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Liturgical Advisory Committee Proposes Changes to Book of Common Prayer – Brexit Brackets Motion Falls

Liturgical Advisory Committee Proposes Changes to Book of Common Prayer – Brexit Brackets Motion Falls

The work of the Liturgical Advisory Committee over the last year was presented at General Synod this afternoon (Thursday May 4). Proposing the LAC’s report, the Very Revd Nigel Dunne focused brought several major projects to the attention of members.

He said the most significant piece of work completed was the new Morning and Evening Prayer for Use on Sundays. “The idea was originally tabled by our Chairman, Bishop Harold Miller, as there seemed to be widespread feeling that Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in their traditional forms, designed to be daily offices rather than principal Sunday services, do not always make for meaningful Sunday worship,” he explained.

“Some people, particularly from the background I come from, might say that we have plenty of provision for Sunday use and isn’t the Eucharist the primary Sunday service anyway?  Well maybe so, but the reality is that most parishes have long established patterns of Sunday worship which include Morning Prayer anything from once to three times a month.  Since the Service of the Word is designed for only occasional use (and with permission of the ordinary) we felt that the time had come to provide something a lot more ‘user friendly’ for use on Sundays,” Dean Dunne added.

The service echoes some of the familiar patterns embedded in the service in the Book of Common Prayer. A new and significant element of the service is the inclusion of the Collect of the Word which are tied into the readings of the day, either before or after the sermon, he explained. He thanked the Revd Ken Rue for his work in compiling these collects.

The Dean said that the new service, alongside other minor legislative interventions would allow for the reprint of the Book of Common Prayer in late 2018.

He also highlighted the completion by the Hymnal Committee of the recording of music CDs containing 169 hymns from Thanks & Praise. He hoped that it was enriching worship throughout the island.

Seconding the report the Revd Adrian Dorrian outlined developments in providing liturgical resources for occasions where there has been a still birth or death by suicide. He welcomed the fact that Archdeacon Gary Hastings was coming on board with the LAC to provide services in Irish. He also outlined consultations with the Church of Ireland Children’s Ministry on services involving large numbers of children.

Three motions in the form of special resolutions were proposed by the LAC.

Motion 3 proposed that leave be given for the introduction of a Bill at General Synod 2018 to amend the Book of Common Prayer by including An Order for Morning and Evening Prayer for Use on Sunday.

Motion 4 proposed that leave be given for the introduction of a Bill at General Synod 2018 to authorise the use of Collects of the Word as part of An Order for Morning and Evening Prayer for Use on Sunday.

Motion 5 proposed that leave be given for the introduction of a Bill at General Synod 2018 to amend the Book of Common Prayer by making changes to the Litany in Contemporary Language in the section entitled ‘For the State’ that the petition beginning ‘Bless the European Union’ be placed within red brackets.

Proposing this motion, the Revd Adrian Dorrian said: “The Litany Two, the modern language version, includes a petition for the European Union. It says: ‘Bless the European Union, and draw us closer to one another in justice and freedom’. For good or for ill, by the time the General Synod gathers in 2019 Northern Ireland will no longer be a part of the European Union, based on the timetable that is intended to follow the triggering of Article 50. Hopefully we won’t need passports to get there, but regardless the political reality behind the inclusion of this petition in The Litany will have changed. Reading the petition, there is no reason that it could not be used in a country outside the EU, but its inclusion in the state prayers section assumes membership of the EU as a default”.

He added that the insertion of red brackets is intended to make the use of the petition optional. “This is not a statement on Brexit, but rather a reflection of a political reality – just as each of our state prayers does the same. The fate of the EU will continue to be relevant for people in Northern Ireland, but any prayers for the EU will naturally take a different flavour within a non–member state,” he explained.

Speaking to the motion, the Bishop of Cashel said he was troubled by the manner of the use of the brackets as it could make the use of the petition optional in a member state of the EU. He suggested an amendment to ensure that appropriate prayer was offered in both jurisdictions and that it is mandatory in the Republic of Ireland.

The Revd Ian Linton (Elphin and Ardagh) said the motion was premature in that there was no guarantee that Britain would leave the EU.

Voting took place by orders and a two thirds majority among laity was not achieved on Motion 5 and the motion fell.

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