Episcopal Press and News
The Standing Liturgical Commission Meets
Diocesan Press Service. September 28, 1972 [72145]
THE STANDING LITURGICAL COMMISSION MEETS
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Standing Liturgical Commission of the Episcopal Church completed yesterday a three-day meeting (the second of this year), by approving the draft of a revised service of Holy Baptism and a revised Form for A Bishop's Visitation with the Laying on of Hands. These drafts will now be sent to all the Bishops, all Chairmen of Diocesan Liturgical Committees, and the Commission's 300 Reader-Consultants. After receiving their comments, reactions, and suggestions, the Commission will publish a final draft in its series of Prayer Book Studies, well in time for submission to the 64th General Convention in October, 1973.
The Commission made several important decisions with regard to trial use and the work in progress. It decided:
1. To complete its work on the revision of the Book of Common Prayer twelve months before the 65th General Convention, and to recommend that the Convention be held in 1976 rather than in 1975;
2. To recommend that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies authorize, for the remaining period of trial use, the optional use of the traditional form of The Lord's Prayer in all services where a contemporary form is given (This action is a response to the comments and suggestions of a large number of Church members) ;
3. To approve, on a first reading, the draft of a new Brief Catechism which may be used as Offices of Instruction;
4. To approve the draft of a re-arranged form of the Daily Office and a new Lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer on weekdays (This action was also a response to numerous comments from members of the Church) ;
5. To reaffirm its intention of proposing that a future revised Book of Common Prayer should include Service I (in traditional language) and Service II (in contemporary language) of the Holy Eucharist, together with an Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist, with alternative eucharistic prayers (All these services now appear in Services for Trial Use. They are subject to such further revision as the results of trial use may require);
6. To approve on a first reading, revised forms for The Blessing of a Church, and Celebration at the Beginning of a New Ministry (alternatives respectively to the present Form of Consecration of a Church or Chapel, and Office for the Institution of Ministers into Parishes or Churches).
The Commission also approved the draft of a theological statement on Holy Baptism and took note of The Church Hymnal Corporation's plan to publish this fall Prayers, Thanksgivings and Litanies (Prayer Book Studies 25) prepared by the Commission.
The Commission decided to present to the House of Bishops in October, 1972, a timetable for completing the task of revising the Book of Common Prayer, assigned to it by the General Conventions of 1964, 1967, and 1970, and to recommend to the Bishops one of two alternative procedures for a full and sufficient consideration of a Proposed Book: either the calling of a Special General Convention of not less than three days' duration immediately preceding the meeting of the Convention, or the allocation by the Convention of not less than two days for this purpose during its regular meeting. The Commission decided pending the submission of a Draft Proposed Book to recommend continuation of trial use.
All the material prepared by the Commission is circulated in draft form to the Chairmen of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, and its Reader Consultants, and to all Bishops when the material is of special interest to them.
The Rt. Rev. Chilton Powell, Bishop of Oklahoma, is Chairman of the Standing Liturgical Commission. Its membership consists of five Bishops, 12 Priests, and four lay persons. The next meeting of the Commission will be held in Dallas, Tex., December 6-9.
