Eight clergy men and women representing various Christian denominations participated in an ecumenical worship service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which was observed Jan. 18-25.
The Jan. 23 event was hosted by Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Brecksville. It was a cold, snowy night, but attendees and clergy gathered in a spirit of faith and fellowship for the service.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost represented the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Bishop David Bonnar from the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown also participated. Also in attendance from the Diocese of Cleveland were Deacon Michael Hayes, director of the diocesan Office of Ecumenical/Interfaith Ministry, and Father Joe Hilinski, retired director of the office and pastor emeritus of St. Barbara Parish in Cleveland.
The service, which marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, included prayer, music and a homily. A reception in the church hall followed.
Participating denominations included the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, Northeastern Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Living Water Association Ohio NorthEast United Church of Christ, Eastminster Presbytery NE Ohio, East Ohio Conference The United Methodist Church, Diocese of Cleveland and Diocese of Youngstown.
The Rev. Barry Chance, general presbyter and stated clerk, Eastminster Presbytery, invited attendees to participate in the service. He represented Presbyterians in five Northeastern Ohio counties.
“Seventeen hundred years ago, Christians struggled with questions of belief, confusion and difficulty. Out of these struggles, they were able to proclaim together their faith in the words of the Nicene Creed,” Rev. Chance said. “Today, as a gathered community of a Christians, we come together from different cultures and confessions to celebrate our common faith.”
The service included an Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy, a psalm, an epistle from St. Peter, a Gospel from St. John, a sermon by Bishop Laura L.H. Barbins of the Northeastern Ohio Synod, ELCA, lighting of candles by Bishop Bonnar who also led attendees in recitation of the Nicene Creed, prayers of intercession, recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, a concluding prayer by Bishop Woost and the sending forth led by Bishop Barbins, who was instrumental in organizing the payer service.
In her sermon, Bishop Barbins noted that unity can be a risky proposition, she said, explaining that not everyone shares the values of honesty, humility and honoring the dignity of everyone. “The threat to unity is not just outside the church, but it’s right here, too,” she said. In fact, the writers of the Nicene Creed might not be pleased with the way things are right now, Bishop Barbins said.
“We are one body all in the body of Christ. God revels in our diversity and by nature, God is diverse,” she said. However, she noted that “the enemy likes that we are scattered. Scripture reminds us that we’re made in the image and of God. We’ve been called and gathered tonight by the God who embraces diversity. Not everyone needs to be the same. It is much better that humanity is diverse.”
Bishop Barbins said despite interference from the enemy (the devil), “tonight, we stand as the body of Christ, as a witness to the beautiful diversity of God’s creation.”
