This year Anglicans can join in the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that centres on the ancient Nicene Creed recited by millions of Christians each week, including many in this Church in their weekly celebrations of the Eucharist. In the southern hemisphere the week is observed between Ascension and Pentecost, which this year is May 29 - 8 June.
The Nicene Creed that inspired this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity expresses the Christian beliefs agreed at the first worldwide church council in Nicaea (in modern-day Turkey) back in the year 325, with updates from Constantinople in 381.
In Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia Anglican churches continue to use the Nicene Creed in many places, shaped afresh by Mihinare and Anglican communities as they worship in the different cultural traditions of this Church.
In Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, The Nicene Creed - Te Whakapono o Naihia is often chanted in te Reo Māori, says Archdeacon for Leadership Ven Ruihana Paenga, which she says makes a big difference to how it feels to recite the Creed.
"The chanting communicates using the rhythmic tempo of mōteatea. It brings emphasis where emphasis is needed, and subtlety too ...You both hear and feel the words, and I think this helps us to understand and remember these beautiful affirmations."
Ruihana also values the deep spiritual and theological wisdom held in the chanted creeds.
"The translations hold true to the story of the faith in Christ as expressed by our ancestors who spoke, lived, and breathed tikanga Māori in its fullest expression – and yet they saw the truth of our faith in Christ, while never ever separating it from their spiritual cultural understanding of the divine unseen God."
The 2025 WPCU international liturgy was prepared by brothers and sisters of the ecumenical monastic community of Bose in northern Italy, who this year have gone back to ancient writings connected with the Christians who met in Nicaea in 325.
The WPCU liturgy opens with the raising of Lazarus and Jesus' words to Martha: 'I am the Resurrection and the life." Next comes a question repeated three times, followed by a lengthy silence for worshippers to ponder their answers.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
The WPCU liturgy continues with more readings and prayers connected to belief framed by translated words from the ancient church, and invites local communities to reshape the worship for diverse church traditions and cultures.
"This material is offered with the understanding that, whenever possible, it will be adapted for use in local situations. Account should be taken of local liturgical and devotional practice, and of the whole social and cultural context."
General Secretary of the Fiji Council of Churches, Anglican priest Rev Sepiuta Hala'api'api says that Fiji's churches will share prayer for Christian unity between Ascension and Pentecost again this year, but while creeds are important, so is cooperation beyond creeds – for the sake of the world.
"In Fiji, we have a unique sense of unity by working alongside other faiths to combat urgent issues of our nation such as drug abuse, gender based violence and climate change. These issues affect humankind as a whole, despite our ethnicity, status or faith traditions."
Rev Ivica Gregurec who is Precentor at Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland, is pleased to see the Nicene Creed at the heart of this year's service.
His favourite part of the Creed has always been that moment where he'd learnt to bow or genuflect to honour Jesus' becoming human...as he affirmed Jesus was 'incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became fully human.'
"That practice of bowing or bending the knee, taught me the importance of Jesus' incarnation, and the fact that God has decided to dwell with us in the fullness of humanity, in order to lift us up to divinity."
Ivica agrees the prayers work best with translation into local languages although he has professed the Nicene Creed in many languages, from Latin, Greek and Te Reo Māori, to German, French, and the Gari language of West Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
"But though I've lived in English speaking countries for 21 years, I still need the English words before my eyes to say them - and I am most comfortable with professing it in Croatian, my mother tongue."
Between May 29 - June 8 Anglican churches across Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia can observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) with Christians of other traditions by:
• Holding a WPCU service co-led by churches of different denominations
• Including prayers for unity and the Nicene Creed in Sunday worship on June 1 & 8
• Observing the "8 days of prayer" from May 29 - June 8 in ecumenical church groups or at home
Resources from the World Council of Churches and the Vatican prepared by the Bose community include an introduction to the week and its themes, the international liturgy, and a series of reflections for each of the eight days between Ascension and Pentecost May 29 - 8 June.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been celebrated by church communities around the world for more than 100 years – including in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
Comments
Log in or create a user account to comment.