Praying for Unity in the New Year

Salt + Light Media

December 28, 2013
week_of_christian_unity
By The Rev. Dr. Karen A. Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches.

Ah, the anticipation builds....
Some of us are anticipating that rustle of tissue paper and scrabble to untie ribbon that is Christmas morning.
Some of us are anticipating the Hope, Peace, Love and Joy that is the reality of the birth of the Prince of Peace.
And some of us are also anticipating the up-coming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
For only the 3rd time in one hundred years, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity materials will focus on Canada. Sisters and brothers in Christ all around the world will be praying with us and will be praying through words that particularly resonate in our Canadian context.
I am feeling extremely honoured, privileged and quite in awe of the invitations that have been extended to me for this year's Week of Prayer.
On January 19th, at the invitation of the Calgary Council of Churches, I will be preaching in ...wait for it....Calgary. Twice, actually. I will preach at the Sunday morning worship service of one of the member congregations and then in the afternoon at the ecumenical Week of Prayer service. Please pray for me, my brothers and sisters as I discern the Word of God for those two services.
And then on the Monday the 20th, Calgary will launch the new Canadian Council of Churches resource to combat the dire scourge that is human trafficking in this country. The Evangelical Church in Canada has ordered 550 copies of the resource so as to distribute them to every one of their parishes. It is available on our website and/or by calling our CCC offices 416.972.9494 ext. 21.
Most surely, our God who sees each sparrow fall is calling us to action so that children, women and men will not be trafficked any longer in this country or around the world.
Last, but most certainly not least, on January 26th I have the almost over-whelming privilege of preaching in Rome! I have been invited to be the preacher for the English language Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 'the Eternal City'. Watch for my posts on Facebook and Twitter about this momentous event. I cherish your prayers.
The Blessings of our Eternal God incarnate in Jesus Christ and present to us in the vibrant movement of the Spirit be with us all.