Tuesday, October 25, 2011

An Ecumenical Prayer for the Local Church

I came across the following ecumenical pryer for the local church in David du Plessis' book The Spirit Bade Me Go (pgs. 177-178). The prayer was originally published by the World Council of Churches and drafted by the Commission on Faith and Order for the week of prayer for Christian unity in 1960. The theme for the prayer is the unity of the local congregation in the unity of the universal Church based on 1 Corinthians 12:27-28. This prayer is very unique. I found it quite interesting.

My congregation is a manifestation of the universal Church in this place.
My congregation is a diversity of different members with different spiritual gifts.
My congregation is is a unity in which this diversity is bound together in an organic whole for the common good.
My congregation is an ecumenical microcosm which in its unified diversity shows forth the essential oneness of the Church of Christ and identifies it with "all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," whether in the congregation around the corner or at the ends of the earth.

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