This diocesan eucharistic liturgy was published in 1970, seven years before the formal inauguration of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. Many local languages in this province have been used for Anglican liturgical translations, but English serves as a lingua franca. This is the first liturgy prepared for Papua New Guinea that departs from the traditional BCP order in several respects, anticipating changes adopted by some parts of the Anglican Communion later in the decade.

The Niugini Liturgy was prepared and published by the Right Reverend David Hand (1918-2006) , whose ministry in New Guinea spanned from 1946 to 2006. Born in Australia and educated in England, Bishop Hand was one of the primary architects of the Anglican Province of PNG. He was consecrated bishop coadjutor of New Guinea in 1950, when he was the youngest bishop in the Anglican Communion. After Papua New Guinea's independence from Australia in 1975 and the establishment of an independent ecclesiastical province in 1977, Hand became archbishop of the province. Following a brief curacy in England when he stepped aside to allow local clergy to assume leadership of the province, he returned to Port Moresby in 1985, where he lived an active retirement until his death in 2006.

This liturgy is significant for its incorporation of local custom, such as the rubrics directing the use of "bell, drum or rattle" and the title "Niugini Liturgy," using the local creole name for New Guinea. It primarily derives from the 1967 trial English Second Series Liturgy, with modernized and simplified language along the lines of the Good News Bible and the Melanesian Liturgy, and with some rearrangements similar to other liturgies influenced by the Liturgical Movement. The text is a precursor of the Occasional offices of the Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea, published in 1976 and of the Province's Anglican Prayer Book, published in 1991.
 

NIUGINI LITURGY
(Approved by the Bishop)

THE PEOPLE MAKE THEMSELVES READY
(THE PREPARATION)

(May be said separately when the Liturgy is to be sung.)

Kneel We have a great High Priest Who has passed into heaven, Jesus the Son of God; so let us draw near with a true heart and a sure faith, and make our confession to our heavenly Father.

(Short silence)

The Priest and People will then make this confession:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against You, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in the good things we have not done. For the sake of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all that is past, and help us to serve you in the new life, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Priest will then say:

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you and save you from all your sins, make you strong in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

THE FIRST PART OF THE SERVICE
(THE INTRODUCTION)

(When the Ministers come in, a psalm, or part of a psalm, or a hymn, may be sung.)

Then this Prayer shall be said by the Priest and People together:

Almighty God, to Whom all hearts are open, all wants known, and from Whom no secrets are hidden, clean the thoughts of our hearts by the work of Your Holy Spirit, that we may truly love You, and worthily praise Your holy name, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy (three times)
Christ have mercy (three times)
Lord have mercy (three times)

Then the Priest and People will sing or say:

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ: O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; You Who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You Who sit at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy on us. For You only are holy, You only are the Lord, You only O Christ, with the Holy Spirit, are the Most High in the glory of the Father. Amen.

Priest              The Lord be with you.
People            And with you.
Priest              Let us pray.

The Collect shall be said.

THE READINGS AND THE PREACHING
(THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD)

Sit

(On Sundays, a Lesson from the Old Testament should be read, and then a canticle can be sung or said.)

Then a Lesson from the New Testament shall be read. (After this Lesson a psalm, or part of a psalm, or a canticle, or a hymn may be sung.)

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with you.

Stand

Then a Lesson from the Gospels shall be read.

Before the Gospel the people say:

Glory be to You, O Lord.

After the Gospel the people say:

Praise be to You, O Christ.

Then the Sermon shall be preached, on Sundays and on some other occasions.

On Sundays and other holy days the Creed shall then be sung or said.

    I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
    And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord; the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the prophets.
    And I believe One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

THE PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
(THE INTERCESSION)

The Priest or one or more of the people shall offer the prayers of the Church.

Kneel

After each petition, or group of petitions, the reader shall say: “Lord in your mercy” and the people shall answer “Hear our prayer.”

Reader            Let us pray.

Almighty God, You have promised to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith, we pray for Your whole Church in Jesus Christ, and for the needs of all men: For the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.

Reader            Lord in Your mercy.
People             Hear our prayer.

Reader

For the peace of the world;
For our country, for this place (town or village) and for all who live here: For all leaders and governors, especially for our Queen, Elizabeth:
For all in authority in this country, especially those in this district (or town).

Reader            Lord in Your mercy.
People             Hear our prayer.

Reader

For the unity of the Church of God: For all Christian people throughout the world;
For this diocese, and for the bishops and clergy of Christ’s Church (especially for N . . . our bishop(s)).
For all evangelists, for the brothers and sisters of religious communities, and other servants of the Church:
For unbelievers, that they may come to know the truth in Christ:
For the spread of the Gospel in this and every land:

Reader            Lord in Your mercy.
People             Hear our prayer.

Reader

For teachers and those who lead others by their words:
For our homes and all parents and children:
For all men and women in their daily work:
For our food and crops, that they may grow well:
For all who travel by land, sea, and air.

Reader            Lord in Your mercy.
People             Hear our prayer.

Reader

For the sick and the suffering in mind and body, and for those who serve them:
For those who have died:
For ourselves, that we may follow the blessed saints and martyrs in being good soldiers and servants of Christ, and that we may have a holy and happy death, rest in Paradise, and a share in your glory.

Reader            Lord in Your mercy.
People             Hear our prayer.

Grant these prayers of ours, O merciful Father, for the sake of your Son Our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Stand Then the Priest and People shall say:

We are the Body of Christ. By one Spirit we were all baptised into one Body.

Priest        Try to keep the unity of the Spirit and to hold together in the way of peace. The peace of the Lord be with you always.

People             And with you.

THE OFFERING
(THE PREPARATION OF THE BREAD AND WINE)

The bread and wine shall then be placed on the altar and the gifts of the people may be given at the same time.

Priest        Lord, to You belong the Greatness, and the Power, and the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majesty.

People      All that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours, and of Your own we give back to You.

(A hymn may be sung.)

THE THANKSGIVING

Stand

Priest        The Lord be with you.
People      And with you.
Priest        Lift up your hearts.
People      We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest        Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People      It is good and right to do so.
Priest        It is good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ Your only Son, Our Lord: Because through Him you made all things from the beginning and made us in Your own likeness:
Through Him You saved us from being slaves to sin, giving Him to be born as man, to die on the cross and to rise again for us:+

+(During Christmas time there is also said:

For by the work of the Holy Spirit He was made man of the Virgin Mary his mother, and without any sin, to make us clean from all sin.)

+(During Passion time there is also said:

For He became man, humbled Himself, and walked the path of obedience to death — His death on the cross. For this reason You raised Him to the highest place above, and gave Him the Name that is greater than any other name.)

+(During Easter time there is also said:

For He is the true Lamb of sacrifice which was offered for us and Who has taken away the sin of the world; Who by His death has destroyed death and by His rising to life again has given everlasting life back to us.)
Through Him You made us a people for Yourself, lifting Him to Your right hand on high, and sending out through Him Your holy and life-giving Spirit. ++

++(From Ascension Day to the Saturday after Pentecost there is also said:

For by the gift of the Spirit you have given Your people power to preach the Good News among the nations and to serve You well as the King’s Priests.)

So through Him, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we praise You with joy and say:

People      Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of all,
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
Glory be to You, O Lord most high.
Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord,
Hosanna in the Highest.

(Bell, Drum or Rattle)

Kneel

Priest        Hear us, O Father, through Christ Your Son, our Lord. Through Him receive our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and make these gifts of bread and wine to be to us His Body and Blood; In the same night that He was betrayed, He took bread; and, when He had given thanks to You, He broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take eat, this is My Body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Then after supper He took the cup; and, when He had given thanks to You, He gave it to them saying, “Drink this, all of you, for this is My Blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins; Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” And so, O Lord, with this bread and this cup we make the memorial of His saving passion, His resurrection from the dead and His glorious ascension into heaven, and we look for the coming of His Kingdom. We ask You to receive this duty and service of ours, and to let us eat and drink these Holy Things that we may be filled with Your grace and heavenly blessing. Through the same Christ our Lord, by Whom and with Whom, and in Whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be given to you, O Father Almighty, from, the whole company of heaven and earth,’ throughout all ages, world without end.

People             Amen.

(Bell, Drum or Rattle)

Then shall the Priest and the People together say the Lord’s Prayer. The Priest first will say:

Let us pray.
As our Saviour Christ has commanded and taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father in heaven; Hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

Then the Priest shall break the bread which has been blessed.

Priest and People

O Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
O Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
O Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world,
grant us your peace.

THE SHARING OF THE SACRAMENT

The Priest invites the people to share the Holy Sacrament saying:

Come with faith; take the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for You and His Blood which was shed for you, and feed on Him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.

The Priest and People say together:

We do not trust in our own goodness, O Lord, when we come to Your table, but in Your many and great mercies. We are not good enough even to pick up the crumbs under Your table. But because You always have mercy, help us, O Lord, to eat the Flesh of Your dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink His Blood, that we may always live in Him, and He in us. Amen.

(Bell or Drum or Rattle)

Then the Priest and other Ministers receive the Blessed Sacrament, and shall then give It to the People, saying to each one who receives:

The Body of Christ, and, The Blood of Christ.

(Hymns may be sung while the People are receiving the Sacrament.)

THE ENDING
(THANKSGIVING)

Kneel

Priest        The Lord be with you.
People      And with you.
Priest        Let us pray.

Almighty and everliving God, we thank You for feeding us in this Holy Sacrament with the Body and Blood of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and for keeping us in the Body of Your Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and we pray that we may continue to be living members of that holy fellowship, and do all those good works You have made ready for us.

Priest and People

And here we offer You ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out into the world in the power of Your Spirit, to live and work to Your praise and glory. Amen.

Priest

Go in peace; love and serve the Lord; be full of joy in the power of the Holy Spirit; And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and stay with you forever. Amen.

The Ministers shall then go out

(A hymn may be sung before all the People go out.)

Blessed bread and wine which are not wanted for communion shall be eaten and drunk by the Priest immediately after the communion of the People, or by one of the other Ministers while the Priest continues the service, or it shall be left on the altar until the end of the service and then it will be eaten and drunk or reserved in the tabernacle.