You send the gospel to the ends of the earth

You send the gospel to the ends of the earth and your messengers to every nation. Never in the history of the human race has it been easier to send a message around the world, than it is today. Within seconds of me clicking “publish” when I’ve finished writing this piece, thousands of people all around the world could be reading what I’ve written. As it happens, that isn’t going to happen; there aren’t that many people reading this blog. But, nevertheless, the potential is there. And there are some bloggers who will experience that phenomenon when they write a post to their blog. That’s an amazing and humbling thought.

With all of that potential, one has to wonder if we’re doing enough to really tell people the “good news” about Jesus Christ. Possibly not. But Christians all around the world are getting the message out. There are thousands of websites that tell of the “good news”. I don’t think for one moment we should rest on our laurels, but should continue to look for ways to communicate the gospel message to the world. But sometimes we do have to rely on God, through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, to help forge that connection between what we do, and those people around the world that need to hear our message.

The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
God of heaven,
you send the gospel to the ends of the earth
and your messengers to every nation:
send your Holy Spirit to transform us
by the good news of everlasting life
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

Grant it the peace and unity of your kingdom

We’re in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs from the 18th to the 25th January each year. The week can be observed at any time, though, and many Churches keep it as a week from Sunday to Sunday at dates close to the traditional ones. At Godmanchester, for instance, this year we start today (20th) and finish next Sunday (27th).

This year, 2008, is a special year, marking, as it does, the 100th year of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. See the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website for more details about the week, and this years’ particular emphasis.

A Collect for Christian Unity

Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your apostles,
‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you’:
look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church
and grant it the peace and unity of your kingdom;
where you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Christian Unity,
from Common Worship: Times and Seasons
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

In working towards our Christian Unity, we need to remember that unity doesn’t necessarily mean uniformity. We’re different: let’s celebrate that. Different doesn’t mean wrong; it means different. Christian unity should be about coming together with our brothers and sisters from around the world; exploring our differences without feeling threatened by them; and then we’ll likely find that there are many areas that we’re actually the same in. That way, I believe, we can be truly united.