wfn.org | LWF consultation looks at rites of life

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

Worship and Culture Study spans baptism to funerals

CHICAGO, 9 July 1998 (lwi) - Churches should develop rites for important
milestones in life using baptism as the foundation. This was the conclusion
of a fourth consultation in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Worship and
Culture Study, which met here May 15-22.

A closing statement from the consultation says: "We call on all member
churches to recover the centrality of baptism for their life and worship,
and as the foundation of rites of human passage, and to do so whenever
possible in ecumenical partnerships with wide participation. The challenge
is to develop and use forms of worship which are both authentic to the
gospel and relevant to local cultural contexts."

The 21 participants included representatives from LWF member churches in 13
countries from five continents, a Filipino Roman Catholic scholar on
liturgy and culture and a representative of the World Council of Churches'
Faith and Order Commission. Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson, of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, also attended part of the
consultation.

The consultation looked at "rites of passage" that connect "with important
or critical transitions in the lives of individuals and communities." In
addition to baptism, the consultation examined healing rites, funeral rites
and marriage rites. Papers were also presented on preaching in cultural
contexts.

Using criteria developed at previous Worship and Culture Study
consultations in Cartigny, Switzerland (1993), Hong Kong (1994) and
Nairobi, Kenya (1996), the consultation here noted: "All Christian worship,
whether the sacraments or rites of passage, relates dynamically to culture
in at least four ways. First, worship is transcultural, the same substance
for everyone everywhere, beyond culture. Second, worship is contextual,
varying according to the local natural and cultural contexts. Third,
worship is counter-cultural, challenging what is contrary to the gospel in
each given culture. Fourth, worship is cross-cultural, making sharing
possible between different local cultures."

Prof. Gordon Lathrop, who teaches liturgy at Lutheran Theological Seminary
at Philadelphia (USA) noted that rites for healing, funerals and marriage
"are immensely important occasions for the proclamation of the mercy of God
which holds all of human life and culture in hope and meaning."

Prof. Musawenkosi Biyela, who teaches theology and liturgy at Lutheran
Theological Seminary, Mapumulo, South Africa, said: "In Africa we urgently
need to reshape the funeral liturgy. The one we have does not address fear
of witchcraft."

Contrasting Hindu and Christian funeral rites in India, Prof. Adiss Arnold,
from Gurukul Lutheran Theological Seminary, Madras, India, said: "When a
Christian dies, he or she is washed and clothed, and the body is placed in
the center of the room. Though water is a symbol of purification in the
Indian tradition, for Christians this is not a purification rite, but a
rite in which they remember their baptism."

Prof. Mabel Wu, a worship and music scholar at Lutheran Theological
Seminary in Hong Kong, said that in her context the use of white clothing
for weddings is a problem. "White for Chinese is the color of mourning,
while red is a festive and joyful color. This joyful color should be
restored in our church weddings."

Papers and reports from the Chicago consultation will be published by the
LWF later this year. It will be the third book in the Worship and Culture
Study series. "Worship and Culture in Dialogue" was published in 1994 and
"Christian Worship: Unity in Cultural Diversity" was published in 1996. The
study is directed by the Rev. S. Anita Stauffer, study secretary for
worship and congregational life in the LWF's Department for Theology and
Studies.

"One of the values of the LWF's Worship and Culture Study is that it helps
us understand that our way of worship is partly determined by our culture,"
Bishop Anderson told consultation participants. "The opportunity to hear
how worship is contextualized elsewhere opens up new dimensions to us and
serves as a 'check' on our own approach."

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