Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

As children of the same heavenly Father we have the confidence of saying,

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Into your hands, O Lord,
we commend the healing of your Church and all for whom we pray,
trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.
The sign of peace follows and we are invited to share Christ peace with all those present.
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles,
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
and grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All: And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

The prayers and the blessing follow.
The Lord be with you.
We are the body of Christ.

All: In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.
Let us then pursue all that makes for peace

All: and builds up our common life.

The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
teach you to walk in his way more trustfully,
to accept his truth more faithfully, and to share his life more lovingly;
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may come as one family to the kingdom of the Father
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always.

All: Amen.
The service ends with a hymn.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included

in this service, is copyright The Archbishops Council 2006

All: And also with you.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

18th - 25th January

A Liturgy for Unity

A Liturgy for Unity

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

elcome to the our Liturgy for Unity in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity!
This week of prayer was first promoted by an Anglican priest in the Episcopal
Church, Father Paul Wattson, in 1908 and it quickly spread to other denominations.
In this service we come together from different traditions and denominations of the
Church, to seek forgiveness and renewal, praying for the coming of that day when the
visible unity of the Church will be manifested to the world.

The Collect and the readings follow,

Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ
to continue his work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world.
Forgive us the sins which tear us apart;
give us the courage to overcome our fears
and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

All: Amen.
As the vestry bell rings, we stand for the first hymn and the opening acclamation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

The Lord be with you.

All: and also with you.

This is the message we have heard from the beginning:

All: that we should love one another.

Christ is our peace, who has made us one:

All: he has broken down the barriers which divided us.

After this, we ask God for forgiveness, especially for those times when we have favoured
divisions within the Church, rather than sought unity. We say together,

All: Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you
and against one another, in thought, and word, and deed.
We are truly sorry for our pride,
and for our lack of faith, of understanding and of love.
We repent of our narrow-mindedness,
of our bitterness and our prejudices.
Pardon and forgive us, save us and renew us,
that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

We sit for the first reading (Psalm 133)

After this, we stand for the next hymn and for the gospel reading (John 17:6-11; 20-23)
The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Hear the gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

All: Glory to you, O Lord.

At the end of the reading
This is the gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, O Christ.

We sit for the sermon.
After this, we stand for a hymn and the prayers of intercession.
In the power of the Holy Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.
For the healing of the Church of God everywhere, let us ask the Holy Spirit.

All: Lord, have mercy!

That the churches may discover again their visible unity

in the one baptism, let us pray for the love of Christ.

All: Lord, have mercy!

That the churches may attain communion

in the Eucharist around one table, let us pray for the strength of Christ.

All: Lord, have mercy!

That the churches may recognize each others ministries

in the service of their one Lord, let us pray for the peace of Christ.

All: Lord, have mercy!

That, in obedience to Jesus,

we may work effectively together for the benefit of the poor and marginalised.

All: Lord, have mercy!

Free prayer of the congregation may follow.