WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Day 8 - Together... we proclaim the gospel

                                         

Isaiah 61:1-4                  

The spirit of the Lord God has sent me to bring good news

Psalm 145:1-7               

One generation shall laud your works to another

1 Corinthians 15:1-8    

For I handed on to you what I in turn had received

Luke 4:14-21                 

Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing

Three points for reflection

Together we proclaim anew the good news prophesied in Isaiah, fulfilled in our Lord Jesus, preached by the Apostle Paul, and received by the Church. Facing honestly the differences we have and the labels of denomination we embrace, we must never lose sight of the common mandate we have in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul is sent "to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power" (1 Cor 1:17). The path to unity is to be found in the power of the cross.

The Gospel we proclaim is made tangible and relevant to us as we bear witness to the work of Jesus Christ in our own lives and the life of the Christian community.

Questions

In what ways is the "gospel" you have received bound up with its cultural and historic transmission?

Has that been an obstacle to unity?

How would our fuller unity in Christ make us better witnesses to the gospel we have received?

Prayer

Gracious God, you sent your son Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit to redeem your people. Unite us in our diversity, that we might affirm and proclaim together the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Christ for a world in need of his gospel. Amen.