We, the undersigned, stand before God and the world, asking forgiveness for the many aberrations of God’s people, and declare:
1.
As Christians, we believe in God’s reconciling work in Christ which finds its true expression in his distinctive, undivided church – locally and worldwide. We believe that this is God’s will for his people, as a testimony of his love and glory, so that the world may believe in the Son.
2.
Coming from the denominations, we confess that we have missed the goal of our communal calling. We confess the shameful sin of dividing the body of Christ due to profane motives or differing views. We confess that we have fallen short of our own message and haven't given the Gospel its full space. That we have clouded the Holy Spirit and neglected his unifying power.
We confess that this way we have not become the church the Lord wants us to be, reflecting in visible oneness his grace and the fullness of his spiritual riches. We regret that we have discredited the beauty of salvation and have poorly fulfilled our mission to spread the light of God in this world.
3.
We confess our guilt. And we no longer fail to repent. What we have been given in Christ and what we want to convince others of must be lived out credibly by ourselves.
Therefore, we are coming together anew, and we will remain together in future. In humility toward one another, we expect that the Spirit, who leads us into the whole truth, will answer the open questions between us. Yet we hold fast to that truth of God which stands above all questions of doctrine or habit. We bear witness to the truth of his reconciling love.
May it broaden our horizons and overcome our self-imposed mental and social boundaries. Today, we gather for prayer, for worship, and to listen to God's word. And so that his glory may be perfect, we are ready to remove the fences completely. Let the denominations well disappear according to his will. Let his boundless grace be revealed to all the world. His kingdom come!
1.
As Christians, we believe in God’s reconciling work in Christ which finds its true expression in his distinctive, undivided church – locally and worldwide. We believe that this is God’s will for his people, as a testimony of his love and glory, so that the world may believe in the Son.
2.
Coming from the denominations, we confess that we have missed the goal of our communal calling. We confess the shameful sin of dividing the body of Christ due to profane motives or differing views. We confess that we have fallen short of our own message and haven't given the Gospel its full space. That we have clouded the Holy Spirit and neglected his unifying power.
We confess that this way we have not become the church the Lord wants us to be, reflecting in visible oneness his grace and the fullness of his spiritual riches. We regret that we have discredited the beauty of salvation and have poorly fulfilled our mission to spread the light of God in this world.
3.
We confess our guilt. And we no longer fail to repent. What we have been given in Christ and what we want to convince others of must be lived out credibly by ourselves.
Therefore, we are coming together anew, and we will remain together in future. In humility toward one another, we expect that the Spirit, who leads us into the whole truth, will answer the open questions between us. Yet we hold fast to that truth of God which stands above all questions of doctrine or habit. We bear witness to the truth of his reconciling love.
May it broaden our horizons and overcome our self-imposed mental and social boundaries. Today, we gather for prayer, for worship, and to listen to God's word. And so that his glory may be perfect, we are ready to remove the fences completely. Let the denominations well disappear according to his will. Let his boundless grace be revealed to all the world. His kingdom come!
