This is a continuation of my notes from the recent meeting of the Prayer Book Society USA. For Part 1 click here.
We began Thursday with Morning Prayer and Eucharist (in the Chapel) with the readings for the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.
The morning sessions began with a brief introduction by Dean McKeachie as he reminisced about days of change in 1991 when after the Convention of the Diocese of Maryland rejected a resolution asking the diocese to affirm Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, the "Baltimore Declaration" was penned. The path to that point might be in part due to prayer book innovations.
The first speaker of the day was The Very Revd. Dr. Laurie Thompson III, Dean of Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge PA who presented,
He started the main part of his paper by stating that the older Prayer Book protected us from heresy and that the 1979 Book of Common Prayer created openings for heresy to creep in.
He then suggested that in many Episcopal churches the bread and the wine are carried towards the altar by lay persons who are then given the collection plate(s) and who then proceed to collect the monetary offering. The problems with this are as follows: for one thing, the bread and the wine should not be considered gifts from us. "We" do not offer God the elements. Even though they have not been consecrated yet, the impression may be given that we are doing so. The Pelagian sin is "Me do it". Secondly, the collection of alms should have no relation to the bread and the wine, and lastly, we do not need redundant processions whose intent is just to encourage lay participation.
The offering is something that comes from God (the Doxology) and not from our own self idolatry.
So how do we offer up our selves? He suggested that the bow-tie is the way to resolve the polarities in life. Bow-ties fix the world if they are knotted with the knot of thanksgiving. I am not so sure about that one.
Laurie Thompson also related a story about the time he served on the Standing Committee for Liturgy and Music (SCLM) of the Episcopal organization. The scariest thing we learned was that 50% of the members of the SCLM had zero theological education at that time. (Is it any wonder that the SCLM came up with a liturgical resource for same-sex blessings).
The next paper presented by The Revd. Dr. Paul Avis of the Universities of Exeter and Durham was,
Liturgy is an expression of what the Church is.
Liturgy is the Epiphany of the Church.
Three ecclesiological axioms,
1. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy confirms that it is a worshiping community. Worship is a form of witness.
2. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy tells us that the Word and Sacrament are at the center of the Church's life.
3. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy tells us the mystery at the heart of the liturgy is Jesus Christ himself.
Why include the Psalms in liturgy? Jesus prayed the psalms; he died with the psalm on his lips.
What are the functions of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer?
1. Worship
2. Teaching: the Church as "school".
3. Intercession
The Eucharist: "The source and summit of the Church's work" (Vatican II). The one thing we should all agree on. At this point he touched on broken communion, and which he did not think could be easily justified.
The Conference "Luncheon break" was a comfortable two hours which allowed ample time to stroll to an oyster bar near the river and get back with time to spare for the afternoon session which started with,
After a short break for tea we heard from Dr. Paul Julienne of The Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland (retd.) on,
The last session.
Following this we all went over to the church for a Festal Choral Evensong. The sermon was delivered by The Rt. Revd. Michael Hawkins, Bishop of Saskatchewan. It was a lovely service.
This left plenty of time to get to our dinner reservation and more oysters!
Thus endeth the second day. I'll finish up next week.
We began Thursday with Morning Prayer and Eucharist (in the Chapel) with the readings for the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.
The morning sessions began with a brief introduction by Dean McKeachie as he reminisced about days of change in 1991 when after the Convention of the Diocese of Maryland rejected a resolution asking the diocese to affirm Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, the "Baltimore Declaration" was penned. The path to that point might be in part due to prayer book innovations.
The first speaker of the day was The Very Revd. Dr. Laurie Thompson III, Dean of Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge PA who presented,
"The Offertory & Pelagius: Did the Prayer Book Tradition protect us from an ancient heresy re-opened in the 1979 BCP? How can we maintain a right balance in our views of self-offering?"He began by talking about Trinity School for Ministry and how, in a time of seminary decline, Trinity is having to expand because of high enrollment.
He started the main part of his paper by stating that the older Prayer Book protected us from heresy and that the 1979 Book of Common Prayer created openings for heresy to creep in.
He then suggested that in many Episcopal churches the bread and the wine are carried towards the altar by lay persons who are then given the collection plate(s) and who then proceed to collect the monetary offering. The problems with this are as follows: for one thing, the bread and the wine should not be considered gifts from us. "We" do not offer God the elements. Even though they have not been consecrated yet, the impression may be given that we are doing so. The Pelagian sin is "Me do it". Secondly, the collection of alms should have no relation to the bread and the wine, and lastly, we do not need redundant processions whose intent is just to encourage lay participation.
The offering is something that comes from God (the Doxology) and not from our own self idolatry.
So how do we offer up our selves? He suggested that the bow-tie is the way to resolve the polarities in life. Bow-ties fix the world if they are knotted with the knot of thanksgiving. I am not so sure about that one.
Laurie Thompson also related a story about the time he served on the Standing Committee for Liturgy and Music (SCLM) of the Episcopal organization. The scariest thing we learned was that 50% of the members of the SCLM had zero theological education at that time. (Is it any wonder that the SCLM came up with a liturgical resource for same-sex blessings).
The next paper presented by The Revd. Dr. Paul Avis of the Universities of Exeter and Durham was,
“Knit together in one communion and fellowship: What does the liturgy tell us about the Church and its Unity?”Liturgy is a source of doctrine: Christology, Salvation, Ecclesiology (?)
Liturgy is an expression of what the Church is.
Liturgy is the Epiphany of the Church.
Three ecclesiological axioms,
1. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy confirms that it is a worshiping community. Worship is a form of witness.
2. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy tells us that the Word and Sacrament are at the center of the Church's life.
3. The fact that the Church celebrates its liturgy tells us the mystery at the heart of the liturgy is Jesus Christ himself.
Why include the Psalms in liturgy? Jesus prayed the psalms; he died with the psalm on his lips.
What are the functions of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer?
1. Worship
2. Teaching: the Church as "school".
3. Intercession
The Eucharist: "The source and summit of the Church's work" (Vatican II). The one thing we should all agree on. At this point he touched on broken communion, and which he did not think could be easily justified.
The Conference "Luncheon break" was a comfortable two hours which allowed ample time to stroll to an oyster bar near the river and get back with time to spare for the afternoon session which started with,
“Catholic apologetics: retrieving older precedents”.Presented by Dr. Christopher Wells, Editor of the Living Church. My notes are sketchy at this point as he gave a history of Thomas Aquinas and his "Summa" in which the importance of argument was, shall I say, argued? The talk left me wondering if we can have Prayer Book revision when we live in an age on emotivism in which it appears that we have lost the ability to argue.
After a short break for tea we heard from Dr. Paul Julienne of The Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland (retd.) on,
“Renewing the Christian Imagination: Inhabiting the City of God in a Secular Age”He is referring to Augustine and "The City of God". Briefly, Dr. Julienne discussed God's city and the secular city. Two loves define the two cities. In God's city, there is love of God even to the contempt of self. In the secular city, there is love of self even to the contempt of God.
The last session.
"Being "Reasonably Anglican" and "Prayer Bookish": Religion without tears?"Presented by The Revd. Canon Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff, International Advisor to the PBS pointed out the obvious, that you can't be Anglican without the historic Prayer book and its prayers of confession.
Following this we all went over to the church for a Festal Choral Evensong. The sermon was delivered by The Rt. Revd. Michael Hawkins, Bishop of Saskatchewan. It was a lovely service.
This left plenty of time to get to our dinner reservation and more oysters!
Thus endeth the second day. I'll finish up next week.
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I don't know about that offering processional, but I have long thought that a type of Pelagian heresy is enabled by the 1979 book. Those who love the '79 argue against the idea, but there should be no question, given the past few decades since its introduction, that it has failed to support orthodox teaching and practice.
ReplyDeleteThe very things that a Prayer Book is supposed to protect against were given openings to exploit in the process of the day creation and adoption of the 1979 BCP.
ReplyDelete