wfn.org | German Protestant churches plan for year 2000:

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

"Our time in God's hands"
European ecumenical network of pilgrimage routes planned

HANOVER, Germany/GENEVA, 30 April 1998 (lwi) - Many events are planned by
the Protestant churches in Germany for the millennium under the theme, "Our
time in God's hands - 2000 A.D./2000 with Christ". The theme was agreed
upon by the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the
Church Conference representing the member churches.

Given the symbolic impact of the date, the year 2000, and the hopes and
fears it evokes in people, the Protestant churches' millennium celebrations
should make clear that "all time comes under the lordship of Jesus Christ",
an April 23 EKD press release states. "We count our time not only from the
birth of Christ but also as time with the resurrected Christ." At this
threshold of the new millennium, people need to be aware and experience the
necessity of alternation between holidays and working days as vital to
their own heartbeat and that of society itself," EKD Council chairperson,
Manfred Kock, said. "We need dates and festivals in our lives as milestones
allowing us to pause and look back for direction. We should face up to the
challenges of the new century with joyful serenity at the same time
searching for new perspectives on living together in solidarity."
"Celebration and encouragement", the council chairperson continued, "belong
together on this date. In the transition to the year 2000 it is not
ourselves whom we celebrate, but God's history with us as people."

The planning of events in the EKD member churches, agencies and
associations will take on a more concrete aspect in coming weeks.

"Special liturgies will mark not only the worship services on New Year's
Eve 1999 and New Year's Day 2000. Starting with the first Advent in 1999,
holy days within the church year - organized partly in ecumenical
partnership - will be experienced as a place for contemplation and
orientation on our way to the new millennium. The churches want to take
these steps of faith together. So pilgrimage routes will be set up by many
EKD member churches", according to present plans. Between Christmas 1999
and Pentecost 2001 these pilgrimage routes will be linked together to form
a European ecumenical network.

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