Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.
Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and asking God to speak to you in this passage. Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.
A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians [12:4-14]
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Some of you may have grown up in churches where you recited the Apostle’s creed or the Nicene creed as part of your worship service. We generally don’t recite them in worship at St. John, but they are printed in our hymn book and are a part of the Methodist tradition. I didn’t grow up within this tradition, so I was very surprised the first time that I recited the Apostle’s creed to see that part of it was to affirm my belief in the “holy catholic church”. Later I found out that this doesn’t refer to the Roman Catholic church (note the capital letters) but instead to the church, the church of which all followers of Jesus are a part. The word catholic actually means “universal” or “all-embracing”. Understanding the church as all-embracing created a shift within my heart as I recited the words of the creed. I became aware that I was a part of something much bigger than my local church or my denomination, I was a part of the “all-embracing” body of Christ. I recognized myself as a piece in the puzzle that encompasses all of my brothers and sisters in Christ and I also felt in union with them. I now truly know that I am a part of all those who came before me, all who will come after me, and all Christians, all over the world, right now, with all of their varied faces, doctrines, styles of worship and belief. I am united with all those who claim Christ as their Lord. Before we pray, I invite you to read the scripture once again and hold tenderly in your heart all Christians, our brothers and sisters, all around the world.
Prayer of Unity
It is through the church, the one catholic church, that God’s kingdom will come. Let us join our hearts with all of our brothers and sisters in Anchorage, in the US, and all around the world to pray that God strengthens and uses the church to bring God’s kingdom about here on earth.
Use your imagination to envision thousands and thousands of people, hands joined to those next to them, creating a long line that completely encircles the earth. All of them committed to Christ, all of them desiring God’s presence and healing in and for our world, all of them praying, “Your kingdom come. And may it come through me.” Imagine that you are one of the people in that vast circle, praying along with them, “Your kingdom come. And may it come through me.” And now imagine people of every religion and creed joining us in that circle. Continue to pray, "Your kingdom come. And may it come through all of us."
Repeat this as long as you wish.
For your journal: What is your experience of belonging to the “holy catholic church”? What moves in you as you recite the prayer today? What do you believe are the specific needs of the church for today?
Loving God, May your kingdom come. And may it come through me. Amen.
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