Dear Friends of Christian Unity,
I wanted to sent a special note at the beginning of 2008 to wish each of you a happy, holy and prosperous New Year.
My prayer is that God will continue to bless the ministry of all those who work for the unity of the church and for oneness among all Christians and all peoples. In the division and fragmentationof our society and world today, we increasingly hear the urgent cry for signs of wholeness, reconciliation, and peace.
There are several new initiatives in the life of the Council on Christian Unity and within the ecumenical movement that give me great hope for the coming year in our efforts to be faithful to the gospel mandate "that they may be one . . . so that the world may believe." (John 17:20-21) A vital element needed to sustain all of these efforts - indeed, that stands at the heart and soul of the ecumenical movement - is our prayer for unity.
Many of you may know that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25). Since 1966 the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Vatican have jointly prepared materials for use in congregations and local communities to celebrate the "Week of Prayer" (for resources, available in English, French and Spanish, go to http://www.geii.org/wpcu_index.htm).
The 2008 theme is based upon the apostle Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, "But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters… Be at peace among yourselves. . . Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5: 12a, 13, 16-18)
If you have not already planned to do so, I hope you will make use of the excellent worship resources prepared for this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - especially for Sunday, January 20 - joining your prayers with Christians around the world for the unity that is God's gift in Jesus Christ.
With best wishes,
Robert