I called, but no one answered

It can be discouraging to plan a party only to have no one show up.

That happened to me, once. It happened to by a Mardi Gras party. My first one. I bought all the decorations, all the snacks, all the beer. I sent out all the invitations. And no one came. And I vowed never to have that happen again.

That was a silly vow to make. 

Because I can't control people. And neither do I really want to.

This year, to mark the year of Prayer for Christian Unity I invited a few churches in my town to meet and plan a service together.

And no one returned my phone calls or my emails.

Maybe this happened to you, too.

What do we do when this happens? How do we mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity when no one wants to mark it with us?

Well, those wonderful folk who put together the liturgy for the ecumenical service also put together a week's worth of personal devotions.

I commend them to you.

Take time this coming week. Read the same readings that our ecumencial partners are reading. Meditate on the same meditaiotns our ecumenical partners are meditating on. Pray the same prayers that our ecumenical partners are praying. And in this common act, we are bringing God's Great Family closer together in the love with which Christ loved us and planted his holy Church.

May God bless his holy catholic and apostolic church and may we, as the diverse body of Christ, use our spiritual gifts to bless this world; through Jesus Christ, our head and our leader. Amen.