Categories: uncategorized
Date: 19 January 2007 10:55:37
It was interesting to note, reading through the editorial of the Baptist Times, that the we have now entered the Week for Christian Unity (18th - 25th January).
Now I know that in one sense it may, as the editorial says, be something that people find hard to pray for if one is to take a totally literal interpretation of the wording to mean prayer for unity in one church tradition, which is the direction the editor appears, for the sake of controversy and good journalism to be taking it it. However, I think just a quick glance around the religious media this week shows that "prayer for Christian unity" is perhaps as important if not more important than it ever was and we do need to find ways to work for this goal aswell as just pray for it (not meaning to denigrate the power of prayer), and for more than just this week.
So we pray for :
The success of the moves by Clinton and Carter to try and reunite Baptists in North America
The unity of Christians, particularly those involved in different student movements and involved in the NUS as Ekklesia and BT both report on the ongoing division relating to the CU / SU dispute in Exeter and elsewhere
The unity of Christians who stand on opposite sides of rainbow when it comes to sexuality (and the SOR's which the BT's editorial also comments upon - by basically reusing chunks of the EA press release on the subject)
Aswell as praying for wider unity across the divide of long ingrained theological understandings / misunderstandings and traditions and for the courage to take steps forward and to address the issues it would be easier to side step along the way of this journey.