United Methodists annually join other Christians in marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Observed Jan. 18-25 in the Northern Hemisphere and between Ascension Day and Pentecost in the Southern, it is a time to develop Christian unity through prayer and fellowship.
During the eight days, all Christians are called together to form a vibrant and prayerful witness for Christian unity by heeding Jesus’s prayer “that they all may be one.”
“We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him." (Mt 2:2) is the theme for the 2022. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 was chosen by the Middle East Council of Churches. More than ever, in these difficult times, we need a light that shines in the darkness and that light, Christians proclaim, has been manifested in Jesus Christ.
One of the prayers for an ecumenical worship service during the observance notes, “We have assembled here to pray for unity among Christians and reconciliation in the world. Divisions among Christians have existed for many centuries. This causes great pain and is contrary to God’s will. We believe in the power of prayer. Together with Christians all over the world, we offer our prayers as we seek to overcome separation.”
The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity published the worship resources. Among the writers was a Methodist, the Rev. Kim Hutst, minister at St. Andrew’s Scots’ Church in Vallett, Malta, and a part of Christians Together in Malta, an organization including Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian and Protestant Christians.
Worship and Background Material
Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022Gebetswoche für die Einheit der Christen 2022
Materiales para la Semana de Oración por la Unidad de los Cristianos 2022
Testi per la Settimana di preghiera per l’unità dei cristiani e per tutto l’anno 2022
Subsídios para a Semana de Oração pela Unidade dos Cristãos em 2022