The week of Prayer for Christian Unity by Supplied by Mission and Ecumenical
A Service For Christian Unity: Friday 26 May 2023 7.30 pm.
Mission and Ecumenical — May 3, 2023
A service will be live Streamed from Takapuna Methodist Church, 427-429 Lake Road, Takapuna Auckland. The Rev Tony Franklin-Ross is Cordinator for the Auckland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Supper and refreshments will be served after the service.
Participating clergy and church leaders:
TeRito Peyroux-Semu – Vice President, Methodist Church of New Zealand – Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa
Reverend Uesifili Unasa – Auckland Methodist Synod Superintendent, Methodist Church of New Zealand
Reverend Peter Norman – Northcote-Takapuna Methodist Church; Vice President-elect, Methodist Church of New Zealand
Most Reverend Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Auckland, Roman Catholic Church
Very Reverend Fakaofo Kaio – Onehunga Cooperating Parish; Auckland Presbytery, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
Dean Anne Mills – Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Anglican Church: Diocese of Auckland, Anglican Church
Reverend Ivica Gregurec – Holy Trinity Cathedral, Anglican Church
Reverend Joseph Zachariah Maramkandam – Cor Episcopa, St Peter’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
Father Jean Paul Abou Naoum, St Elias Melkite Catholic Church
With representatives from:
St Peter’s Anglican Church, Takapuna
St George’s Presbyterian Church, Takapuna
St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Takapuna
Northcote-Takapuna Methodist Church
St Gregory the Illuminator Parish, Armenian Apostolic Church
The major theme for this service, drawing on Isaiah (1: 17) is — Do good; seek justice.
This service is taking place around the world. The liturgy was prepared by an ecumenical group overseas and has been adapted for Aotearoa New Zealand by a working group from the National Dialogue for Christian Unity. The National Dialogue for Christian Unity is a gathering of Church leaders, supported by members of their congregations or leadership teams. It is primarily a forum for sharing as we move forward together on our faith journeys.
The people will be given a stone as they enter the church, or they may have brought their own from home: For each person attending, a small stone is offered. During the service there will be opportunity to place their rock around a cross or lit candle placed at the front of the church.
This emulates the pilgrimage to Santiago to Compostela, where pilgrims place a rock, stone or item from home at the Cruz de Ferro. The Traditional Pilgrims Prayer at the Cruz de Ferro is :
“Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross, weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds some day when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so.”
