An Outline of an Anglican Life (Tarsitano, 1994)/Appendix I

APPENDIX I PARTICIPATION IN AN ANGLICAN SERVICE

Preparation, Attention, and Cooperation

A congregation of Christians in church is not so much an audience, waiting to be entertained, as it is an orchestra in concert to honor God, under the direction of a conductor, each member taking his proper part. It is God, and not ourselves, that we seek to please with our worship. The keys, therefore, to intelligent participation in Anglican services are preparation, attention, and cooperation. Preparation. First, make a spiritual preparation. Before every service, ask God to open your heart, your soul, and your mind to the Spirit of prayer, to his Word, and to his Will. Ask him to guide and illuminate his ministers who have been appointed to lead the service.

Second, get to church early enough to examine any bulletin or service order provided for the congregation. Find your place in the Prayer Book and Hymnal as needed, and review any parts of the service with which you are unfamiliar so that you will know what is expected of you during the service. The "rubrics" (instructions in fine print) will provide most of this information. Third, as quietly as possible, to avoid embarrassing them, assist visitors and guests in preparing for the service. Attention. Once the service begins, focus all of your attention on it. Listen for what God may be telling you through his Word and worship. Listen for any additional instructions the officiant may offer. Make the proper responses with the rest of the congregation. Listen to the people around you and keep pace with them. During hymns, listen to the organ: try to stay on key and to follow the accompaniment. When the officiant leads the congregation in corporate prayer, follow his lead (and not your own or anyone else's). Pay attention to the sermon, and if the preacher says anything that you don't understand, ask him about it later at some convenient time. Cooperation. The Book of Common Prayer is a "church order," not a strait-jacket; and Anglicans are not robots. Congregations have "personalities," just as individual Anglicans, clergymen, and other officiants do. These personalities come through during our public worship, but they must not be allowed to compete with one another. Christian worship is the expression of our unity in Jesus Christ. Local customs and practices are perfectly legitimate, as long as we are not so silly as to want to excommunicate anyone who doesn't follow the local customs of our own parish church (or of the church where we grew up). Whether in our home parish, or while visiting another, our goal is to "fit in" with the rest of the congregation, and not to stand out. Opinions about the "best" way to conduct a service are fine, but during a service is not the time to express them. By custom, Church law, and God's commandment, the officiant (whether a clergyman or a lay-reader) whom the Church has appointed to conduct the service is in charge of the service. It is his lead that must be followed. If you truly believe, for example, that

he reads the service "too slowly" or "too quickly," you may take the matter up with him sometime in private. During the service, stay with him, even if you must concentrate a bit to do so. Special care is sometimes necessary to provide this courtesy to a visiting minister (or even to the Bishop when he makes his official visitations). In any event, never try to "reform" the practice of the officiant or of the rest of the congregation from a pew during services. Even on days when you attend public services, God still provides you with almost twenty-three other hours for private prayer and private expression.

Some Things You Should Know

The following are generalized observations and instructions for worship according to the Prayer Book. Many are simply matters of courtesy and custom. Some are what might be called "Anglican folk-ways." Refer any questions about them to your rector. Posture. The general Anglican rule is Kneel to Pray; Sit to Be Instructed; and Stand to Give Praise. Follow the rubrics, however, when they require otherwise. For example, the members of the congregation (because they act as witnesses) stand throughout the Ministration of Holy Baptism and the Form of the Solemnization of Matrimony, even during the prayers. The Rubrics. The fine-print instructions in the Prayer Book are called "rubrics," because they were once printed in red. The rubrics should be followed, unless otherwise instructed by the officiant, who is given the benefit of the doubt that he has his pastoral reasons for any variance from the rubrics. The Infirm. The weak or the infirm may sit while others kneel or stand. You may stand at the altar rail to receive Communion, if you cannot kneel. If you cannot go to the altar rail, ask an usher to request that the priest administer the Communion to you at your seat in the congregation. At the Minister's Entrance & Exit. Stand when the priest and other ministers enter at the beginning of the Holy Communion, and when they leave. You needn't stand at the entrance of the officiant for Morning and Evening Prayer until he stands to begin the service. Stand at the Opening Sentences of a funeral. Stand when the bride enters at a wedding. Stand during processions.

Gestures of Reverence

Since the 1549 Prayer Book (the first Prayer Book in English, produced during the Reformation), all gestures of reverence (signing with the cross; bowing; genuflecting; knocking or beating on the breast to show repentance), except kneeling or standing when the rubrics of the Prayer Book require them, have been left to the piety and discretion of the individual Anglican. The gestures, when they are used, reflect the courtesy and protocol of service in the court of a king, in this case, the King of Kings. The sign of the cross is a marking of someone or something with the Cross of Christ. Once it was a secret recognition sign among persecuted Christians. Now it is a public announcement that someone or something belongs to Christ. It is used at blessings, at the absolution of sins, at the signing of a newly baptized person, at anointings with holy oil, at the mention of the Trinity, and at the end of the Creeds to show that eternal life comes from the Cross of Christ alone. The sign is made by taking the right hand and placing it on the forehead, on the center of the breast, and then on the left and the right of the breast. At the introduction of the Gospel at Holy Communion, it is made with the thumb on the forehead, lips, and heart, as a prayer that the Gospel will be in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. Once again, with the exception of the cross in

baptism (which the 1928 Prayer Book requires the minister to make: BCP 280), the use of the sign of the cross is a matter of personal piety and discipline. Genuflecting means "bending the knee." It is a gesture of humility before our king, and an application of St. Paul's injunction that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:10). It is made before (not "to") the altar, as the earthly representation of God's throne, much the way a soldier salutes the flag as a symbol of his country. In some churches it is the custom to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, and at the words "and I was incarnate . . ." during the Nicene Creed, in recognition of the Incarnation of Christ. Genuflection is done on the right knee. Bowing the Head is another application of St. Paul's teaching about reverence for the Name of Christ, mentioned above. It has generally replaced genuflection at the mention of Jesus' Name. Bowing is also used in place of genuflection at other times, and is sometimes called simply "reverencing." It is customary among many Anglicans to bow at the mention

of the Trinity (as during the Gloria Patri: Glory be to the Father, etc.). Knocking on the Breast is a sign of repentance. In the Bible, the heart is the "organ" responsible for making choices, so that beating the breast (or heart) is a sign of our admission that our hearts' choices have been faulty. Bells are a signal. Their original purpose was to signal to the members of a parish (who in ancient days mostly lived close enough to the church to hear them) and to the community in general that Divine Service was about to begin. In some places a hand bell was rung through the streets of the town before service. The purpose of bells rung within the service is similar: to signal to the congregation and the world that the Church is now at prayer. The bell rung in some churches at the Holy Communion, after the Words of Institution are read, is called "the sacring bell" (a shortening of "consecration"). It is properly rung on the great bell of the church as a signal to those outside (such as the sick, or those required to be at labor) that Christ is being worshiped and Common Prayer is being offered for them. This signal may also be rung on a hand bell. Bells are also tolled for the dead, and rung on occasions of great rejoicing.

At Morning and Evening Prayer

At Morning & Evening Prayer, stand for the Opening Sentences; the Gloria Patri; the Canticles (Venite, Te Deum, Magnificat, etc.); the Creed; and any sung hymns. Kneel for the Confession, Absolution, Lord's Prayer, and any other prayers (after "Let us pray"). Sit for the Lessons; Sit or Stand for the Psalms as instructed, or following the lead of the officiant. Breathing Capitals are found in the corporate prayers in the Daily Offices and throughout the Prayer Book. Their purpose is to mark pauses for breath, so that the congregation and ministers will keep together when reciting their joint prayers. The marked capital letters in the following phrases are examples of "breathing capitals": Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. The breathing capitals should not be ignored by the congregation, unless the officiant ignores them. Without some system of pauses, however, corporate prayers tend to turn into babble. The Service Music for the Offices begins on page 697 of the 1940 Hymnal. An

explanation of how to chant the service music of the Church is also included. If your parish uses a different hymnal, find the service music in the index. If you are unfamiliar with any of the service music, it is best to look it up and sing it from the Hymnal. Most people should not trust their memories when it comes to the Canticles (see below). The "pointing" (the musical arrangement, pauses, and phrasing) of the Canticles is complicated enough that the Hymnal will be a great help in the congregation's keeping together. The Canticles are liturgical songs, named for the Latin word for "little songs." They are said or sung in unison (that is, by the ministers and congregation together), including the Gloria Patri that follows those canticles without their own doxology (concluding words of praise). Gloria Patri is not said with Te Deum or Benedicite. Whether said or sung, the asterisk (*) in each verse (line) marks a definite pause (or caesura), and must always be observed. Whether said or sung, the canticles are begun by the officiant (or a leader called "the precentor" or "the cantor"), who reads or sings to the first (*). At this point, the congregation joins in. (Note that it is a good practice at all times to allow the leader of a prayer to recite the opening phrase, before the congregation joins in. For example: the officiant says, "Our Father," and then the congregation continues with him, "who art in heaven.") The Psalms are usually read or sung antiphonally (in alternating verses, begun by the officiant or other leader). As with the Canticles, the (*) must always be observed. The Gloria Patri may follow each Psalm or the entire selection of Psalms. Practices vary, but one that works very well is as follows. Allow the leader to begin each Psalm and the Gloria Patri that follows the Psalms, regardless of who read the previous verse. During the Canticles and Psalms pay attention to the meaning of the words and to the punctuation. Stop at the periods and (*). Generally, stop at (;), or at the conclusion of any self-contained thought. Pause for breath only at logical places. Listen to the others reciting with you, and try to keep together. Don't drop your voice before pauses or the ends of verses. Seek the natural rhythm of the language: stress the verbs and important nouns. Do

not reduce the Word of God and the prayers of the Church to gibberish. During the Creed it is a common Anglican practice to face the East end of the church (the front, where the altar is), because of the ancient Christian association of the altar with the throne of God and of the sunrise with the Resurrection of Christ. A Prayer for the President, A Prayer for the Clergy and People, A Prayer for all Conditions of Men, and A General Thanksgiving are sometimes called "the State Prayers," because of the prayer for the civil authority. Originally they were required at Morning Prayer whenever the Litany or Communion did not follow, because they cover the general range of topics a Christian should consider in prayer every day. While they are optional now, they remain the best conclusion for the offices.

At the Holy Communion

Stand for processions; the Gospel; the Creed; hymns (unless instructed otherwise); and the Gloria in Excelsis. Also stand when the Alms Basins (offering plates) are brought forward and presented to the priest, as a sign of your participation in this offering to God, and out of respect for the One to whom it is offered. Remain standing until the beginning of the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ's Church. It is also good practice to stand when the preacher leaves the pulpit after the Sermon, at least until the Offertory Sentences are read. Kneel for prayers; the General Confession and Absolution; and for blessings. Sit for the Epistle; the announcements; the Sermon; and for anthems. If there is no hymn, you may sit during the Offertory, until the alms basins are brought forward to be offered. The Service Music for the Holy Communion begins on page 743 (with Hymn 701) of the 1940 Hymnal. When chanting, respond in the same key and at the same pace as were used by the priest. The Best Practice is that the congregation never recite the Prayer of Humble Access or the Prayer of Thanksgiving. The rubrics do not permit it. The Amen is printed in italics, to show that it is a response by the congregation to prayers said on their behalf, just as the Canon (the consecration prayers) is concluded by the people's Amen. The Prayer Book intends that the congregation's participation and cooperation be demonstrated by this use of

a corporate Amen. The Exhortations (beginning BCP 85) are concluded by the congregation's Amen. The congregation kneels for the first Exhortation, and sits for the other two. An Odd, But Charming, Anglican Custom is not to leave the pews until the candles are extinguished. Its purpose is a matter of courtesy, so that those who wish to say a private prayer after the service (which ought to include everyone) will not be jostled about or disturbed by conversation. Similarly, it is the best practice to prepare for the service by avoiding any unnecessary conversation.

At the Burial of the Dead

Stand for the procession into the church and for the Opening Sentences ("I am the resurrection and the life . . ."); for the Psalms (if the officiant does); for the Creed (if it is said); and for the procession out of the church. Sit for the Lesson(s); for the Sermon (if there is one); for any anthems; and for the Psalms (if the officiant sits). Kneel for the prayers (after "Let us pray"). The Psalms are recited in the same manner as at the Daily Offices (see above). If a Celebration of the Holy Communion Follows the Burial Office, participate as usual. The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel are found on page 268 of the 1928 Prayer Book. At the Grave, gather as instructed by the officiant. Stand quietly, but make the responses. Note that the Lord's Prayer concludes, without the doxology, at "But deliver us from evil." Eulogies are not appropriate during an Anglican funeral service. We gather to worship God, and to pray for God's mercy for our deceased brother or sister, and for ourselves. Each of us is a servant of God, and it is God's business to offer us praise or correction, as he chooses (see Romans 14:4). A sermon expressing the Church's hope in the Gospel promise of eternal life for all faithful people is always appropriate, however. Flowers are not customarily used at a funeral in the Anglican Church, as a sign of mourning and out of respect for the deceased. Similarly, flowers are not used during times of preparation and repentance, such as the seasons of Advent and Lent.

The Burial of a Child is a separate order of service in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP 338). A common custom is to use white vestments; and depending on local custom, flowers may be used. If the Holy Communion follows, it is a common practice to use the Collect, Reading for the Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the feast of St. Michael and All Angels (BCP 251-253). The reading from Revelation assures us that the death of children is an act of malice by the devil, in a war of rebellion against God that he has already lost. The Gospel provides our Lord's reassurance that the Father in heaven has put our children in the care of the angels, so that they may be protected unto eternal life.

At Baptisms, Weddings, Confirmations, and the Litany

At Baptisms and Weddings Stand and make the responses. At Confirmations Stand until the Lord's Prayer, and make the responses. At the Litany Stand if the Litany is said or sung in procession. Kneel if the litanist (officiant) kneels.

In General

There is No Substitute for regular attendance at services. If you are new to Prayer Book services, or to a particular congregation, it is quite normal to feel a little awkward at first. A little practical experience will soon change all that. Do your best and pay attention, and soon you won't be worrying about the "mechanics" of worship. The people around you should be paying attention to the service, and not "rating" your "performance." Besides, as Christians, we are all under a positive obligation of charity to assist one another in the worship of God. Use the Prayer Book, since it is better to follow the service in the Prayer Book than to depend on memory. The Purpose of a Fixed Liturgy is decency and order; and to permit the Christian who knows the forms of his Church to give his full attention to the worship of God (without his having to wonder, "What comes next?").

Editorial Notes

Source: Louis R. Tarsitano, An Outline of an Anglican Life (Classical Anglican Press, 1994). Reproduced on AnglicanWiki by permission of Classical Anglican Press.