical Prayer for Christian Unity

Sunday, January 18th at 4:00pm

The Anunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church

70 Montvale Ave, Woburn

The homily will be deliverd by Most Reverend Arthur L. Kennedy, Ph.D., An Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Boston. An offering will also be taken for the work of The Dwelling Place, a local soup kitchen housed in the United Methodist Church.

More info here

Ecumenical Prayer Service

Friday, January 23rd at 7:00pm

Chapel of the Holy Spirit

Assumption College

500 Salisbury Street, Worcester

More info here

Institute for Christian Unity WEE Forum:

What Race Isn’t, and the Kingdom of God

Friday, January 23rd at 7:00pm

Fellowship Church

47 Milton Street, Dedham

The WEE Forum is a bi-monthly gathering promoting Christian community and coming together around worship, education, and engagement (WEE) of issues critical to the life and flourishing of the Church.

At this WEE Forum, Nika Elugardo will be sharing her insights and experiences on the subject of race, and the associated realities of power and identity that are inextricably a part of the understanding of race and the Kingdom of God.

More info here

Ecumenical Evensong

Wednesday, January 28th at 7:00pm

Saint Patrick’s Parish

9 Pomeworth Street, Stoneham

The Anglican Patrimony in the Roman Catholic Church invites you to this Ecumenical Choral Evensong.

More info here

Finally, here is one tangible way to celebrate the unity we have in Christ:

As temperatures drop, the crisis for the Long Island Refugees in Boston worsens.

Boston Religious Leaders for Long Island Refugees has secured a space for a temporary daytime warming center for the duration of the worst winter weather.

Boston Warm Day Center at Old South Church is planned to open next week, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but funding and volunteers are still needed!

Please join us in this effort in the following ways:

VOLUNTEER – The most critical need right now is for caring individuals to volunteer so that the shelter can open.

GIVE – Financial resources are in need to provide adequate staffing and supplies. Checks should be addressed to the City Mission Society of Boston, 14 Beacon Street #203 Boston MA 02108 with Boston Warm in the memo line.

PRAY – Please keep those affected by the shelter closure in your prayers.

SPREAD THE WORD – We appreciate your help in spreading the word of this important situation to people of faith in congregations throughout the city

For more information or to help, please click here

Thank you for choosing to make a difference in the lives of people who are truly the less of these!

Give to Further Christian Unity