The
Whitsun Vision of Weiz
We
are setting out and forward
A
call to a joint action of common hope
Weiz, Whitsun 1995
The Church is in a
phase of an epochal crossing and change now. To benefit from this
chance to some kind of renovation, a renovation that is connected with
this change, we commit ourselves to live according to the following
principles:
1. We want to
organize our lives and our living together out of a vivid relationship
with God.
It is God who builds
His church (Ps. 127,1). We want to be an element of the healing "The
Kingdom of Heaven-Movement" of Jesus Christ within the church. So we
want to unite ourselves especially with those who wish to trace out God
in the world and in their lives. We want to experience the church as a
community that has got an idea of the search for God.
2. As the church we
are living with and for the handicapped, fringe groups, minorities and
people who just go short as far as their lives are concerned.
We are defending
ourselves against the fact that more and more people, even in rich and
affluent societies, are becoming undesired, superfluous and endangered
to be pushed off in some war or another: people who are dying, unborn
children, disabled persons, the unemployed, the sich and the old. We
want to "have an eye and ear" for all the suffering people in a somehow
"heavently manner", according to God´s principles. Because we
know that God is also at their side. (Ex. 3, 7-10).
3. The unjustice
towards the so-called Third World is like a sting in our flesh.
We want to stand up
for peace and social justice.
4. The keeping of
the creation is a burning concern to us.
With our way of
acting we want to show that we are deeply interested in the big
question of survival regarding manhood.
5. Everybody has got
the same dignity within the community of God´s people.
Man or woman, layman
or cleric; there are only people who are called for, and nobody is
uncalled for. So everybody has got the same worth or value.
6. Openness and the
willingness to have a dialogue are characteristic features of our
church.
Jesus Christ Himself
said (John. 18, 20), "I spoke frankly before the world. Nothing did I
speak in secret."
7. We want to
participate in the life of our church and help to carry our church.
We know that the
ecclesiastical communities are somehow "poorer" without us, and that
they have more and more difficulties to accomplish their tasks and
duties. We want to bring in time, imagination, critism and joy.
Decisions should
only be made together with those who are affected by these decisions.
8. Our
ecclesiastical communities are open to all ways of living.
Singles,
one-parent-families, remarried people, divorced people, families.. We
want to aid and support especially families in order to help them to
work in this time. Within our ecclesiastical communities everybody is
allowed to turn up and to appear, with any performance and
contribution, and in any guilt or fault - in the sam way as in the
presence of God.
9. We want to
develop a new "culture of conflict and controversy"
Conflicts are not
only irksome, they can also bear fruit. The rules of mastering conflict
situations according to the "Matthew-community" (Mt. 18, 15-18) must be
revived.
10. In our view, the
duty and function of the church are an irreplaceable service to
communtiy.
It is a serious
responsiblility within and for the church. So we want to have
office-holders with leading competence who are experienced and
– for the Gospel – winning or engaging spiritual
advisers, and whom the members of the church can really trust. Their
most important tast is to precede the church-goers (or take the lead of
them) with great visions, (Sam. 3,1-10) and to strengthen the brothers
and sisters. (Lk. 22, 32)
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