A cautious and scholarly look at what the church's liturgy might become was shared with approximately 400 people, including Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, at "Unbound," a workshop sponsored by the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP). A series of workshops by liturgists from around the world explored "Anglican worship beyond the prayer book" at the Berkeley, Calif., seminary Jan. 28-31.

The Rt. Rev. David Stancliffe, Bishop of Salisbury in the Church of England, said that the "shape and structure are more important than the text" of liturgy.

"Many in the Anglican Church rather suspect that the demise of the prayer book may be a necessary evil, or a blessing in disguise," added the Rev. Elizabeth Smith of Australia. She suggested that more attention must be paid to feminist tradition in liturgical development.

In Anglicanism, "women's presence is still often muted, often tentative, often unobserved, often incidental to the mainstream of liturgical change," Ms. Smith said.

Children will also be more included in new liturgies, suggested the Rev. David Holeton, professor of liturgy at Charles University in Prague. Children have an "unabashed reverence" and "can teach us to be a gracious receiver of grace," he said.

"Liturgy tends to be planned by people who are seriously under-represented in the world," he added. "The liturgy should be planned so that at some time, every member will feel fully engaged."

The Rev. Carolyn Fairless of the Diocese of California added that the involvement of children in the liturgy "is not a question of hospitality. It is a baptismal right. What develops is a ministry of children, and not adult ministry to children."

The Rev. John Baldovin, professor of liturgy at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, said that the Book of Common Prayer has done an excellent job of "capturing a baptismal spirituality. The baptismal covenant is the most eloquent statement of faith and mission in Christian liturgy." But, he added, "liturgy is something done, not said." Fr. Baldovin urged re-examination of the liturgy using "non-verbal" aspects such as music, posture, gesture and architecture.

The conference was developed by the Rev. Louis Weil, professor of liturgy at CDSP. He noted that the "classical model" - clergy processing, a gathering rite, reading of scripture, preaching, intercessions and the Eucharist - is not going to disappear. That model "needs to be the foundational one, but not the only model, for the celebration of the Eucharist. If we focus on the forms, it is quite easy for love of the liturgy to become a type of prayer book idolatry," he said.

Fr. Weil said he recognized that the effort to create a new form of liturgy, a new prayer book, will not be an easy one. "It is certainly true that throughout the history of Anglicanism - don't forget the reaction to the 1549 prayer book - liturgical change has not been generally accepted easily. Liturgists have been pressing on the church matters which the church does not want." Fr. Weil urged "liturgical formation," or development of an "understanding of the spirit of liturgy" by the church's lay and ordained leaders.

The need for education was also sounded by Ms. Smith, who said, "In liturgical creativity, the question of quality and accountability cannot be avoided."

Bishop Griswold, in his public comments on the conference, suggested that liturgical reformers should not take themselves too seriously. Citing a 1960s' "eucharistic think tank" which he attended, and which devolved into a less than satisfactory experience, Bishop Griswold said the event "reveals the tyranny of our own creativity, which sometimes can become as binding as the unbinding we are talking about.

"So one has to be very careful about 'What energies am I bringing to this eucharistic event,' and also the intention." That said, Bishop Griswold noted the "tension" between the eucharistic "experience of a particular community" with an event "which takes place in relationship to something universal." As a diocesan bishop, he said that he could "tell a tremendous amount about the life of the congregation by entering into its worship."

But some experimentation may be helpful, he said.

"There is the example of scripture, which on one occasion is absolutely barren and on another is filled with life. What's the difference? The difference is where you are in relationship to the scripture, and the same thing happens to us in relation to the liturgy," Bishop Griswold said.

"We are never in exactly the same place twice. Which is one reason I think it's very important that we offer a variety of liturgical styles because people are in different places." Offering "different ways in which to encounter Christ can serve the community much more richly than one particular pattern."

Reaction from conference participants was generally positive.

The Rt. Rev. Steven Plummer, Bishop of Navajoland, said the conference was "helpful" in his efforts to form a Navajo liturgy, which he plans to develop with his Area Mission Council.

"The spirit seems to be positive," said Donn Morgan, president and dean of CDSP. "Our challenge was to give good education. That's what we're all about. And it was an opportunity for us to honor Louis Weil." Fr. Weil was installed as James F. Hodges Professor of Liturgy at CDSP during the conference.

Also held in conjunction with the conference was the opening of "Keys to Worship," an exhibit of historic prayer books, starting with the Book of Common Prayer edition of 1662. The exhibit is housed at the Graduate Theological Union library at Berkeley.