Did you know that the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – which begins next Sunday, on 18 January – has its roots over a hundred years ago, back in 1908, in what was originally called the Octave of Christian Unity? The hope at first was to see the various denominations of the Church come together into a single body – a laudable enough objective, but one that was unlikely ever to be fulfilled, given the history of various faith traditions, coupled with the convictions and insights each could contribute. Today, while that first goal has not altogether been abandoned, the emphasis is on denominations living and working together in mutual respect – recognising, in other words, that we are one body, albeit of many parts. To a significant extent, that vision has been realised – many from all denominations having realised that we are better together than ploughing our own furrows – but let no one think the need to reflect on church unity is over. There are new divides today, equally real, between charismatic and traditional, conservative and progressive, fundamentalist and liberal, to name but some. It is as important as ever to pray that whatever divides us, the love of Christ may nonetheless unite. Here are some prayers from my various publications, drawn together in my 2008 book 2,000 Prayers for Public Worship, which I hope will prove helpful for those preparing to lead worship and events in this important week.
A prayer of praise
Loving God,
we have come together in this place sharing the same faith,
yet we are all different;
no two of us the same,
each one of us unique.
We have different backgrounds and lifestyles,
different temperaments and characters,
different interests and ambitions,
different feelings and experiences,
and yet we are bound by the same goal
and united by the same Lord.
We praise you for the individuality that sets us apart,
for everything in our lives that is special to us –
the memories that are our own,
the experiences that have shaped us,
the people who have influenced our development.
We praise you that you come to us in individual ways,
meeting particular needs
and calling us to contrasting avenues of service;
that we come to know you through all kinds of paths,
at different ages
and through different traditions;
that you meet us where we are,
our faith not something learned by rote
or inherited by birth,
but our own,
each of us having a story to tell –
a story of life;
a story of faith.
We praise you for the community that binds us together,
the fellowship we share in Christ,
the mission he has given us,
the love he has put in our hearts,
the hope we have in common.
Whatever may divide us,
it is as nothing compared to everything that unites us in him.
We praise you for everything we are able to share together –
the rich heritage of the Church,
the inspiration of examples of faith,
the insights of different traditions,
the challenge of diverse experiences.
Loving God,
help us to learn from one another,
never closing our minds to the diversity of your Church.
Help us to grow in faith day by day,
knowing your love and goodness for ourselves.
Help us to share what you have done for us,
and to listen to all you have done for others,
so that our faith may be deepened and our service enriched
as we continue along our individual pathway of faith
and on our pilgrimage together,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayers of confession
Gracious God,
forgive us when differences drive us apart from others,
and so fill us with the love of Christ
that we may share a common and unbreakable bond with all your people,
in the name of Christ.
Amen.
Living God,
we thank you for this opportunity to meet together,
to recognise the wider fellowship of which we are a part,
to celebrate the faith that we share,
to consider ways in which we may work for your kingdom,
and to reflect a little upon what we are doing
and what we can do in your service.
We confess that though we speak of being ‘churches together’,
in reality we are churches apart,
each pursuing our own agendas
and concerned with our own people,
competing rather than complementing,
duplicating our efforts rather than combining them.
We confess that though we talk of unity,
it is more apparent than real,
services together like this being all too rare,
suspicion of one another all too common,
our understanding of the different traditions we represent small,
and our concern for each other’s welfare negligible.
We confess that, though we make grand statements concerning the kingdom of God
and about our vision for the future,
the truth is that our horizons are small,
our thoughts more often than not turned in upon ourselves
and our own fellowship,
and our service extending little further than attending worship each Sunday,
and offering personal devotion when time permits.
Open our hearts and minds to one another and to all your people.
Fill us with fresh vision and purpose,
guide us in our individual witness and in our work together,
and so may our lives be a living witness to your love
and a testimony to your renewing grace.
Amen.
Prayers of petition
Lord Jesus Christ,
teach us that whatever might divide us from other Christians,
far more unites us with them,
and so may we be open to all,
recognising the unity we share in you.
Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ,
help us to see differences in others
not as a threat but as an opportunity,
and so help us to live in unity with all your people,
to the glory of your name.
Amen
Lord of all,
deliver us from a faith so rigid it is closed to new insights,
from a vision so narrow it is closed to fresh horizons,
from dogmas so rigid we are closed to your Spirit,
and from convictions so fixed we are closed to other Christians.
Open our eyes to you and to one another,
in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
A prayer of intercession
Lord Jesus Christ
we pray today for your Church,
conscious of the issues that still divide us,
our failure to enjoy the oneness you desire.
We pray for Christians who feel threatened
by contrasting patterns of worship,
diverging expressions of faith,
and conflicting theological positions;
who reject those they do not agree with as unsound,
rather than risk engaging in genuine dialogue.
Give them openness to other points of view.
We pray for fellowships that have been torn in two,
split by controversies over doctrine and churchmanship,
divided over issues of faith and worship,
or undermined by petty disputes.
Instil in them a spirit of healing and reconciliation.
We pray for denominations involved in moves towards greater unity,
striving to overcome years of separation
but finding themselves tied down by procedure and practicalities,
frustrated by bureaucracy and tradition.
Grant wisdom and insight,
so that obstacles may be overcome.
Lord Jesus Christ,
reach out to your Church
and work in hearts everywhere to break down barriers,
to overcome prejudice,
and to bring people together
in genuine love and understanding.
Wherever your body is broken today,
make us one, Lord.
In your name we ask it.
Amen.
Amen