Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph 4:3 NIV)

What keeps us from believing that we are already experiencing the dawn of glory for our Church? The Lord is amongst us! Don’t we feel and know it? Let us be unified, brothers and let our unity be in the ancient truth and the joy in the Lord be our strength! Let us represent the holy Christian Church in the centre of denominations with dignity, love and holy devotion! Let us recognize the responsibility and task of our Church with regards to missions and carry her torch into all the lands and to all people. Let us be unified in this mission. Let us be one in this world. One message and teaching, one in practice as teachers, one in praise and worship. Let us strive for this unity. We have all reason to do this. Unity was the strength of the twelve apostles. Unity makes us strong too. Our Unity is in the almighty word of the Almighty, who has conquered all foes. We vie for unity as we are looking forward to the joy of Jerusalem as long as we live. We are rejoicing in loving unity even as it signals to the world, that we are his disciples. Never has he left our Church wanting to be a blessing in this world as we share his gospel and gifts in the world but our lack of unity. One God! One Lord! One Faith! One Baptism! One Origin! One way! One Entry! What will we miss? Praise to God, who will help us and promote his cause!    (Wilhelm Löhe)

Almighty God! Let your entire Church here on earth be more unified in your Spirit and in the truth and in the recognition of your dearly beloved son Jesus Christ. Grant that the disciples of your son Jesus Christ will grown in love towards all people. Grant that prejudice and false passions are overcome and that the will to peace and brotherhood will spread more and more. Grant that we recognise more and more what your way and goal is with humanity in our time. Let your blessing be with all, that promote the coming of your kingdom, the growth of your Even in the last night and before you died, you taught your followers the power of your love. Remind your Church, which so easily splits up and divides, that your last thoughts and care were unity of your members and disciples! (Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf + 1700-1760)  

This is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after Laetare (4th Sunday in Lent). The prayer was translated rather literally and not poetically. Both are found on Pg. 141 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.