(a thing page of
townoak.com)
(alternative access at
townoak.freeservers.com)
Unity Wednesday is something I came up with as a time of focused pray for unity in the church. One of the main things I'm praying for now relates to the meetings of the PCA Chicago Metro Presbytery which is the third Wednesday of February, May, August, and November. I extended that to the third Wednesday of every month. Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings are something that took place a lot in the past and in current times also to an extend(so that is a factor as well). I pray for church unity in general although many of the items I list here are from my own experience. For example, I know of one person with experiences similar to mine but don't list those items here more for privacy reasons.
Ed Stadick
#1 The main thing I pray for is that I would be able to attend the worship time at the quarterly presbytery meeting at least once per year.
#2 I pray that I would be able to worship once per year at Westminster PCA Elgin and/or Grace PCA in Winnetka. Possibly on Christmas Eve(when the church I'm a member of doesn't have a service.
#3 I pray that I would be able to see my three grandchildren once per year. Possibly at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Plainfield where I believe they worship at least occasionally with my daugher and her husband.
For #1, one of the main places I pray is in the same town as the presbytery meeting while the presbytery meeting is taking place. Sometimes with Robin.
For #2, the main places I pray are at Wednesday night prayer meetings at Elgin Evangelical Free Church and at Winnetka Bible Church. I've been to each of those prayer meetings 4 times.
For #3, after praying near the presbytery meeting, I have been going to a worship service at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Joliet. This is one of a couple of churches where I think my grandchildren were baptized. Prior to going, I send my daughter a paper letter indicating the service I will be at. It is unlikely that she or her family would ever be there. I've gone down there after the last three presbytery meetings.
I'll not try to get into this too much now, however I'm a member of a PCA church and that church is NOT the source of the restrictions.
Best summed up by Harold Ockenga in the below quote. My mom's family(including my uncle) had ties with Dr. Ockenga during his lifetime.
| Harold John Ockenga | "The Nature of the Unity We Seek," sermon 1673, Ockenga Papers |
|---|---|
| Surprising Work of God, The: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism | "hundreds of friends and family gathered ... to bid farewell to Harold John Ockenga.1 There to deliver the eulogy was an old friend, 'He was a giant among giants,' reflected Billy Graham. 'Nobody outside of my family influenced me more then he did. I never made a major decision without first calling and asking his advice and counsel. I thank God for his friendship and for his life.'2" ... 17 88 ... "Consequently, the question should not be 'Are we seeking unity?' but 'What is the nature of the unity we seek?' Genuine unity 'can only exist when compat- ible things are joined together.' The cross that 'unites Christians,' Ockenga continued, 'separates them' from all others. 'Christ has no concord with the devil' nor does the true believer have anything to do 'with an infidel.' Yet true believers 'recognize each other across denominational and sectarian lines,' they 'speak the same Biblical language,' and they 'enjoy fellowship with one another.' Their unity is 'organic and spiritual' rather then 'orga- nizational' or 'hierarchical.' A 'cathedral,' to use Ockenga's image, 'is a unity but it is not constructed by identical blocks of stone, nor is the temple of God constructed of uniform specimens of humanity.' Fundamentalists call for 'interdenominationalism.' Modernists call for 'ecumenicity.' Yet 'we must not seek uniformity but the unity of spiritual communication of the saints. The nature of the unity Christ seeks is a vital mystical union of believers in the life of Christ with one another."72 72. Harold John Ockenga, "The Nature of the Unity We Seek," sermon 1673, Ockenga Papers. |
69
If you have any questions about this web site,
please contact our webmaster: Edward M. Stadick