Introduction
to the Ecumenical Worship Service
At the centre of the worship service proposed for the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity 2001 lies the theme for the week as chosen from John 14: 6:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life".
"I am the way", says Jesus. This means that Christ is not only the source
and the goal of unity, but also the one who accompanies and guides his
church on its journey and its growth towards unity. Thus, the worship
service takes up a concern which became the leitmotiv for the ecumenical
working group from Romania: to make the biblical text relevant amidst the
challenges experienced as different confessions live together.
The six parts of the worship service revolve around this thematic focus,
developing it in different ways:
a.. The psalm in the opening section (I) points to the road which God
travelled with God's people towards liberation and gathering into community,
as experienced by the people of God in the Old Testament.
a.. The statements in the Confession of Sins (II) follow the pattern of
Jesus' three-fold affirmation (the way, the truth, and the life), naming the
errors and shortcomings of the churches.
a.. The entire text of John 14:1-6, from which the theme for the Week of
Prayer 2001 is taken, is central to the Proclamation of the Word (III). This
can be linked with other texts (such as those proposed for the "eight
days"), but the sermon or homily should be clearly related to the Johannine
passage which is the theme of the worship service as a whole.
a.. In this service the Confession of Faith (IV) makes clear the common
ground of faith which already unites Christians, although it is not yet
always discerned. This is emphasized by the community saying the confession
of faith together while standing under the cross, following a prayer in
which the heart of our faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is
expressed in words of praise. The credo becomes a movement of praise, being
recited in three parts which the congregation affirms in a refrain,
following a tradition of the early church.
a.. The Prayers and Intercessions (V) express the desire for the community
's growth in unity and, like the confession of sins, are patterned upon
Jesus' three-fold affirmation.
a.. The Sending Forth and Blessing (VI) closes the worship service. The
focus is on Christ sending Christians as witnesses into the world. Belonging
to him, they also belong to one another. This truth is given expression by
the congregation's joining hands while receiving the benediction.
The recessional symbolizes the promised way of Christ stretching out before
us, a way which we follow from a common starting point, guided by Christ and
filled with hope.
In three different parts of the worship service (I/II/IV) being on the way
together is highlighted by a special prayer. Corresponding to Jesus'
three-fold affirmation, these prayers recall three key aspects of Christian
unity: baptism, the word of God (the Bible), and the cross. These are
constant signposts for the people of God, and emphasize God's faithful
guidance. Baptism stands for the beginning of the way as a child of God; the
scripture is the living witness to God's direction and truth; and the cross
stands for the dawning of new life into Christ's self-sacrifice and
resurrection.
The fellowship of the way, which is linked to these three "stations" and
fundamental tenets of our faith, is expressed liturgically in the movement
of the worship leaders - and, if feasible, of the entire congregation - to
the different locations in the church where the three symbols of unity have
been placed during the processional. Thus a prayer would be offered standing
in front of or around the baptismal candle or font, another standing in
front of or around the Bible, and a third standing in front of or around the
cross.
http://vatican.mondosearch.com/cgi-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=49620688&EXTRA_ARG=
&host_id=1&page_id=2366&query=baptist&hiword=BAPTIST+
Erik L
That sox!