National Council of Churches: "Think globally, act locally" is an adage that applies not only to humanitarian and justice work, but also to the quest for Christian unity. Prayers and praises are being raised in local observances all around the world this week as ecumenically minded Christians mark the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25).
First observed in 1908, each year's unity theme and text are prepared by representatives of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and World Council of Churches. These texts are adapted for U.S. use by the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, which offers a variety of resources in English and Spanish on its Web site and in print. These include an ecumenical celebration of the word of God, daily Scripture and prayer guide, posters and homily notes.
This year's resources center on I Corinthians 3:1-23: "All things are yours ... you belong to Christ ... and Christ, the unique foundation, belongs to God."
