17.01.2018
That All May Be Free – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2018
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2018 runs from Thursday January 18 to 25. This year’s theme – That All May Be Free – highlights victory over oppression and is based on material from the Church in the Caribbean which has focused on Exodus 15.
In Dublin & Glendalough the Inaugural Service takes place on Thursday January 18 at 8pm in the Church of Our Lady of Good Council, Church View Road, Johnstown (off the R118 near Killiney). Organised by Dublin Council of Churches, the service will be attended by many Christian Church leaders from Dublin and the address will be given by Dr Jessie Rogers, a scripture scholar from St Patrick’s College.
There are a number of events taking place to mark the week throughout the dioceses. Check for details locally.
As part of a new initiative Christians are being encouraged to pray in one another’s churches during the week with the focus on prayers for church unity, peace and blessings for one another.
The ‘Christians United in Prayer’ initiative takes as its symbol the Trinity Knot and parishes are invited to display the Trinity Knot near the doors of their churches as a sign of welcome, along with a notice of when the church will be open for prayer. Those passing a church they don’t normally attend will know they are welcome to pop in to say a short prayer. Visitors to churches are encouraged to bring a flower or sprig as a greeting to those of different traditions.
“As Christians, we all worship one Trinitarian God. That is what unites us. It does not matter that we have a variety of ideas about him. Everybody is inadequate when it comes to appreciating the infinite. But we all say the Our Father. That makes us brothers and sisters and our Father wants us to love our brothers and sisters. And we do. Let’s show it,” explains Christians United in Prayer organiser, John O’Loughlin Kennedy.
More information is available on https://www.facebook.com/trinityknotunity/