Liturgy Notes
Liturgical Notes on Incense and Bells |
Healing Prayers
We know through the gospel stories that one of the primary ministries of Jesus was one of healing. This ministry of healing—the laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and praying—is deeply rooted in the tradition of the Episcopal Church. And so, on Sunday, November 5 Prayers for Healing will be offered at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services during communion at a station at the back of the nave. Anyone wishing for healing prayers—whether for yourself or for another or for our hurting world—is invited to come to a prayer station after receiving communion. You need only say as much as you wish, and anything said will be held in confidence. If you have questions, please contact the Rev. Valerie Hayes. Read more about Healing Ministries in The Episcopal Church. |
Liturgy Notes for Holy WeekHoly Week almost collapses under the weight of the significance of the story of Jesus and our associated liturgies. There are as many traditions aligned with the three holy days (Triduum) of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, as there need for participants to help bring the sacred story alive. As such, I wanted to make a few notes about certain aspects of our worship this week. Every liturgy sets a kind of mood. This might not be evident to us each week, especially in the long season following Pentecost. Holy Week is generally the exception, as each liturgy serves to focus our attention on words and actions of Jesus that the Church considers central to our faith and life. |
February 27, 2017 Lent and AlleluiasDuring Lent, our liturgy changes to reflect a more penitential mood: the color changes to purple, flowers are absent, the music changes in tone and message, and we stop saying “Alleluia.” Normally, the congregation responds with “Alleluia” after the fraction of the host at Holy Eucharist, but during Lent, the “Alleluia” is omitted. The same is true for the dismissal at the end of the service. These changes help us to remember “the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith” (BCP 265). At the Easter Vigil, the Alleluias return: with song, joy, and ringing bells! Facing East at the CreedYou may have noticed that after the sermon we recite the Nicene Creed; our statement of belief. At this moment in the service we stand, making a shift in our body language, to participate in the recitation to say, "I'm ready." In addition, we also make sure that we are facing forward. If you are seated in the pews you face forward towards the altar. For those on the chancel we face towards the main dove window. We are all facing East towards the rising Sun and symbolically towards Jerusalem. When we recite these words of great importance, physically engaging our bodies in worship, we are facing the seat of God, the place of resurrection. In doing so, we are making a conscious effort to not simply repeat words on a page but as our prayer book states, "that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives...." |
February 20, 2017 Offering and Presentation HymnWe have not been singing a Presentation Hymn at the conclusion of the Offertory in recent months. The purpose of this change is to clarify the meaning of the Offertory and how it relates to the Eucharistic Prayer that follows. The basic purpose of the Offertory is to prepare for the Eucharist; this preparation includes setting the table, and collecting and bringing forward the people’s alms. Although the Prayer Book allows a hymn or anthem to be sung during the Offertory, the purpose of music during that time is to cover the action of making preparation for the Eucharist. It is important to note that the text of the Eucharistic Prayer (the Great Thanksgiving) incorporates language about our oblation and thanksgiving; when we use a Presentation Hymn (in many congregations this is where “The Doxology” is sung), the Offertory itself takes on the character of thanksgiving, preempting that function within the Great Thanksgiving. By removing the Presentation Hymn, we are refocusing the purpose of the Offertory, and allowing the choir’s anthem to take its proper place as an accompaniment to the action of the Offertory. Eucharistic Prayer in LentBeginning on Ash Wednesday, we will be using one of the Eucharistic Prayers from Enriching Our Worship, which is a collection of liturgical supplements from the Episcopal Church. The particular prayer, Prayer 2, offers some familiar themes (e.g. creation and redemption) with special emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. It is also worth noting the priority given to the language of relationship. Not only are we invited to remember God’s relationship to the world; we are also reminded how our relationships with each other, “of every tribe and language and people and nation”, figures into the gift of redemption we have in Jesus. |