06.01.2023
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023 – Be–Longing: Praying for Unity amidst Injustice
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from January 18 to 25 – the octave of St Peter and St Paul – and for 2023, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is making the resources available both as downloads and printed versions that can be ordered, including in English, Welsh, Irish and Scots Gaelic.
For this January’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, CTBI is guided by the churches of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, as we seek to explore how the work of Christian Unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society. Through this resource, the CTBI writers’ group has also focussed attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which will be marked in 2023. The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.
All of the resources are available to download at this link along with details for ordering printed copies from Church House Publishing, London.
Bishop Michael Burrows remarks: “As Chair of the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue, I once again commend appropriate and imaginative use of the resources for the coming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in every locality. Post–Christmas fatigue and dark winter evenings should never diminish our commitment to the quest for that Unity for which Christ himself prayed.
“Sometimes we feel that ecumenical progress has reached a certain plateau, that earlier passion and energy for the cause has been lost. But in these times no theme has a greater potential to reignite our common energy and shared pursuit of human dignity under God than the promotion of racial justice as a source of hope for our disfigured world. I pray that the rich resources rooted in the instructive American experience may prove an inspiration to all who use them.”
As we join with other Christians around the world for the Week of Prayer, we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone.
Participants can show their support for Christian Unity by posting messages and details of events to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Twitter wall – by simply adding the #wpcuwall hashtag to their Twitter post (please note there is a delay before tweets appear). Updates about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can also be found on Twitter by following the #wpcu2023 hashtag.