"When the world is at war in so many places and the forces of violence, war and oppression seem to be increasing, praying for peace (and unity) may seem to be a futile exercise. But we Christians believe both in the power and in the promise of peace -- and we also believe in the power of prayer."
[Dr. Sam Kobia, General Secretary, World Council of Churches]
Dear Friends of Christian Unity,
I am pleased to send to you information about the resources that have been prepared for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: January 18-25, 2007.
These materials, prepared jointly by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Vatican, were developed from a draft written by an ecumenical group in the township of Umlazi, near Durban in South Africa. Based upon the healing story in Mark 7: 31-37, the materials extend a twofold invitation to Christian communities worldwide: to pray and work for unity among Christians, and to join together in responding to situations of human suffering. As noted in the "Introduction" to the materials, these two tasks are deeply intertwined as two threads of a single fabric - each focusing upon healing the wounded body of Christ.
In sharing these materials, I am offering two websites that provide the 2007 Week of Prayer resources in different formats:
First, the full documentation (introduction to the theme, the origins of the material from Umlazi, a proposed worship service, biblical reflections and prayers for the eight days, and additional resources from South Africa) may be found at:
Second, the website of the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute that has adapted these materials for use here in the USA and has posted copies of the worship resources (poster, background resources, worship bulletin, etc.) that can be printed from the website or ordered at http://www.geii.org/WPCU%202007/wpcu.htm)
I hope you will plan to make use of these resources in your local communities and congregations during the 2007 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, joining with Christian throughout our world "to break the silence that oppresses" as together we seek to receive God's gift of oneness, reconciliation, and healing in Christ.
With best wishes,
Robert