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Thanks to everyone who came out to this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity dinners!
If you attended either the large dinner at Lion of Judah Church, or one of the neighborhood dinners, we would appreciate hearing your feedback and how the experience impacted your faith and your sense of what is happening in your community!
Share Your Story By Filling Out the Survey
[caption id="attachment_11894" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The first night – Neighborhood dinner at Pastor Stephens house in Watertown[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11893" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Dinner[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11884" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Table conversation at Saturdays anchor dinner[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11892" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] UniteBoston Worship Team at the anchor dinner[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11889" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Diverse cross-section of pastors and leaders represented at the anchor dinner[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11908" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Bishop Arthur Kennedy of the Archdiocese of Boston, Deacon Chuck Hall, and Bishop Bill Murdoch of the Anglican Diocese of New England[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11895" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Neighborhood Dinner in Revere[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11880" align="alignright" width="1024"] Neighborhood Dinner in Medford[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11879" align="alignright" width="1024"] Neighborhood Dinner in Dorchester[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11878" align="alignright" width="1024"] Neighborhood Dinner in Dorchester[/caption]
Stories and Personal Experiences
“This connection showed me the need for more people who can connect others together and lead in uniting Christians in the city of Boston, moving me towards becoming a UniteBoston dinner coordinator. Lots of people at my church are longing for connection to other Christians in Boston, so promoting these dinners can help foster that connection.”
-Adam Montalbano, Reality Boston
“It encourages me to see how delightful it is for individual Christians to connect with each other across difference. I talked with a young woman from Africa getting her PhD here in Boston. Learning about her faith community in her home country and here helps me understand and lean into the depth of the Lord’s love for those like her, who are strangers in a foreign land, which happens to be my home.”
-Ellen Bass, Black Ministerial Alliance
“Last year, we witnessed an amazing prayer gathering of hundreds of Christians from many expressions of the body of Christ from all over the Boston area. This year, we witnessed a more intimate, but still amazing, dinner gathering. Sitting down to share a meal with bishops, pastors, lay leaders and lay people helped me get to know their stories of growing Christian unity and I left the evening really encouraged. Last year’s gathering advanced the work of Christian unity broadly; this year’s gathering deepened it.”
-Scott Brill, Institute for Christian Unity
“It was moving for me to see such a diverse representation of the Christian community join together for a shared meal. There is power in us joining to sit at the table and celebrate our stories of God at work in our lives and congregations. As we become more reconciled to one another, our witness is magnified and God is glorified!””
-Kelly Steinhaus, Executive Director of UniteBoston
“I loved seeing how people stayed late into the night, telling stories and connecting with one another about how God is at work in their lives. It was great to see Christians connect together!”
-Rebecca Nyakairu, Grace Chapel Watertown
FEATURED IN THE NEWS
Here’s an article in the Boston Pilot about Saturday’s anchor Christian unity dinner.
And here’s an article written by Paulist Father Tom Ryan about the significance of these dinners.
NEXT STEPS
If you haven’t yet, please Share Your Story with us – We’d love to hear about your experience at any of the neighborhood dinners.
We’re currently cultivating networks of people who want to collaborate to impact their neighborhood – To join into one of the upcoming dinners, sign up here!
January 20, 2018 at 10:13 am in reply to: Dinner Dialogue Questions: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity #11852unitebostonKeymaster[caption id="attachment_11854" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] First “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” Dinner Dialogue at Pastor Stephen’s house in Watertown[/caption]
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2018 Dinner Dialogues
Christians all over the world are taking time this week to pray for Christian unity during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We want to encourage you to pray for Christian unity this week in your congregation, small group, or family, so we’ve posted our dinner and prayer template below for you to use.
The theme, chosen by the Caribbean churches, is from Exodus 15:6 – “Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power,” from the song of Moses and Miriam after they had seen the miraculous power of God parting the Red Sea and destroying Pharaoh’s army. This guaranteed that God’s people were now free from bondage and able to take up their call to worship God and live as God’s people in the land God has promised to their ancestors. The hymn is Israel’s song of praise to God for God’s victorious work and triumph over oppression.
Here is one suggestion of how to facilitate the dinner:
- Have each person briefly introduce themselves
- Eat dinner together
- Read the song of Moses & Miriam from Exodus 15
- Have a discussion, using the questions below or your own questions
- Pray and sing together, using the prayer model below or your own
Exodus 15:1-6, 12-13
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.
You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
Sample Discussion Questions
What were the Israelites feeling in this moment?
Which part of this passage stands out to you?
What does this story teach us about who God is and how God works?
Our theme this year calls us to acknowledge the God whom we know intimately in our lives and in our covenanted relationship with Him has acted, is acting and will act for us. Where have you seen God’s victorious work in your own life? Share a story that comes to mind.
Where do you see God at work in your church or neighborhood? Where is there evidence of the healing, redeeming power of God? Share a story that comes to mind.
In this passage, God acted on behalf for justice for God’s people. The Bible has continually been a source of inspiration for the Christian community to address conditions that currently undermine human dignity. Where do you see an opportunity for the Church to come together for the cause of justice?
“Your right hand” is an Old Testament metaphor for power, but also relationship, hospitality, and fellowship. We like to think that fellowship happens naturally but it takes effort to bond with people different than us. Where do you see the greatest division among the Christian community in Boston? What might be done to reconcile this division?
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2018: PRAYER
This time of prayer has been modified from the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer template that is being used worldwide this week.
Person 1: The scripture for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is Exodus 15:6 – “Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power.” This passage is the song of Moses and Miriam after they had seen the miraculous power of God parting the Red Sea and destroying Pharaoh’s army. The hymn is Israel’s song of praise to God for God’s victorious work and triumph over oppression. With thanks for our liberation from slavery to sin, let us place our needs before the Lord, asking God to shatter the chains that enslave us and to join us instead with bonds of love and communion.
Person 2: God of the Exodus, you led your people through the waters of the Red Sea and redeemed them. Be with us now and free us from all forms of slavery and from everything that obscures human dignity.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
Person 3: God of abundance, in your goodness you provide for all our needs. Be with us now, help us to rise above selfishness and greed and give us the courage to be agents of justice in the world.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
Person 4: God of love, you created us in your image and have redeemed us in Christ. Be with us now, empower us to love our neighbor and to welcome the stranger.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
Person 5: God of peace, you remain faithful to your covenant with us even when we wander from you, and in Christ you have reconciled us to yourself. Be with us now and put a new spirit and a new heart within us that we may reject violence and instead be servants of your peace.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
Person 6: God of glory, you are all-powerful, yet in Jesus you chose to make your home in a human family, and in the waters of Baptism have adopted us as your children. Be with us now and help us to remain faithful to our family commitments and our communal responsibilities, and to strengthen the bonds of communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
Person 7: God, One in Three Persons, in Christ you have made us one with you and with one another. Be with us now and by the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit, free us from the self-centeredness, arrogance and fear that prevent us from striving towards the full visible unity of your Church.
All: Lay your hands on us, O Lord, that we may live.
OPEN PRAYER
Person 8: Family in Christ, what else can we pray for?
(Pray what is on your heart related to the theme, or other needs in your community)
Response: Lord, hear our prayer
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Person 9: Let us join our hands, bound not by chains but by the love of Christ that has been poured into our hearts, and pray to the Father in the words that Jesus taught us.
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.
COMMISSIONING
Person 10: Redeemed by the Right Hand of God, and united in the One Body of Christ, let us go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit.
All: The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because the Lord has anointed us to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Amen! Alleluia!
SING
unitebostonKeymaster[caption id="attachment_11510" align="alignleft" width="1024"] January 2017 – More than 800 people gathered for the January 20th luncheon, workshops, liturgical service, and missions fair during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. [/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11699" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Co-Presiders from diverse Christian traditions at the January 21st Prayer Service. From left to right: Pastor Barry Kang from Symphony Church, Rev. Dana Baker from Grace Chapel, Rev. David Wright from the Black Ministerial Alliance, Metropolitan Methodios from the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Boston, and Bishop Arthur Kennedy from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.[/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="720"] January 2017 – Joint Catholic/Lutheran Prayer Service to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation at the Paulist Center.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_9046" align="aligncenter" width="601"] May 2017 – BostonServe, 200+ volunteers representing 25 different churches serving in 11 neighborhood projects. Lena Denis wrote her experience in a blog: “Unity Through Diversity.” [/caption]
[caption id="attachment_8832" align="alignnone" width="960"] May 2017 – BostonServe project in Cambridge, where 130 care bags for refugee foster children were packed by 100 volunteers. This project was coordinated by Kaitlin Roberson, who wrote a reflection entitled “Serving Together as the United Body of Christ.”[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11701" align="aligncenter" width="878"] May 2017 – Find A Way Relay, a pilgrimage run for racial justice from Washington DC to St. Louis.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11698" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] July 2017 – UniteBoston Worship Team, convened by Chloe Gaydos. Read about Chloe Gaydos’ life-changing summer as she interned with UniteBoston.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_10911" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] August 2017 – UniteBoston Worship Night, an outdoor worship concert in Boston Common. Read about Rev. Nunez’ experience at the worship night.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11343" align="aligncenter" width="960"] October 2017 – First UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner at Tony’s House in Revere. Here is Father Tom Ryan’s testimony of his experience at the neighborhood dinner.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11437" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] November 2017 – Neighborhood Dinner Party Launch. 5 reasons why you should sign up for Neighborhood Dinners.[/caption]
Thanks for joining into UniteBoston’s ministry this year! We couldn’t do it without you and are excited to see what God will do in the coming year as we continue connecting Christians for greater gospel movement in Boston.
December 23, 2017 at 9:58 am in reply to: God With Us: Artistic Representations of the Incarnation #11679unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we celebrate the beauty and mystery of the incarnation, God coming to be with us in the form of Jesus Christ, whole divine and wholly human, God in the flesh.
Here are a few artistic renditions displaying the wonder of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
“Yearning and Promise,” created by FULLER studio, explores the expectant longing for the birth of Christ. This artistic reflection draws from scriptures from Isaiah 40 and Matthew 1 and utilizes some of the major world languages with the audio and text.
O Adonai
Shield against the name given of fire—
Beyond comprehension or captivity,
The use and power of names.Adonai—what we call you because
The truth of redemption weighs heavily on us—
The smoking mountain, the plagues, the sea’s retraction,
Cloud and pillar, bread-speckled desert,Land of milk and honey and the taste of blood—
All this your Name contains, Spoken and unspoken at once.
Base of creation, vessel of remembrance
For a hundred billion lost tongues, I AM, so we are
Momentary embers.But Adonai, you privilege your clay:
You appeared once in a thicket of scrub-brush aflame—
You gave the Way so our burning
Would not consume us—
Come and deliver us again Into your wilderness.-from The Yearning Life: Poems by Regina Walton
Regina L. Walton is pastor and rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Newton, Massachusetts. Her book of poems, The Yearning Life, won the inaugural Phyllis Tickle Prize in Poetry, and was published by Paraclete Press in 2016.
Above, Kelly Brown Douglas, on the God who is always coming towards us, from The Work of the People.
Poem on the Incarnation
Written by Saint John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-5, 14 NIV)
December 15, 2017 at 7:08 am in reply to: 13 Volunteer Opportunities in Boston This Holiday Season #11649unitebostonKeymaster“We believe that we should actively work to make Boston a better place for all of its residents. We want to dream about what Boston could be at its best, then work together to bring that to reality.”
At Christmas, we remember that God gave so willingly for us by entering our humanity, and we are likewise called to give our time, talent, and treasure to others. In this blog, Mags Benz from Renewal Church Boston highlights 13 different opportunities for serving and loving the city of Boston through volunteering this holiday season.
unitebostonKeymasterIn the American culture, holidays provide a unique opportunity for reconciliation because it’s not often that we intentionally spend time with those we are close to and those we might not normally connect with. Alexei Laushkin from the Kingdom Mission Society writes that Thanksgiving is an incarnate moment of Psalm 23:5:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
He goes on to describe that, “Thanksgiving often brings the juxtaposition of peace and reconciliation in the midst of ongoing brokenness in the life of any family. Thanksgiving puts relationships into sharp focus in a culture that doesn’t do relational intimacy very well.”
Research from The Barna Institute shows that often, Americans choose to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. In fact, practicing Christians are 17% more likely to eat dinner with their neighbors than those with no faith.
Here is a snapshot of Barna’s research on how Americans interact with people in their neighborhood. Millennials are the most likely generation to say that their neighbors are like family (12%, compared to 3% and 5% among Boomers and Elders). In fact, 30% of Millennials include those who live nearby in their holidays or at their dinner tables.
This Holiday season, let’s be a Church that is known for loving and serving our neighbors. Here is a liturgical worship service that you can use in your congregation or small group to consider Jesus Christ’s call to love our neighbors. https://www.faithandleadership.com/preparing-love-and-serve…
unitebostonKeymaster[caption id="attachment_11344" align="aligncenter" width="960"] First UB Neighborhood Dinner at Tony’s house in Revere[/caption]
Father Tom Ryan, director of the Paulist Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in downtown Boston, attended the inaugural UB neighborhood dinner a few weeks ago. He found the dinner to be an inspiring model for Christian unity based on his 42 years of work in this ministry, the fruits of which he shares in his recent book Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference that focuses on local-level ecumenism. Read his story below and be encouraged by the fruit emerging from UniteBoston’s grassroots, relational approach towards making visible the oneness we have in Christ.
With each year of experience in church unity work, I have become more
and more convinced that, no matter how important theological work is for reconstituting unity, the real crux for the ecumenical movement is to deepen the experience of unity on the local level. Theological consensus opens the door to church unity, but the only thing that will get us through that door is growing together in newly discovered fellowship and commitment. Communities of believers, even more than articles of belief, need to be reconciled. When I was a student in theology, one of the best pieces of ecumenical advice I received came from a great ecumenist who said, “Meet people on a human level first and just get to know them before you try to talk theology with them.”And that’s just what UniteBoston is giving us the chance to do with its Neighborhood Dinners! The first one took place at the end of October in Tony Lee’s home. Tony is the coordinator of the UB Neighborhood dinners in Revere. It was really lovely. There were 17 of us, the majority of them young adults. A potluck supper, with everybody bringing something to eat or drink; good conversation over a carnival of tastes! That week we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, so Kelly asked me to share some thoughts about how this centenary observance, being the first one to happen in an ecumenical era, was different. As we all sat in the living room enjoying dessert, a good half hour discussion ensued.
Then Tony picked up his guitar . . . the lyrics of worship hymns began appearing on the TV screen, and we began singing while he provided the instrumental support on his guitar. There we all were, on sofas and lounge chairs or sitting on the living room floor, harmonizing our voices in song-prayer, praising God together in song for a good thirty minutes. There was a palpable harmony of spirit in the room. After the singing, we just kind of relaxed in friendly conversation, with people leaving as they felt it was time for them to hit the road.
The Importance of Community Building From Below
My 42 years in ordained ministry have been largely devoted to the work for unity among the followers of Jesus. It began in collaboration with other chaplains in campus ministry to bring students together at Ohio State University in Columbus and McGill University in Montreal. That led to serving as the director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and working in all 10 provinces of Canada for 14 years, before founding and directing an ecumenical center for Spirituality in Montreal co-sponsored by 8 different denominations. Within 5 years we had a total of 9,000 participants annually in our workshops, seminars, retreats, and prayer services.
Then the leadership of my community (the Paulist Fathers), asked me to come to New York City to found and develop the work of a Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations which, after 9 years, we moved to Washington, DC. But in neither of those two urban areas did I find a network that was stimulating community building among Christians from below. The last 25 years have seen a remarkable number of formal statements of agreement between national and international dialogue commissions. But like so many seeds, they will only be effective if the ground has been prepared. That ground is the people in the various churches. If they don’t even know one another, why would those agreements even mean anything to them? Clearly, nothing is going to happen ecumenically without community building from below.
So more than ever, encouragement and opportunities to come together across denominational boundaries are important–to share with each other an experience of our common Lord. Under the banner of that Lordship we will discover relationships of surprising depth. We will inevitably see that what we share is far greater that what divides us. People who have been living in the same neighborhood can now find themselves expanding their sharing of life to include a sharing in faith. In most cities, if there’s even one joint service that brings people together for the annual January 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, its a good week. Last year here in Boston, there were seven! And now the UB Neighborhood Dinners are taking place in various neighborhoods around the city.
Why are these and other initiatives happening here? Because there is a team of people under the banner of UniteBoston that is sowing the seeds of unity at the grassroots. A team in whose hearts the fire for unity in faith, life, worship and mission burns and who are kindling that fire in the hearts of others. When I moved the Paulist Ecumenical Office to Boston from D.C. a year and a half ago, discovering what was happening here brought joy to my heart! Needless to say, I am happy to become an active participant in it with you all. We are immensely blessed to have a team like this in Boston.
Like any organization, there are expenses involved. Let us give them our support in time, talent, and treasure. Let us make a donation of one kind or another to support these creative initiatives to bring the followers of Jesus together in life, prayer, mission and service.
Thank you, UniteBoston team-members for your Spirit-filled work in our city!
Sign up for the UniteBoston neighborhood dinners here. Once we have a cook, host, and coordinator in a particular neighborhood, we can launch that dinner gathering!
[caption id="attachment_11437" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Neighborhood Dinner Launch Party – November 15, 2017[/caption]
unitebostonKeymasterThe Dinner Table As A Place of Connection,
In this article Dr. Barry D. Jones describes the deep theological significance of table fellowship, describes that “in the midst of a world that increasingly seems to have lost its way with regard to matters of both food and the soul, Christian spirituality has something important to say about the way that sharing tables nourishes us both physically and spiritually. We need a recovery of the spiritual significance of what we eat, where we eat, and with whom we eat.”
October 11, 2017 at 7:55 am in reply to: The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation: From Conflict to Communion #11127unitebostonKeymasterOn Tuesday October 31, we commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. This is a timely opportunity for all Christians to turn towards one another in efforts to help answer Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that we would “be one.”
Christians from all over the world will be gathering in Wittenburg this week to pray for 72 hours for healing and reconciliation in the Christian Church. UB Board Member Dr.
Vito Nicastro and Scott Brill from the Institute for Christian Unity will be attending – please keep them in prayer. Here are 5 key principles from the Wittenburg 2017 :
1. The irresistible purpose of Jesus is to return to a united Church.2. The current reality is that the universal Church universal is divided – in heart, purpose, thinking, and organizational structures.3. Division weakens the universal Church.4. The universal Church should feel the pain of her divisions and grieve them.5. The universal Church should pray for reconciliation and unity.The overall vision of Wittenburg 2017 is the beauty of a healed, mature, united body of Christ (John 17:20-26). They propose that the primary obstacle is hostility (Eph. 2:14), which divides God’s children and dims the glory of the Church.
There are more great resources from Wittenburg, including historical conclusions from both Catholics and Protestants, prayers for Christian unity, and a free online course on the history and nature of church divisions.We encourage everyone to check out these events happening in the area.
Reformation-Focused events in Boston / Massachusetts:
Catholic Miracles in the Age of Reformations: a History of the Impossible – Carlos Eire, Ph.D., T.L. Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, will discuss the Reformation and its impact 500 years after the publication of Luther’s 95 Theses on Friday, October 27, at 4:30 p.m. at 500 Salisbury St., Worcester.
Reformation Conference: Boston – A panel of guest speakers looking at the history of the Reformation and discussing why the Reformation still matters in 2017 and beyond. 10:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday October 28 in Quincy.
Reformation Commemoration Conference, 25 speakers on Martin Luther’s theology and actions for the life and ministry of the Church today, October 26 to 28, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Essex MA.
“Now Thank We All Our God: A Celebration of Five Hundred Years of Continuing Reformation” at 3:00pm on Sunday, October 29, in the chapel of the Society of St. Margaret, in Duxbury, MA.
UniteBoston Dinner & Worship Night, community conversation around our shared mission as Christians and intimate time of worship on Sunday October 29 at 6pm in Revere.
Arts in Celebration! The Word in Color, Action, Music, and Form, an international symposium commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with sessions on art, theology, and ecumenism from October 27-29 in Orleans, MA.
“Luther and the Reformation” Film and Discussion. Join the BU School of Theology for a showing of Rick Steves’ film Luther and the Reformation. A brief discussion follows the film, and a German-themed dinner is provided. Space is limited! UniteBoston has spots for five people to attend – Email kelly@uniteboston.com to RSVP. October 31 from 6 to 8pm at Marsh Chapel in Boston.
“An Evening with Martin Luther and Friends” experimental theater piece in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation from October 31 to November 4 at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Acton, MA.
A Sunday Service in German Celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on November 5 at 2:00 pm at the Faith Lutheran Church, Cambridge (311 Broadway) followed by coffee at 3:00 pm. Children welcome! Contact Pastor Robin Lutjohann with questions: 617.945.4395.
Ecumenical Worship Service: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on November 5 at 3:00pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, MA.
Holy Spirit Weekend with Evangelical, Anglican, Catholic, and Pentecostal speakers on November 11 from 9:00am to 7:00pm in Lowell.
UniteBoston City-Wide Dinner Party – Christians from all denominational backgrounds are joining together to build relationships and let our relationships inform how we can better love our neighbors. At this gathering, the UniteBoston team will model the neighborhood dinners that we’re launching throughout the city. Wednesday November 15th at 6pm at Lion of Judah Church in Boston.
Learn more:
Faithlife has created a timeline covering over 1,300 years of Christian history. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, giving voice to ideas that had been stirring in Christendom. Join Faithlife for a Protestant, scriptural-based perspective in exploring the technology and history behind this historic event.
John Armstrong from ACT 3 Network writes on “How Shall We Remember the Protestant Reformation this year?” and “What Luther Means and How Can We Move Toward Unity Now?”
Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity’s latest report “From Conflict to Communion” which encourages Catholics, Lutherans, and all Christians to look back on our history, the last 50 years of ecumenical dialogue, and how we can continue the movement towards the unity that Christ wills for His followers.
One perspective: The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Protestant Reformation by Joseph Mattera
Father Thomas Ryan, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in Boston writes that the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is “A Year of Unparalled Opportunity.”
And something fun – “Who Said That?” quiz that tests your understanding of Luther’s utterances.
October 7, 2017 at 3:28 pm in reply to: “We Will Rise” Pastor William Nunez Declares at Boston City Council #11116unitebostonKeymasterRev. William Nunez, local Diocesan priest at Diocese of Christ the King and Community Building Coordinator at IBA Boston, was invited to last week’s Boston City Council Meeting to pray in light of the devastation from the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico. Here, he shares opportunities for people to send supplies to Puerto Rico, and offers a benediction, declaring “we will rise.” (See 4:00 to 10:00 for the portion of the video that Pastor William shares)
The Franciscan Benediction & Prayer of St. Francis
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.unitebostonKeymasterSteve Daman from the Emmanuel Gospel Center considers how Christians can respond to Boston’s population growth and declining interest in church. He writes: “Imagine a church, or a collaborative of churches, sending certified chaplains into new communities to extend grace and life in nontraditional ways to new, young and/or affluent Bostonians. Could this be a way to implant a compelling Gospel presence among this population?”
Various ministries are highlighted, including Rev. Dr. LeSette Wright’s Peaceseekers, which cultivates partnerships in Boston to prevent violence. She has trained over 100 people in the area to serve as community chaplains.
unitebostonKeymasterUniteBoston’s summer intern, Chloe Gaydos, reflects on her time working with UniteBoston and and how this experience impacted her future ministry. She is a Business and Finance Major at Gordon College and is now in her senior year. This summer, her projects included web maintenance, UB’s worship night planning/recruiting and researching the UB Reps program. She seeks to continue worship drumming in Boston and work towards connecting Christians in Boston across denominations.
[caption id="attachment_11008" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Chloe with new friends from Lion of Judah Church this summer.[/caption]
Early in the first semester of my senior year, I told my mentor that ministry had no place in my career. I was set in my direction and aggressively searched for a summer internship while taking a full course load of economic courses. Two months later, I found myself sitting in a Thai restaurant waiting to meet my new boss and explore options for projects and opportunities within UniteBoston. She gave me an introduction to the non-profit’s origins and mission, and then we defined goals. I was able to quickly see that I had been placed in an internship with full freedom of creativity, which was the greatest opportunity that I could possibly ask for. I was given my choice of projects, so that my voice that would be heard, and then wisdom to guide me along the way. In my opinion, this is the best way to motivate volunteers, workers, and especially students.
I remember asking the director of UniteBoston, Kelly Steinhaus, if she would let me plan a small worship night in Boston. Looking back, I realize now that I had been a bit homesick for my home institution, Gordon College, and their charismatic worship nights where I would drum on a regular basis. I was looking for something familiar because I had just moved to Boston, and I was willing to do anything to play worship music again. Kelly instantly responded with bright ideas and her full support for the worship night.
I originally envisioned one guitarist, a worship leader, and I playing under Boston’s evening lights in front of maybe 20 people, knowing that Boston is known to be a dry area for religion. The worship night far exceeded my expectations, involving sound, logistics, and prayer teams, lights, a full live band, and 400 people worshipping in the same location as the “free speech rally” the week beforehand. I might need a few more blog posts to sufficiently explain the revelations, relationships, struggles, and miracles that happened in the process of planning, recruiting, and executing the worship night. When I had initially contemplated a summer internship, I honestly could not have guessed in a million years that this would’ve been my summer.
Because of my involvement with UB, my summer was filled with 3 am Latino prayer vigils, Saturday morning street ministry, genuine coffee talks, worship team practices, a few radio interviews, UB online maintenance, networking calls, worship night logistics management, and, of course, controversy over division. I could flash back to my economics lectures and easily explain why specialization and separation are both the most cost-effective and sustainable processes of productivity. But now I have experienced the power of Christian unity. I simply fell in love with the luxury of dialogue covering vast subjects and concerns far beyond broad statements or emotions. My internship made me more interested in the roots, the ‘why’ of situations. I became highly motivated to research deeper into the history of Christianity and what the Church, the body of Christ, is called to be.
As I reflect on the summer, I have a new value for connections, which helps me to see my future ministry, travels in Europe, and studies in a new light. I can see that relationships I tend to form too often have task-oriented objectives. Working behind the scenes of UniteBoston, I have seen God using this non-profit to heal the past wounds of Christians. I have seen relationships form based only on a common love of Jesus. I see my own wounds mending most effectively by collaboration with other Christians. That’s why I now break my ministry into two timelines: before UniteBoston, and afterwards.
[caption id="attachment_11009" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The awesome people on the UB worship team that Chloe convened and coordinated this summer. Meet the team here![/caption]
September 15, 2017 at 4:26 pm in reply to: 5 Reasons Why You Should Sign Up For UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinners #10989unitebostonKeymasterThis fall, UniteBoston is launching neighborhood dinners!
These dinners are designed to create possibilities of friendships between Christians of different backgrounds and open up conversation about our united mission of revealing Jesus’ love to our neighbors. But, we know that you have a lot going on. So why should you make this a priority?
1. It’s rooted in historic Christian tradition. Jesus asked us to remember Him by celebrating the Lord’s supper, which originally began as a shared meal around a common table. This practice has continued throughout the centuries, where Christians gather to offer thanksgiving to God and share stories of God’s work in our lives.
2. It’s simple. We all have to eat – So why not gather for a meal with great people? We know that it can be hard to travel clear across the city after a long day, so the dinners will take place in your neighborhood to make it easier for all to participate.
3. You can participate as much or as little as you are able. When you sign up, you can indicate if you’d like to cook, coordinate, or simply attend the neighborhood dinners. Whether you’re a pastor or new to the Christian faith, you’re welcome to attend!
4. Shared conversations are often the catalyst for something greater. Our goal with the neighborhood meals is to cultivate relationships, and allow our relationships to inform how we pray for one another, how we serve the city, and how we understand our unique role within the larger body of Christ. As we come together, there is synergy and God begins to reveal things that we can do together, that we could never accomplish working independently. We envision neighborhood prayer groups, worship nights, and/or collaborative service projects to emerge as we gather together. Dream big with God!
5. We are better together. There are an abundance of churches in Boston, and yet often little to no communication between churches even on the same street. Every part of the body of Christ has something to offer and something to learn from the others. What do you and your church community bring to the larger Christian community?
Join in!
Sign up by visiting this website: http://www.uniteboston.com/dinner
We appreciate your help in getting the word out! Click on the letter below to download and share with colleagues, pastors, and other Christians in the city. Once we have enough interest within one geographic area, we can launch that neighborhood dinner.
UB Neighborhood Dinners Invitation Letter
Together, we are the body of Christ, yet often we focus on what divides us. Come and be enriched by the beautiful diversity of Christians in our city. Might there be more in common than we first think?
unitebostonKeymaster“I had hit rock bottom, but Jesus wasn’t done with me yet.”
Erich Clark, our guest blogger this week, attends First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich and was on the logistics team to help set up the stage for our worship night in August. Erich writes about the significance of the worship night in his own spiritual journey of faith, and the power of God to transform hearts and lives, both personally and corporately.
I was the Assistant Sound Tech for the UniteBoston Worship Night on the Boston Common. During sound check and rehearsal with the Worship Team, I felt my past and present collide. To understand that, I need to tell you my story.
I’ve set up a lot of stages for a lot of bands.
I get there early, go over the plan, run the cables, note the channel numbers, wait for the musicians to arrive, sound-check, and start the show.
The last time I sound-checked in Boston, my life was collapsing. I worked for a heavy metal band from Rhode Island, and we had finally made it to Massachusetts. It was an important opportunity, but by the time the musicians were plugged in and ready, I was so drunk and stoned that the club’s in-house sound guy had to take over completely.
That was my pattern: set up, sneak off for some drugs, come back and drink until the night became a blur. The band had kept me on until that point only because I promised them that I would stay sober until after each gig. But I was out of control, and that was my last gig with them. At the end of the night, they told me never to contact them again.
I drove home drunk that night to an apartment where I was soon to be evicted. I’d spent all the money I earned (and a large sum I had borrowed) on my chemicals. I was soon to be fired another countless time. Then my car died, abandoned and spewing thick black smoke on the highway during a drug run. It was all over; my life was a write off, the end of the line, my rock bottom.
But Jesus wasn’t done with me yet. I checked into a Christian sober house, Place of Promise, because it was the only one that would take me. That’s where I gave my life to Jesus, for whatever limited use He could get out of me. It was the only thing I had left.
When I graduated from Place of Promise, I found a work-for-rent-position at First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich. They knew about my past, but they accepted me with open arms. They have become my family, supporting me in a myriad of ways as my life has healed.
I started running sound for the church, grateful to use my skills in a positive way. I’ve worked with the Middle School youth group for the last decade and passed on my sound skills to several young people.
One of my trainees was Benjamin Hills, a pastor’s son I’d met when he was 8. He’s a young man now, attending Gordon College, and the Head Sound Technician for the recent UniteBoston worship night on the Boston Common. Ben invited me on as his assistant, and I was intrigued by the prospect.
[caption id="attachment_10965" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Benjamin Hills and Erich Clark working the sound board at the worship night.[/caption]
On August 26th I found myself setting up a stage right in the center of Boston. I was checking connections and helping the UniteBoston worship team to arrange themselves and set levels. I was appreciating the quality band, the professional stage, the beautiful weather, the picturesque Boston Common. As I looked around at those musicians and volunteers and technicians lending their skills to the concert, it struck me:
This is God’s concert. He’s playing right in the heart of our capital city, shouting out Grace, love, hope, and healing. The God I serve took this useless shell of a man and made him whole, happy, and useful. If He can heal me, I know that He can heal the children of this wounded city.
Let’s turn His mic up.
September 4, 2017 at 8:25 pm in reply to: 2017 UniteBoston Worship Night – Pictures & Stories #10903unitebostonKeymasterOn August 21, 2017, more than 400 people came out to a worship night in Boston Common. This event took place in the Parkman Bandstand, which was the same location as the “free speech” rally one week beforehand. While last week, the bandstand was the center of conflict in Boston, this week it was a call for peace from the God who can bring it.
We don’t believe that the answer will be ultimately found in politics or just in human effort but in the work of God who has the power to change hearts and bring peace to the world.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
-Jesus, in John 14:27“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
-Jeremiah 29:7“UniteBoston made the love of God visible in Boston on August 26th. God’s peace paid us a visit because it is only when we come together to love one another, that God’s peace will show up.”
-Read Rev. David Nunez’s blog about his experience“I have never quite seen something like the worship night in Boston in such a public space. The location was perfect for catching passerby’s who would perhaps not normally find themselves at church but enjoyed the music. Also, because the music was specifically Christian, some people came up and asked for prayer or names of churches in the area. This provided a wonderful opportunity for ministry.”-Jacqueline Turner, Aletheia Church“I was surprised by the movement of God in my heart that night. I was inspired to commit to deeper prayer about a specific issue that divides churches. I went home hopeful, feeling the weight of what’s to come, and grateful.”
-Jessica Van Nest Mason, Forest Hills Covenant Church“This event was attractive and attracted all kinds of people. Passersby were stopping to sign up, asking questions. This reaches people who would never otherwise have the idea of Christian unity or even consider a church. And it also literally puts Jesus in the heart of Boston. Right on the Common, the oldest park in America and a training field for the Revolutionary army. As ever, the simple act of all different people coming together to lift up the Name of Jesus is the witness to the world that He is Lord. Our response to hate is the Ancient Love. Our response to being created by God is to love Him and to share that with the city. As the lights came one in the buildings and the moon came up in the dark blue velvet sky, we planted God’s love in the heart of Boston.”
-Dr. Vito Nicastro, Archdiocese of Boston and UB Board Chair“I found my faith in Christ through a powerful worship experience, so my favorite part was seeing people who wouldn’t normally step inside a church building experience Christian worship and the presence of God. Plus, when people asked which church we were from, we said, “all of them!” I’ve found that the presence of God is magnified as we come together to seek Him.”
-Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston Team Leader“I really appreciated praying and worshipping the Lord in this spot specifically, where only a week before there was darkness at our doorstep.”
-David Yazenko, Park Street Church“Thank you UniteBoston and others who helped to make this night possible. God did so much in my heart that night. I don’t even know where to begin! I will suffice it to say that I had the God-given pleasures of praying with several different people; the chance to witness one person pray for God’s forgiveness and ask Him to make her more like Him; an opportunity to connect with believers across congregations and the awesome privilege to witness firsthand what it looks like to see the Body of Christ at work and the beautiful things that come out of that unity. After this event God has given me a newfound love and passion for the city of Boston and the people that live here. I am so excited for what he is doing in the city of Boston. Indeed the harvest is ripe! Let’s each be a part of asking Him to send out more laborers and volunteering to be those laborers!”
-Cleopatra Mohammed, Mars Hill Fellowship Church“I was on the commons that night and felt the Presence of the God come & rest on us and that whole area of downtown Boston….. Suddenly i noticed all the trees, the grass, the buildings, the street lights, the sky with the moon rising and the people looked so beautiful, and a deep sense of JOY filled my heart….. I believe this was the Lord’s pleasure with our worship and the unity of the Bride.”
-Michele, The Bridge Church“A wonderful testimony to the power unified public worship to not only refresh, inspire, and empower the Body of Christ, but to also serve as a powerful means of evangelism to those not connected to the faith. The evangelism effect likely would not have occurred if this event was held inside the four walls of a church–very exciting!”
-Rev. Mark Orr, Executive Director of REACH Youth New EnglandLearn More:
Meet the UniteBoston Worship Team
View the Photo Album on Facebook & Tag Friends!
What’s Next: UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinners
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