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A very simple way for you to spread the message to all the Christians you know is by forwarding this SMS on - a cheap and effective way to get the news of Walk4One and Pray4One out to those in your church communities.
A possible example of what you could send is:
Invitation to every Christian on the planet to pray for Christian unity at 4.01pm daily in a world wide prayer effort! 2 join in visit www.ymt.com.au/walk4one/ Forward this to every Christian you can - help us circulate this msg across the globe!
Here is a form letter that you could forward on to members of your church community (and maybe even some people that aren't?):
An invitation to every single Christian on the planet…
Set your alarm for 4.01pm & join Christians across the globe
praying for the unity of Christians
More details below…
Aussie walks across globe in the name of Christian Unity
National Week of Christian Unity May 20 - 27
As Australia prepares for National Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from May 20, Samuel Clear, a 28 year old from Tasmania, is attracting the attention of Christians worldwide, as he independently walks an 18 month pilgrimage across the planet inviting people to join him in praying for the unity of all Christians. Currently five months into his journey and in South America, Sam has also faced much opposition; having been racially abused, stalked by a puma and held up at gunpoint.
Naming the pilgrimage, Walk4One, Sam left Australia on December 14, 2006 to begin his 29,000km, 564 day, worldwide journey, which includes 18,000kms traveled on foot. From Cape Branco the eastern most point of Brazil, Sam is travelling through South America, Central America and North America, across Russia, and down through Europe to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The unique quest will culminate in Sydney in July 2008 for the start of World Youth Day.
Specifically Sam is inviting every Christian to join him by setting their watch or mobile alarm for 4.01pm as a reminder to stop for a moment and pray that God will unite us as one in Christ. With Christians praying at 4.01pm across the different time zones Sam hopes to create a powerful 24 hour a day worldwide prayer session in the name of Christian unity.
“People don’t necessarily need to pray for long, even just 30 seconds as you work is enough, and a valuable way to be part of this worldwide quest. Imagine the power of thousands of Christians, joining together each day, united in our focus on Christ and our desire for unity, in that one moment!”
Overwhelmed by the division amongst Christians around the world and convicted of the great sadness this brings our Lord, Sam felt moved to leave his job, home and family, sell everything he owned, to personally fund the journey and begin the 564 day mission.
“I had read several autobiographies in which Christians spoke of being ostracized and worse, by family and friends when their spiritual search led them to convert from one Christian denomination to another. This left me struck by the division amongst Christians around the world. Despite all believing in Christ; various conflicting theologies, practices, experiences, misunderstandings and belief systems continue to cause judgment, conflict and division between Christians,” said Sam.
“With such division it is impossible to say that the body of Christ is united. It is broken. I don’t claim to know what true unity looks like but I was, in that moment, so convicted of the broken body of Christ and the sadness this brings our Lord. I felt the need to pray and motivate others to join me in praying, so together we can surrender our own agendas and ask for God’s vision of unity to come to be”, says Sam who refers to Jesus’ call to unity in John 17:21.
Sam’s extraordinary commitment to this quest is clear, after more than 130 days on the road he continues, despite facing many difficult experiences. In Venezuela, he was stalked by a puma in the middle of the night, held up at gun point by a farmer who mistook him for a robber and endured racially motivated physical and verbal abuse.
On some days he has been forced to walk up to 60km a day in 40 degree temperatures. He has slept on roadsides and in rat infested rooms. However, he has also experienced the great hospitality of many Christian Churches along the way, which have joined him in prayer and invited him to speak of his journey and his desire for unity.
Christians are encouraged to visit the Walk4One website at:
www.ymt.com.au/walk4one/
to add your name to the growing list of Christians praying for unity. You can also read further background on Walk4One, view Sam’s itinerary and weekly blog.
Background on Samuel Clear
Prior to Walk4One, Samuel Clear was a Manager with Youth Mission Team Australia (YMT), a youth ministry, focused on bringing young people into personal relationship with Christ.
One of 5 children, Sam was born in February 1979 and grew up on isolated Flinders Island before his family moved to a 1500 acre property in central north Tasmania. He attended St Patrick’s College in Launceston, where he was School Captain in 1996. He furthered his studies at the University of Tasmania, graduating in 2001 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
His upbringing on Flinders Island and then in rural Tasmania instilled in him a great sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors, particularly sport. He played AFL reserves as a 17 year old and represented Tasmania in football and basketball. He was also heavily involved in both cricket and athletics. Standing at 196cms (6 ft, 5 in) and weighing 95kg – he’s difficult to miss!
For those unsure of how or what to pray - here's a prayer that Sam wrote for that very purpose:
Father,
we come together to surrender our entire selves to your vision of unity. Lead us to truth and speak gently into the very depths of our hearts. Help us to cast all bitterness and pride to the foot of the cross so that we may fully embrace the truth of Christ, our Saviour. Please unite all Christians as one body, Father, as your son, Jesus, is one in you and you are in him. Send your Holy Spirit, Lord, to draw us together that we may become, as one, apostles of love to the entire world. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
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