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CHAPTER 7
The
Proclamation
The
people and presiding priest proclaim and respond to the
Word of God
From
Gathering to Listening
The sense of community that has been fostered in the
Gathering of the Community needs to be maintained in the
Proclamation of God's Word. If people follow the reading in
personal copies or in pew Bibles, this may diminish this
corporate attentiveness as we listen together to what the
Spirit is saying to us as the Church.
Rather than following the text while it is being read in
church, people can be encouraged to look at the readings
beforehand. The next Sunday's readings can be printed in
the weekly bulletin and form the focus of personal
devotions or a Bible study group during the week.
In preparing ahead in this manner, a benefit of the Three
Year Series is that it is used in New Zealand not only by
the Anglican church, but (with slight variations) it is
followed by all other denominations and communities that
follow a lectionary (e.g. Presbyterian, Roman Catholic,
Methodist). The Three Year Series not only opens up a vast
wealth of published resources, but, in preparation for
Sunday services, ecumenical study groups may be formed, and
ideas for sermons can be shared in ecumenical clergy
associations.
Reading
the Bible at the Eucharist
Scripture and liturgy are deeply intertwined. Bible and
liturgy shape each other. There is a sense in which the
scriptures were fashioned in liturgy. A lot of biblical
stories were moulded in their telling at gatherings of the
community for worship. The canon of scripture is composed
of those books which have received the authority of the
public reading at services. Liturgy also uses and
interprets the scriptures, scriptural allusions abound in
liturgy, and biblical texts are used as liturgical prayers.
It is the latter realisation, the way our worship uses and
interprets scripture, that is of practical consequence in
the celebration of the Eucharist, and hence concerns us
here.
There are at least four reasons why we read the scriptures
at the Eucharist.
We read the scriptures publicly to teach. The educational
role of reading and preaching is a Reformation emphasis.
This stress may lead to a book of the Bible being read
through "continuously" week by week, or "semicontinuously"
(with some passages omitted, but still in order). Such a
reading may be accompanied by a preaching series through
this book of the Bible. The Three Year Series is an ideal
lectionary for this approach. (Even better for this is the
ecumenical revision of the Three Year Series, the "Revised
Common Lectionary," used by some Anglican provinces as well
as many parishes in New Zealand.)
We read the scriptures as part of our community
remembering, our anamnesis.
Particular readings are selected for great feasts and
seasons of the Church Year. These interrupt any continuous
(or semicontinuous) reading.
We read the scriptures that are pastorally appropriate. At
a Eucharist for a wedding or funeral, for example, many
readings are suggested in A New Zealand Prayer
Book from
which a suitable choice can be made.
We read the scriptures as part of our prayer and praise to
God. There is a psalm appointed for each Eucharist, for
example.
Interpreting
the scriptures
Our choice of readings at the Eucharist is part of the way
the community interprets the scriptures for itself. It is
important to reflect on the relationship between the
"liturgical Bible" that part of the Bible we proclaim and
expound in church and the whole canonical Bible. The
liturgical Bible shapes the way we perceive and interpret
the scriptures as a whole. Hence, great care needs to be
taken in our choices for readings.
The preacher needs to be aware of the effects of the choice
of scripture readings. For example, when different passages
are read together, one may act to interpret the other,
sometimes completely contrary to the original message.
Similarly, a reading may be interpreted by the feast for
which it has been chosen.
Where to begin and end a reading, and which verses to omit
are interpretive decisions. On Maundy Thursday, in not
including the verses from 1 Corinthians 11 concerning
factions (verses 1722), for example, we may misinterpret
Paul's intention as we proclaim the institution of the
Lord's supper from that epistle.
Our use of the Old Testament is open to critique if it is
always linked, often artificially, to the New, as if the
Hebrew scriptures do not have an integrity and an original
message of their own. Feminist critique of our lectionaries
points out the inclusion of some texts which are oppressive
to women while other texts showing women's leadership and
authority and feminine images are neglected.
Both lectionaries in A New Zealand Prayer
Book provide three readings and at
least one psalm for each Eucharist. Thanksgiving of the People of
God and Thanksgiving and
Praise assume all will be used (page 409
and page 480). Thanksgiving for Creation and
Redemption allows for "one or two appointed
readings" as well as the Gospel to be used (pages
460461). A
Form for Ordering the Eucharist requires at least "a reading from
the Gospel" at every Eucharist (page 511). This flexibility
requires responsible planning by the community's leadership
so that over a period of time regular worshippers receive a
rich fare at the table of God's Word.
Some communities consistently neglect the Old Testament,
following in the spirit of The Book of Common
Prayer rather than A New Zealand Prayer
Book.
Others neglect the epistles. Decisions do not need to be
made merely on the basis of time. Three readings take no
more than four or five minutes to proclaim in total.
Sometimes a celebration has a very cluttered Gathering of
the Community in which many of the optional alternatives
are used, followed by a very meager Ministry of the Word
for which the Gathering is intended to prepare.
There is freedom to omit a reading on the basis of the
particular congregation and on the relative importance of
the celebration. The Easter vigil could have five or more
readings with psalms, Christmas similarly could have a
vigil of lessons and carols. Sundays and greater feasts
could have three readings with the psalm, while weekdays
could have two readings and the psalm. At a special
Eucharist with a lot of small children present, the Gospel,
brought vividly alive, may be the most appropriate.
The readers are the primary ministers of the Word. They are
important interpreters of the text in volume, intonation,
pauses, pace and rhythm of the voice. Much creativity can
be brought to bear on the way the readings are presented.
There can be mime, dance, incense, or gentle background
music to accompany a reading. A passage can be retold as a
story. A brief introduction can set the context of a
reading. A prophetic passage can be memorised and declaimed
as if on a soap box. Because of the attraction of a story,
sometimes a longer reading can hold people's attention
better than the brief part of it set by the lectionary.
There can be drama, or dramatic reading with, for example,
the narrator at the lectern, Jesus by the table, and the
disciples coming forward from the congregation.
The sermon is an integral part of proclaiming and
interpreting the scriptures. I still remember vividly a
Eucharist fifteen years ago celebrated informally with a
small group. The presider began the Gospel reading of the
prodigal son (Luke 15:1132) and after the first verse,
asked the next person in the group to continue the story
from memory, and then the next person, a verse at a time.
In his sermon this priest explained whenever he had done
this he always found people forgot that the father "ran and
put his arms around his son and kissed him." The God who
runs to meet us was unforgettably experienced in the
proclamation of the Word through this priest's "reading"
and homily.
The
Lectionaries
The Anglican church at the Reformation inherited the
Western lectionary of readings at the Eucharist. This
rarely read from the Old Testament, made a poor selection
from the New Testament, and had no consistent rationale. In
the eucharistic lectionary of The Book of Common
Prayer there are some signs of
semicontinuous reading, perhaps from a different canonical
order. Other readings appear to have been chosen because of
their association with nearby feasts.
Cranmer's reform of the lectionary for the daily offices of
Morning and Evening Prayer moderated the inadequacy of this
eucharistic lectionary during the long period of Anglican
history when these offices were the staple of Sunday
worship. That era has gone. The public proclamation and
exposition of a significant portion of the scriptures has
required a revised system of reading for the Eucharist.
A
New Zealand Prayer Book contains two lectionaries. The
first, the Two Year Series (pages 550690), was devised in
New Zealand. A set of themes was developed, and ultimately
two sets of readings chosen to fit those themes. This was
begun before the work on the Three Year Series was
completed. The Two Year Series was a fine effort for its
time but there are limitations in its methodology. Because
of the way it chooses readings, important texts are
omitted. Furthermore, preachers often find that a text has
little to do with the "theme" but is primarily about
something else. Some have found that the Three Year Series
works better with a regular week by week community. For a
"once a month" Eucharist at a small rural congregation, for
example, a service with a theme and readings that relate to
that theme may be preferred, but not necessarily.
The
Three Year Series
One of the most exciting developments in the renewal of
worship has been the ecumenical agreement on a common
lectionary pattern. The lectionary adopted by the Roman
Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council became the
basis of this ecumenical cooperation. Experimentation and
revision have resulted in many denominations using
lectionaries which are very similar, even though not
totally identical. The Anglican church in New Zealand
adopted one such version, the Three Year Series, in 1980
(primarily pages 691723, also pages 645678).
This lectionary reads a substantial part of the Old
Testament and almost all of the New Testament over the
three year period.
Except during Easter, the first lesson is from the Old
Testament. It is generally related to the Gospel reading.
In the Easter season this lectionary follows the old
tradition of reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The
psalm appointed is usually linked to the Old Testament
lesson. The second reading is normally from the epistles
read in course, with the Catholic Epistles or Revelation in
the Easter season. The focus of this lectionary is the
reading from the Gospels. The Gospel according to John is
read during the seasons of Lent and Easter and on certain
other occasions. Each of the Synoptic Gospels is read
semicontinuously for the rest of the time in a three year
cycle.
The Three Year Series continues to grow in popularity
particularly as Anglicans experience not only the way it
powerfully nurtures Christian unity, but also its potential
for enriching Christian experience through the abundance of
its associated commentaries, teaching resources, and aids
and suggestions for worship. In New Zealand, Christians
from Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian
churches meet together and discuss and pray about their
common Sunday readings! Because once again Anglicans from
Aotearoa to Zambia read mostly identical readings Sunday by
Sunday, Lambeth Conferences have urged a more widespread
adoption of this lectionary as a means of fostering unity
within the Anglican Communion as well.
Using
the Three Year Series
The two lectionaries in A New Zealand Prayer
Book (the
Two Year Series and the Three Year Series) are based on
quite different principles. Although both are of equal
status, the supporting material in the Prayer Book usually
applies to the Two Year Series. For example, it would make
no sense to use the Themes for the Church's Year (pages
522524) with the Three Year Series. The Prayer Book's
seeming bias towards the Two Year Series has discouraged
some from using the treasures of the Three Year Series.
What follows, therefore, outlines the rationale behind the
Three Year Series and provides a few suggestions to bear in
mind when planning worship.
Most of the Church Year is "normal" or "ordinary time" with
all Sundays being feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some
communities are used to an unrelenting progression of
didactic miniseasons, feasts, and other "themed" Sundays.
For them it may take time to appreciate the style of the
Three Year Series which Sunday by Sunday reads through a
Synoptic Gospel in a nearlycontinuous pattern. The Epistles
are similarly proclaimed. In Year A, for example, there is
systematic reflection on the Gospel of Matthew, and on 1
Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians. The
Old Testament, of which a substantial amount is read, is
often related to the Gospel, and the psalm is usually
linked to the Old Testament lesson. As much as possible,
the Bible is allowed to speak for itself, without the
imposition of form or theme.
Titles such as "The TwentySeventh Sunday after Pentecost"
have little relevance in the Three Year Series (or to the
average worshipper for that matter!) "The ThirtyFirst
Ordinary Sunday" may be just as bewildering (particularly
as two Sundays after Pentecost one may suddenly be
confronted with "The twelfth Sunday of the Year"!) What is
wrong with, in "ordinary time," using the date on pew
sheets, e.g. "Sunday the 21st of June"? Or occasionally
using a more imaginative note, e.g. "The First Sunday in
Spring"! Furthermore, particularly in "ordinary time," it
is unnecessary to announce the title of the Sunday at the
beginning of the service.
The Collect does not have to relate to the readings which
follow. It may simply conclude the Gathering of the
Community. On the other hand it may relate to the readings
or allude to something else which will follow. The Collect
may be selected from any source, including writing one's
own (page 691). Alternatively, with the readings of the
Three Year Series (pages 691723), suitable Collects are
suggested from the Two Year Series. It is highly
inappropriate to use the theme from the Two Year Series
found by this crossreferencing, and clearly nonsensical to
announce the title of the Sunday in the Two Year Series
from which the Collect is being taken!
The Sunday Collect can be used on the weekdays which
follow. When the Sunday celebrates a feast day such as the
Transfiguration (or Pentecost, Trinity, All Saints, etc.)
then the Collect for the Transfiguration (or Pentecost,
Trinity etc.) is obviously only used on that Sunday and not
on the following weekdays. The Collect for the weekdays
following is that of the Sunday that was replaced. During
any week, the Sunday readings from an alternative year may
be used at a weekday Eucharist.
The normal or "ordinary time," then, becomes the horizon or
stage which lets the church's seasons shine with a renewed
brightness. There are four seasons. (1) Easter is not just
a day but, as it was in the early church, it is the fifty
days from Easter Day to Pentecost. These days are
celebrated as one feast. What Sunday is to the week, this
Easter Season is to the Church Year. Hence many churches
more appropriately call these Sundays "of" rather than "after
Easter" (e.g. "The
Third Sunday after Easter" would be "The Fourth Sunday of
Easter," "the Sunday after the Ascension" then is "The
Seventh Sunday of Easter.") Pentecost ends this season, it
does not begin a "Pentecost season." (2) Lent is the season
of preparation for Easter. There is no "gesima season" (of
Septuagesima etc.) (3) The Christmas season runs from
Evening Prayer on 24 December until the Sunday between 7
and 13 January. There is no "Epiphany season." (4) Advent
is the season of preparation for Christmas.
During these four seasons the three readings each Sunday
are more closely linked and usually focus on telling the
story of a God who acts. John's Gospel, the Catholic
Epistles, Revelation, and the Acts of the Apostles are some
of the books of scripture that are highlighted.
In the Two Year Series each Sunday has a separate theme,
and little is lost when a particular feast or celebration
replaces the Sunday readings. In the Three Year Series it
is quite contrary to its spirit to interrupt the week by
week reading of scripture with the thematic readings for
the Conversion of St. Paul, for example. Only a few key
feasts will take precedence over a Sunday. Of the feasts
appointed on fixed days in the Calendar, the following
normally take precedence over a Sunday:
The Naming of Jesus, 1 January.
The Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6 January. This may
be observed on the Sunday on or before 6 January (in which
case, if that is 1 January, either it or the Naming of
Jesus is observed).
The Transfiguration of the Beloved Son, 6 August.
All Saints' Day, 1 November. This may be observed on the
first Sunday in November, in addition to its observance on
the fixed date.
The Feast of the Consecration or Dedication of a church and
the Feast of the Patron or Title of a church may be
observed on, or transferred to, a Sunday, except in the
seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.
When desired, some other Feasts and Holy Days (pages 78)
may be substituted for Sundays in ordinary time. Care needs
to be taken, however, not to loose the overall thrust of
the Three Year Series and its systematic SundaybySunday
proclamation of the scriptures.
The
Readings
Readers exercise a very important ministry. Training and
continuing support needs to be provided for them. Clergy
need to be careful not to deprive the laity of their right
to the ministry of reading. If the readers robe or are
seated in the sanctuary this may give the impression of
clericalisation. Lay persons proclaim the Word as part of
their ministry as laity. For the first and second readings
each reader most naturally comes up from the congregation
dressed in ordinary clothes, reads, and returns to their
place.
Historically, reading the Gospel is the prerogative of a
deacon. It is still the case that at any ordination service
it is required that the Gospel be read by a deacon (pages
892, 903, 915). At their ordination deacons receive "the
Gospels of Christ" and are enjoined to "read from them and
proclaim the good news" (page 897). Hence, when a deacon
participates in the liturgy, he or she appropriately reads
the Gospel.
In the absence of a deacon, the Gospel may be read by a
concelebrating presbyter, if one is assisting, or by the
presider.
"Hear what the Spirit
is saying to the Church."
Furthermore, in the Anglican church here, the Gospel may be
read by a lay person. This also follows from the school of
thought which maintains that a bishop or presbyter is no
more a deacon than a lay person is.
The reading should be allowed to speak for itself. It is
not the reader's task to explain the reading to the
community and so it is generally not appropriate for them
to give a summary of the text before reading it. (Such a
practice can at the very least cause embarrassment if this
precis conflicts with the interpretation expounded in the
sermon!) Similarly, some versions of the Bible contain
section headings which are not part of the text and hence
are not to be read. If the passage needs its context in
order to make sense, that could be given briefly before the
reading is announced. Such a brief introduction needs to be
prepared in consultation with the preacher.
The reader may need to slightly adapt the Bible translation
for reading. Pronouns may need clarifying the first time
they occur, (reading "Jesus said to Pilate" rather than "He
said to him"). The speaker or writer may need to be
identified, (e.g. it may be necessary to begin with "Jesus
said ..."). Some distracting beginnings, which add
nothing to the reading, might be removed, (e.g. "After this
Jesus immediately got into the boat and ..." could
become "Jesus got into the boat and ..."). The
language may need to be made inclusive.
The book used for the readings is an important liturgical
sign of the place of the scriptures within the community.
The scriptures are the possession of the whole community,
not of particular individuals. The size and dignity of the
book should image that it is from this book that we hear
what the Spirit is saying to the Church. A community's
careful choice of the translation will minimise the need
for adaptation of the text especially to make language
inclusive. Readers may then have small copies of the
lectern Bible for practice. The New Revised Standard
Version, for example, is available in lectern and personal
editions with identical page formats. To prevent awkward
fumbling, the lectern Bible must be clearly marked for each
reading before the service. Some communities carry the
Bible in during the entrance procession, others carry in a
book of the Gospels. This can be placed on the lectern, or
on the altar until needed.
The lectern from which the scriptures are read is one of
the three architectural foci for the Eucharist (presider's
chair, lectern, altar). During the 1950s Anglicans began to
read the Gospel in the midst of the congregation (a custom
going back twelve hundred years) rather than from the altar
as had been prevalent previously. Surprisingly, there was
no movement to use the lectern for the Gospel at this time,
perhaps because that was associated with Morning and
Evening Prayer.
A "Gospel procession" may move to the lectern or to the
midst of the congregation. The former practice emphasises
the unity of the scriptures, the latter may emphasise the
Gospel as the climax of the readings and the primary way in
which Christ speaks to us. It is worth checking if the
Gospel can be reasonably heard when it is read in the midst
of the congregation, and also if most (particularly
children) are able to see the reader. If this way of
reading the Gospel is seen as the "solution" to a long,
neogothic nave, this invites attention to how the other
readings are proclaimed and may indicate the need to
reorder the liturgical space.
The Readings before the Gospel
After the Collect of the Day the congregation sits and a
reader goes to the lectern and announces the first reading.
The reading of the Old Testament at the Eucharist is one of
the ecumenical restorations of this century.
A reading is announced "A reading from ..." If
different readers use different styles of announcing (e.g.
"The Old Testament lesson is found in/ is written in" or
"... the fourteenth verse of the seventh chapter of ...")
this can get ragged. The title of the book can be given as
simply as possible. Chapter and verse are not required to
be given. They can form a distraction particularly where
the reading is from more than one chapter, or when the
reader gives a detailed listing of which verses are
included and which are omitted. A community needs to make a
decision whether it will consistently include chapter and
verse or not, so that when it comes to the Gospel the
assembly knows which is the cue for the response "Praise
and glory to God." A brief pause can separate the
announcement, from the text of the scriptures itself.
After the reading there is another brief but distinct
pause. The reader looks up at the assembly and addresses
it, "Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church." (A
community may use another phrase, however "Here ends the
lesson.
Thanks be to God." is hardly appropriate!) This is
a dialogue between reader and assembly and hence the reader
should make no motion to leave the lectern until it is
completed. Silence in the liturgy is corporate. If silence
follows a reading, readers needs to remain at the lectern
until the end of the silence rather than return to their
place during the silence.
Both readings before the Gospel may be read by the same
person, or a second reader could come forward after the
psalm. Only when no competent lay persons are present to
fulfil this ministry of the Word do ordained persons read
the lessons that precede the Gospel.
The Psalm
Christian liturgy generally and Anglican worship in
particular has deep roots in the Psalms. Worship leaders
need to consider carefully, if they regularly omit the
psalm appointed in the lectionary, how this rich heritage
can be preserved now that the Eucharist is the normal
Anglican service.
The psalm appointed (sometimes called the "gradual" or
"meditation psalm") usually reflects on the first reading
and provides the worshippers with opportunity to respond to
it. It acts as a bridge to the second reading. The psalm
(or psalm portion) is not concluded with the Glory to the
Father.
Psalms are intended to be sung. As well as Anglican Chant
and Plainsong, there are a growing number of settings
suitable for Psalms for Worship. There are also a number of
other good modern translations with musical settings.
Psalms may be recited in unison or antiphonally (either
between two "sides" or between cantor and assembly).
Alternatively, a congregational refrain (e.g. a brief line
paraphrased from the psalm) can be used to respond to a
cantor in the style of Taizé. Using the refrain after
approximately every two verses works best. Another option
is for a reader, or group of readers to read the verses,
with the assembly singing the refrain. Where singing is not
possible, it would be preferable to adapt one of the above
ways to read the psalm rather than neglect the psalm
altogether. Whatever method is used, the psalm needs to be
experienced as a prayerful response by the assembly to the
first reading rather than as another reading.
It is preferable that the psalm not be led by the presider
as this diverts the attention of the assembly from the
lectern to the presider's chair. Hence, it is better for
the reader of the first lesson to begin the psalm or for a
cantor to move to the lectern for this. If the psalm is
announced, verse numbers are preferably omitted (unless
they are needed for reciting in unison or antiphonally).
Because of its meditative quality, remaining seated for the
psalm is an appropriate posture for the assembly.
Preparation for the Gospel
Any music between the second reading and the Gospel needs
to be such as to prepare the community to hear the Gospel.
From at least the third century the singing of "Alleluia"
welcomed the Gospel. After the tenth century a sequence
hymn was introduced as well. If a hymn is chosen, dividing
the hymn in two (part before and part after the Gospel) not
only violates the integrity of the hymn, but focuses on the
hymn and places an unsuitable division between Gospel and
Sermon. Placing the hymn before the "Alleluia" allows the
latter its original function.
Many communities find particularly appropriate this
tradition of preparing for the Gospel by singing an
"Alleluia verse." The Sentence of the Day can be used as a
text for the Alleluia. (The Sentence is a ghost of Matins
that has continued to haunt the first part of the Eucharist
it can helpfully be laid to rest here!) The cantor can sing
Alleluia with the assembly repeating it, the cantor then
chants the text, and then all sing Alleluia again. Taizé
provides a variety of Alleluia chants which are easy to
learn. Alleluias to well known hymn tunes (e.g.
Lasst Uns
Erfreuen, Vulpius, or Victory)
can similarly be used. During Lent, when Alleluia is not
used at the liturgy, a verse or verses of a psalm (or the
Sentence of the Day) replaces the Alleluia.
The
Gospel
The Gospel is a principal way in which Christ is present at
the Eucharist. Hence it is attended by marks of special
honour. All stand. The deacon or other reader may be
blessed by the presider. Alternatively the presider may bow
low before the altar praying to proclaim the Gospel
worthily. There may be a procession (preferably during the
Alleluia verse). The tradition of the Gospel reader
greeting the congregation with "The Lord be with you,"
arose in the days when this was the first time in the
service that the deacon addressed the people.
If incense is used during the Gospel, the presider puts
incense in the thurible after the second reading. The
thurifer leads the Gospel procession. The reader censes the
Gospel book after announcing the Gospel.
The sign of the cross made with the thumb on forehead,
lips, and breast may accompany the announcement of the
Gospel (the reader may also mark the book with a cross
first). Singing the Gospel may be a way of increasing the
solemnity of major festivals. The book may be raised at
"This is the Gospel of Christ" (and kissed where this is
the custom).
Any music which follows should not become a musical
interlude but simply cover the return of the Gospel
procession. Nor should the character of this music
overshadow the Gospel.
The
Sermon
Each of the Liturgies of the Eucharist presupposes that a
sermon is a normal part of every Eucharist. Even where it
has been the custom not to preach at "early" or "weekday"
services a short sermon can be appropriate. A sermon is an
integral part of the Sunday Eucharist (page 517). There
needs to be a balance between Word and Sacrament at the
Eucharist (so that the Eucharist becomes neither a Bible
study with communion "tacked on," nor a long communion rite
briefly interrupted by a couple of readings and a thought
for the day).
Similarly, it is worth reflecting on the balance between
readings and sermon. Does the Spirit speak to us primarily
through the proclamation of the readings? Or are the
readings seen merely as illustrations for the sermon? It is
the conviction that the primary encounter with God's Word
occurs in the readings from the scriptures that should be
enhanced rather than obscured by the preacher. Furthermore,
in order to keep the attention of the assembly, careful
consideration needs to be given to the length of the
sermon.
The sermon is the living voice of the Gospel today.
Preaching relates the readings and/or the feast or
liturgical season to this particular assembly. Preaching
applies the scriptural message to the present context and
community. It leads the community to offer thanks and
praise for what God has done and is doing in their lives
and in the world. In this way the sermon is part of the
movement from the Ministry of the Word to the Ministry of
the Sacrament.
Although the presider may delegate the ministry of
preaching, it is desirable that the presider normally be
the preacher. This underscores the intimate relationship
between "breaking the bread" of God's written Word for the
assembly's nourishment and "breaking the bread" for
communion.
The practices of praying a prayer before the sermon and of
concluding with an ascription of praise appear to come from
the period when sermons were often not an integral part of
a service. As the sermon described here is grounded in a
service of worship, there is nothing to prevent the
preacher from simply inviting all to be seated. If desired,
silence for reflection appropriately follows the sermon.
The Jewish custom of sitting in a chair to preach (cf. Luke
4:2021) was continued in the early church. Some clergy
today are effectively recovering this tradition. Giving the
sermon at the presider's chair, either standing or sitting,
emphasizes that delivery of a sermon is part of the office
of presiding. Consciousness of the type of service, length
and style of the sermon, architecture of the building, and
visibility and audibility of the preacher, will influence
whether one preaches from the pulpit, standing at the
chancel steps, from the chair, or elsewhere.
The
Affirmation of Faith
The use of the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist is a
comparatively late development. A creed is an integral part
of a baptism service and is used more naturally there.
Within the Eucharist, however, the early church regarded
the eucharistic prayer as adequately professing the
church's faith. The eucharistic prayer abounds in credal
affirmations. It does not seem coincidental that the
people's proclamation of the creed entered the liturgy when
the eucharistic prayer ceased to be a vocal proclamation
and began to be quietly said far removed from the
congregation. Now that the eucharistic prayers are once
again strong proclamations of the church's belief it can be
seen that the creed is not an indispensable part of the
eucharistic service. The creed may in fact interrupt the
flow of the service. When the rubric instructs that the
creed "may be said or sung" this means it may also be
omitted. The Nicene Creed might be reserved for use on more
solemn or festive occasions. It is particularly appropriate
on Trinity Sunday.
There are four days of the year especially recommended for
the administration of baptism the Baptism of the Lord (the
first Sunday after Epiphany), Easter Day, Pentecost, and
the feast of All Saints (which may be celebrated on the
first Sunday in November). On these days, if there is no
baptism, the Affirmation of Faith appropriately takes the
form of the corporate renewal of baptism. This includes the
Apostle's Creed (particularly in the form on page 394) and
the Commitment to Christian Service (page 390). The
presider can lead the renewal from the font or from the
chancel, and subsequently may sprinkle the assembly with
water.
Turning eastward for the creed originates from the period
when the Eucharist was celebrated facing east. When the
presider faces the assembly for the Eucharist it seems an
inappropriate gesture for presider, choir, servers or
others to suddenly change the direction they are facing in
order to recite the creed.
If the creed is sung, a simple congregational setting
should be used so that the creed does not take on
disproportionate weight within the liturgy as a whole.
If a creed other than those provided in A New Zealand Prayer
Book is
introduced, care needs to be taken that the words embody
the broad spectrum of belief acceptable within the Anglican
Church.
Some
Questions
There is a suggestion that the Bible reading is most
effective when it is a corporate activity rather than
individual following of the text in "pew Bibles." What is
your view on this and the case presented by the author?
Given the importance of the role of the reader, what ways
can you think of that would help the readers in your
situation explore the possibilities of proclaiming the
meaning of the text with insight as they read?
What is your view of the case for the presider being
normally the preacher?
