The churches of Wells-Next-the-Sea in North Norfolk recently came together to celebrate the world-wide week of prayer for Church Unity. Julia Walton, a Catholic and Chair of Churches Together in Wells, shared her experience of the week and highlighted the activities that took place, what worked well, and some of the challenges they faced as a local Churches Together group. Representatives from various denominations, including Quakers, Anglicans, Catholics, Methodists, Congregationalists and Orthodox, met daily for prayer during the week, except for one day when many members were involved in preparing and running community lunches. The week included a variety of prayer styles and culminated in a Sunday service held in the Catholic church with an invited priest delivering an inspirational talk on ecumenism and its importance for all Christians.
Julia emphasized the importance of reflection at the end of the Prayer for Christian Unity week, as well as the power of gathering after prayer and worship to discuss the impact of the varied sessions held during the week. She expressed gratitude for the company of other Christians and the willingness to openly and generously discuss different opinions on prayer styles and words used. Despite the challenges, she found the devotion to God to be heart-warming in today’s secular world, and it inspires her to continue working towards unity among the churches in Wells.
The week saw a range of prayer styles, including a Café Church session organized by the Anglicans and peaceful contemplation offered by the Quakers. The diversity of prayer styles was seen as a revelation, and the group continues to encourage each other to pray, study, and work together to break down barriers between different traditions. Julia emphasized the motivation and encouragement to continue working towards unity as a driving force for the group. The full report of the week’s activities can be found on the Network Norfolk website, and the picture of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Wells is courtesy of norfolkchurches.co.uk.
Overall, the week of prayer for Church Unity brought together representatives from various denominations in Wells, allowing them to experience different prayer styles and engage in open discussions about their faith. The culminating Sunday service in the Catholic church, with an inspirational talk on ecumenism, was a highlight of the week. Despite the challenges, the group remains motivated and encouraged to continue breaking down the barriers between their different traditions in order to work towards greater unity.
