Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023Sample
The justice that restores communion
Reading
Ps 82:1-4 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute
Lk 18:1-8 Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?
Christian Unity
Jesus tells the parable of the widow and the unjust judge in order to teach the people “about their need to pray always and not to lose heart” (Lk 18:1). Jesus has won a decisive victory over injustice, sin and division, and as Christians our task is to receive this victory firstly in our own hearts through prayer and secondly in our lives through action. May we never lose heart, but rather continue to ask in prayer for God’s gift of unity and may we manifest this unity in our lives.
Challenge
As the people of God, how are our churches called to engage in justice that unites us in our actions to love and serve all of God’s family?
Prayer
God, Creator and Redeemer of all things, teach us to look inward to be grounded in your loving Spirit, so that we may go outward in wisdom and courage to always choose the path of love and justice. This we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reflection content for this plan can be discovered at:
https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity
Scripture
About this Plan
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a yearly reminder of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). The theme of this year is, “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).” was prepared by The Minnesota Council of Churches, based in the USA. Join our journey of prayer! To reflect beyond the confessional divisions that exist among Christians.
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