One in the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer

33 Pages·2010·0.4 MB·English

Resources for

THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
and throughout the year

One in the apostles’ teaching,
fellowship, breaking of bread
and prayer
(cf. Acts 2:42)

Jointly prepared and published by
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches
Faith and Order Pontifical Council for
World Council of Churches Promoting Christian Unity
P. O. Box 2100 VA – 00120 Cité du Vatican
CH – 1211 Geneva 2 [email protected]
Switzerland www.vatican.va
[email protected]
www.oikoumene.org
Contents

To those organizing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 1

Biblical text 2

Introduction to the theme for the year 2011 3

The preparation of the material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2011 5

Introduction to the Ecumenical Worship Service 6

Order of the Ecumenical Worship Service 8

Biblical reflections and prayers for the ‘eight days’ 12

Additional worship resources from Jerusalem 20

Ecumenical Life in Jerusalem 23

Themes 1968-2011 25

Key dates in the history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 29

Scripture quotations:
The scripture quotations contained herein are from The New Revised Standard Version of the
Bible, copyright © 1989, 1995, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used with permission. All
rights reserved.
To those organizing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The search for unity: throughout the year
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is
18-25 January. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul Wattson to cover the days between
the feasts of St Peter and St Paul, and therefore have a symbolic significance. In the southern
hemisphere where January is a vacation time churches often find other days to celebrate the week
of prayer, for example around Pentecost (suggested by the Faith and Order movement in 1926),
which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the church.
Mindful of this flexibility concerning the date, we encourage you to understand the material
presented here as an invitation to find opportunities throughout the whole year to express the
degree of communion which the churches have already reached, and to pray together for that full
unity which is Christ’s will.

Adapting the text
This material is offered with the understanding that, whenever possible, it will be adapted for use
at the local level. In doing this, account must be taken of local liturgical and devotional practice,
and of the whole social and cultural context. Such adaptation should normally take place
ecumenically. In some places ecumenical structures are already set up for adapting the material.
In other places, we hope that the need to adapt it will be a stimulus to creating such structures.

Using the Week of Prayer material
° For churches and Christian communities which observe the week of prayer together through a
single common service, an order for an ecumenical worship service is provided.
° Churches and Christian communities may also incorporate material from the week of prayer
into their own services. Prayers from the ecumenical worship service, the ‘eight days’, and the
selection of additional prayers can be used as appropriate in their own setting.
° Communities which observe the week of prayer in their worship for each day during the week
may draw material for these services from the ‘eight days’.
° Those wishing to do Bible studies on the week of prayer theme can use as a basis the biblical
texts and reflections given in the eight days. Each day the discussions can lead to a closing period
of intercessory prayer.
° Those who wish to pray privately may find the material helpful for focusing their prayer
intentions. They can be mindful that they are in communion with others praying all around the
world for the greater visible unity of Christ’s church.

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Biblical text

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All
who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and
goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time
together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their
number those who were being saved.

(NRSV)

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Introduction to the theme for the year 2011: Acts 2:42-47

The church in Jerusalem, yesterday, today, tomorrow
Two thousand years ago, the first disciples of Christ gathered in Jerusalem experienced the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and were joined together in unity as the body of
Christ. In that event, Christians of every time and place see their origin as a community of the
faithful, called together to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Although that earliest
Jerusalem church experienced difficulties, both externally and internally, its members persevered
in faithfulness and fellowship, in breaking bread and prayers.

It is not difficult to see how the situation of the first Christians in the Holy City mirrors that of the
church in Jerusalem today. The current community experiences many of the joys and sorrows of
the early church; its injustice and inequality, and its divisions, but also its faithful perseverance,
and recognition of a wider unity among Christians.

The churches in Jerusalem today offer us a vision of what it means to strive for unity, even amid
great problems. They show us that the call to unity can be more than mere words, and indeed that
it can point us toward a future where we anticipate and help build the heavenly Jerusalem.

Realism is required to make reality of such a vision. The responsibility for our divisions lies with
us; they are the results of our own actions. We need to change our prayer, asking God to change
us so that we may actively work for unity. We are ready enough to pray for unity, but that can
become a substitute for action to bring it about. Is it possible that we ourselves are blocking the
Holy Spirit because we are the obstacles to unity; that our own hubris prevents unity?

The call for unity this year comes to churches all over the world from Jerusalem, the mother
church. Mindful of its own divisions and its own need to do more for the unity of the Body of
Christ, the churches in Jerusalem calls all Christians to rediscover the values that bound together
the early Christian community in Jerusalem, when they devoted themselves to the Apostles’
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. This is the challenge before us.
The Christians of Jerusalem call upon their brothers and sisters to make this week of prayer an
occasion for a renewed commitment to work for a genuine ecumenism, grounded in the
experience of the early Church.

Four elements of unity
The 2011 prayers for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by Christians in
Jerusalem, who chose as a theme Acts 2:42, ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching
and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.’ This theme is a call back to the origins
of the first church in Jerusalem; it is a call for inspiration and renewal, a return to the essentials of
the faith; it is a call to remember the time when the church was still one. Within this theme four
elements are presented which were marks of the early Christian community, and which are
essential to the life of the Christian Community wherever it exists. Firstly, the Word was passed
on by the apostles. Secondly, fellowship (koinonia) was an important mark of the early believers
whenever they met together. A third mark of the early Church was the celebration of the
Eucharist (the ‘breaking of the bread’), remembering the New Covenant which Jesus has enacted
in his suffering, death and resurrection. The fourth aspect is the offering of constant prayer. These
four elements are the pillars of the life of the church, and of its unity.

The Christian Community in the Holy Land wishes to give prominence to these basic essentials
as it raises its prayers to God for the unity and vitality of the church throughout the world. The
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Christians of Jerusalem invite their sisters and brothers around the world to join them in prayer as
they struggle for justice, peace and prosperity for all people of the land.

The themes of the eight days
There is a journey of faith that can be discerned in the themes of the eight days. From its first
beginnings in the upper room, the early Christian community experiences the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, enabling it to grow in faith and unity, in prayer and in action, so that it truly becomes
a community of the Resurrection, united with Christ in his victory over all that divides us from
each other and from him. The church in Jerusalem then itself becomes a beacon of hope, a
foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem, called to reconcile not just our churches but all peoples. This
journey is guided by the Holy Spirit, who brings the early Christians to the knowledge of the truth
about Jesus Christ, and who fills the early Church with signs and wonders, to the amazement of
many. As they continue their journey, the Christians of Jerusalem gather with devotion to listen to
the Word of God set forth in the apostles’ teaching, and come together in fellowship to celebrate
their faith in sacrament and prayer. Filled with the power and hope of the Resurrection, the
community celebrates its certain victory over sin and death, so that it has the courage and vision
to be itself a tool of reconciliation, inspiring and challenging all people to overcome the divisions
and injustice that oppress them.

Day 1 sets forth the background to the mother church of Jerusalem, making clear its continuity
with the church throughout the world today. It reminds us of the courage of the early church as it
boldly witnessed to the truth, just as we today need to work for justice in Jerusalem, and in the
rest of the world.

Day 2 recalls that the first community united at Pentecost contained within itself many diverse
origins, just as the church in Jerusalem today represents a rich diversity of Christian traditions.
Our challenge today is to achieve greater visible unity in ways that embrace our differences and
traditions.

Day 3 looks at the first essential element of unity; the Word of God delivered through the
teaching of the apostles. The church in Jerusalem reminds us that, whatever our divisions, these
teachings urge us to devote ourselves in love to each other, and in faithfulness to the one body
which is the church.

Day 4 emphasises Sharing as the second expression of unity. Just as the early Christians held all
things in common, the Church in Jerusalem calls upon all brothers and sisters in the church to
share goods and burdens with glad and generous hearts, so that nobody stays in need.

Day 5 expresses the third element of unity; the Breaking of the Bread, which joins us in hope.
Our unity goes beyond Holy Communion; it must include a right attitude towards ethical living,
the human person and the whole community. The Jerusalem church urges Christians to unite in
“the breaking of bread” today, because a divided church cannot speak out with authority on issues
of Justice and Peace.

Day 6 presents the fourth mark of unity; with the church in Jerusalem, we draw strength from
spending time in prayer. Specifically, the Lord’s Prayer calls all of us in Jerusalem and
throughout the world, the weak and the mighty, to work together for justice, peace and unity that
God’s Kingdom may come.

Day 7 takes us beyond the four elements of unity, as the Jerusalem church joyfully proclaims the
Resurrection even while it bears the pain of the Cross. The Resurrection of Jesus is for Christians
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in Jerusalem today hope and strength that enables them to remain constant in their witness,
working for freedom and peace in the City of Peace.

Day 8 concludes the journey with a call from the Jerusalem churches to the wider service of
reconciliation. Even if Christians achieve unity among themselves, their work is not done, for
they need to reconcile themselves with others. In the Jerusalem context this means Palestinian
and Israeli; in other communities, Christians are challenged to seek justice and reconciliation in
their own context.

The theme of each day has therefore been chosen not only to recall for us of the history of the
early church, but also to bring to mind the experiences of Christians in Jerusalem today, and to
invite us all to reflect upon how we may bring that experience into the lives of our local Christian
communities. During this journey of eight days, the Christians of Jerusalem invite us to proclaim
and bear witness that Unity - in its fullest sense of faithfulness to the Apostles’ teachings and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers - will enable us together to overcome evil,
not just in Jerusalem, but throughout the world.

The preparation of the material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2011

The initial work leading to the publication of this booklet was done by a group of Christian
leaders from Jerusalem. They gathered at the invitation of the World Council of Churches. Their
work was facilitated by the Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre. We want to thank in particular those
who have contributed:

His Beatitude the Latin Patriarch Emeritus, Michel Sabbah
His Grace Bishop Munib Younan, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy
Land
Rev. Naim Ateek, of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
Rev. Frans Bouwen, of the Roman Catholic Church
Fr. Alexander, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Fr. Jamal Khader, of the University of Bethlehem
Mr Michael Bahnam, of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
Mrs. Nora Karmi, of the Armenian Orthodox Church
Mr Yusef Daher, of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church.

The texts proposed here were finalized during the meeting of the international preparatory group
appointed by the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission and the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity, of the Roman Catholic Church.

The meeting of the international preparatory group took place at the St. Christophorus Monastery
in Saydnaya, Syria. Participants wish to extend their thanks to his Beatitude Ignatius IV, Greek
Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and his staff in Damascus and Saydnaya for their warm welcome
and gracious hospitality, and to church leaders from different Christian traditions for their support
and encouragement.

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Introduction to the Ecumenical Worship Service

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers” (Acts 2:42)

This year’s theme offered for our meditation by the Churches in Jerusalem invites Christians
everywhere to pause and reflect on their relation to the mother Church of Jerusalem, so as to look
afresh at our own situations. It is from this Jerusalem community that all other communities are
born. The earthly community of Jerusalem is a pre-figuration of the heavenly Jerusalem where all
peoples will be gathered around the throne of the Lamb in eternal praise and adoration of God.

The Christians of Jerusalem invite our ecumenical gatherings in 2011 to meditate on the
importance of our devotion to the teachings of the apostles and fellowship, to the breaking of
bread, and the prayers; elements that unite us, though we are many, in the one Body of Christ.
The churches in Jerusalem ask us to remember them in their precarious situation and to pray for
justice that will bring peace in the Holy Land. The ecumenical liturgy presented here is intended
to lift up the fundamental dimension of all Christian witness, namely love in the service to the
Gospel of reconciliation with God and with all of humanity and creation.

Order of Service
The order of service is divided into: (I) gathering, (II) celebration of the Word of God, (III)
prayers of repentance and peace, (IV) litany of Christian unity, (V) sending.

I) Gathering
Following local customs, appropriate symbols may be brought forward and placed before the
assembly while the opening hymn is sung. After the initial greeting by the person presiding some
words of welcome may be offered to the communities and leaders who have gathered to celebrate.
The assembly is then invited to prepare to celebrate and praise God through the opening
sentences and an opening prayer in the form of a litany in the traditional Eastern form.

II) Celebrating the Word of God
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is central and organizes the next parts of the service.
In selecting the text from Acts, the planning committee from Jerusalem wanted to accentuate the
ideas of fidelity to the teaching of the apostles and the sharing of all things in common as the key
to Christian unity. The homily may develop these themes, as well as emphasize the need for
Christians around the world to support in prayer their sisters and brothers witnessing to the
Gospel of love in the Holy City.

Following the homily there may be a period of meditation, silent or accompanied by music. An
offering or collection to aid the Christians and their institutions (schools, hospitals, etc) may be
taken and sent to an appropriate Church organisation.

III) Prayer of repentance and peace
A symbolic action may take place during this prayer.
Option one: Several candles that were carried in procession in the opening of the liturgy and
placed in view of the assembly may be extinguished one by one after each petition of sinfulness
leaving one Christ candle or Paschal candle lighted as the lights of the church are turned off. At
the conclusion of the peace small candles are distributed to those present. The confession of faith
which may be done according to the Nicene creed or the Apostles creed or some other traditional
expression of faith follows the exchange of peace in semi darkness. The extinguished candles are
then lit (from the Christ candle or the paschal candle) one by one after each intention in the litany
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of Christian unity. The participants are encouraged to take home the candles they received and to
light them each night during the week of prayer and, if appropriate, place them in their windows
as a continuation of this prayer vigil and a remembrance of Christians in the Holy Land and
elsewhere who suffer because of their faith.

Option two: A group (for example of children/youth) prepares beforehand the „mosaic“ (an
image of Christ, a cross, a picture of a church, any other symbol for unity may be used as
appropriate) and cuts it into large pieces. During the litany of Christian unity, various
representatives of the communities present place the mosaic piece by piece in a frame before the
assembly. At the conclusion of the litany the mosaic will represent the unity of all in the one body
of Christ with the diversity as the rich gift that God gives to the churches.

Option three: Some incense may be offered by members of each community after each petition
of sinfulness representing God’s mercy which covers our sins and God’s grace that heals us. A
container holding some lit charcoal may be placed in the centre of the assembly or next to the
place where the scriptural readings are read. After each confession of sinfulness the reader or
another member of the assembly will place some incense on the charcoal. This gesture represents
the willingness of the assembly to acknowledge sin and welcome the response of God’s mercy.

IV) Litany of Christian Unity
These petitions are inspired from the situation of the churches in Jerusalem. However, each local
situation may substitute their own petitions which demonstrate how each place is seeking to
overcome division and find full visible communion. The Litany is lead by the leader and reader
with the assembly responding each time. The litany is concluded by the recitation of the Lord’s
prayer. Each one may pray it in his or her own language or in Aramaic, the language used by
some Christians in the Holy City today (see appendix).

V) Sending
The assembly invokes the blessing of God upon its members, who are sent forth as ambassadors
of the Good News of reconciliation. A hymn may conclude the service.

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