Pilgrimage of Prayer

Today is the closing day of the Assembly. As part of the Worship Committee, I have helped to plan and organize the morning prayers, as well as the opening & closing prayers. Our morning prayers have been built around the theme of pilgrimage.

Each day took us to a new stage, where we received sustenance for our ecumenical journey with symbols relating to the day's theme.

The first day's travels brought us to the tree of life, where we celebrated the overall theme of God of life, lead us to justice and peace. 

Note the IV bags dripping into the tree,
trying to sustain it throughout the Assembly.
The Tree of Life must connect with the fragility of nature.

The following day took us through Asia, where the drum symbolized the cultural adaptation of the gospel within its Asian context. Also mentioned was reference to the drum used in indigenous churches around the world, including Canada's First Nations communities.

The third day took many of the delegates on literal journeys. Some travelled to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea as they prayed for the reunification of Korea. Others travelled to churches and NGO's working on social justice. One of the groups went to an old cemetery, on top of which some marginalized people in Korea were forced to build their homes.

Upon return from the weekend travels, the morning prayer greeted delegates with the refreshment of water. We were reminded of our baptism, as evergreen branches were used to sprinkle the participants, while we considered a radically new approach to mission.

An Orthodox icon depicting the fire and wind of Pentecost guided our prayers for unity on the following day.

Our next stage on the journey took us to the stage of justice, where a basket of fruit and rice sheaves, together with a bowl of soil, reminded us of our responsibility to care for the earth and all its creatures--indeed, all of the cosmos.

The following day's platform of peace, symbolized by wildflowers, included some of the soil and rice sheaves of the previous platform of justice. Peace cannot be separated from justice.



The final morning prayer emphasized humility as prominent, senior WCC leaders washed the feet of younger delegates.