Articles - From the Curate

January is the month in which the week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place and it has been our pattern that during this week we share in a United Eucharist service with our brothers and sisters from St Andrew's URC and from Lidgett Park Methodist Church. This is an important occasion because it reminds us that we are three churches in covenant with one another and that we are committed to each other. Yet we are aware that there is still more for us to think and pray about, so that we might become closer to being the one body that Jesus longed and prayed for.

We perhaps sometimes take our understanding of being in covenant too lightly and we need to be reminded time and time again that we are God's covenant people. The Methodists have a wonderful tradition of renewing their covenant with God usually at the beginning of each year when they celebrate and respond to God's goodness to them. The following prayer is the affirmation they make to God about their lives and choices.

'I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.'

These are challenging words to say but they are a clear reminder of the covenant that is expected of us as Christians whatever our tradition. Perhaps if we can each try to live out the promises within them we will take deeper steps in our ecumenical journey together.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the week of Prayer for Christian Unity and its theme is 'Pray Without Ceasing'. May we pray for the unity of all Christian people as we share in Christ's ministry.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay