“Crisis of Worship: Crisis of Faith”

This reflection follows a report from the Uppsala WCC General Assembly (1968) and is written against the debate current at the time regarding the sacred and the secular, their nature and their relationship with each other. It was a context in which both the church and its worship faced many questions. The author calls in question the claims of those who espouse a secularist position, and notes the continuing lack of progress towards those qualities, such as justice and compassion, that the Christian faith enshrines. He goes on to make six observations. 1. People still wish to see God and do not grasp the significance of the eye of faith. 2. We assume the passing of the old world view also brings about the death of God, but God always remained free of the world. 3, 4, 5: prayer,miracles, and the resurrection are discussed. 6. The paper ends with a discussion about how we relate to Christ, God, the Holy Spirit today.