LWF publishes liturgy to mark 25th anniversary of JDDJ

On Reformation Day churches worldwide are encouraged to draw from “rich heritage” in the LWF and involve other Christian traditions

(LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has published a special liturgy for the 25^th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), and encouraged its member churches to use it to commemorate this year’s Reformation Day.

This year’s liturgy provides a framework for ecumenical worship, echoing the 2016 Joint Commemoration of 500 years of the Reformation at the Lund Cathedral in Sweden, and the 500th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 2030. “This liturgy is also proposed to member churches as a possible way to commemorate this year’s Reformation anniversary in an ecumenical manner.”

The JDDJ was signed by the LWF and the Roman Catholic on 31 October 1999, with the Methodists, Anglicans, and the Reformed, joining later. The landmark ecumenical agreement affirms consensus in basic truths of the doctrine of justification and how it impacts the life and teachings of churches.

LWF’s reference to the Augsburg Confession and its 500^th anniversary in 2030 underlines that the reformers primary confession of faith was “an ecumenical proposal to the church of its day.” Today, we can “celebrate this ecumenical impulse and seek to deepen its impact.”

The liturgy incorporates flexibility, encouraging churches to draw from the “rich heritage” in the LWF communion by selecting hymns and songs that resonate with local traditions. “Every context and language, every time and place, will find hymns, chants, and songs that fulfill the particular assigned role in the prayer,” as the preface states.

Suggestions include hymns from various Christian traditions and songs from the ecumenical Taizé Community. Churches are also encouraged to involve young people in various roles, use different languages where appropriate, and share leadership where there is ecumenical participation.