EXPLORING FAITHTheology for Life

An Introduction toAnglican Worship

Level 4Year A Term 1

Module Code: REL424

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INTRODUCTION

Aims and Content of the Module

Module Aims:

To enable students to investigate the biblical foundations of Christian worshipTo enable students to examine ways in which the worship developed within AnglicanismTo enable students to examine the liturgies available within the Church in Wales and to explore ways inwhich they can be used creatively within a range of liturgical and pastoral contexts..To enable students to reflect critically on their own experience of worship and the ways in which itsupports their Christian discipleship and ministry

The Seminar Day is designed to set the scene, to explore the nature of Christian worship and to identifyways in which worship can be examined and explored.

Session 1 explores the ways in which the Church’s worship is rooted in the experience of the NewTestament.

Session 2 examines the Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer 1662, investigates the contexts fromwhich it emerged.

Session 3 examines the Eucharist in The Book of Common Prayer 1984 and An Order for the HolyEucharist 2004, investigates the context from which they have emerged, compares them with the BCPand explores how they can be effectively used today.

Session 4 investigates the development of Morning and Evening Prayer and explores how this can beused to support the common prayer of the Church and the spiritual formation of ministers and people.Session 5 examines the development of ‘A Service of the Word’ and explores ways in which worshipcan be constructed from resources that are available.

Session 6 investigates the Church as a pilgrim people and examines ways in which the concept ofjourney has shaped the structure and provision of liturgy in the Church in Wales. It further exploresways in which the Church’s Year can help the church to witness to the story of salvation and the waysin which Church in Wales liturgy can articulate the transitions between different stages of human life.

Session 7 examines ways in which liturgy can express and enable the pastoral practice of the Churchand explores ways in which services of wholeness and healing can be used to support the Church’spastoral ministry.

Session 8 explores how the Gospel can be proclaimed through the structure of Sunday worship, throughspecial occasions in the Church’s Year and through the construction of special services that support theChurch’s outreach.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the biblical and theological foundations of church worshipdemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the development of worship within Anglicanismdemonstrate knowledge of the authorised liturgies of the Church in Wales.demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles that inform the structures of worshipevaluate ways in which worship works best in different physical, social and spiritual contexts

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The SessionsPlease study the Introduction to each session carefully and undertake the recommended reading. In additionto the Textbook - Liturgy (SCM Study Guide) by Stephen Burns - a Reading Block is provided giving anadditional piece of reading for each session to support assignment work. Candidates are provided with aWork Sheet that they should use to write answers to the questions that are set in preparation for eachsession. Where appropriate sessions are supported with material in the Resource Section.Assignment questions are provided at the back of this handbook.

Worship and PrayerPlease surround each session with worship and prayer. Provision is made for worship at the beginning ofeach session and for prayer at the end. Please be imaginative and creative.

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Booklist.

Please note that the materials in the Reading Block are drawn from the following list (marked *), but youmay still wish to consult other chapters from these sources to broaden your knowledge.

* Avis D - Church Drawing Near

* Cocksworth C - Holy Holy Holy: Worshipping the Trinitarian God 1997 0232521875

Dawn Marva J - Reaching Out without Dumbing Down - 1995 0802841023

* Drane J - The Macdonaldisation of the Church 2000 0232522596

Duffy E - The Stripping of the Altars - 0300060769

* Earey M (ed) - Common Worship Today 2001 0005993814

Giles R - Repitching the Tent 2004 1853115711

* Giles R - Creating Uncommon Worship 2004 1853115908

* Helfing and Shattuck (eds) - The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer 2008 0195297628

Hurtardo L - At the Origins of Christian Worship 1999 0853649928

* Jones C et al (eds) - The Study of Liturgy (Revised Edition) 1992 0281045550

* Perham M - New Handbook of Pastoral Liturgy 2000 0281052522

Ward H and Wild J - Human Rites: Worship Resources for an Age of Change 1995 0264673344

Online Resources

Almost all of the liturgical resources mentioned in this handbook are available for free on the Internet.

For the Book of Common Prayer 1662 and other historical texts, please see:http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/england.htm

For all Church in Wales liturgies, please seehttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/publications/downloads/

For Church of England resources please see:

For Common Worship: http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts.aspx

For Times and Seasons:http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/times-and-seasons.aspx

For Pastoral Services: http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/pastoral.aspx

For New Patterns for Worship: http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/newpatterns.aspx

Supplementary Material

Grove Booklets series - Ministry and Worship, The Worship Series, Liturgical Studies, Leaves on the Tree,All-Age Learning and Worship. Produced by the National Society/CHP

Bradshaw P (ed) - The New SCM Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship 2002 0334028833

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SEMINAR DAY

AN INTRODUCTION TO ANGLICAN LITURGY

The Seminar Day is designed to enable candidates toi) examine the origins and development of Christian worshipii) explore the experience, nature and purposes of worshipiii) develop methods of enquiry into Christian worship.

For the Seminar Dayi) Study the Introduction to the Seminar Day

ii) In 500 words Describe an act of worship that has had a significant impact on you and say why it was significant.

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SEMINAR DAY

Introduction to Anglican Liturgy

INTRODUCTION

‘Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea; and all that is in themsinging,

‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lambbe blessing and honour and glory and mightfor ever and ever!’

And the four living creatures said ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.’Revelation 5:13-14

In these words the writer of the Apocalypse tells his story of the future, and his hope in the present.

How different from this vision of heaven seems the experience when it is ‘two or three who are gatheredtogether’ in a remote medieval country church or a great Victorian barn in town – but is it? Huddledtogether or scattered to the four corners, what is going on? Or when thronged together at a multi-media‘prayer and praise’ event – is it then any nearer the apocalyptist’s vision?

The answers we may give to these questions will depend on our understanding of what worship is. They willbe shaped by our experiences, by what we have been taught, by our expectations.

The word Worship comes to us out of the Saxon language where it describes the ‘grant of worth’. Becausethe actions of God are behind all Christian being and behaving, worship has often been described as‘response’, our recognition of the worth of God as we ‘offer our bounden duty and service’. This has led toa tradition in the west that considers worship to be something that we do. In some places this has becomeeven more inward looking, being practiced as if it was simply a congregational activity. The Revelation ofJohn challenges us to look at worship from a different direction. So it is that Christians have become awarethat while worship is the means of our honouring God, it is also the way in which God gives to us a newdignity which is enacted and affirmed in our worship. At the conclusion of our Eucharistic Prayers we oftenfind a phrase that has resonated through the centuries, ‘through him, with him, in him’. So we find ouroffering of praise and thanksgiving is made ‘through’ Christ to his Father, yet it is also made ‘with him’ and‘in him’. So it is that we find ourselves not on the outside but on the inside of the prayer of God. Thischallenges us to look at our worship from the perspective of God, as well as from that of the sanctuary or thepew. This understanding of the Christian on the ‘inside’ of the divine presence and activity is found in theRevelation of John and has led the eastern churches to talk of the ‘mystical theology’ of worship, theunderstanding and expression of the mystery whereby in Christ heaven and earth are made one and ourworship itself becomes a sacrament of heaven.

Our experience of worship will have dimensions that are spiritual and physical, individual and corporate,personal and social, local and global, of the moment and eternal. This experience, and what we have beentaught, will influence our expectations so that we may be looking for the personal rather than the communal.That what is done, and desired, in worship is not inconsistent with our daily life has been born out byliturgical studies, over the last half-century, which have sought to understand worship in terms of humanbehaviour. In this they have drawn on understandings from the disciplines of sociology and psychology.

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From this study has come the recognition that worship incorporates within it dimensions and capabilitiesthat challenge the normal boundaries of understanding.

As we search for understanding, the answers we produce will also reveal their roots. They will be seen to bereaching into differing times and contexts, some shallow and many very, very deep. Sometimes they will beobvious and open to easy scrutiny, but often they will be deeply embedded in the culture of both church andsociety, and hard to discern.

These answers will challenge us to search out the heart of man and of God. And, in turn, they will askfurther questions about understandings and expectations: of our worship, theology, ecclesiology, andmissiology. These questions will be asked of others and of ourselves.

The questions need to be asked, and answers sought, for while it is recognised that there are many ‘honestand authentic’ answers within the Christian tradition they all have one thing in common – while we maymake worship, worship also makes us and forms us as individuals and as Church.

A Liturgical ChurchChurches have differing ways of defining themselves: it may be through doctrinal edicts, traditions,constitutions, policy statements. For Anglicans it is through their Prayer Books. These have been both thedepository of doctrine and the formulary for life. You could say it was ‘the text, the whole text, and nothingbut the text’. However the practice has never been perfect, and in recent years the recognition of themultiplicity of contexts in which individuals and faith communities worship in the Church in Wales has ledto a new approach. So it is that the revised liturgies of the Welsh Church (and other Provinces also)produced in the last decade or so form a directory, a collection of worked out examples, templates, ratherthan a Prayer Book in the traditional manner. These aim to legitimise the practices of the churches and toresource them, at all times strengthening the unity through the use of common liturgical forms. This unity isfor the Church as a whole; it is also for the congregations, and while the liturgies will provide order, theycan also set free. We can be part of the worship of our Church, engaging with the particular act of worshipin that place, and making our own personal spiritual journey in parallel, and at the same time. And now wecan also hold together the rich heritage of the past and immediate response to the present. Tradition, order,and liberty together.

Interpreting Text, Form and PracticeIf we are to understand our experience of worship and to develop our ability to lead and participate inworship we need to learn how to interpret liturgical texts, forms and practices. We will be required to dothis in respect of worship as a whole, as well as of the particular parts and dimensions, and we will need todo it for ourselves as well as with and for others. For when worship is understood, as well as taken part in,then it will be at its best.

As with any historic texts hermeneutical skills are used. Indeed, it is the development of such skills and theirapplication to historic liturgical texts that have helped set aside the simplistic assumptions that colouredmuch writing in the past, particularly with regard to New Testament and Early Church practice and so-called‘authentic worship’.

However liturgy is not just text. It is also practice. This requires us to learn to ask questions about thephysical setting and how we arrange both people and furniture, about movement on the local and the largescale, and about both what we see and what we hear.

In order to make sense of the richness of description that arises from such an analysis of liturgy we havefound three avenues of enquiry to be of use. They are Intention, Encounter and Story.

IntentionAs we explore worship we come to differentiate between ‘worship’ as a general activity or instinct and an‘act of worship’ as a particular event in a particular context. Historical study draws attention to differentconcerns and approaches that have influenced the Church.

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The Prayer Book of 1662 assumes a context in which the whole nation is both Christian and Anglican underthe authority of the King and Bishops. Its intention is unity of church and nation.

Meanwhile the prayer books of the mid 20th Century such as the Church in Wales Holy Eucharist 1966 andthe Church of England’s ASB of 1980 again stress the Unity of the Church but in a very different socialcontext. They show an understanding of a gathered church in a society that is no longer Christian. Theseservices may be seen to assume the image of the church as a family gathered together from the world.

Subsequent liturgical revisions in the Church in Wales have focused on issues of language and unity withindiverse contexts and significantly began with the Eucharist as ‘the Church’s quintessential, self definingaction’ (2004). We can see the same process in the Church of England where Common Worship has theimage of ‘pilgrim people’ at its heart. Both movements have not sought to provide a single order of servicein a traditional Prayer Book . sense. Rather they equip the church with a range of resources and patterns ofworship within an Anglican framework. These enable worship to be developed locally and flexibly inresponse to local conditions and opportunities while maintaining a common approach and ethos.

EncounterIn worship we have experience of encounters of many types. They are not just inter-personal, or spiritual.There is interplay and overlap as meeting is made with mind, heart and soul, through the effect of words andactions, setting and contacts. There will be meetings with the present, past and future as we considerscripture, tradition, and the current concerns of world and Church. Liturgical worship is not a solitaryactivity; our experiences are shaped by others as well as by ourselves. Through these encounters ourunderstanding of worship will be informed and our experience will be determined. Together they willdefine the moment.

StoryAll liturgy reflects a number of stories. The story of the mission of God is told, the story of creation andredemption. It reflects the story of the human condition through coming through confession to praise andreception of the grace of God. It tells the story of the Christian tradition through creed and common prayerand the story of the local and individual persons and communities through intercessory prayer and particularacts and rites such as baptism and marriage. My story, your story, their story are made one as the liturgicalStory finds its place within the larger stories of creation, salvation and of God.

ConclusionWe all come to this present moment of preparation for ministry and discipleship with our experience ofworship formed by particular liturgical roots. These will be in part personal, in part drawn from the localcommunities of which we have been members. They will be formed by the Church in Wales, which is itselfpart of the wider church, both Anglican and catholic. In none of these are the roots singular or simple, butrather they are complex. They will have come out of the diverse explorations of scripture, history, theology,spirituality, and human behaviour that have led to the many liturgical insights, experiments, trends and textsthat we see in today’s Church.

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SESSION 1

THE ROOTS OF CHRISTIANWORSHIP

For this session1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including BurnsChapter 1 and the extract from Cocksworth Holy, Holy, Holy provided in theReading Block.

2. In 250 words address the question: In what ways did the early Church express its worship?

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SESSION 1

The Roots of Christian Worship

INTRODUCTION

In the beginning was . . . . . was what?

In the Royal Injunction of Edward VI, that formally began liturgical revision in England and Wales at theReformation, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was asked to consider a Godly order and have an eye and respectto scripture and the usages of the primitive church. The desire to be ‘biblically authentic’ and consistentwith the early church has repeatedly informed liturgical enquiry for members of the church as well as forscholars. We see this in the work of Pope Gregory in the sixth century, of the Benedictine Order in theeleventh century, in all traditions at the time of the Reformation.

When we take this ‘biblical approach’ as Cranmer was instructed to do what do we find? The early studiesin historical criticism in the nineteenth century followed in the footsteps of the Reformation and expected,and found, certainties in both biblical and liturgical scholarship. This was particularly so with regard tounderstanding the world into which Jesus came. However in the twentieth century, further investigation(often in the world of secular scholarship) has reduced this confidence.

Many of the texts upon which our assumptions about the time of Jesus had been based are now recognised tobe much later in date, and to record later practices. For example, Jewish scholarship recognises thataccounts of Temple worship and sacrifice are usually from well after 70CE, and from outside the Jerusalemenvironment. They may come from those who still mourned its destruction, or from those who wereproponents of the new ways of worship. Similarly the accounts we have of synagogue practice date from thesecond century. There are marked similarities between what is happening in synagogue and in church at thistime. Originally it was thought that the synagogue was reflecting early practice and that this had influencedwhat happened in church. However many scholars would now argue that the direction of influence was thereverse of this. Again much of our knowledge of pagan cultic behaviour comes through the concerns anddebates of the Church Fathers, and we have to recognise the bias in their writing.Biblical studies have also recognised the passage of time between the event and the record, and thesignificant effect upon the final text of the situation and concerns of their writers. Together this has led tothe point where in his work, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship, Bradshaw can state, ‘. . .the New Testament generally cannot provide the firm foundation from which to project later liturgicaldevelopments that it has frequently been thought to give. We must therefore remain agnostic aboutmany of the roots of Christian worship practices which we observe clearly for the first time in thefollowing centuries’. (Bradshaw 1992, p 55).

Nevertheless the need to find continuity in liturgical thought and practice is still there, not least in the workof the Liturgical Commissions of the various Churches of the Anglican Communion, who have sought toinform, correct and enrich their worship through the study of scripture and particularly study of the earliestrecords of the church.

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Looking at the New TestamentThe recognition that we are unlikely to find the sought after liturgical ‘firm foundation’ in theNew Testament has led to the discovery of other insights. Rather than ‘liturgical detail’ we can explorecategories of religious behaviour and the arenas in which they take place. These categories can be describedas the ‘personal’, ‘local’ and ‘official’. They are to be found in each of the principle roots of worship thatwe observe in the New Testament; namely the Jewish, the Gentile, and the Christian. And in the Christianroot we will recognise the influence of the Jewish and the Gentile roots in both their adoption and in theirrejection. We will also see those moments of being immersed in the current context and culture, and thosetimes when Christian faith requires them to be counter-cultural.

Throughout it all we will see Christians trying to be ‘gospel authentic’ in their life and worship, and todiscover ‘order’ in a time of change.

JewishThere is record of religious behaviour in three arenas: the private, the synagogue and thetemple.

Jesus is described as going away to be alone to pray with his Father (Lk 6.12). He also instructs hisdisciples about their prayer, in the quiet of their room (Mt 6.6). These references, together with thecomments he makes about those who prayed aloud on the street corners, make it clear that there was atradition of personal prayer. But whether this was more than the recital of the ‘Shema’ we cannot say. TheShema is the Jewish confession of faith consisting of Deut 6.4-9, 11.13-21, Num 15.37-41 and surroundingbenedictions. This was to be recited morning and evening.

The synagogue, for both Jesus and Paul, is the place for doing theology and for teaching (Mt 4.23, Acts17.1ff). This is the place for religious behaviour that is communal and local, but not necessarily for‘worship’ as we may think of it. It is however where the understandings of God that will inspire worship areput in place. It will not become the place of worship for the Jew for at least another century.

Then there is the Temple, the place of ‘official’ religion. Here is the worship around the altar of incense, andthe acts of reconciliation and thanksgiving at the altar of sacrifice. As well as the personal offerings (Lk 2.22)it is the setting for the events that mark the national, as wellas the religious year eg. the feast of Atonement and Passover. This last brings together the ‘official’ with the‘communal’ and ‘personal’ categories, with the ritual slaughter of the lambs and the Passover meal, and therecital of the story of national and personal salvation.

GentileIn every community of any size there would have been a temple, probably dedicated to a localdeity. Here sacrifices were offered by individuals in their own name. These could be out of devotion orwith intercessory or placatory aim. But sacrifices were also offered here by people on behalf of thecommunity at large. Indeed it is from this practice that the word‘liturgy’ originates; it being the public work in the Gentile world. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians(8.1ff, 10.14ff) we have his comments around the issue of eating meat that has come from the temple meatmarket. This was the meat left over after the ritual offerings had been made. From other sources we knowthat there was a practice of extending the religious significance of the temple sacrifice into both thecommunal and the private arena through the eating of such meat. While it was not the sacrifice itself itcontinued to have importance as bearing an indelible mark of that event. These quasi-religious meals tookplace in the temple precincts and in private homes. The principal activities of personal religion centredaround the domestic shrine where offerings would be made, particularly of incense.

ChristianIn the New Testament we have fleeting glimpses into the worship of the first Christians, andin these differing understandings and practices are now recognised. We read of the singing of psalms andspiritual songs (Col 3.16), of teaching (1 Cor 15.1ff), of prayer (Phil 4.6), and of the breaking of bread (Acts

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2.46-47). We note the meeting of private experience and expression with the communal, this is particularlyevident in the central chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. We see a church, moved by the Spirit,exploring new ways, and committed to worshipping God.

In the beginning this was in the familiar settings of Jewish worship: the Temple and the Synagogue. Butthis was to cease. The Temple was destroyed in 70CE, and the acceptance of the Christians in thesynagogues was not to last, for in 85CE they were formally expelled. We read of Paul attending thesynagogue in Antioch (Acts 13.14) and speaking there but following the reaction of the Jews the latermeeting of the church (Acts 14.27) must have been in a different setting and this was almost certainly in aprivate house. By the time of writing of 1 Corinthians this is taken for granted as the setting for worship,and we must imagine people in the rooms surrounding a central courtyard, maybe as many as sixty orseventy.

To these assemblies would have been brought the experience and understandings of Jewish worship, and ofGentile worship. This would have included practices that reflected the ‘official’ in the ‘private’. For theGentile the cultic sacrifice was mirrored by the domestic offerings of incense. For the Jew the Templeworship was paralleled by the recitation of the Shema. There was also the experience of the ‘official’ andthe ‘communal’ coming together. In the Gentile world this took the form of the temple feasts. For the Jewthis was particularly evident in the keeping of Passover, where Temple sacrifice and domestic meal areinseparable. The ‘social’ and the ‘religious’ could also be part of the same event, as in Gentile semi-religious feasts drawing on the long tradition of the ‘symposium’, and the Jewish practices that, in time,would become the family rituals of the Sabbath and the ‘service of light’.What emerges from this diversity is a rich expression of worship that, while it contains much that is held incommon, also incorporates a number of inner tensions. One such tension is to be seen in the diverginginterpretations of ‘breaking bread’. The tradition that is observed in Acts 2.42 and 10.40 is probably of ameal that enables the preaching of the resurrection. By contrast there is the tradition of a sacrificialinterpretation as recorded by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11.23ff. These theological differences will echo longinto the future. Again in Paul (1 Cor 11.17ff) we find the beginning of the divide between the communitymeal and the ‘sacrament’, between the Agape (love-feast) and the Eucharist.

While this diversity may leave us with uncertainty, we have, in Paul, someone seeking to bring order into thelife of the church so that the worship of the one may contribute to the building up of the whole into the bodyof Christ. For his congregations his word becomes the nearest there is to ‘official’ liturgy. Yet what hedescribes is not liturgy as we may think of it, it is certainly not worship centring around the use of a setprayer book. Instead in his writing we see descriptions of those events that are part of worship, and of theirsignificance. We also see definitions of ‘order’ and of the practices that will enable this (1 Cor 14) and whilethese include directions to the congregation as a whole they are largely concerned with the behaviour of theindividual within it.

The following centuriesEarly studies placed considerable confidence in the writings of Justin Martyr (c 150CE) andof Hippolytus (early third century), searching in them for an archetypal ‘apostolic liturgy’. More recentstudy has pointed to the rich diversity of practice that continued in the early church, with its regionalvariations of liturgical shapes and texts. Indeed the ‘Apostolic Tradition’ of Hippolytus is considered bymany scholars to be a conflation of text and practice from very different places, traditions, and times. It isalso understood to reflect differing theologies and spiritualities. If the Pauline tradition of the theology ofsacrifice is followed then, clearly, bread and wine are the elements for communion. But if the Agape rootwas dominant in your church practice you could well have found the Christian communal meal wouldconsist of fish and of milk and honey.

In the face of such diversity of practice, understanding, and expectations how can the Johannine Prayer forunity, or the gospel imperative of salvation be brought into being?As we have seen, for Paul the answer is to be found in correct individual behaviour in public as much as incorrect communal behaviour. For Justin Martyr, as we see in his ‘Apologies’, the answer seems to lie indefining the shape and sequence of liturgical practice and ideas, so bringing ‘order’ to a communal activity.

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This continued to leave freedom regarding the final text with the minister. While this gave the opportunityfor that text to be ‘appropriate’ to the moment and the congregation, it was always open to the danger ofbecoming purely personal. In the ‘Apostolic Tradition’, as it comes down to us, there is concern over verbalcontent. That ‘unity can only be achieved through uniformity’ is the interpretation that is often given to this.Others have seen here the possible foundations of later arguments over textual niceties that were to dominatethe Councils of the Church, and to divide it. But it could simply be a desire to share words, words that havecome to be words of power and life.

ConclusionAs in the past ministers find themselves responsible for holding together in worship the experience of theindividual, the local expression, and the mind of the Church. And they do this for themselves as much as forothers. In the process they find themselves using the different approaches of Paul, Justin Martyr andHippolytus. That of bringing ‘order’ into worship through the ordering of individual behaviour is evidencedtime and again through the centuries, and in most congregations today. To bring ‘order’ through uniformityof text and practice is the tradition of the Prayer Book, though it has to be said that this has been ‘observedmore thoroughly in the breach than in the keeping of the same’. And now, in contemporary liturgicaldevelopments, we find the Church exploring the approach of Justin Martyr.

In acknowledging our roots, and in finding solutions for the twenty-first century we could do no better thanreturn to scripture, to the Lord’s Prayer. There we find two versions (Matt 6.9ff, Lk 11.2ff), suggesting thatofficial text may not be everything – yet in the text providing all the essential keys to prayer. These keys aresufficient in themselves but they can also become an agenda for prayer that is fuller and deeper. Whichever,it draws us, as it drew the early Christian of every heritage, into more than we could have imagined our ownroots to bring into being.

There we find liturgy that is official – ordering but not confining, communal – uniting and setting free,personal – individual and of ‘the body’; of the Church and for the world.

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GROUP SESSION 1

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare what you have noted from the Seminar Day.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Drawing on the Introduction and your readingi) List the settings in which

a) Jewsb) Gentilesc) the New Testament Churchd) The Church of the 2nd and 3rd centuries expressed their worship.

ii) Explore the nature of this worship in each case.

Address the questionWhat features were unique to early Christian worship ?

PROJECT 2

Examine the following texts:Luke 4: 16-24Matthew 6: 5-15Acts 2: 42-47Ephesians 5: 18-201 Corinthians 11: 17-34

For each text, address the questions1. How does this text help us to understand the nature and context of early Christian

worship?2. What issues does this text raise for our understanding of Christian worship today?

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

Worship should not be written down, it should come from the heart.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 2.

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SESSION 2

AN ORDER FOR HOLYCOMMUNION (1)

The Book of Common Prayer

For this session1. Study the Introduction and Resource Sections 1 and 2 from this handbook andundertake supporting reading including Burns Chapter 2 and the extract fromEarey, Common Worship Today provided in the Reading Block.

2. Familiarise yourself with the BCP 1662 Order for Communion available fordownload at http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/index.html

3. In 250 words address the question:What changes in the way that the Eucharist was understood took place a) in the period leading up to the Reformation ? b) at the Reformation itself in England and Wales ?

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SESSION 2

An Order for Holy Communion (1)The Book of Common Prayer

INTRODUCTION

From the earliest days ‘breaking bread’ has been important in the life of the Church as one of the two‘Dominical Sacraments’, the other being baptism. We have already seen that this action can be used indiffering ways, given different interpretations and different purposes. It can be the setting for preaching theresurrection, or the remembrance of the Last Supper, it can be the means of building the body and oftransforming the individual, and it can both look to the past and anticipate the future. Such differences haveled to great diversity in the liturgies of the Church so that there are different texts, different actions, differentbuildings, different emphases, different intentions.

Diversity can also come about as the result of changes in society and the political sphere as much asanything ‘religious’. Particularly significant was the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 313CE.This led to the transformation of Christianity into the public religion of the State. Now the Church founditself worshipping in the civic buildings that it had adopted, rather than in houses. This new and largersetting for worship demanded changes in the liturgy, in its presentation and style, and in the thinking aboutworship. In the following centuries there are further changes which are in part reactions to the past, theroots, and in part a response to the present. These are often best considered as changes in theology, for theyreflect shifts in understanding: about God, the meaning of salvation and the ways in which the divine workmay be effected. They also follow and create differing expectations of the liturgy, on the part of both theclergy and the people.

At the ReformationChanges in the theology of the Eucharist, together with changed understanding of howsalvation ‘worked’, meant that by the end of the Middle Ages the priest could ‘say mass’ alone as part of hispriestly obligation. Now what mattered was the dutiful ‘offering of the sacrifice’, by one who was worthy;communion was almost an afterthought. The communal activity of Eucharist had been replaced by theindividual celebration of Mass. This characteristic of individuality is also evident in the practice of peopleacquiring ‘merit’ for their soul by having a mass said for them. If they could not afford to purchase a massthey could at least add some ‘merit’ by being present at the moment of consecration, particularly at the‘elevation of the host’ - and they could be seen going from church to church to be present at this savingmoment. Even death did not bring this to an end - it could be continued by others saying mass for them, andit was common for people to leave money in their will to pay for the services of a priest. So we find the‘intention’ brought to a narrow limit. The offering of the great thanksgiving in the company of the faithful isreplaced by the singular offering of sacrifice. A prayer for the soul of one departed at this time replaced thelong lists of intercessions, that had followed the eucharistic prayer in many earlier rites and which led intothe corporate recital of the Lord’s Prayer. But alongside this focus on the individual there continued thecommunal practice of guild and charity masses and processions, and the churches being be full of light fromthe great tapers paid for by these institutions. The changed and the traditional existed side by side.

In the early 1500s another change was taking place, for the Church no longer stood alone in the matter ofscholarship. There was a new group of secular scholars, with new areas of interest and investigation.Active in the Low Countries, and in the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge, they wereexamining the newly discovered texts of ancient Greek philosophers and of the Church Fathers. They evendared to question the scriptures.

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This encouraged others to take things into their own hands and we see a growing practice of individual andfamily prayer and spirituality. This is evident in the publication of ‘Primers’; books of prayers anddevotions to be said during Mass and on other occasions. They included texts in Latin, and frequently in thelocal language.

In the face of this diversity there was strong pressure from Rome for uniformity in liturgical texts andpractices, as a matter of papal authority and power as much as for any other reason. The almost universalpresence of the Franciscan Order had been used as a way of trying to achieve this. But the other monasticOrders had continued with their own usages, as did most of the local and national churches. So that, in Italyalone, we find three liturgical traditions. At St Peter’s the old ‘order’ for mass tended towards the spare:simple in structure, short on words and actions, capable of giving space to the spiritually skilled who wereable to pray for themselves and handle silence. A service that could be a spiritual antidote to the richness oflife at the Vatican, or simply fitted into a very small allocation of time. Meanwhile out in the city the liturgyfollowed the Neapolitan tradition and was rich: in its shape, text, actions, and use of space. In the north theeven richer Milanese rite was in use. In part this was a matter of history, of tradition, but it was also a matterof liturgy appropriate to local culture, taste, and need. Often it was practiced unquestioningly but it wasfacing a new challenge from within. Reform was the word on everyone’s lips.

Reformation in EnglandBy the sixteenth century mass was according to the Order from Salisbury (Sarum) throughmost of the Province of Canterbury. Yet there were still pockets using other traditions, and in other areaslocal usage was very much in force. Some of this contained echoes of the earlier Celtic understandings ofchurch and spirituality that had given way to those of Rome.

The new scholarship, with its encouragement of individual intellectual responsibility, and with its search forbiblical authenticity, had considerable influence on what was to happen. The pattern for reform was to begradual movement, by testing and searching, though there were those whose preferred way would have beenmore like revolution, in both theology and church practice.

Under Henry VIII the Bible, in English, was to be placed in every church for public reading. Then the Creeds,Lord’s Prayer and Ten Commandments were ordered to be said in English (Royal Injunctions of 1538).They had already been printed in English in many Primers, butnow their use was to be for everyone. Following Henry’s break with Rome it continued to be a matter of theold and the new side by side, though Cranmer had begun making private plans for an English Service Bookabout 1538.

It was to be another ten years - when Edward VI had come to the throne - before Cranmer was charged to‘consider and ponder the premise’ of ‘a uniform, quiet and Godly order . . . having as well eye and respect tothe most sincere and pure Christian religion taught by scripture, as to the usages in the primitive church’.He, and his committee, produced a Prayer Book in 1549 in which much of the familiar liturgical shape isretained. There are significant changes to theology, words and practice, such that it can be claimed to betruly reformed. Yet others see in it continuation of what was. This may have contributed to what happensnext, for in 1552 a revised book is published, and this is more thoroughly reformed: in its theology, itswords, and its liturgical shapes.

We know it as the Book of Common Prayer (BCP 1662), for, with minor revisions, it was to be the bookattached to the Royal Injunctions of Charles II at his restoration after the Commonwealth.

Tools of enquiryWhen a Liturgy is enacted its meaning is conveyed in a variety of ways. These include:i) the way that the building is used and the place where different activities occur (sacred place)ii) the significance put upon the whole or special moments in the worship (sacred time)iii) the role of leaders and people and the way that they inter-relate (sacred people)iv) the action undertaken by the different participants (sacred action).

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These tools of enquiry assist us in asking questions that enable us to understand what is happening inworship. The answers to the questions we may ask can be found in the text of the liturgy, but we also needto look at the ‘stage directions’. In the Middle Ages these directions for ceremonial were to be found in aseparate book, the Ordo. Later they were inserted into the main text of the liturgy, as rubrics. Originallyprinted in red, hence the name, they are found in most modern copies in italics. Other sources ofinformation include the art of the period, particularly the engravings of the sixteenth century.

By tracing the changes in the use of sacred place, the significance of sacred time, the notion of sacredpeople and the use of sacred action it is possible to identify the different ways in which acts of worship areconceived and understood.

This may be illustrated by changes in the mass by the late medieval period.i) It had become less a community event and more priest centred (a change in the notion of sacred people).ii) The focus of the liturgy had moved to the altar and away from the body of the Church (a change in the

use of sacred place).iii) There was less emphasis on the importance of the whole liturgy and more concentration on particular

moments: the words of institution, the offering of the sacrifice, the elevation of the host (a change in thenotion of sacred time).

iv) The ‘mystery’ of the Eucharist was expressed through more and more complex ritual (a change insacred action).

These tools enable us to understand our particular liturgical heritage and to examine our own personal andchurch practice. (See Chart below). In turn they will equip us when responsible for ordering, creating, anddelivering liturgy. Being aware of ourselves and others, of the past and the present, we can then worship.

Sarum Priest with deaconsub-deacon andcandle bearersoffer Mass for theChurch

The middle of thealtar in the ‘HolyRoom’ (thechancel) is theplace of sacrifice

The ‘Words ofInstitution’ is thesignificant momentin the service

A divine drama inwhich the priestconsecrates withelaborate manualacts

1549PB

Priest and peoplegather togetheraround the altar.Priest says prayers

The people go intothe chancel togather around thealtar

Whole service issignificant,preachingencouraged

Interplay of priestand people -Manual Acts and‘consecration’

1552PB

People andminister shareservice inchancel

The table isbrought down intothe church orchancel & thepriest stands at thenorth side

Liturgy of theWord is said evenif there are nocommunicants

Whole event isstressed - static - nomanual acts or‘consecration’

1662PB

Priest says prayerson behalf of theindividuals present

Laud had the altarsput back to the Eastend of the churchbut the priest stillstands at the Northside

The word andsacrament of equalweight

People and priestare separated bychancel - manualacts andconsecrationRestored

Rite Sacred people Sacred place Sacred time Sacred action

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GROUP SESSION 2

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Refer to the two charts on the following pages (reproduced from the Introduction and ResourceSection 1)

Identify the ways in which each of the four rites understood:i) the role of the priestii) the role of the peopleiii) the nature of the Churchiv) the Eucharist

PROJECT 2

Using Cranmer’s Preface to the Prayer Book of 1549 (Text R2 in the Resource Section) and theIntroduction to this session.

Address the questionsi) Why did Cranmer believe that a new Prayer Book was needed ?ii) What did he hope it would achieve ?iii) In what ways do you think the issues that prompted Cranmer to create a Prayer Book

are still relevant for the Church today ?

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

Priests should celebrate communion in Jeans and a T-Shirt to show that they are one with thepeople.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 3.

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Sarum Priest with deaconsub-deacon andcandle bearersoffer Mass for theChurch

The middle of thealtar in the ‘HolyRoom’ (thechancel) is theplace of sacrifice

The ‘Words ofInstitution’ is thesignificant momentin the service

A divine drama inwhich the priestconsecrates withelaborate manualacts

1549PB

Priest and peoplegather togetheraround the altar.Priest says prayers

The people go intothe chancel togather around thealtar

Whole service issignificant,preachingencouraged

Interplay of priestand people -Manual Acts and‘consecration’

1552PB

People andminister shareservice inchancel

The table isbrought down intothe church orchancel & thepriest stands at thenorth side

Liturgy of theWord is said evenif there are nocommunicants

Whole event isstressed - static - nomanual acts or‘consecration’

1662PB

Priest says prayerson behalf of theindividuals present

Laud had the altarsput back to the Eastend of the churchbut the priest stillstands at the Northside

The word andsacrament of equalweight

People and priestare separated bychancel - manualacts andconsecrationRestored

Rite Sacred people Sacred place Sacred time Sacred action

D

SACRED PLACEIN THE SARUM RITE

P

SdC

C

Clerks

People throughout the Service

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D

IN THE 1549 PRAYER BOOK

IN THE 1552 PRAYER BOOK

P

SdC

C

Womenfrom Offertory

Menfrom Offertory

People during the Service

and non-communicantsfrom the Offertory

P

Women and children

Men

IN THE 1662 PRAYER BOOK(The 1662 and 1552 rubrics are the same.Shown here is the pattern frequently foundin the 18th Century)

P

Pulpitand Stall

Box Pews

Squire’sBoxPew

Box Pews

FreeBenches

FreeBenches

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SESSION 3

AN ORDER FOR HOLYCOMMUNION (2)

For this session1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including the extractfrom Hefling, Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer provided in theReading Block.

2. Read the Introduction to the Eucharist 2004 available to download athttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/publications/downloads/and familiarise yourself with the Order for the Holy Eucharist 2004 available fordownload at the same address.

3. In 250 words address the question: Why has the Church in Wales revised its liturgy over the past 50 years? Include theological, ecclesiological, and social factors.

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SESSION 3

An Order for Holy Communion (2)

INTRODUCTION

With the Book of Common Prayer we have the foundation document of the liturgy and doctrine of theChurch of England. However, its use has been challenged from the beginning, for there have always beenthose who wished for a more catholic liturgy in the tradition of 1549, and those for whom the memorialmeal approach of the reformed churches was attractive. In this they continued positions held by Laudiansand protestants in the early seventeenth century. This division would surface again in the nineteenth centurywhen two major movements in the English Church: the Oxford Movement (Anglo Catholic) and theEvangelical Revival, challenged the sufficiency of the Book of Common Prayer to meet all liturgical andspiritual needs. Then, in 1914, the church found itself at war, and the chaplains were reporting that whatwas in their hand was of little use in the face of such suffering, nor in the constraints of time and place thatwere the trenches. If you were part of the Anglo Catholic wing how were you to create a vision of heavenwhen bent low for safety and covered in mud, and the candles kept blowing out. Or if from the Evangelicalwing how were you to preach when every other word was lost under the scream of a shell. Inadequate andinappropriate were the words being used to describe the BCP.

Following the war the concerns of the Church had changed. The large number of widows and orphans, andthen the experience of the Depression, led to a renewed exploration of the social context of theology, ofpastoral care and of worship: as we see in the writings of Archbishop William Temple.

In 1920 the Church in Wales was disestablished and therefore gained control of its own liturgical destinyfor itself (although Welsh language translations of the 1662 BCP were in common usage, the Church inWales, as simply separate Diocese of the Church of England, had no independent existence and hence noindependent liturgy before this time.Robert Paterson, in The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer says “Until its disestablishment theWelsh church was part of the Church of England, but even after the creation of a new separate ecclesiasticalprovince in 1920 the 1662 Prayer Book continued to be used with minor variations, such as no longerreferring to the monarch as a 'governor’. Although the Church in Wales was free to order its own liturgicallife, it chose for the first generation simply to use what it had inherited, deciding in 1922, for example, toadopt the Church of England’s new lectionary in order to save the inconvenience of having to publish itsown. The later consequences for liturgy of constitutional independence were both positive and negative.Negatively it prevented Church of England liturgical materials from being used in Wales unless specificallyauthorized by the Governing Body the province’s legislative synod. Positively however, it led over thecourse of time to the development of an unique Welsh style of Anglican public worship, generally moreformal and less diverse than in many other parts of the Anglican Communion. At the beginning of thetwentieth century leading figures in the Welsh church felt they had been abandoned, under pressure fromNonconformists and political Liberals in favour of disestablishment and disendowment, and many stressedthe catholic heritage of the church, at the expense of its Reformed character, over against what was at thetime a considerable Nonconformist majority in Wales. Thus, following disestablishment, the Church inWales developed a distinctive style of churchmanship — conservative and moderately catholic in style—andan ethos distinct from that of the Church of England.” (Patterson in Hefling and Shattuck (eds) 2006)

Between the wars, while the 1662 BCP formed the basis of the worship of the CiW, many variations in localpractice and liturgy were commonplace in the parishes, many based upon the proposed 1928 revision of the

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BCP from the Church of England. After WW2, the Church in Wales began to engage with a rising sense ofthe identity of the Welsh people and language as a political entity. The 1949 Nation and Prayer BookCommission was formed and a period of liturgical experiment followed. The goal of this process was thecomposition of a ‘definitive’ Eucharistic rite (passed by the GB in 1966) as well as revision of pastoralservices such as baptism and funeral liturgies.

The new Eucharistic rite followed a ‘four-fold’ structure (taking, blessing, breaking, giving) which was anattempt to recover what were felt to be early forms of Christian worship. This move also provided thechurch with a Eucharistic rite that was closer to that used by many other denominations and so contributedto a sense of a more ‘universal’ rite.

Although at this time more radical calls for change were heard from some quarters, regarding more flexible,varied or modern language worship, the mind of the church at this time was more Catholic, conservative andsought uniformity. The preface to the Book of Common Prayer 1984 (commonly known as “The GreenBook”) makes these aims clear by saying “It remains the intention of the Church in Wales that there be OneUse in this Province...The Bishop shall not allow any practise that conflicts with the provisions of thisbook.”

The Bishops’ notes on the development of the 1966/1984 Eucharistic rite speak of the need to be mindful ofthe ‘current temporary conservatism’ of the church.

This conservatism was indeed temporary because as soon as the Green Book was authorised, a newprogramme of liturgical revision began. Focusing particularly on issues of contemporary language and amore permissive, flexible and variable approach to liturgy a new series of rites were authorised for‘experimental use’. This resulted in the publication in 2004 of An Order for the Holy Eucharist andsubsequently many other liturgies including Services of Christian Initiation (2006) Holy Matrimony,Funeral Services and Daily Prayer 2009.

While the 2004 Eucharist is broadly based on the principles of four-fold action as the 1984 rite was,developments in liturgical scholarship in the intervening years had called into question the equal weightpreviously given to the four stages. For example it is noted that Jesus took in order to bless and broke inorder to give. Therefore the categories are essentially reduced to two – the thanksgiving and thecommunion (as opposed to the Offertory, the Great Thanksgiving, Breaking of Bread and The Communionin the Green Book). This may direct the student’s attention to the headings given to ‘sections’ of theservice as well as the text of the service itself.In broader terms these new liturgies mark a departure from the ‘one use’ rubric. (Indeed a comparisonbetween the 1984 and 2004 rubrics illustrates well the differing emphasis and intentions in the liturgies).The newer rites, including the 2004 Eucharist make extended provision for contemporary language andalternative texts. The province has also made these resources available online for Parishes to construct theirown booklets for local use reflecting local practises and preferences and seasonal variations. The seasonalprovision in 2004 is greatly extended compared with 1984, and alternative prayers, intercessions and otherliturgical texts are provided, alongside a structure within which these are to be used. Particularly significantis the provision of 7 Eucharistic Prayers rather than one, including two designed specifically for use withchildren present. (Additional rubrics are also provided to encourage creativity in the Liturgy of the Wordwith children). Meanwhile the English language of the rite, chiefly the work of Walter Williams, thenChancellor of St Asaph Cathedral, and Jim Davies, University of Wales Swansea, was designed to retain asense of the numinous while being accessible to all.

Another significant change was that the 1984 Book of Common Prayer included an idiosyncraticone year lectionary (a cycle of readings appointed for Sunday services and festival) which was only inuse in Wales. By 2004 a form of the Revised CommonLectionary, used by churches of many denominations around the world and providing readings on a three-year cycle, was in common use. These readings and their collects are available separately as The Word ofthe Lord series rather than being incorporated within the 2004 Book as they were in the Green Book.

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33

GROUP SESSION 3

34

ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Using the work that you have prepared for this session, drawing on the Introduction andyour reading, address the questions:i) Why has the Church in Wales revised its liturgy over the past 50 years?

ii) How do the intentions expressed in the Preface and rubrics to the 1984 'Green Book' differ from those expressed in the An Order for the Holy Eucharist (2004)?

The rubrics are provided on the following pages.

PROJECT 2

Undertake the following task. Using a grid like the one below.Identify how an understanding of ‘Sacred People’, ‘Sacred Place’, ‘Sacred Time’ and ‘SacredAction’ are expressed in An Order for the Eucharist 2004.

Are these expressed differently in different Church in Wales Churches?

Rite Sacred People Sacred Place Sacred Time Sacred Action

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

Now that each church can worship in its own style, Anglicans have nothing in common.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 4.

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Rubrics from the Church in Wales Book of Common Prayer 1984

GENERAL RUBRICS

1. The Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship. Every confirmed person should communicateregularly and frequently after careful preparation, which should include self examination leading to repen-tance and reconciliation. It is the responsibility of the Priest to teach and help his people in these matters. Heshould instruct them in the use of private confession,- which is available for all who cannot otherwise find theassurance of God’s forgiveness. (See Appendix IV)

2. It is the duty of a Christian to contribute gladly and liberally to the maintenance of the worship of God andthe proclamation of the Gospel.

3. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of our fellowship in the Body ofChrist. The Priest shall therefore warn any communicants who bytheir public conduct bring the Church into disrepute that they ought not to receive the Holy Mysteries untilthey amend their way of life. If they do not heed the warning, the Priest shall report the matter to the Bishopand proceed as he directs.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

1. The Holy Table shall be covered with a clean white cloth

2. The bread and wine are to be provided by the churchwardens at theexpense of the parish. The bread shall be wheat bread, whether leavened or unleavened, and the wine puregrape wine to which a little water may be added.

3. It is the Bishop’s right to he the celebrant of the Eucharist and to preach; if he is not the celebrant, hepronounces the Absolution and gives the Blessing.

4. As far as possible the celebrant should be seen to preside over thewhole of the Eucharist in order to emphasise the unity of the service.

5. When a Deacon is present he should read the Gospel and assist in the administration of the Sacrament andmay if necessary lead the Post-Communion. A Deacon may administer Holy Communion from the reservedSacrament.

6. A Deacon or Reader may say such parts of the service to the end of the Intercession (omitting theAbsolution) as may be required.

7. Subject to the regulations of the Church in Wales, a lay person may assist in the administration of HolyCommunion. At the discretion of the parish Priest, lay persons may read the Old Testament Lesson and Epistleand lead the Intercession

8. When the Ministry of the Sacrament is not to follow the Ministry of the Word the service shall end with theLord’s Prayer and the Grace.

9. On weekdays which are not Holy Days, the Psalm and either the Old Testament Lesson or the Epistle maybe omitted.

10. The directions STAND, KNEEL, SIT indicate the postures which are appropriate for the people at variousstages of the service.

11. Appropriate parts of the service may be either said or sung.

12. The use of silence is commended as a means of recollection, especially before the General Confession andimmediately after the Communion of the people.

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Rubrics from the Church in Wales Order for the Holy Eucharist 2004

NOTES1 The Holy Table shall be covered with a clean white cloth.

2 The bread and wine are to be provided at the expense of the parish. The bread shall be wheat bread, leav-ened or unleavened, and the wine pure grape wine to which a little water may be added.

3 When the bishop is present, it is normal for him to preside over celebrations of the Eucharist and topreach. Even when he does not preside, he pronounces the Absolution (1) and the Blessing (if there is one).

4 As far as possible, the bishop or priest should be seen to preside over the whole of the Eucharist in order toemphasize the unity of the service. When circumstances require it, a deacon or Reader may lead the serviceto the end of the Intercession (3), amending the Absolution (1) by substituting ‘us/our’ for ‘you/your’.

5 It is the duty of the deacon to proclaim the Gospel (2), to prepare the elements of bread and wine (5), toadminister Holy Communion (6), and to dismiss the people (7). In addition, the deacon may carry in theBook of the Gospels at the beginning of the service, preach the Sermon (2) when licensed to do so and leadthe Intercession (3).

6 The Eucharist is the action of the whole people of God. The ministry of the members of the congregationis expressed by means of their active participation throughout the liturgy, and by some of them reading thescripture passages in the Proclamation of the Word (2) and leading the Intercession (3). A licensed Readermay preach and licensed eucharistic assistants may assist in the administration of the Communion.

7 The Gloria in Excelsis (1) should be used on Sundays and festivals, though it may be omitted throughoutAdvent and Lent. The Creed (2) should be used on Sundays and festivals. According to local custom, theConfession and Absolution may be moved to follow the Intercession(3) immediately, and the Lord’s Prayermay be said in section 6 before the Invitation instead of following theEucharistic Prayer.

8 The priest introduces the Collect (1) with ‘Let us pray’, after which there may be a bidding and a period ofsilence, followed by the Collect.

9 On weekdays which are not holy days, one of the first two readings (2) may be omitted. The Old and NewTestament readings may be introduced with either the words, ‘A reading from …’ or the opening reference:Book, chapter, verse (if not verse one). A brief context (not a summary) may be added.

10 A deacon or assisting priest may introduce the reading of the Gospel with the greeting ‘The Lord be withyou’ to which the people respond ‘And also with you’.

11 The Intercession (3) is essentially a series of biddings or petitions constituting one prayer in which allpresent can engage without difficulty. Its hallmark is simplicity.

12 When there is no Communion, the service ends with the Intercession (3) followed by the Lord’s Prayer(5) and the Grace or another appropriate ending (see Morning and Evening Prayer). When the service is tobe combined with or follow Morning or Evening Prayer or the Litany, refer to the notes accompanying theorder of service to be used in conjunction with the Eucharist.

13 The structure of Eucharistic Prayer 5 is such that proper prefaces (Appendix vi) should not be used withit.

14 The acclamation ‘Christ has died …’ in the Eucharistic Prayers (5) may be introduced with appropriatewords, for example ‘Let us proclaim the mystery of faith’, ‘Great is the mystery of faith’, ‘Jesus is Lord’.Such introductory words should be said by the deacon or, if there is no deacon, the priest.

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15 Suitable times for silence are indicated in the text of the service. Silence is also to be commended, as ap-propriate, after the Sermon (2) and during the Intercession (3).

16 Basic guidance for posture is given in the text of the service, though this may be altered to suit localneeds: the people shall always stand for the Gospel; a change of posture is not appropriate for the reading ofthe Collect (1) nor throughout section 5.

17 Notices and banns of marriage may be read at the beginning of the service, before the Intercession (3), orimmediately after the Post Communion prayer (7).

18 A form for individual Confession and Absolution is provided in Appendix ix.

GUIDELINES FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST WITH CHILDREN1 Every celebration of the Eucharist should be an expression of the unity of the whole body of Christ.

2 When there is a significant number of children present, the Gathering (1) may be shortened and simplifiedby the omission of the prayers ‘Father of glory’ and ‘Heavenly Father, all hearts are open to you’, and theKyrie and Gloria may be treated as alternatives, the former being used in Advent and Lent, the latter at othertimes.

3 Considerable flexibility and imagination should be exercised over the number, length and presentation ofthe readings (2). A Gospel reading should, however, always be included.

4 The Nicene or Apostles’ Creed may be replaced on these occasions by the alternative confession of faithin Appendix ii.

5 Eucharistic Prayers 6 and 7 (Section 5) are recommended for use with the age-groups specifi ed.

6 When few of those present have received Communion, an appropriate alternative prayer may be used in-stead of those given (7). Some of the Prayers of Dedication in Morning and Evening Prayer are suitable forthis purpose.

7 The responses should not normally vary.

8 While it is of the greatest importance that all communicants should prepare themselves properly beforereceiving Communion, special care should be devoted to helping children in this respect.

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SESSION 4

MORNING AND EVENINGPRAYER

For this session1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including the extractfrom Cheslyn, The Study of Liturgy Revised provided in the Reading Block.

2. Familiarise yourself with Daily Prayer 2009 available to download athttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/publications/downloads/

3. In 250 words address the question: What was Cranmer’s intention of creating the two offices of Matins andEvensong and how did he do this?

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SESSION 4

Morning and Evening Prayer

INTRODUCTION

From the very beginning prayer, and a discipline of prayer, has been part of the life of the Church. At thestart of his account to Theophilus, Luke tells how the Christians ‘devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachingand fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers’(Acts 2.42). He also tells of Peter and John going to the temple ‘at the hour of prayer’ (Acts 3.1). So wehear of the first Christians following in an ancient tradition: linking the story and practice of their daily lifeto the story of God: through remembrance, thanksgiving and prayer.

The Early CenturiesThe root of this behaviour was the practice of the Temple worship, and the Jewish custom of the privaterecitation of the ‘shema’. These were not separate activities, but rather two different expressions of acommon action. For while there was the offering of prayer by, and for, the individual, the overridingconsciousness was of a stream of prayer that was the life of the nation itself. However strongly personal themoment may have felt, it remained part of a corporate behaviour, for what affected the one affected thewhole. This awareness of the individual within the corporate is central to Paul’s understanding of theChristian life and of their worship, and he goes to great lengths to convince his congregations of this. Thatthere can be an underlying tension between the perceived needs of the individual and of the fellowship isalso evident in his letters. While we have Paul’s directions as to how to bring order into the worship of thefellowship it is not possible to reconstruct the detail of the worship life of the early church. Nor can this bedone from elsewhere in Scripture.

It is not until the third century, and the writings of Hippolytus, that we have a reference to a fixed pattern ofprayer. He emphasises the times of prayer, and records that in addition to the fixed psalms, hymns, songs,and intercessions are found the continuous recitation of the Psalter and readings from Scripture. Thewritings suggest that this is not just a daily pattern for ministers, but that it is the pattern for all Christians.Earlier Justin Martyr, when talking of their principal service, describes it as containing readings from theprophets, the memoirs of the apostles, discourse and common prayer, and that this led into the second partwhich was the thanksgiving and the breaking of bread.

In the centuries that followed three strands emerge: the Sunday Service, the twice daily services of thepeople, and a fuller pattern of prayer throughout the day followed within the monasteries. St Benedict, inhis Rule c540CE, describes a community of laymen whose daily life centres upon the Divine Office (theopus dei, the ‘work of God’), with additional private prayer, spiritual reading, and physical work. Each daywas given shape by the recitation of a sequence of services, each with its own canticles and cycle of psalmsand readings. Such a pattern of prayer was possible in the literate world of the monk; it also fitted into thecontained and contemplative life. By contrast the people’s service was largely composed of fixed psalms thatcould be memorised. And, rather than being static in the choir, it had a dramatic quality as it moved inprocession from door to sanctuary and back to the door. This mirrored a journey from the world into ameeting with God, and a return into the world.These separating worlds, of the community and the populace, united in the Sunday Liturgy, the offering ofthe Eucharist.

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At the time of the ReformationOver time the spiritual world had changed, there was a growing concern with ‘sin’ and‘judgement’ and ‘hell’, and a powerful belief in the effectiveness of the sacrifice of the Mass. Spiritualpower was seen as residing in the daily hearing of Mass, each with its particular votive intention. The pointof focus for the liturgical life of the people had moved. So it is that, while the monastic way of prayercontinued, the people’s service was lost. Daily prayer, the recitation of psalms and the reading of scripture,was just for the religious.

For the priest in the parish, and the brother or sister in the monastery, there was a daily round of eightservices: from Matins in the early hours to Compline as the last thing before bed. They consisted of fixedpsalms and canticles, psalms in rotation, readings and prayers. In some places there were also said a secondparallel round of Offices, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This abundance of prayer concealed a curiosity, forthere was the habit of reducing readings to their opening sentence. So, at Compline, we still have ‘Chapters’that are but one or two verses long.

But this is not the whole story, for the people have begun a prayer life of their own with the aid of their‘Primers’. These contained the ‘Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary’, the seven Penitential psalms, thefifteen Gradual psalms, the Litany for the Saints, and the Office for the Dead. At first in Latin they wereavailable in English in the 1530s, in versions reflecting reformed doctrinal positions. Used by individualsthey also were central to the daily life of many households, with the master, or mistress, leading the prayer.Indeed in 1545, the first authorized Primer of Henry VIII instructed the schoolmaster to use it next after theABC in teaching children to read. The fact that there is regular prayer by the people is not in question, butwhat has been lost is that former unity of the public and private, of the corporate and the individual that ispart of the root of Christian prayer.

Reformation in England and WalesCranmer’s response to this was to draw on the concerns of the reformation, that the Wordshould be heard, and to recognise the realities of life. He created, out of the eight Offices, two new servicesof Matins and Evensong, to be said daily throughout the year. In his second Prayer Book these services arecalled Morning and Evening Prayer, and the minister is instructed to stand ‘in such place of the church,chapel, or chancel, . . .and so turn him, as the people may best hear’. Cranmer’s intention was to engageeveryone in Morning and Evening Prayer ‘that by daily hearing of the Scriptures read in church they shouldcontinually profit more and more in knowledge of God and be the more inflamed with love of his truereligion’ (from the Preface to BCP 1549). The only difference that Sunday made was that, in the HolyCommunion that followed, no workday abbreviations were permitted.These services are a skilful conflation of the medieval monastic Offices, restoring both the reciting ofpsalms in order and the sequential reading of scripture, chapter by chapter. In each month the whole psalterwas used, and, in the course of the year, most of the scriptures heard. In the 1549 BCP, as in the medievalOffices, the service began with the Lord’s Prayer. But, unlike them, this prayer was not said quietly, as aconclusion of a penitential preparation, rather it was to be said by the minister standing and speaking with aloud voice. Only by proclaiming the prayer that sums up all Christian prayer can the service begin. Thenfollows the opening sequence calling all into the work of God and his worship. Matins continues withelements from Mattins, Lauds and Prime, while Evensong uses material from Vespers and Compline. Theyconclude with versicles and responses drawn from the Bidding of the Bedes (the offering of prayer by the‘telling of the beads’) and the final three collects; one for the day and two fixed for each Office.

Cranmer’s hope of bringing all into a habit of corporate prayer, day by day, was to be unfulfilled. This wasmade clear when, in 1559, a separate Sunday Lectionary was published. We must assume that the generalpopulace have been absent during the week, so missing out on six chapters of each of the four readings andthat their understanding of scripture has thereby been compromised. The exact causes of this are not certain,but the re-centring on the Mass, during the reign of Mary, must have left its mark. Whatever, the differencebetween Sunday and weekday practice is recognised, and effectively affirmed.

During the period of the Commonwealth the Westminster Directory of 1644 provides for a Lord’s Day

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Service of the Word. Its concern was the public reading of Scripture and teaching (preaching). Suchexposition of the Word was to be surrounded by prayer, and while nothing was prescribed there wasdirection as to what this prayer might contain. Daily prayer was understood to be a matter for the head ofthe household, or the individual.

The Book of Common PrayerFollowing the restoration of the monarchy the BCP is brought back into use, with minor amendments. Itassumes the daily recitation of Morning and Evening Prayer, with the people present. But the reality thatthey will not be, is recognised in the continuing provision of a separate lectionary for Sundays and Holydays.

The most noticeable change, to any service in the Book, was that both Morning and Evening Prayer nowbegan with a Penitential section: sentences, invitation to confession, confession, declaration of Absolution.The rubric then says that ‘the minister shall kneel, and say the Lord’s Prayer; the people also kneeling, andrepeating it with him’. How different this is to the ‘loud voice’ of 1549. The second substantial change wasthe inclusion of intercessory Collects after the Anthem, at both Morning and Evening Prayer.

Because of the concern to make as few changes as possible there is no attempt made to make it easier forpeople to attend. Rather the services have become longer and dependent upon the presence of a minister.The divide between the public and the private is made greater.

On Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Morning Prayer was to be followed by the Litany; so giving adoubling of intercessions. Then, on Sundays and Holy-days, it was followed by Holy Communion as well.That made three sets of intercessions in the course of the morning service. Perhaps it is not surprising thatby the eighteenth century Communion was being celebrated but once a quarter, or possibly once a month,and that instead the service was only continued to the Prayer for the Church Militant (Ante-communion).We also have to remember that there would have been a Sermon, a long one judging by the frequentpresence of the pulpit hour-glass. By then three o’clock had become the time for Evening Prayer, a singleservice and without a sermon. This may, in part, explain its long enduring popularity.

From BCP to 1984.The ‘Uniformity Amendment Act’ (1872) allowed for the abbreviation of the services of Morning andEvening Prayer for weekday use. It also permitted the separation of Matins, Litany and Communion.

As with the Eucharistic rite, the Church in Wales, following disestablishment in 1920, adopted the 1662BCP Daily Prayer services, again with small local variations. The Orders of Morning and Evening Prayerauthorised with the 1984 Book of Common Prayer contain only minor variations on the 1662 forms.Perhaps the largest revision being the change in order of the responses after the Lord’s Prayer. The Welshform giving less priority to prayer for the Monarch, being no longer the Head of the Church in Wales.

The Alternative Orders and Daily Prayer 2009

Again as with the Eucharistic rite, modern language and more flexible provisions soon followed. Throughthe 1990’s Alternative Orders of Morning and Evening Prayer and also of Compline were developed andauthorised for experimental use.

These were mindful of the need for provision both for daily use, particularly by clergy, and for non-Eucharistic Sunday worship in the Parish. There are significant differences between ‘public worship’,‘private prayer’, and ‘The Office’. In the Sunday assembly we are corporate and public, in our privateprayer we are individual – yet also part of the Body of Christ (for it is always Our Father). But in TheOffice, while we are frequently alone, the worship offered is made with all God’s people. So the languagefrequently uses ‘we’ rather than ‘I’. The Alternative Orders contained services for use in the morning andevening of Mondays to Saturdays. To each day there was its own canticle, and an outline for intercessionsand thanksgiving. These followed a thematic structure over the week, from ‘Creation in Christ’ to the‘Fulfilment of the Divine Purpose’.

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This process of revision culminated in the authorisation in 2009 of Daily Prayer. This took further thechanges brought in by the Alternative Orders but replaced the assigning of canticles to days of the weekwith a fixed Gospel Canticle and an optional choice of 54 additional canticles drawn from scripture and thetraditions of the Church. Provision for seasonal variations was made and variations for Sunday as opposedto weekday worship were included.

This publication also included an Order of Prayer During the Day and of Compline.

Despite these changes, the Morning and Evening Prayer services share a common structure with each otherand in continuity with the 1662 BCP. That common structure is: Introduction, The Word of God, Prayers,The Conclusion.

In addition to the basic text there are a number of permitted alternatives and supplementary texts. Thepresence of these makes a careful reading of the Notes and rubrics essential, to discover both the optionsand the constraints.

ConclusionCranmer sought to bring the Church back to what he perceived as the godly order of scriptureand the fathers. He did this by providing a simplified pattern of daily prayer for ministers and people alike.Daily Prayer picks up the theme but seeks to achieve results in a new way.

Whether our worship is on Sunday or a weekday, whether it is to be full or simple, with a congregation oron our own, we may be brought into the presence of God, and the company of his people. This happens aswe read scripture (following the lectionary), and join in the Gospel Canticles, surrounding them in praiseand prayer. So we may find a unity in this corporate celebration of the privilege and duty which belongs tous all.

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GROUP SESSION 4

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Using the work that you have prepared for this sessioni) Identify and examine the practice of the Church in public and private prayer

a) during the early centuriesb) at the time of the Reformation

ii) Examine ways in which provision is made for Morning and Evening Prayer to be explicitlyuseda) for Sunday corporate worshipb) as a daily office for ministersc) as daily prayer for the Church..

iii) What distinctive contribution can Morning and Evening Prayer make to the worshipping life and witness of the local church?

PROJECT 2

Address the questionWhat understandings ofa) sacred peopleb) sacred placec) sacred timed) sacred actionare expressed in the Daily Prayer provision for Morning and Evening Prayer?

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the Rubric from the 1984 Green Book:

It is the duty of the clergy, unless they are prevented by sickness or other weighty cause, to sayMorning and Evening Prayer daily, preferably in church after tolling the bell.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 5.

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SESSION 5

SERVICES OF THE WORD

For this session1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including BurnsChapter 5 and the extract from Giles, Creating Uncommon Worship provided in theReading Block.

2. In 250 words address the questions: i) What trends in liturgical practice prompted the introduction of Services of the Word? ii) What are the distinctive features of this provision? iii) What new responsibilities and skills are required of authorised ministers?

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SESSION 5

Services of the Word

INTRODUCTION

While the Church in Wales Daily Prayer book makes provision for Sunday worship, it is common practisein the majority of our Parishes for worship to be constructed for specific occasions or circumstances. Whilethis worship draws much of its shape and content from the Morning Prayer traditions explored in the lastsession, these services often go beyond the strict provisions of authorised liturgies. Examples may be one-off services of commissioning or blessing, pet services, historical celebrations and most commonly, all-ageor family services. Churches exploring mission and outreach may also be seeking to explore the role andvalue of creative liturgies in non-Eucharistic contexts and contexts beyond the church building. We needonly think of the pattern of the service of ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ at Christmas to realise that this isalready part of our experience, and is readily understood.

While the Church in Wales does not currently make explicit provision for resourcing such services, a widerange of resources are available, including provisions made by the Church of England.

‘Patterns for Worship’In 1995 the Church of England published a new kind of liturgical provision. This was aresponse to the widespread development of Family Services and similar ‘so called’ non- liturgical services.It also took account of a growing unease about the ability of Morning and Evening Prayer to meet the needsof worshippers in a variety of contexts, particularly inner- city congregations. Patterns for Worship madeprovision for the worship of the church to be enriched on those occasions when an ‘authorised’ service wasnot appropriate.

Since the mid ‘80s there had been a growing recognition that much that was being offered as worship inFamily Services and the like, was both limited and limiting. This was evident in the content and delivery ofthe service, in the understandings of worship that were being expressed and in the very nature of theworship. It was ironic that the charge often made against the Prayer Book, that of having a ‘culture’ thatexcluded people, was recognised as applying very powerfully to many modern ‘non-liturgical’ services thatwere being used in an attempt to provide inclusive worship. This was true of the music, of movement andbehaviour, and even of dress.

In context, the preparation and publication of Patterns for Worship can be seen as an attempt by the Churchof England to catch up with a situation in which ministers and congregations were already exercising aliturgical freedom that pushed the bounds of what was strictly legal. By making positive provision for suchservices the Church was endeavouring to ensure that non-eucharistic worship in the Church of Englandwould bear a ‘family’ likeness to what was recognisably Anglican. It attempted to achieve this by providingguidance on the shape, content and construction of services and by offering texts that could be employed.

‘A Service of the Word’

The new provision introduced in Patterns for Worship took the form of ‘A Service of the Word’. This was aradical departure from previous liturgical provision in that, rather than a set liturgy, what was authorised wasa list of ingredients for a service, some of which were identified as mandatory. It allowed the ministerresponsible for any act of worship to decide their order and sequence. The book illustrated two ways in

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which this might be worked out – the ‘block’ structure and the ‘conversation’ structure, (See Resource SheetR3) but these were only examples of what might be achieved.

Patterns for Worship offered precisely what its title stated – patterns for worship rather than liturgies inwhich the structure and content of a service were defined by specific texts placed in a set relation and bytheir associated rubrics. Patterns for Worship also signalled a new approach to the preparation of liturgy inthat it provided a directory of seasonal and other texts for use in ‘A Service of the Word’ and on otheroccasions.

The provision first introduced in Patterns for Worship has found its place in the Church’s core liturgicalprovision with the inclusion in the Common Worship of an order for ‘A Service of the Word’ and an orderfor ‘A Service of the Word with a Celebration of Holy Communion’.

Further resources for the creation of Services of the Word are to be found in the seasonal volumes of Lent,Holy Week and Easter and The Promise of His Glory, in New Patterns for Worship, and in other privatepublications.

There are many other sources of liturgical material, widely available in print or on the internet. Some areproduced by religious communities within the UK, such as the Wild Goose Worship Group from the IonaCommunity. Many insights can also be drawn from the worldwide Church, both Anglican and ecumenical.

The Task of the MinisterThe preparation and leading of Services of the Word requires ministers, and those workingwith them, to use imagination, understandings and skills that have not been required in the past. Thechallenge of leading such worship is that it involves leading people into mystery, into the unknown and yetthe familiar. Therefore the primary object in the careful planning and leading of the service is the spiritualdirection which enables the whole congregation to come into the presence of God to give him glory.Ministers will therefore need a clear understanding of worship and of the ways in which its componentswork if this is to happen.

Liturgy always takes place in a pastoral context; it is always about people as well as about God. It requiresthose who lead worship to know the people, to comprehend their context in life and in worship. Only thencan they responsibly enable worship that takes their community into an encounter with God and his workthat tells the story of salvation; that takes them on an emotional, educational and spiritual journey as apilgrim people. They need to be able to connect with people’s past, with their present experience, and withtheir hopes and fears for the future, sustaining and yet challenging them. They need to discover how toexpress universal truths in the local setting, meeting current need and expressing future hope. Whether theyare ordained or not they must learn how to exercise a ministry that is priestly, standing both on the side ofGod, and with the people.

Liturgy also takes place within a particular context of time and place. This will provide opportunities,pose challenges, and place constraints, all with the ever present need to be appropriate. The context willbe defined by the occasion, the congregation, the season, the setting and resources, and by ourresponsibility as a minister.

This responsibility asks us, as the people of God, to understand worship, and to be clear for ourselves, andfor others, about the ‘intention’ of any particular liturgy. It asks about more than the ‘theme’, the ‘aim andobjective’, or the ‘plot’. For, while we may use all the skills of theatre, what we are about is ‘a greatadvancement of godliness’ (Preface to the 1549 Prayer Book, and BCP1662), so that ‘our lives are opened tothe promise God makes for all creation – to transform and renew it in love and goodness’ (Preface to Churchof England’s Common Worship).

It is only when we have taken proper account of the pastoral and liturgical contexts and the have recognisedthe ‘intention’ of a service of worship that we can then give attention to the liturgy itself.

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Our long history as the people of the BCP has served to make us a people of the text. This has tended tofocus undue attention on the words of the liturgy rather than the whole liturgical event. Recent years haveseen a new recognition of the variety of settings in which liturgy occurs, and of the different ways in whichspace may be used. But it is only just beginning to be recognised that for an act of worship to happen thereneeds to be both a ‘liturgical script’ and a ‘dramatic script’. The ‘liturgical script’ has traditionally beenprovided by the text of the service. The ‘dramatic script’ is made up of the liturgical script together withintroduction and notes and everything else that is needed to ‘stage’ the service. In the past the rubrics gaveonly a few clues to the ‘dramatic script’. However, with changing liturgical shapes and structures, withchanging ‘intentions’, and when so many people are unfamiliar with church, the dramatic script now needsto be made explicit. This script will need to be written in detail, as appropriate, for all the ministers(including musicians, Wardens, welcomers, etc). Similarly, in the service book used by the congregation,guidance in the form of headings and directions may be given not just about posture and movement, but alsoto the purpose, direction and flow of the Liturgy.

The two scripts, the liturgical and the dramatic, are intimately related. They may run in parallel, whereaction mirrors text, or text action. Alternatively, they may be in counterpoint, being in dialogue with eachother, each making their own particular contribution. Or they may be in open competition or confrontation,or at the least as uneasy companions. Sadly, this last possibility occurs all too frequently and when it doesthe worship will be impeded and its intention obscured. If this is not to be the case the scripts will need tobe created together. This will require us to mobilise both our awareness of the context and all our liturgicalunderstanding and skills.

Asking questionsIn the previous sessions of this term we have used the Tools of Enquiry - sacred people,sacred place, sacred time and sacred action to assist us in understanding the Liturgy. They have served toalert us to the different elements of the dramatic script that underlies any service. This will have drawn us todeeper questions about our understanding of worship, and that of others and of the Church. We haveexplored the stories that are told in the liturgy about God, the Church, individuals, the world, and the largerStory that the liturgy tells as a whole. We will have experienced encounters: of the body, the mind, and theheart, and the ongoing encounter with our God. We will have made a journey through the shape of theliturgy; a journey with each other, and with God; a journey that connects with the past, the present and thefuture. This journey engages with the history and memory of the people of God, of the local church, and ofour own lives. It is shaped, in part, by the liturgical calendar of the great Christian Festivals.We now need to turn the Tools of Enquiry used in earlier Sessions into Tools of Construction to assist us inthe preparation and planning of worship through the creation of liturgical scripts and dramatic scripts.

Using the Tools of Construction

Sacred PeopleAn awareness of the pastoral context of the service will be vital in deciding the understandingof the status, responsibilities and relationships – both corporate and individual - that will be demonstrated inthe service. These will not necessarily be static throughout the service. For example, the status of acandidate at Baptism undergoes a fundamental change at the moment of Baptism, and this may be reflectedliturgically in a variety of ways, of which the giving of a Chrism robe is but one.

Sacred placeWe have already discovered that the ways in which a building is used says things about thespace, about the people within it, and about what is happening. So it is that in differing traditions we findthat the font may be in a separate building, or close to the main door or at the every heart of the church.Each position makes its own particular statement about the inherent meaning of the sacrament. As withsacred people, the uses of space and the understandings conveyed about sacred place may well not be staticwithin a service, and will almost certainly change from one service to another.

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Sacred timeThe understanding of time within a service greatly affects its balance, and its theology. It canbe argued that, for Cranmer, the high point of the Holy Communion was the singing of the Gloria at the endof the liturgy. In this view the consecration and reception of Communion are seen as the way in which webecome the people who can say ‘Our Father’ and are enabled to enter into the high praise of heaven. Latersensibilities to personal salvation and devotion moved the high point to the reception of Communion. Morerecently still the emphasis has been on the offering of thanksgiving in the Eucharistic Prayer. Thesepossibilities of enabling the personal, the local and the eternal are things we need to bear in mind. Theinclusion of different points of focus can be a way of meeting varying spiritual needs.

Sacred actionsThis is a matter for congregations as well as for ministers, and the roots are deep. Anglicantradition has bequeathed us a ‘heads down’ approach to piety and liturgical practice: ‘hands together andeyes shut’. More recently a renewed sense of congregational consciousness has led to a ‘heads up’approach. Here the use of ‘body’ and ‘voice’ has gained new significance. In the Resource Section are setout some of the ways in which the delivery of liturgy may be affected. They include areas to whichindividual ministers may well need to pay attention, and seek assistance. As before variety is significant indetermining the balance and flow of a liturgy, and of the way in which it is perceived.

ConclusionWhile the best of liturgy will reach out, touch and take hold, it will above all draw us in: intothe fellowship of the church, into the presence of God, into the needs of the world, into prayer and praise. Itwill ask of us all our sensitivities, all our powers of expression, all our skill and devotion. Then it will takeus, and those we serve, beyond ourselves into the mystery of God, into the company of heaven, into theoutworking of salvation, into life eternal.

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GROUP SESSION 5

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Using the work that you have prepared for this session, answer the questionsi) What has prompted the development of 'Services of the Word'?ii) What circumstances are they intended to address?

PROJECT 2

You have been asked to lead a non Eucharistic act of worship for Advent Sunday morning.You are expecting about 50 people in the parish church. There will be older and youngermembers of the congregation present, members of many years experience and one or two‘new’ families. Members of the Sunday School will be present for the whole service. Youhave access to an organist, a small choir, and a person who plays the guitar and sings. Theservice will be led by one accredited minister. There are several members of thecongregation who are prepared to read lessons and lead prayers.

Undertake the followingConsider how such an act of worship could be constructed. Consider togetheri) the relevant contexts of the worshipii) an overall intentioniii) the use of sacred people, sacred place, sacred time, sacred action to support

construction.iv) a possible structurev) possible content

You may find some of the following resources helpfulThe Service Outlines - 'block' and 'conversation' models in R3 at the back of this handbookDaily Prayer 2009Cloth for the Cradle (Wild Goose Worship Group)New Patterns for Worship The Church of EnglandThe Promise of His Gloryhttp://www.churchinwales.org.uk/asaph/life/renewal/seasonal.html

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

The worship that we experience in our churches is a foretaste of Heaven.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 6.

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SESSION 6

A PILGRIM PEOPLE

For this session

1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including BurnsChapter 6 and the extract from Avis, A Church Drawing Near provided in theReading Block.

2. In 250 words address the questions: How does the Church in Wales make liturgical provision for the different journeys of life?

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SESSION 6

A Pilgrim People

INTRODUCTION

Litugical Journeys

It is common in today’s church to use the idea of journey as a metaphor for the Christian Life. We can usethis metaphor to shape our understanding of the story of our lives – the journey through the experiences,events, encounters, and influences that have helped to make us the people we are. We can also use thismetaphor as a way of telling our spiritual story – the journey that we have made with God and throughwhich we have discovered his grace.

The stories we tell will be of journeys that are personal and individual, and of journeys that are woven intothe wider stories of families and communities. They will be stories of journeys that are physical and material,involving travel from place to place; and stories of journeys that involve change and growth in our thinking,experience andunderstanding. These stories of journeys will engage with the complexity of our lives and through theirtelling we will recognise meaning and grow in understanding. The stories we tell will reflect the fact thatour lives are neither simple nor consistent. We are aware that as we journey we experience moments ofrapid transition, and times when nothing seems to change. We experience moments of high significance,and times when the awareness of change creeps up on us. Then again there are the times when we feel as ifwe are going round in circles, if not actually going backwards.

There will be significant moments or occasions of transition in our lives when we are aware that we facedecisive change. At such times the next step on our journey has the feel of crossing a threshold (or ‘limen’).Examples of these threshold or ‘liminal’ events might include being baptised, getting married, becominga parent or taking up anew ministry. Liminal events are often associated with transitions that cannot be undone, it is as though adoor has shut and things will never be the same again. They are often accompanied by feelings ofdisorientation, uncertainty or confusion and vulnerability, an experience that is known as liminality. Thesetransitions may be the result of our own initiative or may be prompted by others, or through the worldaround.

The Church in Wales currently developing liturgical provision is growing to a wide range of resourcesthrough which the events and experiences of our journeys, corporate and individual, may be expressed,interpreted and their meaning recognised in the presence of God and in the company of the worshippingcommunity. In particular, they provide rites which, when used sensitively and in ways that are appropriateto the context, will acknowledge threshold moments and will enable the journey through these liminalevents.

The Journey of Life: Liturgical provision

The 1984 Book of Common Prayer volume 2 made provision for the marking of some significant momentsin the journey of life, including marriage, funerals, baptism, confirmation and ordination. As with otherservices, a process of revision is currently underway, resulting in the recent publication of Services forChristian Initiation and updated Marriage and Funeral services. As we have seen with other rites, these newforms offer a large range of choices and resources that may be used within a given structure. IndeedInitiation was supplied with a CD-ROM of its contents to enable Parishes to produce their own local

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versions of the Baptism and Confirmation Services to suit their needs. Similarly all the new services (andboth volumes of 1984) are now available on the Church in Wales Publications website for the same purpose.

Where the Church in Wales does not currently make liturgical provision for a particular circumstance, it ispermissible for Orders of Service from other Provinces of the Communion to be used, and the Church ofEngland’s Pastoral Services is likely the most commonly used additional resource, although of course thisis of little assistance to Welsh speakers.

For the beginning of life Services for Christian Initiation offers a service of the ‘Public Baptism of Infants’(with and without Communion) as well as services of Welcome for use when a child is baptised in anotherchurch and rites for baptism in emergency situations. The Funeral Service Resource Book makes someprovision for those times when the beginning and end of life come close together because a child has diednear the time of birth. (The Church of England’s Pastoral Services provides some additional rites,particularly a rite of Thanksgiving for a Child which may be used to mark the birth of a child when baptismis not desired.) In the Church’s common understanding however, it is with the sacrament of Baptism thatthe journey of life and the journey of faith come together. In the service of Baptism we have a particularmoment of a journey that is about discovery and transformation. It is also about faith as process.

The journey of faith in Christ, like the life journey, is not necessarily simple or constant. Services forChristian Initiation recognises this for, while it makes the traditional provision for Confirmation, it alsogives the opportunity for an individual to make an ‘Affirmation of Faith’. This may be used for exampleby those who are baptised and confirmed and now wish to make a public act of commitment. It may beused to mark a significant change in commitment or a return to the fellowship of the church.

The journey of married life is marked by the ‘Marriage Service’, and ‘An Order for Blessing a CivilMarriage’. There has also been debate within the Church in which some argued for provision to be made forthe earlier significant moments such as getting engaged, setting up home or for the later events of marriagebreakdown, separation and divorce. It was the pastoral care at these latter times that caused most concernbecause of the possibility of sending the wrong signal with regard to the Church’s understanding of life-longcommitment within marriage. So it is up to the individual minister to explore the provisions of liturgy, toadapt, and to minister at this time, as we await the forms and procedures that will accompany marriage afterdivorce. Examples of such liturgies are available beyond the Church, in resources such as Human Riteswhich may offer some assistance in these liminal situations, provided they are used by ministers mindful ofthe teachings and liturgical positions of the Province.

The Church in Wales provision for the end of life in Funeral Services Resource Book provides the mostcomprehensive range of services and resources. This is a significant change from earlier provision. TheBCP simply provided an ‘Order for the Burial of the Dead’, though we may presume that the ‘Order for theVisitation of the Sick’ will have preceded it. In 1984 there is the ‘Funeral Service’, with a separate provisionfor that of a child. There is also a ‘Service on the Eve of a Funeral’, when the coffin is brought into churchthe day before, and a form which may be used at the ‘Interment of the Ashes’ and ‘Blessing of a Grave’.However, in the Funeral Resource Book we have provision from the time of the death through to servicesin the home before and after a funeral, through to a later memorial service. We also have provision for morethan one journey. This can mean engaging in a sequence of services, or just in a selected few. It can be asan individual, within a small group, or in the public arena. Within this material is an extensive resource foruse at the Funeral of a Child, including following a miscarriage and for a still- born baby. In this materialwe find the opportunity for parents, families, friends, and church to make their own personal journey and tojourney together.

The Church’s Year

The life of the Church can be understood as a journey. This journey is articulated and shaped, in part, by thefollowing of the Calendar, as it moves from Advent, through Christmas and Epiphany, to Lent, Holy Weekand Easter and then on into the Sundays after Trinity, and so back round to the season of Advent. Throughthis journey the richness and variety of the story of salvation is told and re-told.

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The BCP provision for the Church Year reflects Cranmer’s concerns and represents a considerablesimplification when compared to the mediaeval Roman Catholic calendar. The BCP provided for thediffering seasons in the Church’s year, with a limited number of Feasts and Holy-days. This gave a sensethat might be described as moving from one state to another or as travelling between events. The nearestthing to a journey was in the sequence from Septuagesima to Easter. The Green Book provided a moredeveloped sense of journey through the liturgical year as well as celebrating Welsh Saints. In addition, therewas the weekly journey created by the use of a cycle of canticles at Morning and Evening Prayer in theAlternative Order for Morning and Evening Prayer (in contrast to the BCP offices in which the canticles areunvarying). But in all this it was more like a series of connected events rather than a continuing journey.

Today we find a more refined definition and practice of the idea of journey. The Lectionary provides for twodistinct seasons in the Church’s year focusing upon Christmas and Easter. The first season is from the firstSunday of Advent through to the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. The second runs from AshWednesday through to Pentecost. In addition, to these great seasons there is a small season that takes usfrom All Saints Day through to the feast of Christ the King, on the last Sunday before Advent. The Saintsdays serve as punctuation points within the journey.

Alongside the seasons of the Church year we find the lectionary and local custom marking events in thesecular year. These include Mothering Sunday and Remembrance Sunday, and those crossover moments ofHarvest, Christingle, Carols Services and New Year.

The liturgical resources for the seasons are to be found throughout the material of The Church in WalesLiturgies. Seasonal books are also available, for example the Church of England’s The Promise of His Gloryand Lent, Holy Week and Easter and although infrequently used, the Church in Wales Services andCeremonies for Lent and Easter.

Resources may also be circulated by Church affiliated organisations such as Christian Aid, USPG and theMission to Seafarers as well as by groups within the Diocese. A wide range of seasonal resources fromecumenical contexts such as Taize and Iona are also available.

A Pilgrim People

Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues throughout our lives. It is the first stepin response to the love of God that knew us ‘before we were formed in the womb’. The rest of life may beseen through that lens, as a journey with the whole Church throughout the ages, travelling together into aneternity illuminated by the presence of the fullness of love the God. On that mutual journey we mayintegrate faith and human experience, with all necessary change and development that will be required of us.This journey will be encouraged by the Christian story and supported by the pattern of The Way. Throughour journey we will express the identity which is ours in Jesus Christ, of being the baptised communitycalled to partake in the life of God, to share in the mission of God to the world and through our worship tomake pilgrimage together into the heart of the love of God.

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GROUP SESSION 6

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Address the following questionsi) In what ways does the use of the Church’s Year enable the Church to witness to

the story of salvation ?ii) How can this enrich our pilgrimage as a church and as individuals ?

PROJECT 2

Undertake the followingIdentify the significant changes and transitions that occur as people journey through thedifferent stages of life.

List the liturgical resources provided by the Church in Wales to mark these stages.

Which events are not provided for in the Church in Wales liturgies? (e.g Divorce, Engagement, the Adoption of a Child, Blessing of a New Home).

Choose one event that is not provided for. Explore what liturgical provision for this occasion might look like. You may like to write your own short liturgy or use resources outside the Church in Wales provision.

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

Liturgy leads people on a journey, it does not follow where they want to go.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 7.

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SESSION 7

WORSHIP IN THEPASTORAL CONTEXT

For this session

1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including BurnsChapter 7 and the extract from Perham, New Handbook of Pastoral Liturgyprovided in the Reading Block. Also read the Theological Introduction toWholeness and Healing in Common Worship: Pastoral Services (p9-11) availableto download from www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/pastoral/healing/healingintro.aspx

2. In 250 words address the questions: What is the nature of the pastoral encounter in worship a) with the world b) with the Church c) with ourselves d) with God ?

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SESSION 7

Worship in the Pastoral Context

INTRODUCTION

The Church’s Pastoral PracticeThe Church is called by God to share in God’s mission to the world. The character of God’smission is most clearly revealed in and through the life and work of Jesus Christ and this means that theChurch is called to care for the world as Christ does. As it engages in pastoral practice the Church willtherefore find itself caught up into the prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth,

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He hassent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed gofree, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’.(Lk 4. 18-19)

It will be challenged to have confidence in Jesus’ words, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in yourhearing’. It is in this confidence that the church will put itself alongside the sick and the hurting, the fallenand the broken, the sinful and the redeemed. It will challenge and comfort, confront and sustain, and willboth transform and be transformed as it seeks to care and nurture in Christ’s name. It will do this with anawareness of the eschatological tension within which it exists, the tension of the Kingdom of God which isboth now and not yet, which is already present and whose fulfilment is still to come. In the terms of recentAnglican statements it is clear that this kind of pastoral practice will address and be shaped by the ‘FiveMarks of Mission’.

A Servant ChurchThe work of pastoral practice is increasingly recognised as a ministry of the whole church. Itis ministry that calls and recalls the people of God to recognise their vocation to a Christ-like ministry ofservice in the world. Whilst this ministry may be focused and enabled by those ordained deacon,particularly where there is a permanent diaconate; and by priests, readers, and in this diocese especially byLay Pastors, it is the whole church that is called to serve and is to embody and reveal the diaconal characterof its life in Christ. This will require the church to be at one with St Paul in weeping with the world when itweeps and rejoicing when it rejoices. It will demand a willingness to enter into the vulnerability ofincarnation. For only then will we be able to hear the story of the world as individuals, groups and societies.Only then will we be able to hear the obvious stories that they can tell and those that they cannot, storiesunrecognised or hidden through fear. This kind of pastoral practice will inevitably involve encounters withthe world, with the Church, with ourselves, and with God.

Worship and Pastoral PracticeWithin the life of the servant church there will be an intimate association between worshipand pastoral practice. This worship will take place in many different contexts and situations – in church, inhomes, at a hospital bedside, in a crematorium chapel. Wherever it takes place, the worship will serve tofocus the pastoral practice, for example in the ministry of prayer and laying-on of hands for healing withinthe context of the ongoing care of the sick person. Worship will also enable pastoral practice as it challengesand equips the church to work with God in God’s mission. Moreover, worship always has the potential to beprofoundly pastoral because there is no more pastoral act than to bring people into the presence of God.Those who focus and enable the church’s pastoral practice will need a sound knowledge of the liturgicalresources made available by the church and will need to exercise imagination, understanding and practical

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skill in using them appropriately and to good effect.

Encountering the worldThe worship that is an expression of pastoral practice will involve us in encounters with thestories of the past, the reality of the present, and with fears and hopes for the future. It will engage us intheological reflection on these stories and this reflection will, in turn, shape our practice.

It is against this backdrop that the Church makes provision for service of wholeness and healing. The 1984BCP Volume 2 made limited provision for services of Anointing, Laying On of Hands and Communion withthe Sick, and also Services of Reconciliation. Two booklets from the experimental Alternative Orders Seriesfrom the 1990’s, Services of Healing and Services with the Sick and Housebound, extended this provisionand offered additional resources. However these forms have not yet been attended to in the current processof liturgical revision and the Alternative Order series are not in print. Again the minister may do well toconsult the Church of England’s Pastoral Services while a Church in Wales version is awaited.

Encountering ourselvesThroughout the Anglican liturgical tradition we find ourselves being challenged in both thestate of our spiritual life and of our daily living. But alongside the challenges there are elements designed tolift us up, as individuals and as part of a community. It is in facing the reality of these challenges andcomforts for ourselves that we find the resources, and strength, for ministry to others. Our spiritual state hascome to be seen as including more than the state of our ‘soul’, it also includes our mind, our psychology andour intellect. The encounters in these areas are ones which we can both permit and deny. Yet the truth ofthe gospel is that the luxury of denial is not open to Christ’s disciples, not for us the option ‘to see, and yetnot see, to hear, and not understand’, for to us are disclosed the secrets of God, a God who knows us betterthan we know ourselves. So it is that we enter into the ‘great mystery’ against which our current vision is asbut looking into a clouded glass.

Encountering GodThe encounters with God may be direct and personal, or they may be mediated. The historyof the Church shows that this may be through scripture, preaching, pastoral meeting, and worship itself. Itmay be through words, objects, actions, the use of space, all of which can acquire symbolic, evensacramental, value. In their own way each will bring us into an encounter with a new dimension of thefullness of God, the richness of the salvation story, and the power of his grace, leading to that time whenwe shall know even as we are known.

ConclusionAs responsible disciples and ministers of Christ we will be working for the wholeness andperfection of creation that is the will of God. In our pastoral practice, and in the context of worship, we willendeavour to make possible encounters that are rich, powerful and redemptive. As we frame our intentionsand determine appropriate outcomes for the worship that focuses our pastoral practice, we will be both assistedand challenged by an awareness of the scope and detail of the encounters that are possible. Through thecreation, management and delivery of worship, whether in the context of the public congregation or in thequiet of someone’s home, we will be seeking to acknowledge what is happening to others, and to ourselves.We will endeavour to do this in a way that is creative, and that recognises and responds to both the frailty ofthe human condition and the generous mercy of God.

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GROUP SESSION 7

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Address the following question In what ways might worship support and enable the Church's pastoral ministry?

PROJECT 2

Using the Church of England’s Pastoral Services for Wholeness and Healing (p12-99) available to download athttp://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/pastoral/healing.aspx#wholeness

i) Examine how parts of this provision might be used witha) a person close to death in hospitalb) a community in mourningc) a family with a long-term sick childd) a person who feels guiltye) a couple facing the break-up of their marriage.

ii) Decide in each casea) what liturgy should be usedb) where the liturgy should take placec) who might lead itd) who should be presente) what the intention might be.

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

The last thing a dying person needs is a Vicar with a book in their hands.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's work to God in prayer.

Plan your preparation for session 8.

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SESSION 7

WORSHIPAS PROCLAMATION

For this session

1. Study the Introduction and undertake supporting reading including BurnsChapter 3 and the extract from Drane, The MacDonaldization of the Churchprovided in the Reading Block.

2. In 250 words address the question: What stories has the Church's liturgy told down the centuries and howhas it told them?

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SESSION 8

Worship as Proclamation

INTRODUCTION

The worship of the Church has always been an act of proclamation. The poetry of praise and the passion ofprayer can transcend the printed text. For then worship can take wing and become the living sacrifice ofourselves to the God whose majesty is beyond compare and whose truth is from everlasting.

Worship tells of the story of salvation, the way of redemption, the encounter of the Creator with the creation,and the journey from our present reality into the hope of God. Worship calls on us to be prophetic, pastoraland priestly people. It requires the Church community both to speak for God, and to stand in solidarity withhis people. It makes us both participants in and recipients of the work of God. We are engaged inreceiving, embodying and revealing that work in witness to one another, to the newcomer on the fringe, andto those outside the fellowship and experience of faith.

The Book of Common PrayerIn the Book of Common Prayer Cranmer understands the liturgy as proclaiming the good news through thepresence of Scripture. This is found in the restoration of the continuous reading of scripture at Morning andEvening Prayer. Cranmer’s understanding of the liturgy is also found in the way in which so much of itdraws on biblical images and phraseology. But it is not just scripture, it is also the witness of sacrament, aswe see in the ‘Prayer for the Church militant’ where it is desired that the people will both ‘hear and receivethy Holy Word’. The purpose is that, being stirred up to godliness, ‘we may continue in .... holy fellowship,and do all such good works as …. have been prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord’.

The Evangelical RevivalIn the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries we see times when the emphasis is put more on word than onsacrament, but chiefly the awareness is of the power of words. In particular, this was to be conceived as thepower of the preacher, and this influenced the design of church buildings so that we find many examples of‘auditory churches’, notably those designed by Sir Christopher Wren. In these the pulpit dominates thespace, the Lord’s Table frequently being rather small and much less prominent.

That there could be more to preaching than Cranmer’s ‘edification’ was witnessed by John Wesley. On the24th May 1738 he underwent a conversion experience when his ‘heart was strangely warmed’. This led tohis conviction that worship, and the religious assembly, could be a converting ordinance. To draw and tobring into conversion became the driving force of his preaching and that of his contemporaries, and this hascontinued in many places to this day. Alongside this sense of being on the outside and needing to be calledinto the mercy of God, we find the growth of hymnody with an awesome awareness of pardon received.

The Anglo-Catholic MovementIn the nineteenth century the place of the sacraments is rediscovered in the catholic revival. This sense of thepowerful working of God through word, action and object is spelt out in the writings of the Oxfordmovement. At the same time the Ecclesiological Society based at Cambridge was exploring how the churchbuilding itself may speak of the glory and work of God, with its focusing on places of significance anddepictions of the company of heaven. So we find large altars with an elaborate reredos and many candles,new and imposing fonts, and brass eagle lecterns. It is not just the sacrament that is proclamation, but theword also.

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At the end of the nineteenth century we find, in addition to the lectern and pulpit, a litany desk at thefront of the nave. This consciousness of the place of intercession finds itself worked out in both thepublic witness of street mission and the privacy of pastoral care as well as in the liturgy itself.

Twentieth Century Liturgical RenewalThe Parish Communion movement drew on all these understandings as it sought to bring people into thepowerful presence of God. It did so in order that they too might become engaged in the ongoingproclamation of the gospel, in their homes and at work, as well as in church. This has led, in turn, to thepoint where people have become aware that the witness of the Church consists not just of the words, oractions, or buildings (sermons in stone) but is also made by the very people who make up the body of thefaithful. Their understanding of themselves as people and as church, their behaviour, and the relationshipsthat they exhibit can speak as loud as words, if not louder.

Worship in a Post-modern AgeToday the Church exists in a culture in which religion is increasingly marginalised from the public arena andis understood to be a ‘lifestyle choice’ for the individual. Consumerism is a major force in society and moreand more products are being targeted at individuals and small groups of people. Large hierarchicalorganizations are in decline and the authority of the professional and the expert is questioned. The ‘GrandNarrative’ of Christianity no longer enjoys the common consent of the population at large and neither theAnglican Church (nor the Chapels) can any longer provide the overarching moral and spiritual frameworkfor the nation.

In the recent past the Church has often concentrated on the faith, conversion, commitment and response ofthe individual. It has been concerned with being a ‘family’ in which personal witness and generosity of timeand money have been seen as the touchstones of membership. In the current context the challenge facing thechurch is to proclaim the communal nature of the faith and the deeply relational nature of ministry in itsliturgical provision. It is also challenged to provide liturgy that fully reflects the Church’s engagement inmission for the sake of God and the world.

What is to be proclaimed ?The post modern context challenges the church to look critically at what we are saying in ourproclaiming, our thinking and our relating.

In approaching the task of mission and proclamation the questions that must be asked are:

Godto the world

what are we saying about the Churchon behalf of the community

ourselves

how are we saying it in word, action, through symbol, in relationships and how is itbeing received ?

Telling the StoryOne powerful way in which the mission of the Church can be proclaimed afresh in each generation isthrough the medium of the story. This is particularly true in post-modern British society because story isvalued as a key means of communication and is recognised as an appropriate vehicle for the transmission oftruth. Stories that are coloured by the experience of communities and groups within society are particularlyhighly valued. Therefore, while the Churches finds it increasingly difficult to provide an overarchingframework for the spiritual life of the nation, the stories which local Christian communities tell each Sundayabout salvation wrought in Christ still have the power to touch lives and transform society.

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These stories are powerfully told in the liturgy of the Church. Although set within particular local contexts,they nevertheless proclaim the meta-narrative of God. Although drawing on particular aspects of the storyof salvation at particular times and for particular purposes, they nevertheless seek to maintain a vision of thewhole. In doing so the stories that the liturgy tells rely on the lively Word of God, empowered by the Spiritand made present in scripture and sacrament. These divinely inspired stories, proclaimed through thestructure and content of the Church’s liturgy, have the power to give fresh meaning to experience andtransform lives.

The Church in Wales has responded to the complexity of our current society by providing a diversity ofprovision in a number of different forms that can be tailored more effectively to local need. However, it hasretained a common framework in which worship can reflect the catholic nature of the church and theuniversality of its message. Though speaking to particular contexts, the worship is designed to proclaim thesaving works of God and to combine the traditions of the past with the experience of the present and ourhopes for the future.

A Liturgical Shape for ProclamationIn the Holy Eucharist 2004 we find a four-fold shape reflected: The Gathering, The Liturgy of the Word(including the Intercessions) , The Liturgy of the Sacrament (including the Peace) and The Sending Out.These four elements perform different functions within the liturgy. As each contributes to the telling of thestory so important truths about the God we worship, about ourselves, about the Church and about the worldin which we live are proclaimed. These elements are examined in greater detail below. The four-fold shapeof the Eucharist is paralleled in the services that have been produced subsequently. For example, in‘Morning Prayer’ and ‘Evening Prayer’ the four elements are Introduction, The Ministry of the Word,Prayer and The Conclusion.

The GatheringAs we come from the world we find ourselves constituted as a community of faith; called by God, andmeeting in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In this process we find ourselvesrenewing the identity claimed in our Baptism, as we acknowledge our unworthiness and failures, and aremet by the God of mercy and forgiveness. As we respond in thankfulness we can move on into the tellingof the story of salvation.

The Liturgy of the WordThis telling of the story involves us in hearing the word of God from the scriptures. Thecentrality of this is marked in some places by the solemn bringing of a bible, or the Gospel Book, into thecentre of the community, or to the Lord’s Table, at the start of the liturgy. The process of telling the storywill include the use of psalms and canticles, the reading of scripture, and preaching, both as proclamationand as a breaking of the word. Preaching is also a point at which the word of God and the way of the worldare brought together. Prayer is another way in which this is done and so we find the Intercession forms partof this Liturgy of the Word. In all this we encounter the Word that is embodied in the life, death andresurrection of Jesus. We are challenged by the Word that is (Hebrews 4:12) ‘sharper than any two edgedsword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow’. The elements that follow mark the factthat hearing these stories brings us to a point of action.

The Liturgy of the SacramentThe liturgy of the sacrament proclaims God’s saving acts. Just as we may be transformed inour thinking and responding by the lively word so we find ourselves renewed in the sacrament. As God’sstory is proclaimed we open ourselves, as individuals and as a community, to his generosity. We do thisin the giving and receiving of both the offertory and communion. From the BCP onwards there has beenrecognition that the action of the liturgy cannot end here, there is an essential overflowing into our dailyliving.

The Sending OutAs those who are forgiven, enlightened, transformed and renewed, we find ourselves blessed

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and sent out. We are sent ‘in peace to love and serve the Lord’, sent to be one with the ongoing work ofsalvation that is the work of God, the end of which will see our fullness in the stature of Christ and thecompleted redemption of God’s creation.

The Minister’s TaskMinisters in a church that is priestly, prophetic and pastoral will find themselves in themiddle ground, hearing and telling the discrete stories of the Church and the world. There will be storiesthat affirm and those that confront, stories that uplift and those that bring low, stories that are eternal andstories of the moment. There will be stories that are easily told and ones that few may dare to tell. Theywill be set within the context of narratives of the Gospel and the experiences of the Church, and within thehistories and cultures of our time. In them, and through them, the Church will proclaim the great narrativeof God, a narrative that relies on, proclaims, and expresses the lively Word of God made present in scriptureand in sacrament, in worship and in life.

This proclamation will take place in words of power and words of frailty, reflecting our confidence, ourquestioning and doubting, and the ever-present challenge of living by the Gospel we proclaim.

The medium and the messageWe have already dealt with word, symbol, action, and use of buildings in the course of thismodule. However we still need to note that the quality and force with which a word is delivered, or anaction made, can significantly alter the message that will be received through it. There are moments thatrequire softness and others that will benefit from strength, for there will be times when the perceiveddynamic will be of receiving and others of giving. This musicality of language will also be used with regardto pace, pause, and silence.

MusicMusic is both capable of making great contribution to our worship, and of being highlyproblematic. Within current culture we see the way in which particular styles of music can both unitecommunities and set them apart, one from the other. That this is not just in youth culture but also within thechurch is a matter for concern. In popular culture the different styles appear to have different effects upontheir adherents, certainly they elicit different forms of behaviour and response. This will be demonstrated inthe emotions that are engendered, as well as through dress and patterns of socialisation.

In the attempts of the Church to relate to a secular world the full effect and implications of music have oftennot been recognised. This has led to occasions when music has been used in a way that has included certaingroups and has equally served to exclude many people of the parish within which the church is set. Historyalso provides ample evidence of the Church turning to already out-dated musical styles and forms in thename of being modern. Rarely do we see the use of familiar and contemporary tunes, incorporated intoliturgy, in the way that we find in sixteenth century English masses, in Lutheran Chorales, and in the musicof other parts of the Anglican Communion (notably in India and Africa). We also need to recognise that thenature of music is such that for it to be appreciated, sometimes even simply understood, it often requiressignificant and repeated exposure. While it may have an immediate impact it also frequently depends uponan input of informed response by others in order to be appreciated.

The contributions that music can make to the liturgy are many. It can be used to establish mood andatmosphere, for example before a service or during communion. It can be used to establish continuity andrefrain during prayer. It can uplift and excite, it can restrain and bring reflection. It can bring differing partsof the congregation into harmony and dialogue. That it can also bring a congregation into conflict has to beacknowledged. The enthusiasm of a single musician, possibly, but not necessarily, an organist, of a musicgroup or singers can lead to performance rather than the enabling and enriching of worship by the wholepeople of God.

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ConclusionWithin a church committed to engagement in mission for the sake of God and the world, weseek to be open to God, being neither limited by our own nature and experience, nor limiting others as aresult of ourselves. Out of the rich store of what is new and what is old we will attempt, by our care and thework of God, to touch the hearts and minds of women and men; using words and deeds that will becomepowerful in their own right and symbols of great truths. And in our worship the story we tell, and theproclamation we make, will prepare us, as we prepare others, for that great day when, with all on the earth,and under the earth, and in the sea, we join with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven toproclaim the great and glorious name of God, for ever praising him and saying:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of powerand might,Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna inthe highest.

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GROUP SESSION 8

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ARRIVE AND WORSHIP

In pairsShare any reflections you have had on last week's session.

As a groupWorship together.

PROJECT 1

As a group

Using the work that you have prepared for this session

i) Identify and examine those elements that have been distinctively proclaimed in the worship ofthe church down the centuries.ii) Identify and examine what is proclaimed through the structure of Holy Eucharist 2004iii) Explore the part that music plays in proclamation.

PROJECT 2

Undertake the following:In the worship of your local church:i) What is being proclaimed each Sunday ?ii) How is it being proclaimed ?iii) Who is proclaiming it ?

Identify ways in which the ‘Good News’ might be proclaimed more effectively in your localchurch.

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PROJECT 3

Discuss the view that:

Worship should be constructed as much for those who do not come to church as for those who do.

REFLECTION

Reflect together on the question:

What in this session may help me to better understand and express my faith?

PRAYER and PREPARATION

Offer the session's and the term's work to God in prayer.

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RESOURCESECTION

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R.1 THE SARUM AND PRAYER BOOK - Selected Rubrics

SarumDrawn from the rubrics early in the Service

During the singing of the Introit, the priest with his ministers shall approach the step of thealtar . . . . . the deacon on his right and the sub-deacon on his left,and continuing laterthe candle-bearers shall set down the candlesticks on the altar step, and the priest shallapproach the altar. . . . and kiss the altar in the middle, and cross himself on the face,saying:In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

And from the complex drama of the Canon of the Mass, beginning with the Words of Institution (inCoverdale’s translation)

Here let the priest lift up his hands and join them together, and afterward wipe hisfingers, and lift up the host, saying:Who, the next day afore he suffered, took bread into his holy and reverend hands, and, hiseyes being lift up to heavenHere let him lift up his eyes.unto thee, God Almighty his Father,Here let him bow down, and afterward erect up himself a little.rendering thanks unto thee, he + blessed, he brake,Here let him touch the host.and gave unto his disciples, saying, Take ye and eat of this ye all, for this is my body.And these words must be pronounced with one breath and under one prolation, withoutmaking any pause between. Afterwards let him bow himself to the host, and afterward lift itup above his forehead, that it may be seen of the people; and let him reverently lay it againbefore the chalice, in manner of a cross made with the same. And then let him uncover thechalice, and hold it between his hands, not putting his thumb and forefinger asunder, saveonly when he blesseth, saying thus:Likewise after they had supped, he, taking this excellent cup into his holy and reverendhands,rendering thanks also unto thee,Here let him bow himself.blessed and gave unto his disciples, saying, Take and drink of this ye all,Here let him lift up the chalice a little.for this is the cup of my blood, of the new and everlasting testament, the mystery of faith,which for you and for many shall be shed to the remission of sins.Here let him lift the chalice to his breast or further than his head.As oft as ye do these things, ye shall do them in remembrance of me.Here let him set down the chalice again, and rub his fingers over the chalice. Then let himlift up his arms and cover the chalice. Then let him lift up his arms crosswise, his fingersbeing joined together until these words ‘of thy own rewards’.

And again after the Lord’s Prayer, the Priest says:

Deliver us, we beseech thee, O Lord, from all evil, past, present, and for to come; and by theintercession of the blessed, glorious, and ever-virgin Mary, the mother of God, and thyblessed apostles Peter and Paul and Andrew, with all saints,Here let the deacon commit the paten to the priest, kissing his hand, and let the priest kissthe paten. Afterward let him put it to his left eye and then to the right. After that let himmake a cross with the paten above upon his head, and so lay it down again into its place,

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saying:give peace graciously in our days, that we, being helped through the succour of thy mercy,may both be always free from sin and safe from all trouble;Here let him uncover the chalice and take the Body, doing reverence, shifting it over in thehollow room of the chalice, holding it between his thumbs and forefingers; and let himbreak it into three parts, while there is said:through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son,

The second breaking.who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth God,Here let him hold two pieces in his left hand and the third piece in the right hand upon thebrink of the chalice, saying thus with open voice:world without end.Let the choir answer:Amen.Here let him make three crosses within the chalice with the third part of the host, saying:The peace of the Lord + be always + with + you.Let the choir answer:And with thy spirit.To say Agnus Dei, let the deacon and subdeacon approach near unto the priest . . . and letthem say privately:

1549The Priest, and those ministering with him, in the vesture of their appointed ministry and being ready

The Priest standing humbly afore the midst of the Altar, shall say the Lord’s Prayer, withthis Collect.Almighty God, unto whom all hearts . . . . . .

then after the Introit Psalm and the Kyries

Then the Priest standing at God’s board shall begin,Glory be to God on high.The Clerks. And in the earth peace, . . . . . .

at the Offertory, after bringing up their gifts

Then so many as shall be partakers of the holy Communion, shall tary still in the Choir(Chancel), or in some convenient place nigh the choir, the men on the one side, and thewomen on the other side. All other (that mind not to receive the said holy Communion)shall depart out of the choir, except the ministers and Clerks.

Then shall the minister take so much Bread and Wine, as shall suffice for the personsappointed to receive the holy Communion, laying the bread upon the corporal, or else inthe paten, or in some other comely thing, prepared for that purpose. And putting the wineinto the Chalice, or else in some fair or convenient cup, prepared for that use (if theChalice will not serve), putting thereto a little pure clean water: And setting both the breadand the wine upon the Altar: then the Priest shall say.The Lord be with you.Answer. And with thy spirit.Priest. Lift up your hearts.

after the Sanctus and Benedictus have been sung

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When the clerks have done singing, then shall the Priest, or Deacon, turn him to the people,and say,Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s church.

Then the Priest, turning him to the Altar, shall say or sing, plainly and distinctly,this prayer following:(then follows the Prayer for the Church running, without break, into the Canon)the words ‘bless and sanctify’ have the marks for making the sign of the cross,then at the Words of Institution the rubrics say

Here the priest must take the bread into his hands.

Here the priest shall take the cup into his hands.

and after these words is added

These words before rehearsed are to be said, turning still to the Altar, without anyelevation, or showing the Sacrament to the people.

After the Consecration is finished, and the Lord’s Prayer has been said, and the peace given, therefollows

Then shall this general Confession be made, in the name of all those that are minded toreceive the holy Communion, either by one of them, or else by one of the ministers, or bythe priest himself, all kneeling humbly upon their knees.

1552The final rubric before the Order of Service is printed says

The Table having at the Communion time a fair white linen cloth upon it, shall stand in thebody of the Church, or in the chancel,where Morning prayer and Evening prayer beappointed to be said. And the Priest standing at the north side of the Table, shall say theLord’s prayer, with this Collect following,Almighty God, unto whom . . . .

The Offertory has become

Then shall the Church wardens, or some other by them appointed, gather the devotions ofthe people, and put the same into the poormens box:

then follows the Prayer for the Church.

The Confession has the same rubric as in 1549, then the Prayer of Humble Access is said by thePriest, kneeling down at God’s board, in the name of them that shall receive the Communion.After this the Priest stands up to say the short Prayer remembering the Words of Institution, duringwhich there are no rubrics for manual acts.At the end is the rubric

Then shall the minister first receive the Communion in both kinds himself, and next deliver itto other ministers, if any be there present (that they may help the chief minister,) and after tothe people in their hands kneeling.

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1662

The opening rubric is as in 1552, with the addition of the people kneeling.

At the Offertory are the rubrics

Whilst these Sentences are in reading, the Deacons, Churchwardens, or other fit personappointed for that purpose, shall receive the Alms for the Poor, and other devotions of thepeople, in a decent bason to be provided by the Parish for that purpose; and reverentlybring it to the Priest, who shall humbly present and place it upon the holy Table.

And when there is a Communion, the Priest shall then place upon the Table so much Breadand Wine, as he shall think sufficient. After which done, the Priest shall say,Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church militant here in earth.

The confession is made, in the name of all those minded to receive the holy Communion, by one ofthe Ministers. Likewise the Priest says the Prayer of Humble Access in the name of all them, thenfollows the rubric

When the Priest, standing before the Table, hath so ordered the Bread and Wine, that hemay with the more readiness and decency break the Bread before the people, and take theCup into his hands, he shall say the Prayer of Consecration, as followeth,

and during the Prayer appear the rubrics

a Here the Priest is to take the Paten into his hands:

b And here to break the Bread:

c And here to lay his hand upon all the Bread.

d Here he is to take the Cup into his hand:

e And here to lay his hand upon every vessel (be it Chalice or Flagon) in which there isany Wine to be consecrated.

After the prayer is the rubric

Then shall the Minister first receive the Communion in both kinds himself, and then proceedto deliver the same to the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, in like manner, (if any be present,)and after that to the people also in order, into their hands, all meekly kneeling.

After Communion the rubric says

When all have communicated, the Minister shall return to the Lord’s Table, and reverentlyplace upon it what remaineth of the consecrated Elements, covering the same with a fairlinen cloth.

and in the rubrics at the end of the Service is the rubric

And if any of the Bread and Wine remaineth unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to hisown use:but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of theChurch, but the Priest and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him,shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.

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SACRED PLACE

Clerks

Womenfrom Offertory

People throughout the Service

Menfrom Offertory

People during the Service

and non-communicantsfrom the Offertory

P

Women and children

Men

IN THE SARUM RITE

IN THE 1549 PRAYER BOOK

IN THE 1552 PRAYER BOOK

D

D

P

P

Sd

Sd

C

C

C

C

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R.2 THE PREFACE TO THE PRAYER BOOK OF 1549

THERE was never any thing by the wit of man so well devised, or so sure established, whichin continuance of time hath not been corrupted: As, among other things, it may plainlyappear by the Common Prayers in the Church, commonly called Divine Service. The firstoriginal and ground whereof if a man would search out by the ancient Fathers, he shall find,that the same was not ordained but of a good purpose, and for a great advancement ofgodliness. For they so ordered the matter, that all the whole Bible (or the greatest partthereof) should be read over once every year; intending thereby, that the Clergy, andespecially such as were Ministers in the congregation, should (by often reading, andmeditation in God's word) be stirred up to godliness themselves, and be more able to exhortothers by wholesome doctrine, and to confute them that were adversaries to the truth; andfurther, that the people (by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the Church) mightcontinually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be the more inflamed withthe love of his true Religion.

But these many years passed, this godly and decent order of the ancient Fathers hath been soaltered, broken, and neglected, by planting in uncertain Stories, and Legends, with multitudeof Responds, Verses, vain Repetitions, Commemorations, and Synodals; that commonlywhen any Book of the Bible was begun, after three or four Chapters were read out, all therest were unread. And in this sort the Book of Isaiah was begun in Advent, and the Book ofGenesis in Septuagesima; but they were only begun, and never read through: After like sortwere other Books of holy Scripture used. And moreover, whereas St. Paul would have suchlanguage spoken to the people in the Church, as they might understand, and have profit byhearing the same; The Service in this Church of England these many years hath been read inLatin to the people, which they understand not; so that they have heard with their ears only,and their heart, spirit, and mind, have not been edified thereby. And furthermore,notwithstanding that the ancient Fathers have divided the Psalms into seven Portions,whereof every one was called a Nocturn: Now of late time a few of them have been dailysaid, and the rest utterly omitted. Moreover, the number and hardness of the Rules called thePie, and the manifold changings of the Service, was the cause, that to turn the Book only wasso hard and intricate a matter, that many times there was more business to find out whatshould be read, than to read it when it was found out.

Pulpitand Stall

Box Pews

Squire’sBoxPew

Box Pews

FreeBenches

FreeBenches

IN THE 1662 PRAYER BOOK

P

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These inconveniences therefore considered, here is set forth such an Order, whereby thesame shall be redressed. And for a readiness in this matter, here is drawn out a Calendar forthat purpose, which is plain and easy to be understood; wherein (so much as may be) thereading of holy Scripture is so set forth, that all things shall be done in order, withoutbreaking one piece from another. For this cause be cut off Anthems, Responds, Invitatories,ans such like things as did break the continual course of the reading of Scripture.Yet, because there is no remedy, but that of necessity there must be some Rules; thereforecertain Rules are here set forth; which, as they are few in number, so they are plain and easyto be understood. So that here you have an Order for Prayer, and for the reading of the holyScripture, much agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers, and a great deal moreprofitable and commodious, than that which of late was used. It is more profitable, becausehere are left out many things, whereof some are untrue, some uncertain, some vain andsuperstitious; and nothing is ordained to be read, but the very pure Word of God, the holyScriptures, or that which is agreeable to the same; and that in such a Language and Order asis most easy and plain for the understanding both of the Readers and Hearers. It is also morecommodious, both for the shortness thereof, and the plainness of the Order, and for that theRules be few and easy.

And whereas heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in Churcheswithin this Realm; some following Salisbury Use, some Hereford Use, and some the Use ofBangor, some of York, some of Lincoln; now from henceforth all the whole Realm shallhave but one Use.

And foreasmuch as nothing can be so plainly set forth, but doubts may arise in the use andpractice of the same; to appease all such diversity (if any arise) and for the resolution of alldoubts, concerning the manner how to understand, do, and execute, the things contained inthis Book; the parties that so doubt, or diversely take any thing, shall alway resort to theBishop of the Diocese, who by his discretion shall take order for the quieting and appeasingof the same; so that the same order be not contrary to any thing contained in this Book. Andif the Bishop of the Diocese be in doubt, then he may send for the resolution thereof to theArchbishop.

THOUGH it be appointed, That all things shall be read and sung in the Church in theEnglish Tongue, to the end that the Congregation may be thereby edified; yet it is notmeant, but that when men say Morning and Evening Prayer privately, they may say thesame in any language that they themselves do understand.

And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer eitherprivately or openly, not being let by sickness, or some other urgent cause.And the Curate that ministereth in every Parish-Church or Chapel, being at home, and notbeing otherwise reasonably hindered, shall say the same in the Parish-Church or Chapelwhere he ministereth, and shall cause a Bell to be tolled thereunto a convenient time beforehe begin, that the people may come to hear God's Word, and to pray with him.

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Authorised form of ‘A Service of the Word’ in the Church of England

The preparation

1 The minister welcomes the people with a liturgical greeting.

2 Authorized Prayers of Penitence are used here or in The prayers.

3 Venite, Kyries, Gloria, a hymn, song, or a set of responses may be used.

4 The Collect is said either here or at section 9.

The ministry of the Word This includes

5 Readings (or a Reading) from Holy Scripture

6 A psalm, or, if occasion demands, a scriptural song

7 A sermon

8 An authorized creed, or, if occasion demands, an authorized affirmationof faith

The prayers These include

9 Intercessions and thanksgivings

10 The Lord's Prayer

The conclusion

11 The service concludes with a liturgical ending.

R.3 FROM ‘PATTERNS FOR WORSHIP’

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EXAMPLE 1A block structure

Items you must include Additional items(though individual items you may want to addand order will vary)

PreparationGreeting ß1à Scripture sentence

2à Hymn3à Opening prayer4à Invitation5à * Confession 6à * Forgiveness

7à IntroductionOld Testament ß 8Psalm or paraphrase ß 9New Testament ß10

11à Song or hymnTalk ß 12

13à Hymn

Prayer* Collect ß 14Form of intercession ß 15

PraiseVersicles and responses ß 16

17à Hymn

Word

ActionAll stand while the candle ß18is carried outBlessing or ending ß19

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EXAMPLE 2The conversation structure

Word - Prayer - Praise - Action may come many times within the same service. Imaginea conversation between God and the congregation. The Word items present what God issaying, and the other three items may be used as the response or reply to God. The servicemay be built from a series of Presentation and Response units, like building blocks. Thisexample is from Morning Prayer:

PRESENTATION RESPONSE

WordScripture sentence ß 1

Praise2à Hymn of adoration

WordInvitation ß 3

Prayer4à Confession

PrayerDeclaration of forgiveness ß 5

Praise6à Open our lips...

Glory be...7à Song

WordPsalm ß 8Old Testament ß 9

Praise10à Song

WordNew Testament ß11

Praise12à Song13à * Creed14à * Lord's Prayer15à Collect

WordSermon ß16

17à Hymn

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ASSIGNMENTS

An Introductionto Anglican Worship

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An Introduction to Anglican Worship

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTPROJECT

ASSIGNMENTS

1 In 750 words, address the question

How are the categories of Sacred People, Place, Time and Action expressed in the Orderfor the Holy Eucharist 2004?

2 In 750 words address the question

How might Morning and/or Evening Prayer be used as a resource to enable the story ofsalvation to be told through the changing seasons of the Church’s year?

3. In 1,500 words each address the question

What must the minister consider when planning, preparing and delivering an act ofworship?

Candidates should show knowledge and understanding ofi) the nature of Christian worshipii) ways in which worship can be effectively used in a variety of contexts

4 Create an act of worship for one of following contexts and write a 500 wordcommentary explaining the decisions on structure and content you have made.

Priests – A Eucharistic Celebration for Advent for your Church.

Deacons and Readers – A Service of the Word for Advent for your Church.

Pastors – An Advent service of wholeness and healing to be used with a small groupmeeting midweek in your Church.

Evangelists – A service for Advent to be held in a local pub as an act of outreach.

Childrens/Youth Workers – An Advent act of all-age worship for your Church.

Disciples – A service for the end of a day retreat for Advent.

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