Tag Archive for 'worship'

Page 2 of 4

Introducing “liturgy”

Published on November 12, 2009 in liturgy. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Liturgy as language (part 5)

There are those who look at thriving, fruitful, vibrant worshipping communities, see they are not “using liturgy” and suggest comments like, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it”, or “introducing liturgy will destroy this – you will be on a hiding to nothing.”

I disagree.

First let’s clarify. Liturgy, by definition, is doing worship together. Each of those words is important.

  • doing – liturgy is an activity. People too quickly associate liturgy with set words, books, etc. Liturgy is action – often accompanied by interpretive words, yes, but liturgy is action – “the work of the people”.
  • worship – is an active verb. It is not passive. Liturgy is not a spectator sport. We are a gathered congregation, an active assembly – not spectators or an audience. It is not watching an orchestra – it is being the orchestra.
  • together – liturgy is a community event. It is not individualism. Not even congregationalism. Most liturgical texts are plural, “we confess… we believe… Our Father…”

People sometimes use the term non-liturgical worship. Generally that is an oxymoron. Like saying a non-marriage wedding. Liturgy is doing worship together. Non-liturgical worship might be worshipping alone – but even when we worship alone that is done as part of the church, the body of Christ, with Jesus – even alone we can still pray “Our Father…”

So we have this thriving, fruitful, vibrant worshipping community. I believe it can only be enriched by incorporating the insights from the series Liturgy as language:

Introductory post; Kiwi Anglican history 1, Kiwi Anglican history 2, Liturgy as language (part 4)

Where do we start?

In fact working with a thriving, fruitful, vibrant worshipping community may even be a better place to start than trying to get an unsuccessful, dry, colourless, dour, individualised community, that is going through the motions of liturgical texts, to move forward to some vibrancy.

Where might be some places to start? Well if there is some dialogue between leader and assembly, for example as the service starts, that might be energetically channelled through some biblical greeting and response. The deep sense of prayer might be enriched by the leader, early in the service, suggesting a general point for prayer and the whole community praying for a good period in deepening silence, and then the leader collecting this gathering silent prayer by proclaiming a collect to which the now-fully-gathered community responds heartily with the biblical “Amen.” The readings can be drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary - with people growing in a sense of belonging to the world-wide Christian community and made aware of the many many resources that come with this enriching their lives not just at the service but throughout the week. Some communities will be stretched as they risk just listening to a reading, God’s Word, “neat” – without every text being filtered through the leader’s interpretation. If communion is celebrated the community might be enriched by using the biblical tradition of blessing by thanksgiving and using the great Jewish-Christian prayer structure going back to Jesus’ prayer at his last meal and beyond. There are many many excellent Eucharistic Prayers and outlines that cannot but enrich a thriving community’s life.

These are but some suggestions. Readers may have other insights, even from their own experience of deepening and enriching the worship life in a community.

St Michael and All Angels

Published on September 28, 2009 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Mikharkhangel

Feast day September 29

Let us pray (in silence) [that we may share in the ministry of the angels]

pause

Everlasting God,
you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order
the ministries of angels and mortals:
Mercifully grant that,
as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven,
so by your appointment
they may help and defend us here on earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

click here for further reflection

Rugby café worship

Published on September 25, 2009 in liturgy. 5 Comments Tags: , , .

v3_webRugby stadiums changing to a new format based on cafes are finding that they are beginning to fill again in comparison to those stadiums not moving with the times and continuing to play Rugby in the way they did in the past.

“People are not familiar with the game of Rugby in the way they used to be,” says Rugby Union spokesperson, U. R. Joking. “Over the years we’ve made some changes to the way Rugby is played – those who haven’t been for a while would be surprised at the changes – but it still hasn’t stemmed the tide of diminishing numbers. Parents and grandparents are no longer bringing children to Rugby games and helping them understand the game in the way they used to.”

Some stadiums and rugby playing fields have taken a leaf out of café-culture books. “Nearly everyone is familiar with going to a café or a night club so we have taken ideas from cafes and night clubs and applied them to the game.”

No more complicated scoring systems – children and the “un-Rugbied” are clearly not familiar with them and find them confusing. They have been scrapped. People generally are much more familiar with cups and mugs than with rugby balls so the game now starts with each of the 50 players (the number has been increased to improve participation) starting holding a cup of coffee (there are no sides – competition is not part of café or night-club culture). Each person who gets more than half of their coffee across the line gets a point. There are clearly checks and balances: those with a short black are at an advantage because the cup is lighter -but it is easier to spill more than half of the contents. Tackling is still allowed. But there are no scrums as they would look out of place in a café or on the dance floor. After scoring a point players can move on to running with a muffin or cake (2 points), mains (3 points), and deserts (4 points).

Traditional Rugby games are still held but they are increasingly attended by diminishing numbers of aging spectators. At fields that offer both traditional and café-style the traditional will be on at a less convenient time. People generally are not trained to play traditional Rugby any more as it is clear where the future of Rugby is going. When challenged that the new café-style Rugby isn’t really Rugby is it, and that when people come to a Rugby stadium they might expect to be part of real Rugby, and that people’s ability to learn is being grossly underestimated, U. R. Joking looks bemused and responds, “the numbers clearly tell a different story.”

Churches changing to a new format based on cafes are finding that they are beginning to fill again in comparison to those churches not moving with the times and continuing to have liturgy in the way they did in the past.

“People are not familiar with the liturgy in the way they used to be. Over the years we’ve made some changes to the way the liturgy is prayed – those who haven’t been for a while would be surprised at the changes – but it still hasn’t stemmed the tide of diminishing numbers. Parents and grandparents are no longer bringing children to church and helping them understand the liturgy in the way they used to.”

Some churches have taken a leaf out of café-culture books. “Nearly everyone is familiar with going to a café or a night club so we have taken ideas from cafes and night clubs and applied them to services.”

No more complicated liturgies or communion – children and the “un-churched” are clearly not familiar with them and find them confusing. They have been scrapped.…

Traditional liturgies are still held but they are increasingly attended by diminishing numbers of aging congregants. At churches that offer both traditional and café-style the traditional will be on at a less convenient time. People generally are not trained to pray traditional liturgy any more as it is clear where the future of services is going. When challenged that the new café-style church isn’t really church is it, and that when people come to a church they might expect to be part of real liturgy, and that people’s ability to learn is being grossly underestimated, …

(This post will count as part 5 in the Liturgy as Language series. Parts 1 to 4 can be found from here)

popularity of liturgy & worship?

Published on September 24, 2009 in liturgy. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

The search for the term “liturgy” on Google (top line) in the last six years has approximately halved. Online news about “liturgy” (bottom line) has grown a little in the same period:

searches for liturgy

searches for liturgy

The search for the term “worship” on Google (top line) in the last six years has approximately halved. Online news about “worship” (bottom line) has grown a significantly in the same period:

searches for worship

searches for worship

Use this free online tool to compare other search terms – put a comma between terms you seek to compare. Any ideas why such changes in the search for “liturgy” and “worship”?

Visitor numbers to this site have been increasing or steady. I think that is also due to the site expanding onto twitter and facebook:

pageviews & visitors to Liturgy site 2006-2009

pageviews & visitors to Liturgy site 2006-2009

Your thoughts?

The Lectionary (part 3)

Published on September 17, 2009 in lectionary and liturgy. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

As promised, this post will provide links to some of the best online resources connected to the lectionary.
The first post gave the history of the lectionary. The second post highlighted advantages of using the lectionary.
One of the huge advantages is that the lectionary has such a wealth of supporting resources. This post will highlight some of these.

The Text this week Amazing collection of resources linked to RCL – new each week. The best starting point.

Revised Common Lectionary comments from Montreal Anglican Diocese

Sarah Laughed A wonderful lectionary blog – not currently being added to, but you can search for earlier reflections.

United Methodist Church Wonderful collection of worship resources
includes hymn and song suggestions

Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary (a subscription list)

SAMUEL from the United Church of Christ.

Creating Worship with Deep Soul developed by Marcia McFee.

Strong Center Open Doors is a new worship planning website by Dan Benedict

Worship Tricks a collection of resources by Jonny Baker, pastor of an emerging congregation in the UK

Sacredise (pronounced “say’-cred-ize”) a South African Methodist worship resource by John Van de Laar

Laughing Bird an Australian lectionary-based liturgical worship resource

HymnSite.com is an online source for Free Hymn Texts, Tunes, and Sheet Music; Lectionary and Psalter Resources; Audio and Data CDs; Free Downloads;

Buildingworship.com Worship Resources including Worship Backgrounds Powerpoint Images and Planning Materials

The Painted Prayerbook is a lectionary commentary with weekly art

Hermanoleon clip art based on the lectionary (you will have seen their art on this site)

Churchpowerpoint.com PowerPoint backgrounds and other slides based on the lectionary

The Work of the People video and stills for lectionary-based worship

Vanderbilt Divinity Library texts, prayers, comments, art for the lectionary

I am sure this is only skimming the surface of what is available to enrich lectionary-based worship – online and generally free. A larger collection of links is provided in my worship and lectionary links section of this site. If you have a site related to spirituality and worship and have linked to this site – please let me know. If appropriate I link back to provide as good as possible list of resources for visitors to this site.

If you have or know of an online lectionary-based resource, please add it to the comments section below.

Liturgy as language (part 4)

Published on August 8, 2009 in liturgy. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

If you have skipped the last couple of posts in this series because they have had a particularly Kiwi Anglican focus, do not skip this one. This post is what the series has been leading up to and why the series has the title “Liturgy as language”.

(Series so far: Introductory post; Kiwi Anglican history 1, Kiwi Anglican history 2)

Language as a model for liturgy

Language is picked up naturally during our formative years by participating in a community that uses that language fluently and creatively. As we grow up we also normally complement this formation by receiving some instruction in how to use this language from those who have studied the way the language functions well. Historically there may be moments when language makes a significant change. Shakespeare was such a change within the English language. In the sixteenth century the English language became acceptable whereas previously in England French and Latin had dominance as the respectable languages. Some have credited Shakespeare with introducing 10,000 new words into the language. This is most probably an exaggeration – but it is still likely that he introduced at least a sixth of this sum into English literature.

The “rules” of grammar and the explanation of the meaning of words are hence descriptive – they describe the way that native speakers use the language. If you are not a native speaker, or struggle with the language, then the rules of grammar and dictionary can also be prescriptive – prescribing, stipulating, how to use the language.

A living language is only ever one generation away from vanishing. Once a language has been lost it is possible to revive it. Dictionaries and rules of grammar will then, of course, no longer be descriptive – as there is no living language that one is describing. If the language is being recovered, the attitude to dictionaries and grammar rules will be primarily a regarding of them as prescriptive.

Applying the model of language to liturgy

This series began as a response to an assertion that NZ Anglicanism was not using liturgical prayer fruitfully – and that this struggling to use liturgical prayer has been happening for the last twenty, to twenty-five years – a full generation. I then summarised how this generation lost the liturgical facility (in this post followed by this post).

I want to use the model of language I have developed above to reflect on this. There is a danger in my using language as a model for liturgy. The danger is that people will think I am primarily focusing on the words used in liturgy. In fact I think of gesture and vesture, worship environment, music, and so on, as all part of the “language of liturgy” as well as the words used in liturgy.

Liturgy is picked up naturally during our formative years by participating in a community that uses liturgy fluently and creatively. As we grow we also normally complement this formation by receiving some instruction in how to use liturgy from those who have studied the way liturgy functions well. Historically there may be moments when liturgy makes a significant change. From the 1960s was such a change within liturgy.

The “rules” of liturgy are hence descriptive – they describe the way that well-formed communities use liturgy. If you are not part of a well-formed community, or struggle with liturgy, then the rules of liturgy can also be prescriptive – prescribing, stipulating, how to use liturgy.

If living liturgy vanishes it is possible to revive it. Rubrics and responses will then, of course, no longer be descriptive – as there is no living liturgical life that one is describing. If liturgy is being recovered, the attitude to rubrics, responses, and so on will be primarily a regarding of them as prescriptive.

When a presider at worship stands in front of the gathered community, opens arms wide and says “The Lord be with you” (from memory/by heart), and the community responds enthusiastically from memory/by heart – then this is a sign that this community is using liturgy as a “living language”.

When, on the other hand, a presider at worship stands in front of the gathered community gripping a book, reading the statement from the book, and even addressing the book – and the community responds by reading from the book or from a screen or sheet – then this is a sign that the “language of liturgy” has died. In this second scenario, in which liturgical life has been lost, when a community still follows a prayer book, there will be a much greater emphasis on doing the liturgy in the way the book says only because “that is what is required”. The book, for them, becomes more prescriptive than descriptive. The greeting from the liturgical book is no longer a real greeting – but used mostly (or even solely) because it is prescribed. In such a community the liturgy from the prayer book becomes increasingly “unreal”, disconnected from the real life of the community, even false. It is understandable that such a community increasingly abandons liturgical life in a spiralling circle. In such a service when the presider shifts from using liturgical responses to addressing the gathering “normally” s/he appears to peek out from behind the fixed liturgical pieces and then withdraw again to the prescribed material. The greetings of the liturgy are not experienced as real greetings. Inevitably the prayers are not experienced as real prayers. And the promises are not experienced as real promises.

This is not to suggest, of course, that in a well-formed liturgical community there is no place for following texts. Quite the opposite. In a well-formed liturgical community hymns will still be sung from books just as readings will be read from books and prayers and other texts will be read from books. But such a community will be agile in when we address each other (from memory/by heart), when God, and so on.

Languages have been revived from nearly having died – but it takes significant passion and commitment. The same, let us hope, may also be true for liturgy.

Dance – a model for evangelism

Published on August 7, 2009 in liturgy. 4 Comments Tags: , .

In June I published a post on a man dancing as “another model for evangelism” – living in such a way that people cannot help but catch the enthusiasm and join in. This clip in Antwerpen’s Central Railway Station in Belgium is once again a fun clip – but it might just give pause for thought about living our lives as a Christian community so differently that we provide joy in the lives of others and also draw others in to our different lifestyle…

Lord of the Dance
Dancing and worship
Play it again

Worship witness work

Published on August 4, 2009 in liturgy. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

I have just been pointed to a very attractive video by Michelle Ngo with music composed by Daron Murphy. It shows some highlights from the Episcopal Church since the General Convention of 2006. In my opinion it presents a very attractive image of a church’s worship, witness, and work. I am a strong advocate of quality and enthusiasm in those dimensions of our Christian life – and of using the new technologies available to present our life.

I am not interested in debating here decisions or directions of the Episcopal Church. There are plenty of other sites devoted energetically to that. Anglican cap tip to Scott Gunn.

Dancing and worship

Published on July 28, 2009 in liturgy. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

Continuing from yesterday’s post on dancing…

Some, of course, have built their places of worship with a sloping floor – explicitly so that the space can never be used for dancing! Some think dancing is sinful – even outside of worship…

Choreographing the Trinity

Gregory of Nazianzus used the term perichoresis (περιχωρησις) for the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. This term derives from peri “around” and choreio “dance.” In English our word choreography derives from this. God’s inner relationship is like that of a dance. Gregory’s image was picked up by John of Damascus, and is used by contemporary theologians such as C. Baxter Kruger, Jurgen Moltmann, Miroslav Volf, and John Zizioulas. [In the scriptures the word only occurs in the Septuagint in Genesis 13:10 and in Matthew 14:35 - in both cases it is used to "dwell around"].

Simchat Torah

Each year, when Jews conclude reading the Torah through, they dance with the scrolls on the feast of Simchat Torah:

This year that falls on October 11 (23 Tishrei).
See also, and here.

More dancing and worship

The Community of the Beatitudes (a mixed Roman Catholic community of men and women, celibate, single, married, and families) also incorporate Jewish-style dancing into their community life. I am unable to locate an online video of this dancing – possibly one of my readers can find one. Our local Beatitudes community is at Leithfield Beach just North of Christchurch. (More info)

Beatitudes Community Praying

I have been urged to embed the Easter Vigil service from St Gregory of Nyssa. This includes dancing:

Lord of the Dance

Published on July 27, 2009 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , .

In Africa I saw the rubrics for the Eucharist that at the Gloria the priest and others in the sanctuary dance around the altar while everyone else dances in their place in the congregation.

Here’s a variant from a wedding (Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson):

Biretta tip to my good e-friend Deacon Greg Kandra

Before you go tut-tutting to the comments section read 2 Samuel 6:14ff

14 David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

Shakers are well-known for their liturgical dancing. The tune of Simple Gifts, an 1848 Shaker song by Elder Joseph Brackett, is used in the 1963 Sydney Carter song Lord of the Dance. St Gregory of Nyssa church (San Francisco), well-known for its congregational dancing in worship here rehearses Simple Gifts:

More dancing from St Gregory’s can be seen in their Easter Vigil.

And if this inspires you to join the Shakers – at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, which still has four members, is still accepting new adult members interested in joining them.

Shakers dancing during worship

Shakers dancing during worship

MORE on dancing and worship

Liturgy as language (part 3)

Published on July 25, 2009 in liturgy. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

This series “Liturgy as language” is going in a direction that will be relevant to other contexts (trust me – I know what I’m doing). But this particular post continues and completes the previous post in outlining briefly the New Zealand Anglican context that has brought us to this place. If you are not in New Zealand your context may have similarities – but if there are no similarities to the NZ context, and if you have no interest in this kiwi context go for a walk through a park, or telephone a friend, or contemplate for five minutes, and we’ll see you next time…

New Zealand Anglican Liturgy from 1984

The story so far to 1984 and beyond is of an increasing abandonment of the concept and experience of “common prayer.” Common prayer includes knowing what is coming, one can prepare in anticipation for the communal worship beforehand, during the service one can respond and participate at significant moments often “by heart”, worship has stability from week to week, from one congregation time-slot to another time, and there is a sense of sharing in a wider community – from community to community, locally, and even internationally and ecumenically. [Common prayer also spares us from everything being under the control of the pastor or particular worship leader.] All that changed around 1984 in New Zealand Anglicanism.

Since that post I have had people give example after example – including one of our larger communities where the response to even “The Lord be with you” varies from week to week, demanding one keeps one’s eyes on the pew sheet…

Some comments on the previous post highlighted that the loss of common prayer includes a disenfranchising of children who cannot read, of parents supervising children, and of older people. In other words the “target” of the worship is precisely towards the age-group regularly missing in NZ Anglicanism! A further reflection might be that this means that “targeting” this age-group in this particular manner is notably unsuccessful – and that is leaving to one side my opinion that the “target” of worship ought to be God…

A list of some further changes in the last 25 years

The trajectory of liturgical worship sketched in NZ Anglicanism after 1984 continued and accelerated. Some points include:

  • At the 1987/1988 General Synods, the requirement of at least those ordained to pray the Daily Office was removed from our formularies. This resulted in individualising prayer and daily devotion. Clergy of course (one would hope) continued a personal devotional life but more often did so because it enriched their own individual piety – not with a sense that they were “praying the prayer of the church.” Even those who continue praying the Daily Office now often (mostly?) do this as a way of individual piety rather than as the prayer of the church (which it now struggles to be so understood). Furthermore, a variety of different forms of daily devotions is now provided – so that there is no assurance that those committed to the Daily Office are in any sense “on the same page.”
  • Total Ministry/ Locally shared ministry/mutual ministry increasingly developed, both in rural and urban areas. This way of locally calling to ordination (and other ministries) may include having positive encouragement of the ministry of all the baptised, but in practice it also resulted in poor liturgical formation, training, and study by those being ordained. In some places the link between presiding, pastoring, and preaching was broken.
  • Having a lay person lead the “first part of the service” with the priest absolving and leading the Eucharistic Prayer often ended up re-cluttering the Gathering Rite (so that the lay leader would have something to do), increasing a magical understanding of priesthood, and breaking the sense that the Eucharist and any service is a single, unified rite with a dynamic sense of movement. [There are other issues with this: the quality of formation of such lay leadership and concomitantly its effect on the quality of worship, the clericalisation of lay ministry, the loss of the sense of the full participation of those in the pews, and the focusing of lay ministry into the sanctuary rather than into the world...]
  • The Education for Liturgy Kit (E.L. Kit), the only provincial liturgical formation resource (an undated 200 page ring-bound prepared by the Provincial Board of Christian Education) is now pretty well unknown and difficult to obtain. There appears nowhere one can obtain it. There are no references to it I can find online. New clergy, and those coming from overseas regularly have not even heard of it.
  • One of the best endowed seminaries in the Anglican Communion, the provincial St John’s College, handed over most of its academic training to Auckland University which has little energy for what it termed “parson’s papers” such as liturgy. The NZ Anglican Church keeps no statistics of the proportions of those training now at this national theological college, but I would be interested if any reader had any idea about this. I am guessing not more than a fifth of those training for ordination are training at St John’s, and even some of them are not there for a full course, but are there only for a year or so.
  • Curacy, traditionally four years formation under two different training vicars, often became not viable financially so that some of those recently ordained were immediately placed in charge of a parish with variable ongoing training and formation.
  • This province, small in worship numbers and stretched by vast distances, has increasingly put its energy into areas other than liturgy and not placed quality of worship as a primary strategy of its common life.
  • The 1996/1998 General Synods altered the Form for Ordering the Eucharist formulary so that it is now authorised for Sunday Eucharists also. Previously this highly flexible rite was explicitly for special occasions other than the Sunday Eucharist (as it is in TEC). From this time all that is required now, even for the Sunday Eucharist, is three paragraphs in a Eucharistic Prayer – all else may be sourced elsewhere or created locally. Prior to 1998 responses varied but there was a limit to the variation. That limiting ceased in 1998.
  • In 2002 General Synod passed the Worship Template which accepts any service that has the following structure: Gathering – Story – Going out; ie. a beginning, a middle, and an end.
  • 2006 General Synod authorised the Alternative Form for Ordering the Eucharist as a formulary of our church. Even the highly flexible Form for Ordering the Eucharist clearly was not seen to be sufficiently flexible. Now all that is required is that the Eucharistic Prayer be authorised somewhere in the Anglican Communion.
  • The latest meeting of General Synod (2008) authorised another raft of Eucharistic Prayers. These are mostly not new ones, but reworking of other current Eucharistic Prayers in NZPB so that those who have one of those “by heart” find themselves stumbling over these revisions and in the congregation blurting out responses that are no longer there.

A church prior to 1984 held together by the shared discipline of common worship is now held together by everyone knowing everyone (extended whanau/family style). Understandably some are clamouring now for other forms of holding our unity.

For the New Zealand Anglican church the sense that liturgy is the work of the (whole) church wherever we are, from rural church, to school chapel, to cathedral, to hospital bedside – we are all praying the same, participating in the one worship, has been mostly lost.

Hymn commentaries

Published on July 24, 2009 in liturgy. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

On twitter and on facebook I have been asking for resources for historical background and commentaries for hymns – especially online ones. I collect those resources here (thanks for all your help – some of the comments are pasted here in quotes). If you know of others please add them in the comments. This site is one of the central starting points for all things Liturgy on the internet. It produces original material, and where it does not, it does not replicate other resources but provides links to other sites of excellence. If this isn’t the best collection of hymnal links on the internet it will be after you add the ones missing :-)

Net Hymnal

hymnary.org

Lectionary.org Hymn Stories

Hymn History (Schaefer family)

Worship Map Hymn History

Dr Chadwick’s Hymn Backgrounds

Oremus doesn’t have historical notes/reflections with each hymn, there is a lectionary index that is helpful for hymn selection. Hymnals (over 50 of them) where the hymns may be located are also listed and indexed.

CanticaNOVA Publications

RUF Hymnbook online

“The Episcopal Church [USA] has an excellent Hymnal Compantion [4 Volumes no less]. A bit pricy, but excellect.”
Presumed to be ISBN: 978-0-89869-143-6
http://www.churchpublishing.org/products/index.cfm?fuseaction=productDetail&productID=64

“In book form only, the Church of Ireland has produced a companion to the church hymnal which gives background to every hymn in the collection. Both available from the Good Book Shop in Belfast and makes a terrific gift!” No title or website provided

“I have 1940 Hymnal and Companion (one volume) and love them.”

Sunday July 19

Published on July 13, 2009 in liturgy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

ovejas_sin_pastor02
A reflection for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 19 from the collect/opening prayer (NZPB)
A reflection for the 6th Sunday after Trinity July 19 from the collect/opening prayer – Common Worship (CofE)

NOTE: I think I spend too much time on the internet. Last week’s reflection I had “the story of blind Bartimaeus receiving his site (sic.)” I’ve corrected that now – thanks to an observant follower of mine on twitter! LOL

Liturgy as language (part 2)

Published on July 8, 2009 in liturgy. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

1984 25 years on

Liturgy of the Eucharist 1984

Liturgy of the Eucharist 1984

This is the second post in a series looking at how we can use fixed liturgical worship to form thriving, vibrant, growing communities. The series began from the contention of a well-informed New Zealand Anglican priest and his assertion that he cannot think of a single congregation that follows our official liturgy that is either growing, or thriving with a good mixture of ages (especially including younger people). Furthermore, this, he sees as originating in decisions made in the 1980s.

This particular post will be part focusing on New Zealand’s Anglican liturgical history essentially over the last two and a half decades as I believe that this period’s history clarifies the situation we now find ourselves in. This will continue in a later post. And then the series will continue by exploring what, in my opinion, is the underlying dynamic that has been lost during these decades. This current post may be of particular interest more to Kiwis. So, if you have no interest in Kiwi Anglican liturgical history go and have a coffee with a friend, or go and watch a sunset, or pray the daily office…

It will become clear that in the last two and a half decades in NZ Anglicanism there has been a movement away from the concept of liturgy as common prayer. The 1984 Liturgy revision began the loss of knowing responses by heart. From this point NZ Anglicans inevitably become more book-bound (pew-sheet bound, or later projector-screen bound).

Kiwis – don’t look it up: what is the response to “The peace of God be always with you.”?

1964 to 1984

New Zealand Anglicans once had had a relatively conservative liturgical life, following the Book of Common Prayer and minor variants of that. In 1964 there began a revision process that resulted in a 1966 eucharistic rite and a further revision of this in 1970. So by 1984 there had been two decades of either the BCP or a well-received, single contemporary revision. In 1984 all that changed. Now, alongside the contemporary revision were new Eucharist rites that, though structurally relatively similar, had significantly innovative texts.

In these innovative eucharistic texts the traditional, ecumenical, internationally agreed English-language texts used throughout the Anglican Communion were replaced. The following are two examples replacing the sanctus/benedictus (”Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might…”) in 1984:

Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just,
glory and goodness come from you.
Glory to you most high and gracious God.

and

Holy, holy, holy:
God of mercy, giver of life;
earth and sea and sky
and all that lives,
declare your presence and your glory.

One of the new rites intentionally had far more for the congregation to recite, again increasing the tendency to have more time with heads in books.

Every Sunday in the 1984 revision now no longer had a single collect usually drawn out of the great collect heritage shared throughout Anglicanism. Now each Sunday there was a choice of three collects – many of them not following a collect structure or style.

Kiwis – don’t look it up: what is the response to “The peace of God be with you all.”?

A completely new Order for Celebrating the Eucharist was produced and included in the 1984 Liturgy. In this order basically everything for a Eucharist (even responses) could be resourced from anywhere or created locally (excepting the Last Supper story and one paragraph were fixed in any constructed Eucharistic Prayer).

People were not all following the same readings either. As well as the BCP lectionary, New Zealand’s own creation (a two year thematic lectionary), the Australian Anglican revision of the Roman Catholic three-year lectionary was also authorised.

As well as music and singing being central to liturgy in my opinion, singing inevitably aids memorisation. With three completely different texts (for example) for the sanctus/benedictus (not interchangeable between rites) many communities no longer accessed good quality national ecumenical music or international Anglican and/or ecumenical musical settings.

In summary

From 1984 some wonderfully poetic, imaginative, creative, inclusive, and inculturated texts were being presented to regular worshipping Anglicans. It must be remembered, all this is within the context of a very small province of church-going Anglicans. The numbers in church (say about 35,000 in church on Sunday) are probably that of a reasonable size Church of England diocese. Moving from worshipping community to community there was no longer the expectation that the same readings would be followed, that the same collect would be used, that the same responses and texts would be used, that the same musical settings would be found. Even within a single parish, moving from one service time to another one might encounter completely unfamiliar material. Week by week turning up at the same time on Sunday one could be confronted with a different set of responses in rotation.

Creativity and flexibility became values now embodied in the official rites. Saying and singing things “by heart” (in the deepest sense of that phrase) was being lost. Common prayer – in the sense of celebrating Eucharist as the great shared worship action of Christ and his body, the church – was being lost in individualism and congregationalism. The measure of a “successful” service was shifting. The understanding of liturgy was shifting from community actions and celebration accompanied by words with a significant amount sung and by heart - to reciting beautiful poetic words at each other read from books and ever-changing pew sheets.

Answers:
The Peace of God be always with you.
Praise to Christ who is our peace.
and
The peace of God be with you all.
In God’s justice is our peace.

Next time you hear either of those particular responses check – is the person addressing you/the congregation or addressing the book (pamphlet) s/he is reading from? And are most in the congregation addressing the presider in return – or do they have their eyes fixed on the book/screen/pamphlet? If in your community you are actually addressing each other and there are no books/screens/pamphlets involved at this point give yourself a gold star liturgical WOF. If you got both the above responses correct from memory your application to lecture on liturgy at St John’s College has been accepted. For the rest of us… this series will be continued…

The next post in this series is found here

Sunday July 12

Published on July 8, 2009 in liturgy. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .
Amiens - Martyrdom and Death of John the Baptist

Amiens - Martyrdom and Death of John the Baptist

A reflection for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 12 from the opening prayer for Roman Catholics
A reflection for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 12 from the collect/opening prayer (NZPB)
A reflection for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 12 from the collect/opening prayer (NZPB – alternative in the printed 2009 lectionary)
A reflection for the 5th Sunday after Trinity July 12 from the collect/opening prayer – Common Worship (CofE)

Image: Amiens – Martyrdom and Death of John the Baptist, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=29344 [retrieved July 7, 2009].