Salt of the Earth: the Scripture text and logo for this year’s week of prayer for christian unity come from Latvia. Today Latvia is a crossroads where Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox regions meet. Because of its location, it is home to Christians of many different traditions, but no single one of them is dominant. Gathered together by the Archbishop of Riga, members of a variety of church communities and projects offered this theme.
Many villages, town and cities throughout the world will have some prayer together for Christian unity. There are many services in Dublin this week. Locally, around Glasnevin, on Friday 22 January at 7.30pm there is an ecumenical service in the Drumcondra Church of Ireland, at 9 Church Avenue, in the vicinity of All Hallows. Fr Richard Sheehy, Moderator of the Glasnevin group of RC parishes has been invited to preach.
On Saturday 24 January, at 3.00pm a scriptural insight will be offered by Fr Dr Kieran O’Mahoney OSA, This gathering has been organised by the local Church of Ireland parish, three RC parishes, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
And if you can’t make either of those, you could try Sunday 24th at 3.30pm in Whitehall Church of Ireland. The speaker is Philip McKinley, C of I chaplain at DCU. A full list of thirteen services is available at dublindiocese.ie
It is good to pray for Christian Unity, better to pray together for Christian Unity. Maybe you, like me, have wondered what kind of unity is possible? Perhaps we come closer to knowing that this week.
