1/7/2023 0 Comments Planning christian worshipJust as the root word for ‘religio’ and ‘ligament,’ is shared, so also worship is where we gather and are drawn together, bound up in the body of Christ. The unique realities for all of our ecumenical partners suggests that, not only are we different parts of the whole body, but indeed we are bound together. Individuals, congregations, communities, and communions, all proclaim in silence, praise, petition and gratitude, the fullness of that body. Worship is that sacred arena where the whole, unified body of Christ is gathered together. Ecumenically cooperative public worship has the power to both proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world and to offer a model for accompaniment and cooperation among the people of God. However, years of entrenched denominational separation more often lead to observations of confusing divisions among the Christian church than its professed unity in Christ. On behalf of those who will believe - those who will witness these public gatherings around word and sacraments from the outside looking in - the church strives toward unity expressed, at times, in shared worship across communion lines. The assembly of believers around word and sacrament represents a public event that serves as a witness of faith to the whole world. I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.
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