Celebrating Asia Sunday 2022
August 10, 2022
Written by Rev Dr Apwee Ting, Assembly National Consultant
Each year the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) organises Asia Sunday, a day that unites member churches and ecumenical partners across Asia in prayer and reflection. This year Asia Sunday will be held on Sunday 21 August 2022 with the theme “Christ’s Love Reconciles and Unites”.
The annual observance usually takes place the Sunday before Pentecost but this year is being organised in the run up to the 11th Assembly of the WCC from 31 August to 8 September 2022 in Karlsruhe, Germany, providing an opportunity to reflect on the themes of the global gathering.
General Secretary of CCA Rev Dr Mathews George Chunakara reflected on the theme:
“In the Asian context, our ministry of reconciliation and unity warrants us to address multiple issues of social, political, cultural, and religious realities such as the marginalisation, negation of peace with justice, religious extremism, human rights violations, the technological divide and environmental degradation, and, of course, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Christ, in his love, gathered up to himself suffering humanity. Christ continually identifies with the vulnerable, the fragile, and the broken, the ones who mediate the process of reconciliation when they call out for justice and the rectification of historical wrongs.”
The Uniting Church is one of 104 members of CCA. This relationships reflects our identity as a church committed to the ecumenical movement and partnering with Churches in Asia and Pacific, expressed clearly in paragraph 2 of our founding document, the Basis of Union:
“(The Uniting Church in Australia) believes that Christians in Australia are called to bear witness to a unity of faith and life in Christ which transcends cultural and economic, national and racial boundaries, and to this end the Uniting Church commits itself to seek special relationships with Churches in Asia and the Pacific”.
The Uniting Church is also blessed with members who came from Asia bringing the richness of diversity in theologies, ministries, cultures, traditions and languages.
I encourage congregations and faith communities to celebrate Asia Sunday on 21 August 2022, or any other day that suits your community.
The CCA has provided a Liturgy to mark the day which includes songs in a number of Asian languages.