Monday, October 3, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Being Welcoming
In the Episcopal church today there is a lot of talk about being “welcoming” and “inclusive” but this talk usually has little result beyond the undermining of liturgical traditions. That is it is a mostly destructive rather than constructive force in the life of the church.
In my view, the idea of inclusion is meaningless without the equal idea of exclusion. To welcome all indiscriminately is to welcome none. Christ one can easily argue was radically exclusive. How often did he chastise those who fell short of his high standards of charity, condemning them to damnation unless they repented? Likewise the church militant must be exclusive in one sense, it must guard its holy mysteries from profanation by those who are unrepentant. It must guard its traditions and doctrine against unfamiliar innovation.
Never the less, the church’s fundamental mission is to be inclusive, to bring the good news to all. It must welcome those who come seeking God while preserving undefiled its sacraments, traditions and doctrine. How are these two goals two be reconciled?
Traditionally they have been reconciled by prosthelytization, education, and initiation. That is the preaching of the word and evangelism by deed spread the good news, the liturgy of the word, catachresis, and fellowship showed what the church believed and practiced and baptism included the new Christian fully into the community.
Is casting the Eucharist into the maw of every mouth human or otherwise that shows up inclusive and welcoming or is it casting pearls before swine, a confession of a lack of reverence and awe in the face of the Holy Mystery that turns away potential converts.
Though some will protest, I believe that those arguing for communion without baptism are in fact though not intention uninclusive and unwelcoming. They are a classic example of the frozen chosen syndrome.
What would it mean for a parish to be truly inclusive and welcoming?
First, it would not treat the work of the great commission as if it was embarrassing. It would eagerly seek converts. It would hold Eucharistic processions on Corpus Christi and beat the bounds of the parish on the Rogation days. It would use the little hours from the prayer book to worship God in the parks and fields of the community. It would combine street worship with acts of corporal charity. It would have an earned reputation for charity in general.
Second, it would enthusiastically worship God in beauty and dignity in such a way as to allow church members to bring friends and acquaintances to introduce them to the church and make them and those wondering in off the street to feel welcome and included in the worship. Thus it would have sung Evening Prayer so that parishioners can bring their friends who go to other churches to experience the beauty and dignity of our liturgy without missing their normal Sunday services. It would have sung Morning Prayer so that those who had started attending the parish, but were not yet baptized could attend a Sunday morning service in which they could be fully included.
Third, the parish would have a catechism class run by members of the parish welcoming committee during the Eucharist so that the unbaptized can learn what the church teaches and prepare for baptism. The same committee would help integrate the seekers into the community during the coffee hour or other fellowship that follows the Eucharist.
Fourth, a welcoming parish would have a deep community with real fellowship. Lunches and potlucks, regular worship and charity, and community activities, not just coffee hour would be part of the community which the convert would be entering. The parish would make an effort to welcome people and make them feel at ease.
Fifth, a welcoming parish would have many opportunities to include, it would have the daily office, daily, so that its members could be worshiping god and fellowshipping daily. It would include seekers in the daily prayer of the church. The exclusion from the Eucharist would not be so starkly exclusionary if it was only on one day in seven that the seeker was not fully participating in the worship services.
Sixth a welcoming parish would welcome, it would hold baptisms monthly outside of Advent and Lent. Yes, I know that the BCP encourages limiting baptisms to the feasts of All Saints, Baptism of Our Lord, Easter and Pentecost, but unlike say the rubrics that require ad orientem celebration of the Eucharist, the rubrics for baptism only recommend that baptism be held on those feasts. It seems to me infinitely preferable to ignore advice however well meant than to violate the teaching of the Prayer Book, the Bible, and the Universal Church.
Seventh, a church that wanted to be welcoming would make the process of being Baptized a huge deal. The front pews would be reserved for the soon to be baptized and their sponsors. The sponsors would be included by asking them to read the lessons at the sung Morning Prayer. The Altar would be censed at the Te Deum. After Morning Prayer, the clergy and choir would gather the soon to be baptized and their sponsors. The Gloria in Excelsis and the Litany of Thanksgiving would be sung as they processed to the font. The Baptismal covenant will be sung. The blessing of the water would be made as impressive as possible while staying within the rubrics. After the baptism, the remaining water in the font is used to fill a pail and the congregation is asperged during the procession back to the chancel while the choir sings the asperges me. It goes without saying that the mass following the baptism would be sung with all the smells and bells. The newly baptized would present the gifts at the offertory and be the first person(s) to receive the sacrament on the tongue while devoutly kneeling.
This would be being radically inclusive, it would make our new members feel truly welcomed, and into a real community, but it would also be a lot of work. It requires US to be welcoming. It requires OUR conversion of heart. It requires US to care about the salvation of those who might otherwise imperil their souls by unworthy reception of the Holy Mysteries. It is much easier to treat the body and blood our Lord shed for the remission of OUR SINS like a wine and cracker party where we wouldn’t be rude enough not to let strangers have a drink, but we surely wouldn’t talk to THEM to explain the faith.
It is not cheap grace that the advocates of communion without baptism advocate, but cheap and frankly unreal “welcome.”
In my view, the idea of inclusion is meaningless without the equal idea of exclusion. To welcome all indiscriminately is to welcome none. Christ one can easily argue was radically exclusive. How often did he chastise those who fell short of his high standards of charity, condemning them to damnation unless they repented? Likewise the church militant must be exclusive in one sense, it must guard its holy mysteries from profanation by those who are unrepentant. It must guard its traditions and doctrine against unfamiliar innovation.
Never the less, the church’s fundamental mission is to be inclusive, to bring the good news to all. It must welcome those who come seeking God while preserving undefiled its sacraments, traditions and doctrine. How are these two goals two be reconciled?
Traditionally they have been reconciled by prosthelytization, education, and initiation. That is the preaching of the word and evangelism by deed spread the good news, the liturgy of the word, catachresis, and fellowship showed what the church believed and practiced and baptism included the new Christian fully into the community.
Is casting the Eucharist into the maw of every mouth human or otherwise that shows up inclusive and welcoming or is it casting pearls before swine, a confession of a lack of reverence and awe in the face of the Holy Mystery that turns away potential converts.
Though some will protest, I believe that those arguing for communion without baptism are in fact though not intention uninclusive and unwelcoming. They are a classic example of the frozen chosen syndrome.
What would it mean for a parish to be truly inclusive and welcoming?
First, it would not treat the work of the great commission as if it was embarrassing. It would eagerly seek converts. It would hold Eucharistic processions on Corpus Christi and beat the bounds of the parish on the Rogation days. It would use the little hours from the prayer book to worship God in the parks and fields of the community. It would combine street worship with acts of corporal charity. It would have an earned reputation for charity in general.
Second, it would enthusiastically worship God in beauty and dignity in such a way as to allow church members to bring friends and acquaintances to introduce them to the church and make them and those wondering in off the street to feel welcome and included in the worship. Thus it would have sung Evening Prayer so that parishioners can bring their friends who go to other churches to experience the beauty and dignity of our liturgy without missing their normal Sunday services. It would have sung Morning Prayer so that those who had started attending the parish, but were not yet baptized could attend a Sunday morning service in which they could be fully included.
Third, the parish would have a catechism class run by members of the parish welcoming committee during the Eucharist so that the unbaptized can learn what the church teaches and prepare for baptism. The same committee would help integrate the seekers into the community during the coffee hour or other fellowship that follows the Eucharist.
Fourth, a welcoming parish would have a deep community with real fellowship. Lunches and potlucks, regular worship and charity, and community activities, not just coffee hour would be part of the community which the convert would be entering. The parish would make an effort to welcome people and make them feel at ease.
Fifth, a welcoming parish would have many opportunities to include, it would have the daily office, daily, so that its members could be worshiping god and fellowshipping daily. It would include seekers in the daily prayer of the church. The exclusion from the Eucharist would not be so starkly exclusionary if it was only on one day in seven that the seeker was not fully participating in the worship services.
Sixth a welcoming parish would welcome, it would hold baptisms monthly outside of Advent and Lent. Yes, I know that the BCP encourages limiting baptisms to the feasts of All Saints, Baptism of Our Lord, Easter and Pentecost, but unlike say the rubrics that require ad orientem celebration of the Eucharist, the rubrics for baptism only recommend that baptism be held on those feasts. It seems to me infinitely preferable to ignore advice however well meant than to violate the teaching of the Prayer Book, the Bible, and the Universal Church.
Seventh, a church that wanted to be welcoming would make the process of being Baptized a huge deal. The front pews would be reserved for the soon to be baptized and their sponsors. The sponsors would be included by asking them to read the lessons at the sung Morning Prayer. The Altar would be censed at the Te Deum. After Morning Prayer, the clergy and choir would gather the soon to be baptized and their sponsors. The Gloria in Excelsis and the Litany of Thanksgiving would be sung as they processed to the font. The Baptismal covenant will be sung. The blessing of the water would be made as impressive as possible while staying within the rubrics. After the baptism, the remaining water in the font is used to fill a pail and the congregation is asperged during the procession back to the chancel while the choir sings the asperges me. It goes without saying that the mass following the baptism would be sung with all the smells and bells. The newly baptized would present the gifts at the offertory and be the first person(s) to receive the sacrament on the tongue while devoutly kneeling.
This would be being radically inclusive, it would make our new members feel truly welcomed, and into a real community, but it would also be a lot of work. It requires US to be welcoming. It requires OUR conversion of heart. It requires US to care about the salvation of those who might otherwise imperil their souls by unworthy reception of the Holy Mysteries. It is much easier to treat the body and blood our Lord shed for the remission of OUR SINS like a wine and cracker party where we wouldn’t be rude enough not to let strangers have a drink, but we surely wouldn’t talk to THEM to explain the faith.
It is not cheap grace that the advocates of communion without baptism advocate, but cheap and frankly unreal “welcome.”
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Expecting More on Feast Days
Continuing my “Expecting More” Series of posts, I want to explore how to deepen and enrich the typical Feast Day experience at a typical Episcopal parish. By Feast Day, I mean the Red Letter or bolded Feasts from the BCP. Feast days are an important part of the Christian Life, but too often they are ignored. We need to expect more, but how is that to be accomplished?
First, we have to realize that there are real barriers to people coming to church on weekdays. We have to work around this. Second, expectations have to be announced to Parishioners. Third and importantly, we have to make going to Church on Feast Days an Event, something people want to do.
To this end, these are the days to pull out all the stops. Smells, bells, and holy water this is the time to use them even if you don’t normally. It is also a chance to have the whole daily office in your parish if you don’t normally have that yet.
The Feast begins with the First Vespers on the night before. Unless this is a major feast, one of the twelve with lections appointed to its eve, this need not be too fancy. If on the other hand it is a major feast then treat it like evensong on the day of the Feast as outlined below.
On the day of the feast itself, Morning Prayer, and Noon Prayer are held at the appropriate times.
The time for pulling out the stops comes at Evensong. This service should begin at 6 or 6:30 p.m. so that as many people as possible can come. After the clergy and choir process into the church, and the opening sentence and versicle and response have been said, the phos hilaron is sung while the candels are lighted. Appropriate antiphons should be sung with the Psalms and the Gloria in Excelsis should be sung after the Psalms in place of the final Gloria Patri. After the first lesson, the Te Deum should be sung while incense is offered before the alter (i.e. the alter is censed). Likewise Appropriate antiphons should be sung with the Canticles. A reading from a hagiography of the saint who’s feast it is should follow the appointed lessons from the prayer book.
Evening prayer having lasted about forty minutes, the choir and clergy should then process out. This lets late arrivals get to their seats without disturbing the proceedings. Then the choir and clergy reenter singing the Litany of Thanksgiving. Having arrived at the chancel, the holy water is brought out and the congregation is aspersed while a suitable psalm, hymn or canticle is sung.
Then a Choral Eucharist is held. Again the Gloria in excelsis should be sung after the Psalm. The thurifer should accompany the party to the crossing to read the gospel, so that the scriptures can be censed before they are read. In fact they should not be read, this is the time to chant the gospel. At the celebration of the sacrament, the incense should be used again. After the post communion prayer, the priest’s blessing and the dismissal, wait a moment for those wanting to exit to do so.
Then proceed to Compline. Sing the Psalms with an appropriate antiphon and the Gloria in excelsis. Read the Chapter, pray the prayers, then have the clergy and choir process out to a good hymn.
That is it, two hours and fifteen minutes engaging all of the parishioners senses, the touch of holy water on their cheek, the odor of incense, the sound of the Psalms, Hymns, and Canticles, and the sight of your gorgeous church, reaching their intellect with the sermon and readings and their hearts with the prayers. This it seems to me is how you get your parishioners to come back on Holy Days.
But how do you set the expectation that they should come in the first place. This is why it is important for Ministers to preach on the importance of attending divine services on Feast Days during the week. If their ministers tell them they need to come, then they might come. If the services are scheduled so that parishioners can come, then they might come. But if no expectations are set, they are sure to be meet.
First, we have to realize that there are real barriers to people coming to church on weekdays. We have to work around this. Second, expectations have to be announced to Parishioners. Third and importantly, we have to make going to Church on Feast Days an Event, something people want to do.
To this end, these are the days to pull out all the stops. Smells, bells, and holy water this is the time to use them even if you don’t normally. It is also a chance to have the whole daily office in your parish if you don’t normally have that yet.
The Feast begins with the First Vespers on the night before. Unless this is a major feast, one of the twelve with lections appointed to its eve, this need not be too fancy. If on the other hand it is a major feast then treat it like evensong on the day of the Feast as outlined below.
On the day of the feast itself, Morning Prayer, and Noon Prayer are held at the appropriate times.
The time for pulling out the stops comes at Evensong. This service should begin at 6 or 6:30 p.m. so that as many people as possible can come. After the clergy and choir process into the church, and the opening sentence and versicle and response have been said, the phos hilaron is sung while the candels are lighted. Appropriate antiphons should be sung with the Psalms and the Gloria in Excelsis should be sung after the Psalms in place of the final Gloria Patri. After the first lesson, the Te Deum should be sung while incense is offered before the alter (i.e. the alter is censed). Likewise Appropriate antiphons should be sung with the Canticles. A reading from a hagiography of the saint who’s feast it is should follow the appointed lessons from the prayer book.
Evening prayer having lasted about forty minutes, the choir and clergy should then process out. This lets late arrivals get to their seats without disturbing the proceedings. Then the choir and clergy reenter singing the Litany of Thanksgiving. Having arrived at the chancel, the holy water is brought out and the congregation is aspersed while a suitable psalm, hymn or canticle is sung.
Then a Choral Eucharist is held. Again the Gloria in excelsis should be sung after the Psalm. The thurifer should accompany the party to the crossing to read the gospel, so that the scriptures can be censed before they are read. In fact they should not be read, this is the time to chant the gospel. At the celebration of the sacrament, the incense should be used again. After the post communion prayer, the priest’s blessing and the dismissal, wait a moment for those wanting to exit to do so.
Then proceed to Compline. Sing the Psalms with an appropriate antiphon and the Gloria in excelsis. Read the Chapter, pray the prayers, then have the clergy and choir process out to a good hymn.
That is it, two hours and fifteen minutes engaging all of the parishioners senses, the touch of holy water on their cheek, the odor of incense, the sound of the Psalms, Hymns, and Canticles, and the sight of your gorgeous church, reaching their intellect with the sermon and readings and their hearts with the prayers. This it seems to me is how you get your parishioners to come back on Holy Days.
But how do you set the expectation that they should come in the first place. This is why it is important for Ministers to preach on the importance of attending divine services on Feast Days during the week. If their ministers tell them they need to come, then they might come. If the services are scheduled so that parishioners can come, then they might come. But if no expectations are set, they are sure to be meet.
Monday, August 30, 2010
McSacrilege
I want to begin this post with an apology to the McDonald’s Company which only serves bad food in containers that reflect the quality of their product.
I was browsing on the internet recently when I came across a church supply company (it will remain nameless since further investigation showed it was not alone) which was engaged in what this protestant considers sacrilege. Were they selling “Christian rock”, designing mega churches, taking the Christ out of Christmas, or selling copies of the Piss Christ? No. They were doing something infinitely worse. What was this horror?
This firm was selling plastic, disposable, communion cups.
Let us set aside for a moment what the effect of a marginally properly consecrated minister praying a half way decently composed Eucharistic prayer over the bread and wine actually achieves. Let’s assume that the Lord’s Supper is purely symbolic.
That is to say let’s suppose that the Eucharist is to the body of Our Lord as the flag of the United States is to the USA.
What makes the United States a great country are a) the constitution, b) the defense of individual rights, c) democracy, and not least d) the people who make the forgoing a living reality. The flag is not the United States. I think it should not be against the law to treat the flag with disrespect. But the person who desecrates the flag by walking on it, spitting on it, or putting it in the trash is going to get an earful of my displeasure.
I ask those who use these disposable communion cups, what are they teaching their flock there by? If you would not put a symbol of our country in the trash, much less should you dishonor a symbol of the blood of Our Lord that was shed for the remission of our sins.
Now admittedly, I find this sacrilege the more offensive because I assume that: a) god makes perfect the imperfect and b) that Christ meant what he said. Thus I have an assumption that a minister who has received the imposition of hands in unbroken succession from minister to minister from the apostles may and even possibly just from a godly minister of the word with no succession could be, a priest. I assume that when Christ said “this is my body”, “this is my blood” he meant it.
The idea that the blood of God that was shed for the remission of my sins is being treated like a snot filled handkerchief fills me, as it should any pious Christian, with horror.
But suppose I am wrong, suppose all those who hold a high view of the Eucharist: Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox are wrong. Suppose that the wine or (God help us) grape juice is only a symbol of the blood of Our Lord. Do you really want to have to explain treating that symbol like trash at the foot of the throne at the last judgment?
I was browsing on the internet recently when I came across a church supply company (it will remain nameless since further investigation showed it was not alone) which was engaged in what this protestant considers sacrilege. Were they selling “Christian rock”, designing mega churches, taking the Christ out of Christmas, or selling copies of the Piss Christ? No. They were doing something infinitely worse. What was this horror?
This firm was selling plastic, disposable, communion cups.
Let us set aside for a moment what the effect of a marginally properly consecrated minister praying a half way decently composed Eucharistic prayer over the bread and wine actually achieves. Let’s assume that the Lord’s Supper is purely symbolic.
That is to say let’s suppose that the Eucharist is to the body of Our Lord as the flag of the United States is to the USA.
What makes the United States a great country are a) the constitution, b) the defense of individual rights, c) democracy, and not least d) the people who make the forgoing a living reality. The flag is not the United States. I think it should not be against the law to treat the flag with disrespect. But the person who desecrates the flag by walking on it, spitting on it, or putting it in the trash is going to get an earful of my displeasure.
I ask those who use these disposable communion cups, what are they teaching their flock there by? If you would not put a symbol of our country in the trash, much less should you dishonor a symbol of the blood of Our Lord that was shed for the remission of our sins.
Now admittedly, I find this sacrilege the more offensive because I assume that: a) god makes perfect the imperfect and b) that Christ meant what he said. Thus I have an assumption that a minister who has received the imposition of hands in unbroken succession from minister to minister from the apostles may and even possibly just from a godly minister of the word with no succession could be, a priest. I assume that when Christ said “this is my body”, “this is my blood” he meant it.
The idea that the blood of God that was shed for the remission of my sins is being treated like a snot filled handkerchief fills me, as it should any pious Christian, with horror.
But suppose I am wrong, suppose all those who hold a high view of the Eucharist: Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox are wrong. Suppose that the wine or (God help us) grape juice is only a symbol of the blood of Our Lord. Do you really want to have to explain treating that symbol like trash at the foot of the throne at the last judgment?
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Expecting More on Fridays
Most of my expecting more posts have been about how I would organize organize services to encourage deeper participation by those of us in the pews. This post however is only partly about that. It is also addresses, the Friday fast and the Sacrament of Confession.
As to the services on Friday, Morning Prayer if held, ought to include both the confession of sin and the Great Litany. The Penitential Office with Great Litany ought to be held in the evening before Evening Prayer.
On the First Friday of the month Morning and Evening Prayer ought to be followed by the office for the dead.
Regarding the fast, it seems to me that one of the best ways to expand the church into our daily life is to restore the ancient pattern of feast and fast. Not as a way to earn brownie points with God, but as a way to weave our lives into a coherent whole around the church. We should all be doing this on our own, but it would be a good thing for the Rector to speak as to expectations and best practices.
But what should he say about fasting? My inclination is to follow the old practice of meatless Fridays. What fish on Friday? Isn’t that both too clichéd and too Roman? The problem with lesser disciplines is that they leave insufficient gradation to accommodate a less strict Wednesday fast.
How should the subject of fasting be brought up? The logical time for such a discussion would be some time after the Feast of All Saints and before the Feast of St. Andrew. This would allow the topic of Advent as a season of fasting to be brought up in a positive way. E.g. “if you fast during Advent you won’t have to worry about gaining weight over the holidays” or “if you are only eating one meal a day during Advent you will enjoy all the goodies at holiday parties all the more.”
Thus the parishioners will already be in a routine of fasting on Fridays and have a less strict fasting season under their belt by the time the Lenten Fast arrives. This will make it easier for them to fast during Lent.
That leaves us with the topic of confession. While the general rule is that individual confession is not necessary to the reception of communion, the disciplinary rubrics and the exhortation make it clear that the practice of individual confession is often necessary to the wellbeing of parishioners. It is therefore unfortunate that so few Episcopal parishes offer confession at set hours. A sermon on under what circumstances, individual aural confession are appropriate and a set time would do most parishes a world of good and give the priests a better insight into the state of their flock’s spiritual health.
Friday being a penitential day, would be a good time to schedule confession.
By encouraging the parishioners fast on Friday, while having a penitential rite and the Litany with morning and evening prayer, while scheduling confession on Friday, the Rector can bring the congregation more deeply into the life of the church.
As to the services on Friday, Morning Prayer if held, ought to include both the confession of sin and the Great Litany. The Penitential Office with Great Litany ought to be held in the evening before Evening Prayer.
On the First Friday of the month Morning and Evening Prayer ought to be followed by the office for the dead.
Regarding the fast, it seems to me that one of the best ways to expand the church into our daily life is to restore the ancient pattern of feast and fast. Not as a way to earn brownie points with God, but as a way to weave our lives into a coherent whole around the church. We should all be doing this on our own, but it would be a good thing for the Rector to speak as to expectations and best practices.
But what should he say about fasting? My inclination is to follow the old practice of meatless Fridays. What fish on Friday? Isn’t that both too clichéd and too Roman? The problem with lesser disciplines is that they leave insufficient gradation to accommodate a less strict Wednesday fast.
How should the subject of fasting be brought up? The logical time for such a discussion would be some time after the Feast of All Saints and before the Feast of St. Andrew. This would allow the topic of Advent as a season of fasting to be brought up in a positive way. E.g. “if you fast during Advent you won’t have to worry about gaining weight over the holidays” or “if you are only eating one meal a day during Advent you will enjoy all the goodies at holiday parties all the more.”
Thus the parishioners will already be in a routine of fasting on Fridays and have a less strict fasting season under their belt by the time the Lenten Fast arrives. This will make it easier for them to fast during Lent.
That leaves us with the topic of confession. While the general rule is that individual confession is not necessary to the reception of communion, the disciplinary rubrics and the exhortation make it clear that the practice of individual confession is often necessary to the wellbeing of parishioners. It is therefore unfortunate that so few Episcopal parishes offer confession at set hours. A sermon on under what circumstances, individual aural confession are appropriate and a set time would do most parishes a world of good and give the priests a better insight into the state of their flock’s spiritual health.
Friday being a penitential day, would be a good time to schedule confession.
By encouraging the parishioners fast on Friday, while having a penitential rite and the Litany with morning and evening prayer, while scheduling confession on Friday, the Rector can bring the congregation more deeply into the life of the church.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Service for First Sunday in Advent
Regarding my previous post on Expecting More on Sunday I have put together a service of Morning Prayer, Great Litany, Penitential Rite, and Eucharist for the First Sunday in Advent. If you want a copy, e-mail me at cuthbertstevenson@gmail.com
Friday, August 6, 2010
Expecting More on Saturday
Following up on my post, Expecting more on Sunday, I want to discuss how a parish can expand its offerings for Saturday and enlarge parishioner’s expectations of how much they should worship.
This topic really has two components, services during the day on Saturday and services on the Eve of Sunday. The first topic can be set aside as either being a sub topic of an article on a parishes’ Daily Office schedule or as part of an article on Marian Devotion. It is the second topic, the Vigil of Sunday that I want to address.
Saturday evening is a time when preparations both practical and spiritual should be made for the following day. First Vespers of Sunday should begin the Saturday prep time at 6 p.m. this should be followed by two hours of preparation for Sunday. The choir can rehearse the hymns, psalms, and canticles. The altar servers can practice their roles at the Sunday services. The alter guild can put new cloths on the altar and prepare the cruets and alter bread for mass the next morning. The priest can put the finishing touches on his sermon for the next day. At the end of this period, all those present meet for Compline.
On most Saturday nights this will be the end of the preparation, but on the Eve of particularly important Sundays: Septugesima Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Whitsunday, a late night service and a vigil kept through the night before the high altar, are called for.
As to the service, call it Matins or Vigils or Nocturnes or Nine Lessons and Carols, but whatever you call it have nine songs (Psalms, Canticles, or Hymns) and nine scripture readings, pray and then end the service. The Vigil service for Easter is right there in the BCP.
As to the vigil before the Altar, put out a signup sheet two or three weeks before the Saturday in Question and have people sign up for one or two hour stretches. Put a kneeler in front of the altar, put a bible, and prayer books on the kneeler. It is done.
Before closing this post, I cannot help but note that the other thing which traditionally has been begun on Saturday. That is the Eucharistic Fast, the practice of not eating beginning at the end of the night on Saturday and continuing the fast until the Eucharist on Sunday Morning. I mentioned in my post on Sunday’s that to serve those who chose to keep the fast, that an early Sunday Eucharist is a good idea. That we should all endeavor to engage in this pious practice is obvious, but in my experience it is observed mostly in the breach. Changing that is another way we should expect more of ourselves and our fellow parishioners.
This topic really has two components, services during the day on Saturday and services on the Eve of Sunday. The first topic can be set aside as either being a sub topic of an article on a parishes’ Daily Office schedule or as part of an article on Marian Devotion. It is the second topic, the Vigil of Sunday that I want to address.
Saturday evening is a time when preparations both practical and spiritual should be made for the following day. First Vespers of Sunday should begin the Saturday prep time at 6 p.m. this should be followed by two hours of preparation for Sunday. The choir can rehearse the hymns, psalms, and canticles. The altar servers can practice their roles at the Sunday services. The alter guild can put new cloths on the altar and prepare the cruets and alter bread for mass the next morning. The priest can put the finishing touches on his sermon for the next day. At the end of this period, all those present meet for Compline.
On most Saturday nights this will be the end of the preparation, but on the Eve of particularly important Sundays: Septugesima Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Whitsunday, a late night service and a vigil kept through the night before the high altar, are called for.
As to the service, call it Matins or Vigils or Nocturnes or Nine Lessons and Carols, but whatever you call it have nine songs (Psalms, Canticles, or Hymns) and nine scripture readings, pray and then end the service. The Vigil service for Easter is right there in the BCP.
As to the vigil before the Altar, put out a signup sheet two or three weeks before the Saturday in Question and have people sign up for one or two hour stretches. Put a kneeler in front of the altar, put a bible, and prayer books on the kneeler. It is done.
Before closing this post, I cannot help but note that the other thing which traditionally has been begun on Saturday. That is the Eucharistic Fast, the practice of not eating beginning at the end of the night on Saturday and continuing the fast until the Eucharist on Sunday Morning. I mentioned in my post on Sunday’s that to serve those who chose to keep the fast, that an early Sunday Eucharist is a good idea. That we should all endeavor to engage in this pious practice is obvious, but in my experience it is observed mostly in the breach. Changing that is another way we should expect more of ourselves and our fellow parishioners.
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