Sermon Cloud

This coming week, the Church celebrates the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Like any family, all those who believe in Jesus and follow in his footsteps can in some sense see themselves as 'related'. In fact we use the specific term 'christian' to refer to all those who recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ - the anointed one of God, who was born in time and who shows us the way to the Father.

The gospel passage chosen for this gathering tells us that Jesus himself recognized his mission as one of uniting people, bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed (see Luke 4:18-19). This message was proclaimed to all people, but history and the humanity of the Church have resulted in much division and discord, and the result is that we are divided in many ways.

Christ wanted all people to be one, but even in the early years of the Church, there is evidence that those who professed their belief in Christ were divided. Christians who belong to the Assyrian Church of the East have been separated since the Council of Ephesus in 431, and six ancient Churches known as the Oriental Orthodox Churches parted ways with other Christians in 451. More familiar to us are the divisions which happened in the eleventh century, resulting in what we refer to today as the Western Church - Roman Catholics - and the Eastern Churches - those who pray according to the Byzantine traditions. It wasn't until the sixteenth century that the Reformation resulted in the birth of the protestant Churches which we know today as Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals or members of the United Church of Canada ... and history has also resulted in a separation between Roman Catholics and those who pray according to the Anglican tradition.

In addition to the many ways that the Church actively seeks and works toward promoting unity with other followers of Christ, we also set aside one week every year, usually in the latter part of January to pray for unity among all Christians. During this week, we are encouraged to join with other Christians to learn about one another's faith traditions and to explore ways to celebrate together.

On Wednesday evening this week, you are invited to participate in a Taizé prayer service, made up of hymns and chants, which will take place at Ste-Anne-des-Pins beginning at 7:00 pm. Prayer in this form traces its roots to a community in southern France which has been in existence since the 1940s. The dream of the founder of the Taizé community, an Eccumenical order of monks, was to invite people of all faith traditions, languages and cultures to pray together. Over the past 65 years, this small community has welcomed millions of people, young and old, who come to pray for peace and unity in the world.

In the second reading today we heard the words of the apostle Paul who reminded the community at Corinth that Christ's body is made up of many parts. We all have different talents and gifts to offer, and just as no part of the body can successfully function on its own, so we too need to rely on one another for support as we make our way in this life. Let us be especially conscious this week of the divisions in our lives which need to be healed, and let's try to bring some reconciliation and healing where ever possible.