The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Worship

Related Photos

Discussion

October 2, 2009

Rich Brown: Congregations gather for worldwide celebration

It’s not every day that Joplin can be the site of a worldwide event, but that will be the case on Sunday

The Great Communion Service will be held in the chapel at Ozark Christian College at 5 p.m. as part of a Christian bicentennial celebration. Unity will be at the heart of the celebration, which will bring together members of Christian Churches, Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ around the world.

“The purpose of the event is to demonstrate our unity, celebrate our heritage and worship our Lord around the table,” said OCC president Matt Proctor in a press release.

Randy Gariss, senior minister of College Heights Christian Church, will speak with Fred Pugh, senior minister of First Christian Church (Disciples), presenting thoughts about Communion. In addition, Karl and Shannon Wendt from Mount Hope Church of Christ will direct the music.

The idea in Joplin, like around the world, is for congregations to gather, celebrate Communion and remember their common heritage, which stems from a declaration and address written by Thomas Campbell in 1809. Thomas’ address formed the constitution of the church movement with its thesis: “the church of Christ upon Earth is essentially, intentionally and constitutionally one.”

In a movement marked by many divisions among the three streams, each church group has its own entities, such as colleges, publishing houses and conventions. So it is no wonder that problems have developed, but the bottom line has been to maintain commitment to the unity of the church. Tomorrow’s service will emphasize that even more.

What’s heartening is that in recent years the three streams have found ways to work more closely together in an effort to further the cause of Christ. Congregations are sharing more pulpits as well as combining efforts at conventions, while more coordination is taking place on projects.

Campbell knew the importance of the church being unified just as in the body of Christ and that is why he wrote down the principles of unity, as well as a commitment to scriptural teachings. His declaration and address have been described as the DNA of the movement. He went through years of Bible study, discussion with other Christians and prayer before setting out on that monumental task.

In addition to marking the bicentennial, Sunday’s get-together will also bring to mind the 100-year anniversary celebration of the Great Communion, which was held in Pittsburgh. A convention, with more than 25,000 people attending, was held with an enormous Communion taking place at Forbes Field. The theme was (take a deep breath) “The Union of All Believers, on a basis of Holy Scriptures, to the End that the World May Be Evangelized.”

The Great Communion Service has been coordinated by the 2009 Task Force of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tenn. It has been a focal point of the task force for members of each community around the world to celebrate the centennial and bicentennial in a way that is most meaningful to them with emphasis on the Lord’s Supper and unity of the church at the heart of it all.

Address correspondence to Rich Brown, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.

Text Only
Worship
  • Cowboy church offers non-traditional Bible camp

    Vacation Bible school gets under way in full force at Joplin area churches next month, but one congregation offers an alternative. How about Horsemanship and Bible camp?

    May 28, 2012

  • David Yount: Christians still await return of Jesus

    Unlike ourselves, the earliest Christians lived in imminent expectation of the consummation of history, when Jesus would return to usher in the kingdom of God. They thought heaven was right around the corner. This expectation explains their fervor.

    May 28, 2012

  • 022512_craig-tally-new-NEW.jpg Craig Tally: Today’s idols not as visible, still strong

    The early nation of Israel existed in a time when people of differing tribes worshiped multiple gods. They fashioned idols to portray these gods, their features and their powers.

    May 21, 2012 1 Photo

  • r050112campnoah.jpg Four camps scheduled in Joplin to help children deal with tornado experience

    Nearly one year later, emotional scars remain from the disastrous Joplin tornado, and children are no exception.

    May 21, 2012 1 Photo

  • r050912faithbook.jpg Doctors in danger: Joplin author recalls growing up on the mission field

    The year was 1937. Mao Tse-tung and his soldiers were marching north as part of the Communist takeover of China, and nothing would stand in their way -- the least of whom would be 7-year-old Garland Bare, his missionary parents or the three other Bare children.

    May 14, 2012 1 Photo

  • Terry Mattingly: Tension builds between women, Vatican

    Truth is, tensions have been building for decades between the LCWR leadership and Vatican leaders. Thus, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith missive stressed that its call for reform was built on a lengthy study of materials created by “a particular conference of major superiors and therefore does not intend to offer judgment on the faith and life of Women Religious in the member congregations.”

    May 14, 2012

  • Church briefs (May 12 on)

    May 14, 2012

  • 022512_craig-tally-new-NEW.jpg Craig Tally: Parenting ideal for understanding idolatry

    It is generally believed that idolatry is wrong because of its connection to polytheism. However, the matter of having more than one god is the subject of the First Commandment, which clearly states that we are to have no other gods.

    May 7, 2012 1 Photo

  • 050212-FAITH-concrete2.jpg Nazarenes build three homes for tornado-stricken families

    The latest effort, spearheaded by the Joplin District Church of the Nazarene in Carthage, which has jurisdiction over 77 congregations in Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas, has come in the form of three new Joplin homes.

    May 7, 2012 1 Photo

  • David Yount: Bible’s length daunts many

    The Bible can be a source of strength for young and old alike. But the challenge every reader of the Bible encounters at the outset is that it is formidable in length -- my copy runs to 1,862 pages of tiny type -- and, to all appearances, lacks a coherent plot.

    April 30, 2012