The hope for unity

It is Our Lord’s will that his Church should be truly one, not only inwardly but outwardly as well, and this is something we must all hope and pray and work for.  On the night before his Crucifixion, Jesus prayed to his Father for the unity of his Church.  He prayed for all those people (and that includes us) who would come to believe in him through the teaching of the Apostles.  And Jesus prayed “that they may all be one.  As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us…I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one..” (NRSV, John 17:20-23).  It is a very great sadness that the Church is still divided.

Every year, during the week from January 18th to 25th Christians all over the world pray that the prayer of Jesus may come true. 

“For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace.” (1)

SUMMARY

1. Jesus founded One Church in Jerusalem in around 30 AD.

2. Since then there have been various divisions in the Church, with the Eastern Church and the Western Church separating in 1054.  The Church in England separated from the rest of the Western Church in the 16th century.  During this difficult time the Apostolic Succession in the Church of England was kept safe.

3. In order to know if an organisation is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church we need to remember that the One Church, even though divided, shares certain features, for example, having the same Scriptures and Creeds, accepting the writings and decisions of the Early Church and having the same three-fold Ministry of Bishop, Priest and Deacon.

4. On the night before his death on the Cross, Jesus prayed for the unity of his Church.  It is a very great sadness that the Church is still divided and we must all pray very hard for unity and do all we can to bring it about, so that the prayer of Jesus may come true.

Reference

1. Turton, W. (1881) O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray.  Available from: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o645.html  (Accessed 16 August 2010) (Internet).