Raoul Dederen, 91, longtime Seminary professor and dean, passes to his rest

Mountainside encounter led Belgian to Adventism, marriage

POSTED OCTOBER 28, 2016

As the year 1944 was ending, German forces were battling Allied troops just a few miles from the town of Pepinster, Belgium. In a contest later known as the “Battle of the Bulge,” the Nazi battalions were forced to retreat, their plans to keep the port of Antwerp away from the Allies in tatters.

During those dark days, a 19-year-old Catholic named Raoul Dederen, staring down the “millennium” proclaimed by Adolf Hitler, a so called “thousand-year Reich,” turned towards the message of hope delivered to him by some Seventh-day Adventist friends. While guns roared nearby, Dederen was baptized into a faith whose millennial expectations were not centered in histrionic rantings, but “the blessed hope” of Jesus’ soon return.

Dederen, who went on to become one of the most-beloved professors at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs, Michigan, passed to his rest Oct. 24, 2016, at the age of 91.

He was one of my favorite teachers with his signature emphasis on the doctrine of Christ.

“For every student who has ever valued clarity and organization at the front of the classroom, Dr. Dederen was the premier example of both,” says Bill Knott, editor of Adventist Review and Adventist World, and a student in Dederen’s seminary classes in the early 1980s.“Even on dark, cold Michigan mornings, Dr. Dederen could make a 7:30 a.m. class sparkle with his wit, his eagerness, and his clear command of his topics.I still keep the notes I took in those classes near at hand as a witness to one of the most systematic minds I have ever encountered.”

Pastor Ted N.C. Wilson, world church president, said Dederen "was a great and longtime friend" whose loss was sad news.

"Dr. Dederen was one of my seminary teachers and helpful mentor of mine," Wilson said via email. He "was one of my favorite teachers with his signature emphasis on the doctrine of Christ. He was very animated and interested in so many things of life. It was a privilege to travel with him for about three weeks early in my work as Ministerial Association secretary in the then Africa-Indian Ocean Division. We traveled to various places together in Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo. He was a wonderful teacher in the classroom or in the field instructing pastors."

Wilson added, "He was a precious friend and I plan to see him soon when the Lord returns to continue our conversation and to sit at the feet of Christ, our Savior, whom Dr. Dederen loved, about whom he taught and for whom he lived."

My sister and I, while sledding down the snowy hills not far from home, ran into two or three young Adventists ... As we walked up the slopes, they shared their faith with us, starting with the doctrine of the millennium.

A Pivotal Encounter

For Dederen, encountering Adventism in the midst of humanity’s greatest crisis thus far, the Second World War, was pivotal.

“There was so much destruction, pain, and blood,” Dederen told Ministry Magazine editor Nikolaus Satelmajer in 2006. “I was often disturbed by the fact that my Catholic faith hardly answered my questions, especially about good and evil as well as about my future and that of Europe. I refused to go along with Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy, very popular at the time. I refused to accept the view that man faces an absurd world with feelings of anguish and disgust.”

His encounter with Adventism “started with a snow party in the winter of 1942,” he told Satelmajer. “My sister and I, while sledding down the snowy hills not far from home, ran into two or three young Adventists ... As we walked up the slopes, they shared their faith with us, starting with the doctrine of the millennium.”

One of those young Seventh-day Adventists was Louise Fyon, whom he married in 1947, and with whom he shared life for 68 years. Louise Dederen, an archivist at Andrews University who was developed the Heritage Center there, received the school’s John Nevins Andrews Medallion, becoming the first woman and first non-academic at the school to do so. Raoul Dederen also received the John Nevins Andrews Medallion for his academic work.

A graduate of Belgium’s Athénée Royal, Dederen earned his master of arts and moral science doctorate degrees from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Beginning in 1947, he served forseven years as an Adventist pastor in Belgium, followed by ten years on the faculty of the French Adventist Seminary in Collonges-Sous-Salève. During that latter period, Dederen began and completed his doctoral studies.

A 1964 guest teaching invitation at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs led to Dederen’s being invited to join the faculty there. He became a professor of systematic and historical theology, and served as dean of the Seminary from 1989 until his retirement in 1991, when he became an active emeritus professor, still teaching and advising doctoral students until 2001.

“While at the Seminary he taught major courses dealing with revelation and inspiration, the doctrine of the Church, the doctrine of Christ, Roman Catholic theology, and ecumenical trends,” his colleague Darius Jankiewicz noted.

Publishing Emphasis

“In addition to his pedagogical and administrative responsibilities, he devoted himself to publishing ministry,” Jankiewicz said. “He wrote a multitude of articles that appeared in numerous Adventist and non-Adventist peer-reviewed journals and magazines and also contributed chapters to numerous books.”

Jankiewicz said Dederen’s work as editor of the Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, published in 2000, “was one of his major contributions to the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” For 20 years, Dederen participated in meetings the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches as an observer.
In 2002, before beginning a series of overseas meetings, Dederen was diagnosed with cancer, undergoing an operation to remove his “stomach, the spleen, and part of the pancreas,” as he later recalled. Being fed through a tube and told assisted living was his best option, Dederen and his wife opted for him to return home. He recovered sufficiently to live another 14 years; Louise Dederen preceded him in death in December 2015.

Along with the vast legacy of his published work, and the memories of thousands of students and Seventh-day Adventist church leaders, Dederen is survived by granddaughters Francine Bergmann and Sheila Besirli, and their families. A funeral service and interment is planned for Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Source

------*-------

P.S. 

Nowhere does the article mention the fact that Mr. Raoul Dederen signed (for the GCSDA) the Lima Text or B.E.M. Document at Lima Peru in 1982...

The next section contains words taken from Spiritism in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, pp. 86-88, by Colin and Russell Standish, Hartland Pub., 1995; and “Capitulation to the Ecumenical Movement,” by Colin Standish:

Every effort is being made to de-emphasize the great pillars of the Christian faith. We cannot forget the congress that convened in Lima, Peru, in 1981, in which almost all of the Christian communions of the world met, including a representative from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

--------

“Over 100 theologians met in Lima, Peru in January 1982, and recommended unanimously to transmit this agreed statement—the Lima Text—for the common study and official response of the churches. They represented virtually all the major church traditions: Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, Methodist, United, Disciples, Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostal.

“The churches’ response to this agreed statement will be a vital step of the ecumenical process of “reception.” (Lima Test, emphasis ours).

Dr. Raoul Dederen, professor at the Seminary at Andrews University, was the Seventh-day Adventist representative at this meeting.

http://www.calltorepent.com/sd...

B.E.M. Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry.

Arsenio

Ecumenical launch for 'The Church: Towards a Common Vision'

By staff writers
7 Mar 2013



A major ecumenical statement on the nature and purpose of the church, the broadest ever created, has been launched by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva.

World Council of Churches' General Secretary, the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, launched The Church: Towards a Common Vision at the WCC Executive Committee meeting on 6 March 2013, which took place at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland.

The document is a 'convergence text' (the bringing together of a range of documentary work) of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, in which Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, Evangelical, indigenous and Catholic Churches have participated over many years to seek a shared understanding of the nature and development of their common life and witness.

“The Commission on Faith and Order presents to us a gift, a statement about the Church,” says Dr Tveit in his foreword to the document.

“Work on ecclesiology [the nature and doctrine of the church] relates to everything the Church is and what its mission implies in and for the world. It reflects the constitutional aims and self-identity of the WCC as a fellowship of churches who call each other to the goal of visible unity,” he adds.

The Church: Towards a Common Vision identifies what Christians can say together about the church in order to grow in communion, to struggle together for justice and peace, and to overcome together their past and present divisions.

After twenty years in the making, The Church: Towards a Common Vision was finally approved by the Standing Commission on Faith and Order at its 2012 meeting in Penang, Malaysia.

The document was later received by the WCC Central Committee and commended to the churches for study and formal response.

It is the second major convergence text to be approved in the long life of the Commission, the first being Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, which was celebrated at the WCC 6th Assembly in Vancouver, in 1982.

“The aims of The Church: Towards a Common Vision are twofold. The first is renewal,” said Canon John Gibaut, the WCC director of Faith and Order. “Some reading this text may find themselves challenged to live more fully the ecclesial life; others may find in it aspects of ecclesial life which have been neglected or forgotten; others may find themselves strengthened and affirmed.”

“The second objective is theological agreement on the term 'Church'. The responses to the document will reflect the level of convergence on ecclesiology amongst the churches. Such convergence will play a vital role in the mutual recognition between the churches as they call one another to visible unity in one faith and in one eucharistic fellowship,” noted Gibaut.

In his foreword, Dr Tveit declares: "Unity is a gift of life and a gift of love, not a principle of unanimity or unilateralism. We have a calling as a fellowship of churches to express the unity of life that is given to us in Jesus Christ, through his life, cross and resurrection so that brokenness, sin, and evil can be overcome."

The document is currently being translated to German, Spanish, French, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian. Cooperations for translations into additional languages are being explored. The English version has been published online.

* Read full text of The Church: Towards a Common Vision here:http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-commissions/faith-an...

[Ekk/3]

Source

.

Graz reelected Secretary of the Conference of the Christian World Communions

PARL Updates » November 29, 2010

Graz reelected Secretary of the Conference of the Christian World Communions
On Wednesday November 3, 2010, the Secretaries of the Christian World Communions elected Dr John Graz Secretary for the 5th time at their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The Secretaries of the Christian World Communions is a group of senior Christian religious leaders from across the Christian denominational spectrum. The leaders represent Christian denominations that, when added together, amount to roughly 2 billion Christians worldwide.

"It is privilege to play a role at this critical gathering that provides space for fellowship and exchange of ideas among Christian leaders" said Graz. "The Conference as a great opportunity to promote a better understanding and to discuss the challenges to common values like religious freedom and respect for others in spite of differences."

Source

Related:

.
Christian World Communions

"Christian World Communions" (CWCs) is the term commonly used to describe the globally organized churches or groupings (families) of churches with common theological and historical roots, confessions, or structure. This definition itself demonstrates the fact that there are different kinds of Christian world communions. The term came into common use only around 1979. Other terms used in the past to name these groupings were even less adequate in describing the families of church groupings. They include "world confessional church groups", "world confessional groups", "world confessional bodies" and "world confessional families".

Each Christian world communion consists of churches belonging to the same tradition and held together by a common heritage; they are conscious of living in the same universal fellowship and give to this consciousness at least some structured visible expression. They may or may not be tied to particular creeds or confessions. The forms of "structured visible expressions" of confessional organizations vary greatly. One Christian world communion has many employees and a large annual budget. Several have small staffs and moderate budgets. Some have origins which precede the modern ecumenical movement by several decades. Others were formed or assumed their present level of activities since the World Council of Churches was officially founded in 1948. Their fields of interest can be quite varied. However, they form linkages that strengthen the common witness in their churches in areas such as mission and evangelism, justice and service and promoting Christian unity.

Since 1957, with a few exceptions (1960, 1961, and 1975), the conference of secretaries of Christian world communions has met annually. It usually gathers the general secretaries of these bodies for fellowship and comparing notes together. In some years, they have also been able to discuss various mutual concerns including bilateral dialogues, the relationships between Bible societies and the CWCs, religious liberty and human rights, and the CWCs' commitment to the future of the ecumenical movement.

The annual meetings usually gather representatives of the following: The Anglican Communion, Baptist World Alliance, Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council, The Ecumenical Patriarchate (Eastern Orthodox), General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, International Old Catholic Bishops' Conference, Lutheran World Federation, Mennonite World Conference, Moravian Church Worldwide Unity Board, The Moscow Patriarchate (Eastern Orthodox), Pentecostals, The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Catholic Church), Reformed Ecumenical Council, The Salvation Army, Friends World Committee for Consultation, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, World Convention of Churches of Christ, World Evangelical Fellowship, and the World Methodist Council. The World Council of Churches is usually represented at the meetings.

Even in their totality, the Christian world communions do not represent all branches of Christianity. At least three groups of churches in particular exist outside a worldwide Christian world communions framework: the Oriental Orthodox churches, the independent or indigenous churches, especially in Africa, the united and uniting churches which came into existence from the 1920s onwards.

Varied as they are in their structure and purpose, the Christian world communions are very much alive and must be seen in their relationship with the ecumenical movement. In their beginnings they were in fact the principal existing forms of the ecumenical movement, giving the members of their churches a new consciousness of universality through an understanding of the worldwide dimensions of their own fellowships. Many of their leaders participated in the formation of the World Council of Churches and from 1948 until today have held positions of leadership in it.

In the past, in some quarters, Christian world communions have been viewed as antithetical to ecumenical engagement. Often this has been done by labelling Christian world communions as promoting confessionalism or denominationalism at the expense of promoting Christian unity. This is rather shortsighted. In fact, many Christian world communions are key ecumenical organs and have supported the World Council of Churches in its role as the privileged ecumenical organization. This was recognized as early as the second assembly of WCC in 1954 where, in a report to the assembly in Evanston, Illinois, USA, the then central committee stated: "It may be noted with satisfaction that almost all world confessional associations have gone on record wishing to support the ecumenical movement, and it is suggested that the General Secretary shall arrange for informal consultations from time to time with three or four representatives from each association, to discuss the implementation of that desire and other common problems."1

Almost thirty years later, the sixth assembly of the WCC (Vancouver, 1983) recognized the ecumenical importance of the CWCs and of the conference of secretaries of CWCs as partners in the quest for the full visible unity of the church, and encouraged the development of closer collaboration between the WCC and the CWCs. It recommended that both should pursue the task of seeking clarity as to the goal of the unity which Christians seek within the one ecumenical movement, and in identifying steps and possibilities in achieving that goal. It also expressed the hope that a new series of ad hoc meetings of the Forum on Bilateral Conversations would be held, and made the specific request that attention be given to the reception of the Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry text and to its relations to the bilateral dialogues among CWCs. The question of the relationship between the three concepts of unity - "organic unity", "conciliar fellowship" and "reconciled diversity" - remains crucial.

These 1983 affirmations built upon earlier efforts to address some questions which were beginning to emerge vis-à-vis the relationship between the WCC and Christian world communions as well as questions related to how younger churches in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific could move beyond denominationalism to ecumenical engagement. The Nairobi WCC assembly (1975), for example, made a number of proposals aimed at both the WCC and CWCs finding "a constructive and complementary way of contributing to the advance of the ecumenical movement". 2

A major contribution of Christian world communions to Christian unity has been the theological bilateral dialogues. Several CWCs have come to some significant agreed statements that have removed some historical suspicions and condemnations. The World Alliance of Reformed Churches for example has developed close relations with Lutherans and Disciples of Christ, and come to some significant agreed positions with Roman Catholics and Anabaptists as a result of these dialogues. The Joint Declaration on Justification signed by Lutherans and Roman Catholics is a major result of such bilateral dialogues.

In 1974, the Christian world communions conference of secretaries welcomed an initiative of the WCC Faith and Order commission to hold forums to reflect on the dialogues. This was confirmed by the 1975 WCC assembly in Nairobi. Eight such forums were held between 1978 and 2001 with the participation of representatives of Christian world communions. Such forums have provided space for reflection on results and reception of the dialogues at national, regional and global levels and helped to assess their impact on the quest for Christian unity.

As the ecumenical family searches for new models of ecumenical engagement and inter-church collaboration, Christian world communions have often worked within different processes to further this cause. Since 1997, they have been actively engaged in the global Christian forum process. In recent years CWCs have also discussed among themselves and participated in processes related to the call for a reconfiguration of the ecumenical movement.

---------------------

1 The Evanston Report, 1954, pp. 184-85.

2 Breaking Barriers: Nairobi 1975. Geneva, WCC, pp. 196-98.

.

Source

.

Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry—historic step by divided Christian churches towards a common understanding

In 1982 the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) published an historic theological statement titled "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry" (BEM). The statement represents years of ecumenical study and dialogue on the the church's sacraments and offices of ministry. BEM explores what can be affirmed together by Christian churches of several (and historically separated) traditions—including churches of the Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican and Orthodox families. It also recognizes that much more work remains before these traditions as they explore the many different accents in sacramental life and the understanding of ministry in the Body of Christ.

In 1985, General Synod received and committed itself to further study of the BEM statement. Both the BEM text and General Synod's response are available here, along with links to other WCC resources.

Links to Resources

Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry Statement [WCC website]

Faith and Order pages [WCC website]

General Synod action on BEM

UCC response to BEM

Source: http://www.ucc.org/ecumenical/baptism-eucharist-and.html

.

The eucharistic liturgy of Lima

The eucharistic liturgy of Lima


Introduction
Celebration and celebrants
Sources and meanings
Possible simplifications
The eucharist at the centre of the community and its mission
Notes
THE EUCHARIST

The Lima Liturgy is a Eucharistic (Holy Communion) service expressing, in one possible liturgical form, the ecclesiological convergence on the eucharist reached in the Faith and Order text Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM). It is so named because it was first used at the Faith and Order Plenary Commission meeting in Lima, Peru in 1982 - the meeting which approved BEM for transmission to the churches for official response.

The Lima Liturgy is well known from its use at world ecumenical gatherings, most notably at the WCC Assemblies in Vancouver (1983) and Canberra (1991). But it has also been used widely nationally and locally; as one prominent German ecumenist put it, more Christians have learned what they know about BEM through participating in the Lima Liturgy than through reading BEM itself.

Though written by Faith and Order commissioners and staff, the Lima Liturgy - unlike BEM itself - has never been officially "adopted" by Faith and Order. Nor does it claim to solve the ecclesiological problems (especially concerning ordained ministry) which prevent all Christians from joining together at the Lord's Table.

As an illustrative text it is expansive and complex (two epikleses!), and usually needs to be shortened and simplified for actual use. Suggestions for this are given in Max Thurian's introduction to the text.

A seminar/workshop at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey in 1995 brought together liturgists, theologians, pastors and church musicians to reflect on the origins of the Lima Liturgy and on the experience - of now almost 25 years - of those able to use it (see Eucharistic Worship in Ecumenical Contexts: The Lima Liturgy - and Beyond, ed. Thomas F. Best and Dagmar Heller, Geneva, WCC Publications, 1998).

The English text published here is taken from Ecumenical Perspectives on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, Faith and Order Paper No. 116, ed. by Max Thurian, Appendix II © 1983 WCC, Geneva; and has been translated into French, German and Spanish. Max Thurian's introduction can be found on pp. 225-236; for his suggestions for shortening and simplifying the service, see pp. 233-236.


Introduction


This liturgy was prepared for the plenary session of the Faith and Order Commission in Lima and was used for the first time there on 15 January 1982. It was also used in the Ecumenical Centre Chapel in Geneva on 28 July 1982 during the meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, with Dr Philip Potter, the General Secretary, as the presiding minister. It will also be used at the Sixth Assembly of the World Couneil of Churches in Vancouver in 1983.

In composing this liturgy for the Lima Conference, the aim was to illustrate the solid theological achievements of the Faith and Order document, Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (cited henceforth as BEM). The Lima liturgy is not the only possibility: the convergences registered in BEM could be expressed in other liturgical forms, ac-cording to other traditions, spiritualities or cultures. No "authority" attaches to this particular liturgy, save that accruing to it from the fact of its having been used on certain significant ecumenical occasions.

The Lima liturgy is characterized by its fullness and is perhaps more suitable for a particularly solemn celebration. It has already been used in a simplified form by a number of groups. Some ex-amples of possible simplification will be given at the end of this introduction.

Celebration and celebrants


According to the indications given in the BEM document, the Christian liturgy should be regularly celebrated, at least every Lord's Day and on feast days. This eucharistic celebration will include the proclamation of the Word of God and the communion of the members of the Body of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit (E31). The eucharistic liturgy thus consists of three parts. The introductory part unites the people of God in confession, supplication and praise (confession of sins, litany of the Kyrie, and the Gloria). The second part, the liturgy of the Word, begins with a prayer of preparation. It includes the three proclamations: of a prophet (first lesson), an apos-tle (second lesson), and Christ (the Gospel). Then the voice of the Church is heard in the sermon, making the eternal word contem-porary and living. The sermon is followed by silent meditation. The faith of the Church is then summarized in the Creed and all human needs presented to God in the intercession. The third part, the liturgy of the eucharist, consists essentially of the great eucharistic prayer, preceded by a short preparation and followed by the Lord's Prayer, the sign of peace, and communion. We shall return to these elements in more detail. (They are listed in E27.)

The liturgy is an act of the community. This is even indicated in the etymology of the term "liturgy" - leitourgia - service of the people. It is not a clerical solo performance but a concert of the whole Christian community, in which certain of its members play a special part, in accordance with their different charisms and mandates. At ecumenical meetings, the liturgy of the Word will be shared by wor-ship leaders (officiants) of several traditions, while the liturgy of the eucharist will associate as assistants of the principal celebrant those authorized by their own church to concelebrate on such occasions.

Normally the presiding pastor at the liturgy (bishop or presbyter, M29-30) gives the salutation, the absolution and the prayer; the pastor leads the liturgy of the Eucharist by praying the great eucharistic prayer: the preface, the epiclesis (I and II), the institu-tion, the anamnesis and the conclusion; the pastor also offers the prayer of thanksgiving and gives the benediction. The congregation sings or says all the responses and the Amens; it recites together the confession, the Gloria (or it alternates with an officiant, unless it is sung), the Creed (said or sung) and the Lord' s Prayer (said or sung). The biddings in the litany of the Kyrie and in the intercessions, the verses of the Gloria, the preparation and the mementos, the in-troduction to the Lord's Prayer and the prayer of peace, may be shared among other officiants. Three readers are assigned to read the lessons (the Gospel is read or sung by a deacon in the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions); a preacher is assigned to deliver the sermon.

Sources and meanings


The entry hymn which accompanies the procession of the offi-ciants, or even of the entire community, should preferably be a psalm, appropriate to the liturgical season or the festival being celebrated, punctuated by a suitable antiphon, simple enough for all to join in between the verses sung by the choir. On the first Sunday in Advent, for example, the entry hymn is Psalm 25, with the antiphon:

To you, Lord, I lift my heart;
They whose hope is in you will not be disappointed.

The psalm may, however, be replaced by a chorale or a hymn whose liturgical use is well-attested. In the Lutheran tradition, for ex-ample, the chorales mark certain Sundays. When the procession ends, the Gloria is sung ("Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ...") and the antiphon is repeated a last time.

The principal celebrant then gives the salutation, a custom which probably goes back to primitive liturgical usage, and the text for which is provided for us by St Paul (2 Cor. 13:13). It was restored to favour in the revised post-conciliar Roman Catholic liturgy, and it often forms part of Reformed and Lutheran celebrations.

The confession, said by the whole congregation, is followed by the ab-solution pronounced by the principal celebrant. Both have been taken from the Lutheran Book of Worship published by the Joint Lutheran Liturgical Commission for the churches in the United States and Canada. [1]

Slight alterations have been made in the English text to employ more inclusive language.

The litany of the Kyrie is a brief initial supplication. This litany derives traditionally from the Byzantine Liturgy which always begins with it. Here, however, it is shorter, containing only three petitions on the themes of baptism, eucharist and ministry, which take their cue from three New Testament passages: Eph. 4:3-5, 1 Cor. 10:16-17 and 2 Cor. 5:18-20. These petitions may be altered to suit the circumstances. Provision could also be made for penitential peti-tions in place of the confession, and these would then come im-mediately after the salutation.

The form used in the revised Roman Catholic liturgy is familiar:

Lord Jesus, sent by the Father
to heal and save us all,
have mercy on us.
- Kyrie eleison.

O Christ, who came into the world
to call all sinners,
have mercy on us.
- Kyrie eleison.

Lord, lifted up into the glory of the Father
where Thou dost intercede for us,
have mercy on us.
- Kyrie eleision.

May the almighty God
have mercy on us all;
may He pardon our sins
and bring us to eternal life.
- Amen.

The opening litany of the Orthodox Liturgy of St John Chrysostom could also be used.

This litany of supplication is followed by the hymn of praise: "Glory to God in the highest ..." From the beginning of the liturgy, therefore, place is provided for the three fundamental attitudes of Christian prayer: penitence, supplication and praise.

The liturgy of the Word opens with prayer. In contemplation, preparation is made for hearing the Word of God. This prayer varies according to seasons, festivals and circumstances. Here it is based on the themes of the BEM document. It evokes Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan, the messianic anointing of Christ who is consecrated prophet, priest and king. It asks for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit upon the baptized, the deepening of desire for communion with Christ in the eucharist, and consecration to the service of the poor and those in special need of Christian love.

The first reading is taken either from the Old Testament, or from the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation. At Lima, the passage chosen was Ezekiel 47:1-9, on the water flowing from the source in the Temple, recalling the baptismal immersion which purifies, cleanses and gives life. The meditative hymn which follows is usually the fragment of a psalm, sung responsively. Appropriate verses to follow this Ezekiel passage about the life-giving water would be Psalm 42:2-3, 8-9, with the antiphon taken from Ezekiel 36:25:

I will sprinkle clean water upon you
and will cleanse you from all your uncleannesses.

The second reading is a short passage from one of the Epistles. At Lima it was 1 Peter 5:1-11, on the theme of ministry. The Alleluia then sounds out as an acclamation of welcome to the Gospel. For example:

Alleluia! Alleluia!
The disciples of Emmaus
recognized the Risen Lord
in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia!

The Gospel is then read by a deacon or a third reader. At Lima the Emmaus passage from Lk. 24:25-32 was read, on the theme of the eucharistic meal preceded by Christ's exposition of the Scriptures.

The sermon applies the message of the Word of God to our life to-day. It is the voice of the Church, echoing that of the prophets, apostles and Christ. A moment of silent recollection gives time for each to meditate on the Word received.

The Creed is then said or sung as a résumé of the history of salva-tion. Either the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan (Nicene) Creed or the Apostles' Creed may be used. In an ecumenical spirit of fidelity to the original text of the Nicene Creed, we use here that form approved at the Council of Constantinople in 381, as was done at the Lima Conference and at the WCC Central Committee meeting in Geneva. The 1600th commemoration of this Council in 1981 by and large restored this primitive text to its rightful place of honour, reconciling East and West in the expression of fundamental faith.

The prayer of intercession unites the believing community, now nourished by the Word of God, in prayer for the needs of the Church and the world. The pattern and style adopted here are those of the litany of Pope Gelasius († 496) which reflects the Kyrie in use in Rome at the end of the fifth century.[2] The themes of the six inten-tions include the outpouring of the Spirit on the Church; the leaders of the nations, justice and peace; the oppressed and all the victims of violence; then (following the BEM themes) the unity of the churches in baptism; the communion of the churches around the one table; the mutual recognition of ministries by the churches.

The liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the presentation of the bread and wine, accompanied by two benedictions from the Jewish liturgy (also used in the revised Roman Catholic liturgy), and by a prayer inspired by the Didache. This preparation is completed by the very ancient eucharistic acclamation "Maranatha" ("Come, Lord!" or "The Lord is coming", 1 Cor. 16:22).

The great eucharistic prayer begins with a composite preface, which also take its themes from the BEM document. First of all, thanksgiving for creation is focused on the life-giving Word, giving life in particular to the human being who reflects the glory of God. In the fullness of time Christ was given as the way, the truth and the life. In the account of Jesus' life, the preface recalls the consecration of the Servant by baptism, the last supper of the eucharist, the memorial of the death and resurrection, and the presence of the Risen Saviour in the breaking of the bread. Finally, the preface refers to the gift of the royal priesthood to all Christians, from among whom God chooses ministers who are charged to feed the Church by the Word and sacraments and thereby to give it life.

In conformity with the Alexandrian and Roman traditions, the in-vocation of the Holy Spirit (the epiclesis) precedes the words of the institution of the Holy Supper.[3] The reminder of the work of the Ho-ly Spirit in the history of our salvation is inspired by the liturgy of St James, (4th century). This is also used in the liturgy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France (1977, alternative VIII). The epiclesis asks for the Holy Spirit to be poured out, as on Moses and the prophets, on the Virgin Mary, on Jesus at the River Jordan, and on the apostles at Pentecost, to transfigure the thanksgiving meal, so that the bread and the wine become for us the Body and the Blood of Christ. The idea of transfiguration by the Spirit of life and fire is in-tended to point to the consecration of the bread and wine in a sacramental and mystical manner transcending all our understanding and all our explanation (E14-15). The congregation punctuates this epiclesis with the sung response: "Veni Creator Spiritus - Come, Creator Spirit!"

Just as the beginning of the epiclesis took up the themes of the preceding Sanctus (O God, Lord of the universe, you are holy and your glory is beyond measure), so too the beginning of the institution links up with the epiclesis and to its response, by referring to the Ho-ly Spirit. This indicates the unity of the action of the Spirit and of Christ in the eucharistic mystery. The Holy Spirit accomplishes the words of the Son who, "on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread ..." By the Holy Spirit, these historical words of Jesus become alive and contemporary: bread and wine become the Body and the Blood of Christ. "The Holy Spirit makes the crucified and risen Christ really present to us in the eucharistic meal, fulfilling the pro-mise contained in the words of institution" (E14). The Holy Spirit "makes the historical words of Jesus present and alive" (E14). The blessing of the bread and the cup is accompanied, as in the Jewish liturgy, the passover meal in particular, by thanksgiving. The rendering of "Do this for the remembrance of me" is preferred in order to avoid the subjective idea of a mere souvenir. The eucharist is a memorial, an anamnesis, i.e. making present and alive the saving event of the cross and the presentation of Christ's unique sacrifice to the Father as an urgent prayer of the Church. The acclamation which concludes the institution has been adopted in many recent liturgical revisions: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Swedish, American Lutheran. It associates the congregation with the proclamation of the memorial. The anamnesis is the celebration of the "memorial of our redemption". The sacrifice of the cross and resurrection, made present and active for us today in the eucharist, is central in the anamnesis. But, as the BEM document says, what is recalled in thanksgiving in the eucharist is the whole existence of Christ (E6).

In the present liturgy, certain events are emphasized because they correspond to the BEM themes: the baptism of Jesus, his last meal with the apostles, his ministry as High Priest who makes intercession for us all. In the eucharist the whole people of God are united with Christ's unique priesthood, each member in accordance with the charism and ministry received. We present the memorial of Christ, i.e. we show forth to the Father the unique sacrifice of the Son as the urgent supplication of the Church and we say to God: "Do you remember the sacrifice of the cross and, in virtue of this unique sacrifice, source of all blessings, grant us and all human beings the abundance of blessings obtained for us in the work of salvation and liberation accomplished by Jesus Christ." This is the anamnesis or memorial, the making of the unique sacrifice livingly present and the intercession that the Father may remember Christ's work on our behalf. The eschatological acclamation is uttered as an act of faith affirming the coming of the Lord: "Maranatha"!

The eucharist, given in the Spirit to the church as a precious gift, is received by the Father as an intercession and a thanksgiving, one with the very offering of the Son which reestablishes us in the cove-nant with God.

In a very beautiful text of 1520, Luther showed how the interces-sion of Christ and the offering of the Church are intimately united in the eucharist:

It is not we who offer Christ, but Christ who offers us (to the Father). In this way, it is permissible, indeed helpful, to call the ceremony a sacrifice; not in itself, but because in it we offer ourselves in sacrifice with Christ. In other words, we lean on Christ with a firm faith in his covenant, and we present ourselves before God with our prayer, thanksgiving and sacrifice, only in the name of Christ and by his mediation ... without doubting that He is our Priest in heaven before the face of God. Christ welcomes us, he presents us, ourselves, our prayers and our praise (to God); he also offers himself in heaven for us ... He offers himself for us in heaven and with himself, he offers us. [4]

A second epiclesis then invokes the Holy Spirit on the congrega-tion, a fresh outpouring consequent on communion in the Body and Blood of Christ. This effusion of the Spirit rallies together the Body of Christ, the Church, and inspires it to spiritual unity; it makes the congregation a living offering to the glory of God; it anticipates the coming Kingdom. Here, once again, the eucharistic prayer is punc-tuated by an acclamation: either the response "Veni Creator Spiritus", echoing the second epiclesis, or, once again, the eschatological "Maranatha".

According to the Western tradition, this is where we mention all those for whom we wish especially to pray, remember those who preceded us in the faith, and all the cloud of witnesses by whom we are compassed about. These mementos make explicit our concern for the whole Christian community on which the Holy Spirit has just been invoked, which explains their location here after the second epiclesis. In a shorter liturgy they could be omitted and their content transferred to the moment of intercession (No 16). The wording of the mementos is inspired by the Eucharistic Prayer III in the draft text "Word, Bread and Cup". [5] After a final "Maranatha", the eucharistic prayer is rounded off by a trinitarian conclusion, tradi-tional in Western liturgies.

The introduction to the Lord's Prayer recalls the unity of all Chris-tians in baptism, which incorporates them into the Body of Christ and gives them life by the one Spirit. This unity of Christians permits them to say together the prayer of the children of God, the Lord's Prayer. It also permits them to renew among themselves the peace of Christ and they give each other a sign of reconciliation and friendship.

The breaking of the bread during the Agnus Dei hymn is announced in the manner of the Reformed tradition: "The bread which we break is the communion in the body of Christ ..." (1 Cor. 10:16).

In the prayer of thanksgiving we give thanks to God for the unity of baptism and the joy of the eucharist; we pray for full visible unity and for recognition of the signs of reconciliation already given; final-ly, we pray in hope that those who have already tasted of the meal of the Kingdom may also share the heritage of the saints in light (Col. 1:12). After the final hymn before the benediction, the presiding minister may give a brief message of dispatch on mission, for exam-ple, by repeating the central biblical text on which the sermon was preached.

Possible simplifications


This eucharistic liturgy may also be shortened in order to adapt it to different circumstances.

The introductory part may consist only of the hymn, the saluta-tion, the litany of the Kyrie and the Gloria (1-2, 5-6), omitting the confession. It may even consist simply of a hymn - a psalm or Gloria - and then go straight into the prayer (1 or 6, then 7).

The liturgy of the Word always begins with a prayer, suited to the season, the festival or circumstances. There may be only two lessons instead of three: the first lesson or the Epistle, and always the Gospel. Between the two readings a psalm and alleluia, or simply the alleluia, may be sung. The sermon should always focus on some aspect of the message of the Word of God. The Creed has not always formed part of the eucharistic liturgy and it may be reserved for Sun-days and feast days. A choice may be made between the intercession (16) and the mementos (25), using only one or the other. This would then give the simplified pattern: sermon, silence, preparation for the eucharist (13, 14, 17).

The liturgy of the Eucharist always begins with preparation (17). It necessarily includes the following elements: the preface (19) adapted to the season, festival or circumstances, and permissibly in a shorter version; the first and second epiclesis (21 and 24); the institution (22); the anamnesis (23) and the conclusion (26). The mementos may be omitted if already integrated in the intercession (16). The prayer of peace after the Lord's Prayer can be omitted, retaining only the announcement: "The peace of the Lord be with you always ... " (28).

The prayer of thanksgiving may be a free prayer, provided it is always brief and well-structured. The liturgy ends with a final hymn, if possible, by a brief word of dispatch on mission, according to the occasion, and by the benediction.

The eucharist at the centre of the community and its mission


The life of the first Christian community is described in the Acts of the Apostles as follows: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and prayers ... And day by day, attending the temple together and break-ing the bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were be-ing saved" (2:42-47).

These verses epitomize the whole life of the Church through the ages. The Church will assume different faces through the centuries but only if these fundamental elements are found within it will it tru-ly be the Church of Christ. We have here the model by which it will be able to measure this fidelity in the course of history. All periods of renewal in the Church will be due to the return to these original springs.

In this description of the primitive Christian community, seven elements may be discerned which must always be respected by the Church if it is to remain faithful to its origins and keep within the succession of Christ's purpose and of the apostolic founda-tion: the hearing of the Word of God, the celebration of the breaking of the bread, the offering of prayers, concern for com-munion as brothers and sisters, the sharing of material blessings, the unity of praising God and witnessing in the world, and the mission accomplished by the Lord who builds the church and in-creases it.

The Christian community is born of the hearing of the Word of God: the reading of the Bible and the preaching of the Word. Thanks to the meditation on this living Word, it is gradually built up and strengthened. The Holy Scriptures, read, preached and meditated on, distinguish the Christian community radically from every other human society or religious group. The increasing assimilation of the main themes of the Word transforms the com-munity; it becomes a place of liberation, peace, joy, celebration, friendship, influence and hope ... The Church cannot live unless it constantly returns to this life-giving source, the Word of God. This is why its worship is focused on the reading of the prophets and apostles, on the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, on the preaching of and reverent reflection on the Truth in the Spirit. This Word of God feeds the Christian community and makes it grow; it makes it a centre of attraction and it sends it out into the world to announce the glad tidings.

On Easter evening, the Risen Lord, joining his disciples on their way to Emmaus, interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. His Word prepared their hearts to recognize him. But it was when he sat at table with them, when he took the bread, blessed it and gave thanks, that their eyes were opened and their hearts, set on fire by his Word, recognized him in the breaking of the bread (Lk. 24:27-32).

This is why, when the Church celebrates the presence of the Risen Lord in its midst, chiefly on the Lord's Day, it proclaims his Word and is fed in the thanksgiving Meal: it recognizes him in the Scriptures and in the Breaking of the bread. Thus the complete Christian liturgy includes the proclamation of the Word of God and the celebration of the Eucharist.

This proclamation and this celebration are surrounded by the prayers of the Church. The first Christians "devoted themselves to ... the prayers" and "they attended the temple day by day". The primitive Church continued the discipline of Jewish prayers. It wished to observe day by day, with regularity, "the prayers of the hours", in the Temple in Jerusalem, which would be at the origin of the liturgy of the daily office. This liturgy included the singing of psalms, the reading of the Word, and intercessions. This regular offering of prayers by the Christian community seals the communion of the Church and constitutes a sacrifice of praise and intercession in which its communion with God is constantly renewed.

Brotherly and sisterly communion and concord are the conse-quences of this relationship between the community and its Lord by means of the Word, Eucharist, and Prayer. They are the marks of an authentic ecclesial life. They are expressed concretely in such actions as the agape meals when Christians take food together and share their material possessions with those in need. Joy and simplicity are the distinctive marks of this communion of solidarity among brothers and sisters. There is no contradiction between the praise, of God and presence in the world; the one does not detach us from the other. The community whose primary work is the celebration of the praise of God is welcomed by the people around it, because it is one of brotherhood and sisterhood, simple and joyous.

The Eucharist is at the very heart of the Church's life. With the Word and the prayers, it creates the communion of brothers and sisters, their sharing with one another, and makes the community present for the world and radiant with Christ. The eucharist builds up the Church, in unity and for the world, and makes it the missionary Church.

MAX THURIAN

Notes


[1] Lutheran Book of Worship, Minneapolis, Augsburg Publishing House, Minister's Edition, 1978, p.195.

[2] B. Capelle, "Le Kyrie de la messe et le pape Gélase", Revue Bénédictine, 1934, pp.136-138. A. Hamman, Prières des premiers chrétiens, Paris, Fayard, 1952, pp.349-352.

[3] Fragment of Der-Balyzeh (sixth century), attesting the liturgy of St Mark; Quam oblationem of the Roman Canon and epiclesis of the new liturgical prayers. See my book, Le mystère eucharistique, Paris, Centurion-Taizé, 1981, pp.89-99, to be published by Mowbray, Oxford, 1983.

[4] WA VI, 369.

[5] Consultation on Church Union, USA.

(Excerpt of Article)

Source: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/spirituality-and-worship/the-eucharistic-liturgy-of-lima.html

P.S. 1.Omitted section titled THE EUCHARIST.

........2.Bolds added for Emphasis.

.

THE SDA CHURCH SIGNS THE B.E.M. DOCUMENT–1982

THE SDA CHURCH SIGNS THE B.E.M. DOCUMENT–1982

The SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
and the 1982 BEM DOCUMENT

PART ONE
The following will give a brief introduction to this important document. It is from a report on the BEM document given by a representative of the Papacy.

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNITY
REPORT BY MSGR. JOHN A. RADANO
ON THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (WCC)

The year 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the publication in 1982 of the Faith and Order convergence text Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM). An important anniversary provides an occasion to look at the significance of an event, to recall what it has achieved, and to look forward to paths it may still help to shape.
The Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is the most widely representative theological Commission in the world, comprising Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant and (since 1968) Catholic theologians.

An ecumenical milestone

BEM is an ecumenical milestone. The result of more than 50 years of Faith and Order study, it is recognized as one of the most influential achievements of multilateral dialogue.
It presents the highest level of ecumenical convergence and, in some aspects, consensus on three basic themes over which Christians have been divided since the 16th century. It has been widely distributed, having been translated into more than 30 languages, with more than 500,000 copies in circulation.
Various Member Churches of the WCC, and also non-members including the Catholic Church, responded to it, giving BEM the widest formal response and reception of any Faith and Order text up till then, and since. The Faith and Order Commission received approximately 200 official responses to BEM, subsequently published in six volumes. (The Churches Respond to BEM, Vol. I-VI, edited by Max Thurian, Geneva, 1986-1988). Volume VI included the response of the Catholic Church.
The lengthy Catholic response was largely affirmative, while also making important specific critiques for each of the three themes…”

(Our note: One other non-member that would sign the BEM document was the Seventh-day Adventist Church).

PART TWO

The next section contains words taken from Spiritism in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, pp. 86-88, by Colin and Russell Standish, Hartland Pub., 1995; and “Capitulation to the Ecumenical Movement,” by Colin Standish:

Every effort is being made to de-emphasize the great pillars of the Christian faith. We cannot forget the congress that convened in Lima, Peru, in 1981, in which almost all of the Christian communions of the world met, including a representative from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The representation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church surely hit an all-time low in January of 1982 when the theological representative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church signed what today has become know as the BEM document, sometimes also referred to as the Lima Text, with which readers will probably be unfamiliar. BEM stands for Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry. This document of the World Council of Churches is the centerpiece of their determination to bring in a one-world religion around the planet.

The synopsis of the purposes of the document are these:

1. Baptism: To encourage all churches to make no issue of the mode of or the age at baptism. If adult consent and decision baptism is practiced by immersion, that is acceptable, as equally is infant sprinkling.

(No authentic Seventh-day Adventist could accept such a proposition. In past ages myriads of God’s faithful people died because they believed in adult believers’ baptism by complete immersion, following in the footsteps of their Saviour, and because they held infant baptism to be wholly unscriptural. How could Seventh-day Adventists ever agree to the equality of one form of baptism, which is predicated upon the words and example of Jesus, and the other one, which has no foundation within the Word of God?)

2. Eucharist: To encourage all to accept equally the various concepts, whether they be trans-substantiation, con-substantiation, or the fact that the bread and wine are symbols of the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus Christ.

(The term Eucharist is certainly not a Protestant term, yet at least in one church in Auckland, New Zealand, and one church in Sydney, Australia, the communion has been referred to in their church bulletin as the Eucharist. This Catholicizing of the Adventist Church is not by accident. It is a deliberate effort to bring us under the banner of the Papacy controlled by Satan.

(When we recognize the absolutely blasphemous claims of the Roman Catholic Church, which claims that the priest is the creator of his Creator, that in the wafer he creates Christ in reality; when one considers the claims that the priest can move Christ here and there, backward and forward, once again no earnest Seventh-day Adventist could ever accept such an abominable compromise. Also myriads of God’s people in the past lost their lives because they refused to accept such blasphemous claims of the Papacy.)

3. Ministry: To encourage all churches to work for the unchurched, but never to proselytize from other churches.

(The acceptance of this agreement would lead to a total capitulation from the final message which we are commissioned by our God to give to the world—the loud cry of Revelation 18:4, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” They are to be called out because of God’s great love for them. They must be called out so that they will not continue in the sins of Babylon, and so that they will be protected from the plagues that will come after the close of probation.
Yet today we are hearing voices in the Adventist Church, ministers calling for the same ministry as these ecumenical forces in our world. “Let us work for the unchurched.”)

While we cannot, of course, ignore the unchurched—we must work for them—such statements deny the critical call to work for those who have been trapped in the churches of Catholicism and fallen Protestantism. The back of the BEM document reveals a most startling statement:
“The statement published here marks a major advance in the ecumenical journey. The result of a fifty-year process of study and consultation, this text on Baptism, Eucharist, and Minstry represents a theological convergence that has been achieved thorough decades of dialogue, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“Over 100 theologians met in Lima, Peru in January 1982, and recommended unanimously to transmit this agreed statement—the Lima Text—for the common study and official response of the churches. They represented virtually all the major church traditions: Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, Methodist, United, Disciples, Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostal.

“The churches’ response to this agreed statement will be a vital step of the ecumenical process of “reception.” (Lima Test, emphasis ours).

Dr. Raoul Dederen, professor at the Seminary at Andrews University, was the Seventh-day Adventist representative at this meeting.

PART THREE
What was the Seventh-day Adventist response to the BEM document? Concerning the Eucharist are these astounding words:

“Recent research clearly reveals that there is no consensus among scholars on some of the most critical issues pertaining to the eucharist….this central celebration of the Christian church….The purpose of this essay is primarily to show how Seventh-day Adventist understanding of the eucharist or the Lord’s supper…[and] to highlight Adventist understanding and practice of the eucharist…
“On occasion Seventh-day Adventists refer to the eucharist as a sacrament….Being conscious of the sacredness of the celebration of the eucharist, Adventists engage in a personal preparation that includes self-examination…In preparation for the celebration of the eucharist Seventh-day Adventists practice the washing of feet…”

(Written response of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Council on Inter-Church Relations, November, 1985, published in Churches Respond to BEM (Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry), vol 2, p 341-343, published by the World Council of Churches in 1986).

Three years later…

In 1985, the new SDA church Hymnal was published. In it is Hymn No. 402 (By Christ Redeemed): There is a major Catholic error in this hymn as verse two upholds the blasphemous doctrine of transubstantiation in the eucharist: “His broken body in our stead Is here, in this memorial bread.”

This is the false Catholic doctrine that the substance of the bread and wine are changed into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, even though the external appearance remains the same. We, as Protestants believe that the communion bread and unfermented grape juice are symbols of Christ flesh and blood. George Rawson, the author of this hymn, did NOT write, Is here, but shown. Who changed the words? Unless there is a public repentance, we can only conclude that the changes reflect current SDA theology.

In 1988, the General Conference published Seventh-day Adventists Believe—27 Fundamental Doctrines. In Statement #16 concerning the Lord’s Supper, it says,

“Among Protestants the most common name for the Communion service is the ‘Lord’s Supper’ (1 Cor. 11:20). Other names are ‘the table of the Lord’ (1 Cor. 10:21, RSV), ‘the breaking of bread’ (cf. Acts 20:7; 2:42), and the Eucharist—a reference to the thanksgiving and blessing aspect of the service (Matt. 26:26,27; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:24). The Lord’s Supper is to be a joyful season, not a time for sorrow. …What marks those who are qualified to participate in the Communion service, then, is the condition of the heart—a full commitment to Christ and faith in His sacrifice, not membership in any particular church. Consequently, believing Christians of all churches can take part in the Lord’s Supper.” Pp. 198,203.

Here two terms are set side by side as if they were the same—the Lord’s Supper, and the Eucharist. One is true, the other false. The Eucharist is a blasphemy against God, and is as much different from the Lord’s Supper, as black is different from white. But the authors of this book alerted the reader that every time the term “the Lord’s Supper” is used, it could also mean the Eucharist. And probably does. It’s an ecumenical ploy. Two terms are laid side by side, as if they are equal. And when that is allowed, the error always will win out.

May 2, 1991: No wonder in this issue of the Adventist Review, Roy Adams could declare:
“And we could go on if space permitted – to mention the WCC’s… accentuation of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist. All of these emphases fit into the ambit of the three angels’ messages.”

(The Third Angel’s Message warns that if anyone worships the beast, he will receive the wrath of God poured out without mixture in the seven last plagues. What is the center piece of Catholic worship?–it is the Eucharist. The Eucharist doctrine declares that Christ’s actual body and blood are in the round wafer and fermented wine. Roy Adams must have been drunk on Babylonian wine to make the statement he did.)


TODAY: The following is from a recent local SDA church bulletin:

Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church
Where God’s Spirit Is Given Space To Change Lives

COMMUNION SABBATH

This Sabbath our community celebrates what we call Communion. We hope you’ll join us for this sacred celebration. For our congregation, Communion is made up of the Ordinance of Humility (or, Footwashing - see John 13:1-17) and Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper.
The scripture for this Sabbath is Mark 12:28-34. Why not spend some time with this text this week before coming to church.



PART FOUR: A CALL TO REPENT

We call on the General Conference of S.D.A. to repent of the ecumenical apostasy, which is leading the Seventh-day Adventist church to Rome.

If it does not repent, individual Seventh-day Adventists must stay with the truth of the Three Angels’ Messages of Rev. 14:6-12, and separate from this corporate sin. 2 Cor. 6:14-18.

Source: http://www.calltorepent.com/sda-church-signs-document

.

One Holy Catholic and Apostolic (Ecumenical Reflections on the Church)

One Holy Catholic and Apostolic

Ecumenical Reflections on the Church

Tamara Grdzelidze

ISBN: 2825414409

Issue date: 2005-01-01

pages: 280

series title: Faith & Order Paper, subject: Faith & Order

This book stands in continuity with such ecumenical documents as Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM) in examining aspects of ecclesiology, the theological understanding of the church. The chapters consist of contributions by authors from many Christian traditions to the study process culminating in the report of the dialogue, The Nature and Mission of the Church. Drawing on more than 75 years of Faith and Order conversations, especially on the principles of convergence discerned in the BEM process, the book identifies areas of agreement and challenges posed for churches as they seek common ground, traces the next steps in dialogue, and provides a resource to aid reception of the results as Christian communities frame their own discussions of what it means to be the church.

Additional info

Categories:Faith and Order/Theology
.
.
Source: http://publications.oikoumene.org/index.php?2070&backPID=2060&alp=A&aalp=A&sw=One,%20Holy%20Catholic%20and%20Apostolic&tt_products=308.
.

.

Commission on Faith and Order

Commission on Faith and Order

The Faith and Order movement is integral to the World Council of Churches. Its aim has always been, and still is, "to proclaim the oneness of the church of Jesus Christ and to call the churches to the goal of visible unity". The chief means of achieving this goal is through study programmes dealing with theological questions that divide the churches.

Structure

The Faith and Order plenary commission has 120 members. These are men and women from around the world - pastors, laypersons, academics, church leaders - each nominated by his or her church. (Faith and Order enjoys the full membership and participation of several other churches who are not members of the World Council of Churches, among them the Roman Catholic Church.) Thirty members of this Commission constitute the Faith and Order standing commission, who meet at least every 18 months and guide the study programmes of Faith and Order.

Download the list of members (pdf) {See Seventh Day Adventist membership}

Methods

Faith and Order's chief method of approaching and studying questions related to Christian division is through consultations organized around the world. Members of the Faith and Order Commission, together with other invited church members, meet in groups which can vary in size from ten to a hundred people. Whatever the size, the groups continue the dialogue process and produce texts and study documents which, while having no authority of their own over any church, are of significance and use by virtue of having been composed by a widely representative group of people from various Christian traditions. Most of these texts are sent to the churches for study and comment. The administration of these meetings and the publication of their results is the responsibility of the Faith and Order secretariat at the World Council of Churches' headquarters in Geneva.

Faith and Order meetings are characterized by the strong commitment of each member to his or her own tradition, together with a deep enthusiasm and dedication to the vision and task of the unity of the church. Participants not only seek to work out the many problems that they face in trying to overcome Christian divisions, they also uncover the many opportunities that exist to further Christian unity. The process of dialogue is supported by common prayer and worship.

Source: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/who-are-we/organization-structure/consultative-bodies/faith-and-order.html