A Common Text For The Prayer Of Thanksgiving

The prayer of thanksgiving that follows was prepared for the plenary session of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in Lima, Peru, in 1982. The liturgy of which this eucharistic prayer is a part was first celebrated on January 15, 1982. The aim of the liturgy was to illustrate the theological achievement of the Faith and Order document Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM). (Although the Roman Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox churches, does not participate generally in the World Council of Churches, Roman Catholic theologians did participate in this project of the Faith and Order Commission. ) This prayer is important because it offers a modern way of giving thanks that is tied to historical precedent. It is not presented here to be slavishly reproduced, but to serve as a guideline for the preparation of the prayer of thanksgiving in the local church. Each congregation should adapt it to its own worship practices. The Basic Pattern: The Liturgy of the …