Thursday, January 19, 2012

Making Disciples to Transform the World

For the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18 to 25. 

Prayer 

Loving God,
                You call us, your people, to love.
                Grant us courage to love our neighbors
as fully as we love ourselves.
Living Christ,
                You call us to follow you,
                Serving the least of these, our sisters and brothers,
                                They are blessed, we are graced.
Sending Spirit,
                You call us to mission, locally and globally.
                Send us forth, as a sign of your presence
In kairos and spaces, here and now.

Triune God, you call us to unity.
                Inspire us to reconcile and be reconciled,
                Discerning your will in our lives,
                                United in love and service.                              

Litany

Voice 1
Believing in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ,
Following Jesus’ call to love and discipleship,
We, the church, are commissioned to be earth’s salt and light.

All:    Let our lights shine, let our saltiness preserve love’s essence.

JustinUlmer of Sevenapples Christian Art
donated the image to represent
this year's theme for the Week of Prayer.
 
Voice 2
Making disciples to transform the world?
What a daunting task, or is it the Spirit’s work in and through us?
Christ, have mercy.

All:   Lord Jesus, teach us to pray, teach us to lead, teach us to disciple.

Voice 3
Transforming the world requires right relationships,
Integrated and wholistic mission for kindom building,
Justice-making, and evangelism.

All:   Comforting Spirit, heal and renew your creation
Cosmic Christ, dwell in us as we pitch tent in your presence
Glory and thanks. Halleluiah! Amen.

                

Written by Rev. Elizabeth S. Tapia, Ph.D., director of mission theology, mission & evangelism at the General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Church. 

Learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from Greymoor Ecumenical or the World Council of Churches.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.