One Body and One Spirit
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January is an annual opportunity for the churches in Topsham to come together for a time of both celebration and prayer, using worship and study tools that are being shared across the Christian world. The theme this year is based on Ephesians 4:4, 'There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling', using material prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church along with the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. These resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
Paul’s epistles stress the importance of unity within the Church, urging us to live lives worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience and love (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians 4:4 summarises the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasising here, too, that the followers of Christ represent ‘one body and one Spirit’, united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition. Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.
In Topsham, the Week's activities will comprise opportunities for shared daily prayer and reflection and an ecumenical service, all using the material produced by the ecumenical team in Armenia. The short prayer meetings will take place over the five weekdays at 11 am, 19 to 23 January in the lounge at Holy Cross Catholic Church*, with each session led by a member of St Margaret's, St Nicholas Methodist or Holy Cross churches. The Week will culminate in an ecumenical service, to be led by the Revd Wayne Grewcock at St Nicholas on Sunday 25 January at 3 pm (followed by refreshments). Everyone is most welcome to attend some or all of these occasions.
(*Please note this location, a change from that advertised in the January edition of Estuary magazine.)