The Prayers Of The People

In contemporary worship renewal, the prayers of the people are said after the confession of faith. These prayers are known as the litany (Latin,"to entreat"). In many churches, this practice is replacing the more traditional pastoral prayer. A litany is a prayer form in which a deacon, priest, cantor, or other worship minister says or sings a petition followed by a congregational response. Litanies were prepared in the early church, spreading from Antioch to Constantinople and throughout the Christian world. The litany form was developed particularly by the church at Constantinople and are found to this day in the liturgies of the East, particularly the St. John Chrysostom Liturgy. In the West the litany form fell into disuse after the sixth century but has been recovered since Vatican II. Consequently many new litany prayers have been developed for both Catholic and Protestant worshiping communities. In addition to the forms for the prayers of the people found in the major worship…