“I pray they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…

so that the world will believe that you sent me” John 17:21 (CEB).

In the UCC, we’ve adopted this prayer by Jesus, for his disciples, while in Gethsemane, before his arrest, to illustrate our coming together from four historic denominations to, “be one.” But since the Reformation, for more than 500 years now, the Christian church has been anything but, “one.” You have Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians, and some estimate that there are more than 45,000 Protestant denominations. In the United Churches of Lycoming County Directory, 37 Christian denominations are listed.

However, there are efforts to make us more unified. Each year, from January 18th to the 25th, “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” is observed. The week began in 1908 as a week to focus on praying for church unity. Father Paul Wattson, co-founder of the Graymoor Franciscan Friars, conceived the idea. Pope Pius the 10th (1903-1914) blessed the concept and Pope Benedict the 15th (1914-1922) encouraged its observance. Protestant leaders proposed an annual prayer for unity week in the mid-1920’s, although it was at a different time of year. Because, of course, we can’t be unified in when we pray for unity (note my sarcasm). But, for more than half-a-century now, the week has been observed by both Catholics and Protestants from the 18th to the 25th of January, with The World Council of Churches coordinating publication of joint materials for use by both.

We have a long history at New Covenant of working, as “one,” ecumenically through the Williamsport Ministerium and United Churches of Lycoming County and we look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come.

While we may have different styles of worship, different interpretations of scripture and different ways of practicing the sacraments, Jesus’ prayer for us is to “be one”. This month as we celebrate, “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” may our prayer be, to “be one” in sharing God’s love, lifting up the lowly and spreading peace and forgiveness throughout the world.

Happy Epiphany!

Pastor Brad