The Love of Christ compels us
Prayer for Unity in the Church, Jan18-Jan25
Reconciliation has two sides: it is fascinating and terrifying at the same time. It draws us in so that we desire it: within ourselves, with one another, and between our different confessional traditions. We see the price and it scares us. For reconciliation means renouncing our desire for power and recognition. In Christ God graciously reconciles us to himself even though we have turned away from him. God's action goes beyond even this: God reconciles not only humanity, but the whole of creation to himself.
In the Old Testament God was faithful and merciful to the people of Israel, with whom he established a covenant. This covenant remains: “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). Jesus, who inaugurated the new covenant in his blood, was a son of Israel. Too often in history our churches have failed to honor this. After the Holocaust, it is the distinctive task of the German churches to combat antisemitism. Similarly all churches are called to bring forth reconciliation in their communities and resist all forms of human discrimination, for we are all part of God’s covenant.
THEME FOR DAY 6: GOD HAS RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF (2 Cor 5:18)
| References: Genesis 17:1-8 | God makes a covenant with Abraham |
| Psalm 98 | The world has seen the victory of God |
| Romans 5:6-11 | God reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ |
| Luke 2:8-14 | Proclamation of the good news |
PRAYER FOR THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH
God of all, we pray as one,
that we may be one,
just as the Lord Jesus prayed
we may be one in Him.
Your son Jesus compels us
to be reconciled to one another.
May our spirits be joined
to your Holy Spirit,
that we may witness to
the visible unity of the Church.
May we all recognise
that we are truly one with you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit and
grow together in peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord
Amen.
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