Malaysian Churches Unite in Prayer as Global Christians Come Together In Celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

 

Christianity Malaysia, 22nd January 2022

Ever since Paul Wattson proposed these dates in 1908, January 18^th to 25^th has been a time of celebration, thanksgiving, and prayer for Christian unity in many churches in the northern half of the globe. Because our nation is located within this geographical region, the Malaysian Christian community has been doing likewise.

 

 

Unity is an important facet of the Christian faith for we have a foundational context of relationship, both with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Numerous passages in the Bible (1 Corinthians 1:10; Phillipians 2:2; John 17:23) exhort the Church to be united. During times of challenge, this wholeness and solidarity are especially important.

In full recognition of this, the Ecumenical Prayer Service for 2022 was held on January 20^th, 2022. This Ecumenical Service is part of a celebration that extends back many years, and it also serves as a time of contemplation and the celebration of our constant unity in diversity as we usher in the new year. Some of the host churches in Malaysia during the recent years are the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Wesley Methodist Church, Crossway Community Lutheran Church, and Saint Paul’s (Anglican) Church.

 

 

The Malaysian Christian community met through a digital platform for the second time this year in a service hosted and telecasted by the Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia through their YouTube channel. This year’s theme was based on Matthew 2:2 (“We saw the star in the East, and we came and worship Him”).

 

 

Per the ecumenical intent of the celebration, the many churches who participated ranged across numerous major denominations. They included the Presbyterians, Methodists, Anglicans, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Catholics, and Lutherans. Representatives from the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) and National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) joined as well, and the worship included choirs from the Cantus Musicus and St George’s Church Church in Penang as well as Myanmarese and Indonesian Christians.

 

 

Taking the theme from the story of the three wise men in Matthew 2:2, Julian Leow, the Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, delivered an impactful message, calling for the rejuvenation of zeal for God and for unity among our brethren. Just like the three wise men, we are called to journey towards Jesus, the North Star who lights up the sky of life and who guides our steps towards true joy.

 

 

Archbishop Julian expressed that despite having excellent reasons not to depart on their journey (for they had attained sufficient cultural, social, and economic security and could remain content with what they already knew), the three wise men nevertheless let themselves be unsettled by a question and by a sign. The three wise men travelled miles to meet the prophesied Messiah. They did not allow their hearts to retreat into apathy. They longed to see the light and were not content to plod through life but yearned for new and greater horizons. Their eyes were not fixed merely on temporal things.

Likewise, the journey of life and faith for every Christian demands a similar deep desire and inner zeal. “Faith, if it is to grow, has to begin ever anew,” Archbishop Julian imparted. “It has to be sparked by the desire to take up the challenge of entering into a lively and living relationship with God.”

Speaking on Christian unity, Archbishop Julian conveyed that ecumenism is about the essential mission of the Church and the place of the Church in the world. Jesus prayed that we may be one so that the world may believe.

“Announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ is impeded by the discordant witness of Christian communities in competition with or indifferent to one another. Such a contradiction is an obstacle for those who hear the message and who might otherwise place their faith in Christ. Growth in communion between the churches on the other hand is a powerful witness to what the Gospel can bring to a fragmented and divided world. We should never underestimate the importance of encounters between Christians even when our differences remain,’ he encouraged.

‘There are so many things that Christians should and must be doing together in our common witness to our one baptism and our one faith in Jesus Christ and to the unity of humankind in Christ. There are many things we can do but ecumenical activity will be empty if it is not based on prayer. Prayer is the soul and spiritual root of the ecumenism from which all else springs. Prayer is the essential stepping stone towards overcoming our self-generated divisions.”

The Ecumenical Service was a powerful and encouraging time of worship, prayer, and fellowship among the various Christian denominations in our nation. It brought together many heritages from the Christian denominations in common worship. Among the highlights were:

 

 

• The Opening of the service with the hymn All Praise to Thee by the Cantus Musicus and St George Presbyterian Church’s choirs.
• The Call to Worship was read by Rev Richard Tok from Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia
• Performance of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Ruth Milal Myanmarese Choir. This is a significant hymn in the villages of Myanmar where they hold regular choral competitions on just this highly respected anthem.
• Prayer of Praise and Confession by Pastor Ashok Amarasingham from the Methodist Church in  Malaysia
• The Trisagion and Tui Amoris Ignem chants from the Anglican Church in Malaysia as well as the reading of Psalm 8 by Bishop Jason Selvaraj
• Gospel Acclamation sung by the St John the Evangelist Choristers
• Sermon by Archbishop Julian Leow
• Sharing Christ’s Light, and Prayers of Intercession (led by Bishop Thomas Low) from the Lutheran Church in Malaysia
• Reading of the Nicene Creed by Rev Fr Gerard Theraviam from the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, as well as Biblical passages (Isaiah 9:2-7 by Bishop Steven Lawrence of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia, Ephesians 5:8-14 by Rev Matthew Punnoose of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, and Matthew 2:1-12 by Rev Hermen Shastri from the CCM).
• Reading of the Lord’s Prayer by Sam Ang from the NECF and performance of the hymn In Christ Alone by Indonesian choir before the Sending and Blessing by Rev Sigar Pangiran from Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia and the parting hymn It Is Well by the Cantus Musicus and St George’s Church choirs.

 

The full service can be followed through the YouTube video below:

 

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