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St Peter and Paul Church in Old Felixstowe hosted the annual United Service, uniting multiple Christian denominations to reflect on Christian love and unity under the theme of the Good Samaritan.
St Peter and Paul Church, Old Felixstowe, hosted the annual United Service on Sunday on January 21, 2024. This event, a cornerstone of Churches Together in Felixstowe (CTF), brought together Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Salvation Army, and United Reformed Church congregations as part of the national Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
This year’s theme, drawn from the parable of the Good Samaritan, posed a poignant question: “Who is my neighbour?” It aimed to prompt reflection on the essence of Christian love and its manifestation as sacrificial selflessness.
Bishop Peter Collins, despite a challenging journey from Norwich that was doubled in time due to severe weather conditions, delivered a moving homily. Anne Poole, the Catholic Representative on the CTF Steering Group relayed Bishop Peter’s message, emphasizing the theme’s significance:
“This year’s theme for the week of Prayer was taken from the text of ‘the Good Samaritan’ and asked the question: who is my neighbour?
“Bishop Peter Collins was our speaker and addressed with the theme: ‘If I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.’ He spoke to the ecumenical congregation of ‘Christian love having the potential for being the sublime expression of sacrificial selflessness.’”
The service underscored the commitment of Churches Together in Felixstowe to fostering unity and cooperation among the town’s diverse Christian communities. It served as a vibrant platform for dialogue, prayer, and worship, encapsulating the event’s core message of love and unity.
