Week of Prayer For Christian Unity

January 18 to January 25, 2008

History

This week of prayer is actually eight days long and was originally designated the "Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity." It begins on January 18, which is the "Feast of Saint Peter's Chair," and ends on January 25, which is the "Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul."

At the beginning of the twentieth century, two American Episcopalians, Father Paul Wattson and Sister Lurana White started a movement to pray for Christian unity. An English clergyman named Spencer Jones suggested that the Feast of Saint Peter's Chair be designated the day to pray for Christian unity in 1907. Father Paul  and Sister Lurana  augmented this suggestion to establish the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1908. Every year since then, their supporters have celebrated what is now called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Father Paul  and Sister Lurana  converted to Roman Catholicism and Pope Pius X gave his blessings to their efforts in 1916. However, Roman Catholics did not have Pontifical approval to pray with people of other Christian faiths until 1964. In that year, the Second Vatican Council issued the Decree on Ecumenism that stated:

"In certain special circumstances, such as in prayer services for unity and during ecumenical gatherings, it is allowable, indeed desirable, that Catholics should join in prayer with their separated brethren. Such prayers in common are certainly a very effective means of petitioning for the grace of unity, and they are a genuine expression of the ties, which even now bind Catholics to their separated brethren."

The word "ecumenical" is from the Latin, oecumenicus, and Greek, oikouenikos, meaning "of the whole world." Therefore, we use this word when referring to services and events to which all Christians are welcome. Starting January 18, 2008, we will join the Christian world in celebrating the centenary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Please join us for this celebration.

Theme

The theme of this centenary is Pray without ceasing. The biblical source for this theme is 1 Thessalonians 5:12a, 13b-18.

"But we appeal to you brothers and sisters...Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you."

Paul's admonition is not so much about praying continuously as it is about making prayer an ongoing endeavor. He recognized that our hearts and minds are shaped by prayer and meditation. One of the objectives of prayer is to discover what God wants for us and, ultimately, to see what God wants for His people. During the Week of Prayer, Christians are asked to pray in their own traditions to determine God's will with respect to Christian unity and join with other Christians in prayer and ecumenical activities. Different churches will have different visions but we can all work together to accomplish common objectives like the elimination of racism, poverty and the over-secularization of society. The celebration of the birth of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. occurs during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and reminds us of the important role Christians play in the world. The local committee for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity calls on all Christians to pray without ceasing that the work of all God's people will continue to make a difference in the world.

Scheduled Events

Ecumenical Prayer Service

The main activity in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is the ecumenical prayer service that will gather all Christians to prayer the afternoon of  Sunday, January 20, in the main sanctuary of St. Saviours Church, Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor at 3:00pm. In the case of bad weather on January 20, the prayer service will be moved to January 27.

Art Show

Throughout the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, local artists and art owners will show art of spiritual significance in common areas of local churches.

Locations of Churches on Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor

Links to Related Sites