Liturgy, Prayer, and All That Jazz...
Liturgist are too often thought to be rubric fiends and sacristy queens...
Changing that stereotype one rubric at a time...
This is a close proximity to a sermon I preached on the Feast of Stephen without notes... It mentions liturgy, or moreover the place of liturgy, a bit...
A friend of mine, a middle aged gay man, grew up Roman Catholic but now is an Episcopalian. On occasion he is asked “Why did you leave the Roman Catholic Church?”. His usual response is “I did not leave the Roman Catholic Church, it left me”.
Today on the feast of Stephen, the day after Christmas, we the church, the religious institution, is confronted with the problem ofleaving God, leaving God’s people, by refusing to stay with them.
Stephen is considered one of the first deacons. The early Christians had set aside their individual fortunes to make sure that everyone in the community had food and necessary care. A group of individuals, including Stephen, were given the job of making sure that these goods were distributed fairly.
The interesting note is that all the members of Stephen’s group appear to not be Jewish but Greek. That the problem they were fixing was that the Greek members of the early church were initially being neglected and needed to be fully included. The church had to leave its place of being a group of Jews following the Rabbi Jesus and become a multi-ethnic community. God had moved beyond the bounds of Judaism, the people of God had moved beyond the bounds of the Jewish Nation, the church had to keep up.
This was in fact what Stephen preached, that God was not limited to the Temple and thus that God’s people cannot be limited to worshiping God in the Temple. That God was not limited to the mindset of Judaism but had moved us to something new with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Temple and the old mindset must now be left behind us as we move forward with God and recognize God outside of those places.
It is too easy for us to limit God within our own Temples, a way of worship that we feel is “correct”, and our own mindsets, a way of thinking that we feel is “right”. Too easy for us to refuse to listen when a person comes to us and says “I am finding God here” and “When I think about God this is what comes to mind”. Too easy to stop seeking a deeper relationship with God and instead rest on our laurels. Too easy to stone someone else instead of change ourselves.
I love the liturgy of the church and I love the Anglican mindset but I must constantly remember that God works outside of both of those places. If I do not remain open to listening to where people are saying they are finding God in the world and how they are now thinking about God I will leave God and the people of God as they go about the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the hear and now.
This is what Saul had to do. On this day we see him standing with the cloaks as he watches Stephen murdered. In a little over a decade he will be preaching the message of Stephen’s sermon to the entire Mediterranean ensuring that the Gospel is heard well outside the Jewish world.
Some of us are prepared to risk preaching God’s revelation even when it upsets the religious institution and society. Some of us are only ready to watch and consider before preaching. The important thing is that none of us pick up stones.
Otherwise we will soon be surrounded by people who answer the question “Why did you leave the Church?” who will respond “I did not leave the church the church left me.”. And they will be right and the God made incarnate in Jesus Christ who is forever doing greater things through the Holy Spirit will be with them and be rather curious as to why we are not.
So as I prepared for the vigil tonight and the Eucharist tomorrow for the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary I suddenly realized that there is not an official collect for such (I knew this mind you but some things do not hit you until prep time) and that the traditional collects were all for the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which for various dogmatic points of incarnational theology and praxis points of the Lutherans with whom we share worship, these are not practical... Thus with a bit of thought comes this:
O God, who in the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ prepared for him a dwelling-place by the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: mercifully grant that she who was first to bear Christ may evermore pray for us so that we too may be prepared to bear Christ to the world. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The following Prayers of the People are written especially with Advent and the idea of expectation in mind. The versicle and response is from the Lords Prayer. The inspiration for this set comes from the wonderful collect by Percy Dearmer with which this POP concludes.
Bidder:
In waiting and in expectation, believing that Jesus shall come again, we pray…
God, Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We await the church that can worship You in truth and not in brokenness. Hold up each of us in our daily ministry and service to the world. Guide those who serve the church…
People may add their own petitions. The names of the leaders of the church, diocese, and denomination are especially appropriate.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We yearn for a society that does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly. Guide those who lead our government to do what is best for all Your children.
People may add their own petitions. The names of the leaders of the local, state, and national government are especially appropriate.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We seek a world that knows Your Joy not our brokenness. Your peace not our war. Your plenty not our famine. Your beauty not our pollution.
People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the welfare of the world are especially appropriate.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We long for communities that are one in Your Love not many in our divisions. Break down the walls we have made that separate us from one another.
People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the welfare of the local community are especially appropriate.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We hope for your consolation out of our suffering and trouble. Bring to us the healing beyond any earthly cure,.
People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the sick and troubled of the community are especially appropriate.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
We want to rest in peace, we want light perpetual to shine upon us. We hold up all who have died
People may add their own petitions. The names of the recently departed and saints important to the community may be said.
Your Kingdom come.
People:
Your will be done.
Bidder:
O Lord, You have set before us the great hope that Your kingdom shall come on earth, and have taught us to pray for its coming: Give us grace to discern the signs of its dawning, and to work for the perfect day when Your will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People:
Amen
The concluding collect are the words of Percy Dearmer.
I am presenting this as a Liturgy of the Word for Advent. The advent addition is not really exclusive, it could be used at other times. It starts with the celebrant, et all, at the rear of the church and begins without a procession or a hymn but an invitation to worship and confession. It is then that a Hymn of Praise is sung, one viably suitable for Advent thus NOT the Gloria, and then the procession occurs. The hope is to cause a little upset at the beginning to make people aware of what they are doing. Using sources from Enriching our Worship and the BCP this Liturgy of the Word is in compliance with the BCP rubrics. (Note I will be making some Advent Prayers of the People later).
This service starts at the rear without a hymn or procession.
The congregation should be facing the rear of the nave.
If possible the altar party, acolytes, etc. should be gathered around the baptismal font if it is located in the rear of the church.
Celebrant:
Blessed are you, holy and living One
All:
You come to your people and set them free.
Celebrant:
Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment
greater than these.”Mark 12:29‑31
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
silence is kept
All:
God of all mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives.
We have denied your goodness in each other,
in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the sin that enslaves us,
the sins we have done,
and the sins done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through out Savior Jesus Christ,
that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will. Amen
Celebrant:
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen
All:
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height and look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One. Baruch 5:3
A Hymn of Praise appropriate for Advent then follows and the altar party and attendants process to their places.
Celebrant:
God be with you.
All:
And also with you.
Celebrant:
Let us pray.
The collect of the day is read.
All:
Amen
The Lessons
The people sit. One or two Lessons, as appointed, are read
After each Reading.
Reader:
Hear what the spirit is saying to God’s people.
All
Thanks be to God.
Silence may follow.
A Psalm, hymn, or anthem may follow each Reading.
Then, all standing, the Deacon or a Priest reads the Gospel, first saying
Deacon:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to__________________.
All:
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
After the Gospel
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All:
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
On Sundays and other Major Feasts there follows, all standing
The Nicene Creed
All:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Prayer is offered with intercession for
The Universal Church, its members, and its mission
The Nation and all in authority
The welfare of the world
The concerns of the local community
Those who suffer and those in any trouble
The departed (with commemoration of a saint when appropriate)
The Peace
All stand.
Celebrant:
The peace of Christ be always with you.
All:
And also with you.
Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the
Several friends of mine have requested I attempt to write a rite for transgendered individuals to claim their gender identity and name. This is a first attempt at a rite that I am very humbled to even attempt to make. Viably it would come after a sermon but before a Eucharist but at this point there is no provision for a Prayers of the People to make this fully workable.
Leader:
Do you know who you are?
Seeker:
I know only the part of me I can see.
Leader:
Do you know who this is?
Community:
We know only the part we can see.
Leader:
Who knows who this person is?
All:
The God who creates us,
The God who is the Father that knows the hairs on our head,
The God who is the Mother that broods over us like a hen over her eggs,
The God who truly knows us and names us made very good,
The God who became one of us,
The God who died for us,
The God who rose from the dead for us,
The God who knows us and loves us,
The God who advocates for us,
The God who knits us as one family,
The God who fills us with the fire to change the world,
The God who fills us with the strength to change ourselves.
The God who is One God.
Leader:
Do you seek to recognize more fully who you are?
Seeker:
I do.
Leader:
Do you seek to recognize more fully this person?
Community:
We do.
Leader:
Do we recognize that following Jesus means placing aside falsehoods and recognizing truth?
All:
We do.
Leader:
What falsehood do you place aside?
Seeker:
The falsehood that I am female/male/intersex.
The falsehood that my name is ___________.
Leader:
What falsehood do we place aside?
Community:
The falsehood that this person is female/male/intersex.
The falsehood of the name _________.
Leader:
What truth do you recognize?
Seeker:
The truth that I am female/male/intersex.
The truth that my name is ___________.
Leader:
What truth do we recognize?
Community:
The truth that this person is female/male/intersex.
The truth of the name __________.
Leader:
Will all who recognize this truth do all in your power to support __________ in her/his/zer life in Christ?
All:
We Will
Leader:
Let us rejoice with ___________ in the light of revealed truth.
All:
We rejoice and are glad to know truth.
We rejoice and are glad to know _____________.
Leader:
The peace that flows from Truth, the Peace not of this world, the Peace of Jesus Christ be always with you.
The Advent Wreath is a common but non-liturgical aspect of Episcopal Worship. Thus this service should occur before the principle liturgical service of the day begins. The one exception is a worship that involves an Order for Evening where it can be lit after the Prayer for Light. The prayers provided here are for use in Year B and correspond to the New Testament Lessons.
Leader: Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.
People: The Light no Darkness can overcome.
Leader: We await the coming of the Light.
People: The dawn of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
The Advent Wreath candles are lit.
[My suggestion is to light first the purple candle across from another purple candle, then the purple candle across from it, then the rose candle, then the final purple candle. This allows the wreath to be lit in a cross pattern.]
Concluding Prayer
First Advent
Leader: We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: The Holy Spirit has strengthened us and enriched us.
Leader: The Father has given each of us many spiritual gifts.
People: We are called to use them in the Fellowship of Jesus Christ.
All: We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Second Advent
Leader: To the Lord one Day is like a thousand years.
People: And a thousand years are like one day.
Leader: The Lord is patient with us.
People: The Lord does not want any to perish.
All: To the Lord one day is like a thousand years. Amen
Third Advent
Leader: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.
People: We will give thanks in all circumstances.
Leader: Hold fast to what is good.
People: We will abstain from every form of evil.
All: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.Amen
Fourth Advent
Leader: God strengthens us through the Gospel.
People: God strengthens us through the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
Leader: The secret kept for long ages is now disclosed.
This is a satirical poem I wrote a few years back... One of the best ways to not become a bad liturgist is to poke fun at the part of you that can quite easily go over the top...
I'm a Sacristy Queen
I’m a Sacristy queen, as high as can be,
benediction, incense, sherry, or nothing, for me.
Others twitter and flitter to Michno, disgrace
It’s Lamburn’s formations that put a smile on His face.
Some say I’m outdated, that my time is past,
but projectors and big screens and hand claps won’t last.
Get down on one knee and show me some class.
I’m a Sacristy queen, just hear me squeak
At the Sursum Corda you dare not just speak.
Ad Orientem not ad hoc plebian.
Liturgical language is Jacobean.
Unless there’s a maniple it’s not a Mass
And if that’s a problem I’ll verger your ass.
Don’t come to the altar not dressed for the task.
I’m a Sacristy queen, a rubric fiend,
I’ll cite every council that’s ever convened.
Amice and Alb, surplice, or cotta?
Better dress right or persona non grata.
If your stole is not crossed, if your biretta's askew
Your one with the lord I'll simply construe
But if your in Almy its simply Adieu.
I’m a Sacristy queen, and my day will come,
When Hagia Sophia will be out done.
With my dress so divine and my purse quite on fire
I’ll lead the host of the heavenly choir.
In a procession that will surpass any Rogation
Onward and upward to an Heavenly location
Leaving Low Churchmen all in frustration.
I’m a Sacristy queen, as high as can be,
When it comes to liturgics don’t mess with me.
This service will need several exceptions from the Ordinand... It uses Eucharistic prayer H from the Church of England, the Gospel Proclamation is done responsively, communion is expected to be in the round, and it does not include a creed on a major feast day. It is meant more for smaller groups, 25 max, than large congregations. It is meant to be a non Sunday service in a parish where meeting both for All Saints and All Souls is not pastorally viable.
A Worship for All Saints and All Souls
This worship is done in the round with the altar in the middle of a circle of chairs.
At the beginning of the service a bowl with a hot incense coal in sand is already on the altar.
The priest should be dressed simply in alb and white stole.
When the community is gathered all stand as the priest enters the worship space in silence.
Priest:
Alleluia. The Lord is Risen.
People:
The Lord is Risen Indeed. Alleluia
The hymn “Seek ye first”(711) is sung.
The congregation bows as the priest approaches the altar picks up a few grains of incense, places and places them upon the hot coals.
Priest:
Lord Enthroned in Heaven, Lord in our midst, may our prayers rise before you in the midst of all your saints;
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Priest:
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those whotruly love you;
People
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The priest then steps back and joins the circle.
All remain standing as a responsive reading of Revelation 4:1a, 8-10, 7:9b-17 is done.
Reader:
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
People:
Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and isto come.
Reader:
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship theone who lives forever and ever, they cast their crowns before the throne singing,
People:
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and werecreated.
Reader:
There was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
People:
Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
Reader:
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
People:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.
Reader:
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from? "I said to him, "Sir, you are theone that knows. " Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
The people then begin to sing the “Hallelujah” chorus from “Seek Ye First”. The priest approaches the altar. Places incense on the coals. Picks up the Gospel book and circles around the altar one and a half time ending facing the opposite way as when the priest entered.
Priest:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord as Matthew recorded.
People:
Glory to you Lord Christ
Priest:
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
People:
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Priest:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
People:Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Priest:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
People:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Priest:Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
People:
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
PriestBlessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, foryour reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted theprophets who were before you.
Priest:
The Gospel of or our Lord
People:Praise to you lord Christ.
The priest then calls for a time of meditation and each person is asked to consider a person, from the list of Saints or elsewhere, whose life story has helped them live faithfully into one of the beatitudes. everyone is seated.
The priest then rings a meditation bell and a period of silence, one to two minutes, follows.
The priest then invites individuals to stand and state in a few sentences whom they choose to consider and why giving an example.
When space has been given for everyone to state their reflection the leader of the prayers of the people rises and invites the congregation to do as well. The bidder then approaches the altar and places incense on the coals. Within each period of silence the congregation may add their own petitions.
Bidder:
Lord Enthroned in Heaven, Lord in our midst, may our prayers rise before you in the midst of all your saints;
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Bidder:
Peter, Paul, Mary, Junia, all the apostles, we ask you to pray with us for the church throughout the world that you founded.
A time of silence follows when petitions may be made aloud.
Bidder:
May our prayers rise before the Lord
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Bidder:Charles, Edward, Margaret, Elswith, all leaders of nations, we ask you to pray with us for this nation and all who hold earthly authority throughoutthe world.
A time of silence follows when petitions may be made aloud.
Bidder:
May our prayers rise before the Lord
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Bidder:
Patrick, Francis, Brigid, Julian, all who have served as missionary, preacher, or contemplative, pray with us for the welfare of the world.
A time of silence follows when petitions may be made aloud.
Bidder:
May our prayers rise before the Lord
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Bidder:
Stephen, Perpetua, and all martyrs, pray with us for all who suffer.
A time of silence follows when petitions may be made aloud.
Bidder:
May our prayers rise before the Lord
People:
As the smoke rises from this incense.
Bidder:
We name now those who have left this world that are dear to us.
People are invited to list those in their lives who have died in the past year or whose memory lays heavily upon them.
Bidder:
Grant them eternal rest, Lord.
People:
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
The bidder returns to the circle.
Priest:Join me in silence to reflect on the things that separate each of us from God.
A moment of silence follows.
Priest:
I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
People:
May the almighty God have mercy on you and your soul
forgive you all your sins,
and bring you to life everlasting.
I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Priest:
May the almighty God have mercy on you and your soul
forgive you all your sins,
and bring you to life everlasting.
Priest:
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People:
And also with you.
When all have shared a sign of God’s peace the hymn “Simple Gifts” (554) is sung.
Before the Sursum Corda the Priest adds more incense to the coals.
Priest:
The Lord is here.
People:
The Spirit is with us.
Priest:
Lift up your hearts.
People:
We lift them to the Lord.
Priest:
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People:
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Priest:
It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned awayyou did not reject us, but came to meet us in your Son.
People:
You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
Priest:
In Christ you shared our lifethat we might live in him and he in us.
People
He opened his arms of love upon the cross and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Priest:
On the night he was betrayed,at supper with his friends he took bread, and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;do this in remembrance of me.
People:
We do this in remembrance of him: his body is the bread of life.
Priest:
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.
People:
We do this in remembrance of him: his blood is shed for all.
Priest:
As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory, send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.
People:
As we eat and drink these holy gifts make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.
Priest
With your whole Church throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of praise and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:
People:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Priest:
And we join with all your saints praying as Jesus taught us
People:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Priest:
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People:
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia
Priest:
The gifts of God for the People of God.
People:
Come taste and know that the Lord is Good.
Communion is then shared by the community communing each other around the circle. During this time “Simple Gifts” (554) is sung (this is an intentional repeat).
People
Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ's body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
“Jerusalem my Happy Home” (620) is sung. During the last verse the priest moves to stand at the opening of the circle as at the entrance.
What you must learn is that these rules are nodifferent than the rules of a computer system. Some ofthem can be bent. Others – can be broken." ― Morpheus, The Matrix
Good liturgy is about knowing about the binding and loosing of the rules. Liturgical rules are called rubrics. Knowing what the rubrics are does not mean following them blindly it means knowing when and where you need to follow, bend, or even break rubrics.
The best way to know the rubrics is to get engaged in liturgy with people who know them.
Another useful but not necessary safe method of learning is to ask a liturgist a question about a rubric. This is dangerous because liturgists generally do not know when to stop talking about rubrics. If you ask a rubric question and there are two or more liturgist in the room you are inviting yourself to what might possibly be the most refined form of a geekout possible.
The third, and if you truly want to learn necessary, method is reading.
First actually sit down and read through your Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Imagine what type of service you would construct if the only information you had about Episcopalians was this text. You will be surprised at how much you see on Sunday morning is not in the BCP. For instance the BCP never mentions the chasuble, the garment that most priest wear during the Eucharist Prayer.
Two additional Prayer Books I would suggest are A Manuel for Priest compiled by the Society of Saint John the Evangelist and the St. Augustine’s Prayer Book, an Anglo-Catholic devotional. Both accentuate the BCP and embody distinct perspectives on the liturgy.
The primer of rubrics I would choose is Dennis Michno’s A Priest’s Handbook. This book is really Rubrics 101. It gives straightforward instructions on how to perform the church ceremonies found in the BCP. It does not, however, go into any depth on what is behind those ceremonies.
Solely for the Eucharist is Howard E. Galley’s The Ceremonies of the Eucharist. It is readable and an excellent exposition on the whole of the Eucharist as found in the BCP.
If you can find a copy William Palmer Ladd’s Prayer Book Interleaves is an excellent text that is not about rubrics but about liturgy. It was written with the 1928 BCP in mind but his ideas are, in my opinion, exceptionally solid. Also Allison’s Fear, Love, and Worship is a similar text but also sadly out of print.
When you are ready to jump into the deep end there are two texts by Lamburn: Ritual Notes and Anglican Services. I am not aware of any parish that actually goes about liturgy in the extreme high church methods Lamburn describes. If, however, you can get your mind around even the basics of these texts then really there is no liturgical situation, no matter how high or low, you should not be able to handle deftly.
Many ask me “why is it all high church?” and my response is that to do minimalist art well, like Picasso, one first has to learn to paint like Rembrandt.
