Standing Liturgical Commission Meets
Diocesan Press Service. April 11, 1975 [75131]
DALLAS, Tex. -- The Standing Liturgical Commission (SLC) of the Episcopal Church moved into the semi-final stages of preparation of the manuscript of a Draft Proposed Book of Common Prayer at its meeting here, March 11-14.
The Rt. Rev. Chilton Powell, Bishop of Oklahoma and chairman of the Commission, emphasized that the SLC's attention must now be directed to the final revision of its existing work, in light of comments resulting from trial use, and must minimize any new drafting of texts.
Committee reports indicated that most sections of the Draft Book are virtually complete. The Rev. Canon Charles M. Guilbert, chairman of the Psalter Committee, reported that further refinements of translation are still being made on all of the Psalms but that this work should be ready for final consideration by the Commission in June.
The Commission approved final drafts of the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer) Rites I and II. The Daily Office Committee reported that the final form of the texts for individual devotions and family prayer would be presented at the Commission's next meeting.
The Commission also accepted the draft of an Order of Service for Noonday or Other Times and approved minor revisions in the Order for Compline.
The Committee on the Catechism presented the outline of "A Summary of Our Faith" for a first reading. The outline was generally well received and will be given further study before final action in May or June.
The Committee on the Holy Eucharist, the Rt. Rev. James W. Montgomery, chairman, presented completed drafts for the Holy Eucharist Rites I and II and an Order for Celebration of the Holy Eucharist. All three drafts were accepted. Rite I, in response to many requests, includes the opening acclamations from the Rite II service, for optional use, and a new acclamation appropriate for penitential seasons. The eucharistic prayer from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer will appear in its entirety in Rite I, together with a revised and shorter form in traditional language, as an alternative.
In addition to the new penitential acclamation, the proposed Rite III Eucharist will include a new alternative eucharistic prayer and a conflation of two eucharistic prayers already in print in the Order of Celebration of Authorized Services 1973.
The Committee on the Ordinal, the Rev. H. Boone Porter, chairman, presented its final draft of all Pontifical Rites, including a new Preface to the Ordinal and revision in the rites for Ordination, Consecration of a Church, and the Celebration of a New Ministry.
The Rev. Leo Malania, Co-ordinator for Prayer Book Revision, drew attention to certain matters raised by the Society for the Preservation of the Book of Common Prayer in their publication, An Open Letter to the SLC. The Commission noted that certain questions presented in the letter had been raised by other correspondents and had already been favorably decided, while other questions -- especially those relating to the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) -- are still subject to final action after the publication by ICET of Prayers We Have in Common, expected some time in April.
The Commission also heard a preliminary report from the special Education and Communication Committee on the production of materials to assist in understanding the forthcoming Draft Book and the entire Prayer Book revision process.
The Rev. John B. Coburn, President of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies, and the Rt. Rev. Scott Field Bailey, Executive Officer of the General Convention, were present for part of the SLC meeting to discuss procedures to be followed at the 65th General Convention of the Episcopal Church for presentation of the Draft Book. The Convention will meet at Minneapolis/St. Paul in the fall of 1976.
The Draft Proposed Prayer Book must be available to bishops and deputies of the Convention six months prior to the meeting. The Minnesota Convention will consider the Draft Book in detail before taking the first constitutional vote to adopt or reject it.
Ample opportunity will be given to all interested persons or groups to present their views to the Commission and to the Liturgy Committees of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, in open hearings before and during the Convention.
The Standing Liturgical Commission includes four bishops, twelve priests and six lay persons. It will meet again at the Bishop Mason Retreat and Conference Center in Dallas May 6- 9, with final meetings scheduled for June and July.