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For immediate release - 23/06/2005

PARTNERSHIP IN TRANSFORMATION

By Valson Thampu (*)

	 Reflections on the theme of the WCC 9th Assembly:
	 God, in your grace, transform the world
	 More articles and free photos at
	 www.wcc-assembly.info

The theme for the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly, to be held
in Porto Alegre, Brazil 14-23 February 2006, invites us to return to, and
re-appropriate, the resources of prayer.

In the Bible, prayer is infused into the partnership between God and human
beings. To pray is not, hence, to shift responsibility to God but to
prepare ourselves for the tasks in partnership. To pray in truth is to be
willing to work alongside with God in addressing the issue we pray for.
Prayer that dodges partnership and escapes responsibilities is magical,
not spiritual.

While inviting us to pray, the theme points out to us some important
spiritual nuances:

The world matters to God (Jn. 3:16) and should matter to us. We are
required to deny ourselves (Mt. 16:24), not the world. Only those who deny
themselves can become partners with God in transforming the world. But
transforming the world cannot be an unaided human agenda. God formed the
world, which has been deformed by human rebelliousness.

The theme recognizes that we cannot transform the world by ourselves
while, at the same time, we are not irrelevant to the transformation of
the world. Only the One who has formed the world can transform it. Yet
God, in His humility, invites us to be partners in this supreme enterprise.
To be partners with God in this spiritual mission, we need to become a new
creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 3:3). Physicians must, first, heal themselves!

Blessed are the change-makers. Transformation seems a desperately
difficult task. Why is this so? This stems from our resistance to
transformative changes. We take readily to degenerative changes but are
cynical about changes towards regeneration.

The willingness to change is essential if we are to become agents of
transformation as well as be transformed. It cannot be that we, like the
rich young man (Mt. 19:16-22), want to be transformed but are unwilling to
change! Confessing and repenting this contradiction innate in human nature
is central to the theme of the Assembly.

The authentic sign of spiritual vitality is the willingness to welcome
change, especially change that goes beyond the passions and preferences of
human nature or expediency.

Human responsibility under the spotlight. All is not well with the world.
But merely arriving at a diagnosis on what ails the world and denouncing
its many maladies are insufficient.

Spirituality is a domain of responsibility (Jn. 21:15-19). What makes a
response truly spiritual is not only the clarity of the diagnosis on what
is wrong, but also the eager commitment to improving the situation. It is
not enough to denounce, we must also be able to announce "a new heaven and
a new earth". It is easy to find fault, but what the world needs are
solutions to its ever-multiplying problems.

Biblically, we are the solution-bringers that Jesus sends out to the
world. This is the meaning of 'outreach'. Outreach is, hence, a dominant
nuance of the theme.

Transformation is God's agenda. The effective implementation of an agenda
calls for an appropriate strategy. To strategize is to set priorities. In
the context of the theme, this means to accept God's priorities.

Biblically, these priorities include the transformation of the individual
and the sanctification of the family. At the society level, this entails
the reorientation from expropriation to sharing, from hostility to
hospitality. The outcome of such a reorientation should be "fullness of
life" for all and a world order amenable to the core spiritual values of
love, compassion, truth and justice.

As far as religion is concerned, a reorientation of religiosity from its
preoccupation with life after death to the spiritual duty to be perfect in
this world is needed (Mt. 5:48). Imploring God to transform the world
would sound insincere if we disown the need to reform our religiosity.
Religion needs to be transformed into an instrument for eradicating
alienation, rather than aggravating it.

Purifying religion was a priority in the public ministry of Jesus. From
the escapist religiosity of "looking the other way" (Lk. 10:31-32), we
need to be re-oriented to the pro-active spirituality of the Good
Samaritan who has eyes to see and a heart of compassion to respond to
human needs.

This is the essence of the 'repentance' that Jesus preached at the outset
of his ministry (Mt. 4:17). Only a repentant church can pray in spirit and
in truth, "God, in your Grace, transform the world". [736 words]

(*) Rev. Prof. Valson Thampu, from the Church of North India (CNI), is a
theologian, academic, and author from New Delhi, India. He serves on the
National Commission for Minority Education as well as the National
Integration Council.

A free high resolution image to accompany this article is available at:
www.wcc-assembly.info

[Sidebar text]

9th WCC Assembly: Praying for a transformed world

The 9th assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be held in
Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 14-23 February 2006. Its theme is a prayer:
"God, in your grace, transform the world".

The first WCC assembly of the 21st century, it will gather up to 3,000
church leaders and ecumenical representatives from nearly every Christian
tradition around the world. As such, it will be one of the broadest global
gatherings of its kind.

WCC assemblies are often turning points in the life of the World Council,
and this one is expected to leave its mark on ecumenical history.
Deliberations will focus on issues such as the future of the ecumenical
movement, the churches' commitment to economic justice as well as their
witness to overcoming violence, and the challenges faced in the midst of
religious plurality.

In Porto Alegre, members of the ecumenical family will be able to gather
around the assembly at a Mutirão, a Portuguese word that means coming
together for a common purpose. Made up of workshops, exhibitions and
cultural celebrations, this part of the assembly programme will offer
opportunities for members of the wider ecumenical movement to gather,
reflect and celebrate together.

This is the first WCC assembly to be held in Latin America, and it is
being hosted by the National Council of Christian Churches in Brazil
(CONIC) on behalf of churches throughout the region. Pre-assembly events
for youth and for women will be held from 11-13 February.

Assembly website: www.wcc-assembly.info

[246 words]

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