Loading...Have you ever wondered why the worship service words and music sometimes change throughout the year? Here’s a bit of information:
In the Episcopal Church, we have approved resources offering a variety of liturgies to choose from, based on the liturgical season (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost), the culture, and history within the parish.
Those of us who have been Episcopalian a long time are likely familiar with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (BCP). In the “olden days,” most of us received Holy Eucharist only once a month. At the church where I grew up, we sang Canticles during the rest of the month as a part of Morning Prayer. The language for both harkens back to a more Elizabethan era.
50 years later, after a few trial liturgies, the "new" BCP was published, offering quite a bit from the 1928 BCP. We call that Rite One. And they added Rite Two, introducing four new Eucharistic Prayers to choose from, all in a more colloquial language that, at the time, made worship more accessible and easier to understand for the younger generations, but maintaining the poetic cadence we love.
That BCP remains our standard, but over the past few years, even those Rite Two services have been updated, using "Expansive Language" that still maintains the poetic feel, but also includes a broader understanding of the Divine and the people who worship in our churches.
We also have supplemental books called "Enriching Our Worship" (EOW). The first book offers three more Eucharistic Prayers that use more inclusive language. There are a few more volumes for special services and life circumstances, including for same-sex marriage, miscarriages, death of children, and more.
With many choices to consider, each bringing its own vibe, they help to match each liturgical season’s tone. (There are no "Alleluias" in Lent, for example.)
Prayers, hymns, and service music all fit with the seasons and the liturgies, too.
Daniel and I, with the help of Joe, Dan, Deacon Mary, and Annie, look at our options and make decisions that we hope will be well received.
Throughout a liturgical year (beginning with Advent and going through the Season after the Pentecost), We choose to utilize a variety of liturgies so we can experience a broad breadth of worship, which, we hope, creates opportunities to experience the Holy more fully.
The Episcopal Church utilizes a specific three-year cycle for our Scripture, which we follow. Other denominations use the same cycle, so in many mainline churches, you'll hear the same lessons on the same day. There's beauty in this order, when I think about how we are all walking in faith together, but different.
In planning for Lent, I reviewed some weekly options for our Prayers of the People, choosing which to use that best fit with the lessons appointed for that day. We will use Rite 2 Eucharistic Prayer A. Daniel will find appropriate service music, hymns, and anthems, too.
Liturgy Planning is intentional. Creating meaningful worship is always my intent when doing liturgy planning. My hope is that it is.
I love liturgy! ~Rev. Debbie+
