LWF encourages churches to celebrate in an ecumenical manner

This is a special liturgy for the 25^th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). The LWF offers it to the communion’s member churches as a worship resource to celebrate the landmark ecumenical agreement and this year’s Reformation Day by involving participants from other Christian traditions.

Signed by Lutherans and Catholics on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany, the JDDJ is a historic agreement, resolving divisions on the “basic truths” of salvation as a free gift from God. It was later affirmed by the Methodists, Anglicans and the Reformed, making it a multilateral agreement between five equal partners.

This 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.