*|FNAME|*,
January 18-25 marks the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This annual observance, sponsored jointly by the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity since 1968, invites all Christians everywhere to remember one another in prayer and strengthen the bonds of love and mutual mission we share in Jesus Christ.
While the observance is commonly referred to as a Week of Prayer, it lasts eight full days. The number eight is important in the Christian understanding of salvation history. The resurrection of Jesus on Sunday marks that day as the “eighth day of creation” and the first of the new creation. Many baptismal pools and fonts have eight sides because in baptism we are buried with Christ in his death and raised with him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). The eight days of prayer across all of our churches reflects our confidence in our Risen Lord to make us one.
The theme of the observance for 2023 is “Do good; seek justice” (Isaiah 1:17). The World Council of Churches provides resources for an ecumenical worship service designed to help multiple congregations worship together, along with personal or family devotions for each day.
Photo by Pedro Lima on Unsplash