| Prayer for Individuals in Public Worship | |||
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1
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A ministry of prayer for individuals may be offered in the context of public worship and should be introduced under the procedures required by Canon B 3. Suitable forms of prayer, including any approved under Canon B 4, may be used. | ||
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2
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This public ministry of prayer may be accompanied by laying on of hands, and may also be accompanied by anointing with oil. It may be helpful to make clear in advance the form of ministry that is intended, which may take a number of forms, such as prayer for individuals who do not explain their particular need; prayer following a brief explanation to those who will pray with them of a person's need or concern; or prayer following an explanation to the whole congregation of a person's need or concern. (The Laying on of Hands may be received on behalf of a third person who is not present.) | ||
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3
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Those who will be ministering to individuals should be offered appropriate help in preparing for this ministry. Before the service it is normally appropriate for them to pray together for grace and discernment. | ||
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4
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In the context of a celebration of Holy Communion this personal ministry may be offered at one of the following points: | ||
| ¶ | as part of the Prayers of Intercession (which may, where appropriate, include prayers of penitence) | ||
| ¶ | at the time of the giving of communion | ||
| ¶ | at the end of the service. | ||
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5
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The Order of the Celebration of Holy Communion may be varied as follows: | ||
| ¶ | the Prayers of Penitence may be replaced by other suitable material | ||
| ¶ | on occasion the Creed may be omitted or an authorized Affirmation of Faith may be used | ||
| ¶ | when ministry to individuals is incorporated into the Prayers of Intercession, psalms of lament or hope or other appropriate material may be used as a form of introduction to such prayer. | ||
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6
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Whichever pattern is adopted, care needs to be taken to integrate ministry to individuals with the corporate prayer of the whole people. Where ministry to individuals takes place during or after the distribution of communion it is important that the gift and promise of communion is not overshadowed by prayer for individual needs. In places where ministry to individuals during or after the distribution of communion is a regular pattern, it may sometimes be helpful to focus such prayer by including prayer for them earlier in the service and on occasion to change the pattern to include this ministry earlier in the service. | ||