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Ecumenical Worship
| To encourage ecumenically sensitive worship, as a sign of and stimulus to reconciliation in the Body of Christ.
"There is one body and one Spirit... one faith, one baptism..." Eph. 4:4 (NRSV) |
Overview
Councils of churches, as reflections of the churches who are their
members, participate in
and encourage regular acts of scriptural study,
common prayer, and worship. Our life together is of God, and it must be
nourished and expressed in common praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and
hearing the Word.
The forms and theology of worship differ significantly among Christian bodies, and therefore are not only a reflection but also can be a cause of our disunity. We must be painfully aware that not every form of worship is acceptable to all Christian bodies. Some forms presently must be avoided in an ecumenical context in order to avoid giving offense. Tragically and ironically, the form of worship which many Christians regard as the sacrament of unity, the Eucharist, is the one which most vividly separates us from one another.
Understanding and sharing
In this context, the task of the Massachusetts Council of Churches is twofold:
We promote understanding of and mutual respect for the many differences in forms of worship.
We seek creative, practical ways for shared worship among member bodies, in order to overcome some of our sense of separation for one another.
Working together
We do this through workshops and other special opportunities (See the calendar of events for occasional special listings).
We also provide written resources which foster common prayer and promote shared Bible study, such as "Studying the Bible Together: A resource packet for ecumenical Bible study".
In a custom initiated and coordinated by the MCC beginning in 1990, nearly thirty Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox religious leaders annually release a shared letter urging participation in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25.
