One thing that always energizes us at the start of a new year is the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU). This year’s WPCU starts TODAY, January 18, and lasts until Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
This year’s theme, developed by the Middle East Council of Churches is, “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt 2:2). It’s a fitting verse to reflect on in January since it’s the month when many Christians in the Council’s member churches and beyond celebrate one of the oldest and richest Christian holidays: the feast of Epiphany, which recalls the life-giving appearance of the star to the Magi.
The WPCU is one of the flagship events of the Council’s program year. As in the past, this year we’re blessed to work in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism to develop resources for Christians in Canada to organize their own local services, Bible studies and other events or observe the Week of Prayer in their homes and families.
We invite you to check the listings page on the Week of Prayer website to connect with some in-person and online WPCU events in Canada. We also encourage you to share your local events with us!
You may wish to follow along on our social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), where we’ll be highlighting WPCU events around the country and share daily prayers throughout the week to draw people’s awareness to the peace of unity among Christians.
In the meantime, take this chance to remind you of this wonderful talk delivered to the Council’s Governing Board in November by the Rev. Dr. Rima Nasrallah (The Middle East Council of Churches). In this exceptional address, Nasrallah connects the theme of this year’s WPCU to the plight of Christians in the Middle East today and the broader challenges and opportunities of following Christ in today’s world of upheaval and uncertainty. Many of us around the Council are still thinking about her powerful words two months later!
Wherever and however you participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we wish you the blessing of Christ’s unity and fellowship.