Alternative liturgy

[Paidiske]

My 8am and Wednesday congregations still use a prayer book. In my previous role, I worked across two parishes, and prayer books were still routinely used in both. (The main service in one used a projector). It's been my observation that the move to using a projector meets enormous resistance in most places.

But I agree that BCP is a rarely-used alternative. The place where it's still cherished is in the Cathedral, and there mostly for giving us an order for Evensong.

 

[mark46]

My 8am and Wednesday congregations still use a prayer book. In my previous role, I worked across two parishes, and prayer books were still routinely used in both. (The main service in one used a projector). It's been my observation that the move to using a projector meets enormous resistance in most places.

But I agree that BCP is a rarely-used alternative. The place where it's still cherished is in the Cathedral, and there mostly for giving us an order for Evensong.

Our practice is similar. The 8 o'clock service uses the BCP and hymnal. The other services use the projector and computer. Occasionally, some services that use a lot directly out of the BCP, will use handouts in addition to using the computer.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

My 8am and Wednesday congregations still use a prayer book. In my previous role, I worked across two parishes, and prayer books were still routinely used in both. (The main service in one used a projector). It's been my observation that the move to using a projector meets enormous resistance in most places.

But I agree that BCP is a rarely-used alternative. The place where it's still cherished is in the Cathedral, and there mostly for giving us an order for Evensong.

We do printed service sheets for our 1662. No one has to fumble through a book to find the right pages. Since these are said services, we don't even use hymn books.

Evensong is on a laminated A4 sheet.

We've been using a projector for well over 20 years so it's hard to remember those who were resistant. Although there are still some people that prefer a sheet, most people enjoy the advantages of being able to use have images and video clips to illustrate the sermon or share our ministries.

 

[mark46]

Not having to hold a book even allows an occasional raising of holy hands in praise.

We do printed service sheets for our 1662. No one has to fumble through a book to find the right pages. Since these are said services, we don't even use hymn books.

Evensong is on a laminated A4 sheet.

We've been using a projector for well over 20 years so it's hard to remember those who were resistant. Although there are still some people that prefer a sheet, most people enjoy the advantages of being able to use have images and video clips to illustrate the sermon or share our ministries.

 

[PloverWing]

I have visited many Anglican and Episcopal churches over the last couple of years and can't remember a single one that used a prayer book of any description. Liturgy has been either printed out onto a handout or projected onto a screen. The average parishioner would not know how the service was put together.

This may be a custom that varies from one region or country to another. All of the Episcopal churches that I've been to in the US have had Prayer Books in the racks in their pews. Even if the service is also printed in a handout, it's taken from the Prayer Book.

You refer to 1662. The American BCP has been revised several times, with the last revision being 1979. Is the Church of England's BCP more difficult to revise -- does it require government approval, due to being an established church, or something like that?

 

[Paidiske]

If I remember rightly, the law in England was changed after 1928 so that liturgical revision no longer requires parliamentary approval but can be handled as an internal matter by the church.

(In 1928, the bishops brought legislation to parliament for new liturgies, on which the church already had consensus, and parliament rejected it. The "1928 book" therefore has never been officially approved, although I know of places which use it or variations on it).

 

[Naomi4Christ]

This may be a custom that varies from one region or country to another. All of the Episcopal churches that I've been to in the US have had Prayer Books in the racks in their pews. Even if the service is also printed in a handout, it's taken from the Prayer Book.

You refer to 1662. The American BCP has been revised several times, with the last revision being 1979. Is the Church of England's BCP more difficult to revise -- does it require government approval, due to being an established church, or something like that?

The 1662 was licensed for ever so cannot be changed. What we have are alternative books that are licensed for fixed amounts of time, e.g. The Alternative Service Book was used from 1980 - 2000 (and this time was planned). Since then we have been using Common Worship.

It was my understanding that there was a legal requirement on parish churches to have a 1662 service every Sunday. We've recently dropped ours because of low attendance and because we are in vacancy (interregnum). The bishop is fine with this and our parish profile has gone through without any hitches. We will keep the midweek one, which has all the same cast of characters.

My understanding of Church powers is that Parliament relegated these to General Synod about a hundred years ago.

 

[SnowyMacie]

I actually saw this on r/Anglicanism a few weeks ago, I read through it and found it quite interesting. The liturgy is Eastern Rite Anglican liturgy, or an Anglican liturgy based off of the Divine Liturgy as opposed to the BCP.

http://easternanglicanism.x10host.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/divineliturgy.pdf

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I actually saw this on r/Anglicanism a few weeks ago, I read through it and found it quite interesting. The liturgy is Eastern Rite Anglican liturgy, or an Anglican liturgy based off of the Divine Liturgy as opposed to the BCP.

http://easternanglicanism.x10host.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/divineliturgy.pdf

Why isn't ordinary Anglicanism good enough? When looking at all these "grass is greener" alternatives, are they really that great. What is their mission like? Do,the fulfil the Great Commission?

We need to stop navel gazing and go out and do what Jesus commanded us to do.

 

[Paidiske]

The way I see it, liturgical diversity is a good thing. It allows people with different personalities, different cultural and ecclesial backgrounds, different theological emphases, and so forth, each to find themselves somewhere where they can be "at home" in worship.

One of the things my diocese has been working very hard on lately is providing services in languages other than English. When I was ordained, there were people being ordained with me with the language skills to minister to congregations speaking Mandarin, Malay, Karen (a Burmese minority tribe), Dinka (a Sudanese tribe) and so on. I'm trying to get the resources to be able to offer a dual English-sign language service.

None of that falls into "ordinary Anglicanism" but it's going to be a significant part of doing what Jesus commanded us to do; and I see liturgical diversity as part of the same principle. Be all things to all people, so that by any means we might save some.

 

[Theatreguy18]

It's funny, I don't know a single person on the ground that refers to liturgical books (i.e. 1662 or CW) as a missal and I am very well connected as a member of Deanery Synod (which crosses all churchmanships).

I don't understand why people are happy just being Anglican. I love the Church of England and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

I have visited many Anglican and Episcopal churches over the last couple of years and can't remember a single one that used a prayer book of any description. Liturgy has been either printed out onto a handout or projected onto a screen. The average parishioner would not know how the service was put together.

In our fellowship, our services are drawn from Common Worship. We don't have the same format week in week out. We mix up what we include, and the order of all the different bits. The actual liturgical bits are recognisable as coming from CW. Before CE, when ASB was the standard book, we often used New Zealand liturgy. We are quite happy to do this kind of thing.

In this day and age, BCP is the real alternative.

the anglican missal or the American missal is a liturgical text based off of the book of common prayer. In fact most of the liturgy is the same many anglo catholic churches and high churches use these the Episcopal church of the holy communion in charleston uses the American missal for our daily mass. its basically just the rite one service of the American bcp with a few opional prayers from the Sarum mass and it gives clear directions on when to cense the Altar, genuflect, cross yourself etc ... thats very sad that the parishes you go to don't use the prayer book I treasure the prayer book its part of why I became an Episcopalian my parishes uses the 1979 book of common prayer every Sunday along with the hymnal.

 

[Sean611]

I haven't attended my home Episcopal parish (or any Episcopal parish for that matter) in about 1.5 years or so, but I remember EOW materials start to sneak its way into our liturgy by our then rector. If I recall correctly, it was just a prayer or so here or there and I don't remember what was used exactly. I don't remember anything controversial about it, but I had mentally checked out by that point. I'm not sure what my home parish uses today, but I do know that they have gotten rid of the Rite I service.

The only thing I'd really add is that a lot of EOW worship material is horrible and it is scary to think what a prayer book revision would look like in TEC in the present.

 

[Theatreguy18]

I haven't attended my home Episcopal parish (or any Episcopal parish for that matter) in about 1.5 years or so, but I remember EOW materials start to sneak its way into our liturgy by our then rector. If I recall correctly, it was just a prayer or so here or there and I don't remember what was used exactly. I don't remember anything controversial about it, but I had mentally checked out by that point. I'm not sure what my home parish uses today, but I do know that they have gotten rid of the Rite I service.

The only thing I'd really add is that a lot of EOW worship material is horrible and it is scary to think what a prayer book revision would look like in TEC in the present.

I like the EOW material but it's not appropriate for the primary Sunday eucharist.

 

[Theatreguy18]

I haven't attended my home Episcopal parish (or any Episcopal parish for that matter) in about 1.5 years or so, but I remember EOW materials start to sneak its way into our liturgy by our then rector. If I recall correctly, it was just a prayer or so here or there and I don't remember what was used exactly. I don't remember anything controversial about it, but I had mentally checked out by that point. I'm not sure what my home parish uses today, but I do know that they have gotten rid of the Rite I service.

The only thing I'd really add is that a lot of EOW worship material is horrible and it is scary to think what a prayer book revision would look like in TEC in the present.

Are you not longer a church goer ? Just curious not judgement

 

[Sean611]

Are you not longer a church goer ? Just curious not judgement

Up until recently, I had not been a church goer for about 1.5 years. Prior to that, I had spent four very active years in my local Episcopal parish, involved with many ministries. I am confirmed and still on the rosters, however, I have been attending a confessional Lutheran parish as of late.