WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Day 7 - Together... we belong to Christ

                                         

Isaiah 19:19-25              

God will send them a saviour

Psalm 139:1-12             

Where can I go from your spirit?

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

If one member suffers... If one member is honoured...

Mark 9:38-41                 

Whoever is not against us is for us

Three points for reflection

Isaiah envisioned a day when Egyptians and Assyrians would worship together with Israel as God’s people. Christian unity belongs to the design of God for the unity of all humanity, and indeed of the cosmos itself. We pray for the day when we will worship together in one faith and one Eucharistic fellowship.

We are blessed by the gifts of various church traditions. Recognising those gifts in each other impels us towards visible unity.

Our baptism unites us as one body in Christ. While we value our particular churches, Paul reminds us that all who call on the name of the Lord are with us in Christ for we all belong to the one body. There is no other to whom we can say, "I have no need of you" (1 Cor 12:21).

Questions

What are the signs of "belonging to Christ"?

In what ways can the phrase "I belong to Christ" be used to divide Christians rather than unite them?

Prayer

We give you thanks, O God, that you bless each and every member of the body of Christ with the gifts of your Spirit. Help us to be supportive of one another, to be respectful of our differences, and to work for the unity of all throughout the world who call upon Jesus as Lord. Amen.