ACIP-FWM Working Group on Worship
In the Spring of 2001, the Council of General Synod asked the Faith, Worship and Ministry committee to work with the Anglican Council of Indigenous People to develop resources for worship in the vision of healing and right relationships. The request was made in light of increasing requests from non-aboriginal communities and parishes for assistance in praying in a spirit of partnership with indigenous Anglicans and the Anglican Indigenous Covenant.
Earlier this year, a joint working group of ACIP and FWM was convened to begin work on this task. In addition to the work of growing a large collection of original prayers, biblical reflections and other written worship resources, and preparing resources for the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer, the group worked to develop a set of principles for worship in the spirit of New Agape.
The principles for worship in the vision of New Agape were developed through a process of story-telling, as members shared their reflections on experiences of cross-cultural worship in which the visions of Covenant and partnership were expressed with an authenticity that reflected a Gospel integrity. Much of the conversation also turned on times when things didn’t work: awkward times when too much ‘text’ and prescribed expectations strangled the experience, inappropriate ‘borrowing’ (false appropriation) of indigenous Traditional practices, and other awkward elements. The principles extrapolated from these stories were then explored according to the logic of Traditional indigenous Medicine Wheel teachings. The Medicine Wheel and the cross together form the foundation, shape and background to the ideas being expressed here.
Attached here is a graphic depiction of Principles for Worship in the Vision of New Agape. This will soon be joined by an explanatory essay which develops each of the ‘principles’ that are expressed in the graphic in point form.
The ACIP-FWM Joint Working Group anticipate the publication of a collection of collects, litanies, meditations, biblical reflections, sermon suggestions and stories, to which the “Principles” documents will serve as an introduction.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWING COLLECTION OF WORSHIP MATERIALS, BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS, STORIES AND MEDITATIONS? PLEASE CONTACT US! c/o: [email protected]
Members of the ACIP-FWM Joint Working Group on Worship
Canon Laverne Jacobs, Huron (ACIP)
Canon Murray Still, Rupert’s Land (FWM)
The Ven. Lydia Constant, Brandon (ACIP)
The Rev’d Arthur Anderson, Qu’Appelle (ACIP)
Mr. Andrew Wesley, Toronto (orig. Moosonee) (ACIP)
Canon Helena Houldcroft, Qu’Appelle (FWM)
Additional to this work, through recent appointment to FWM: Ms. Maria-Jane Highway (Brandon)
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