Common Worship

Subject Index Services of the Word Holy Communion Daily Prayer Initiation Collects Psalter Canticles Wholeness and Healing Marriage Funeral Calendar Lectionary Rules New Patterns for Worship Other authorized liturgy

Publications

Site Map

C Liturgy of the Word

Stories from the four churches

At St Ann's they are having an adult teaching series on Romans, using the lectionary material in Module 37 below. The response 'The same Lord is Lord of all …' is used as part of the Gathering and Greeting, at the Gospel alleluia, and in a response after the sermon.They have decided not to use the Gospel reading provided in that module, but to continue with the Gospel reading set in the Common Worship Principal Service Lectionary. This is because they have discovered teaching material for children which is based on the lectionary.

The children usually depart before the Gospel, and might not follow the long reading from Romans, so the Gospel today comes immediately after the Collect. Everyone remains standing and the children go out after the psalm that follows. The Gospel is the story of the breakfast on the seashore after the resurrection. It is read dramatically from different parts of the building- the narrator at the lectern, Jesus by the communion table, and the disciples coming forward from the middle of the congregation.

For the sermon time, which lasts just over half an hour, the adults at St Ann's have a choice. Some go out to a discussion Bible study on Romans, others to a well-structured adult education session on the Church and politics (linking up with Romans 13). The rest stay in church for a sermon on the same passage, with visuals on an overhead projector and questions at the end.

The four people who share the responsibility for reading at St Bartholomew's have recently been on a deanery training day for those who read.They have returned with some good ideas for varying the usual pattern and are much more confident. There is a card on the lectern reminding the reader how to announce the reading. She introduces the reading with the paragraph heading and the page number from the pew Bible. After the reading she leaves space for some reflective silence before saying,' This is the word of the Lord.'

At St Christopher's the worship committee has asked one or two artistic people in the church to produce something based on this Sunday's Gospel. As a result there is a throw-over frontal on the altar, picking up the bread and fishes theme.Today the Gospel procession, with the deacon carrying the book of the Gospels, preceded by acolytes and crucifer, comes only to the front row of the congregation, rather than taking up its normal position halfway up the centre aisle of the nave. This is to allow the people to remain facing towards the front, where on a screen behind the lectern there is a beautiful sequence of slides of Galilee, fishermen, bread and fishes.The sermon is about ten minutes long, and ends with some guided meditation inviting people to imagine themselves playing a part in the Gospel story.

At St Dodo's no one comes forward to read the first reading so the president glares at the churchwarden, moves to the lectern and intones the lesson in a voice betraying boredom. There is a bit of excitement, though, as - inevitably - two people come forward to read the second reading and look like having a punch up. The one who wins fails to announce where the reading comes from, which is a pity, as it seems to have been changed from what is on the notice sheet. It would have helped to be able to follow the reading, as he was speaking very quietly, on the mistaken assumption that the microphone was amplifying all he said. But no one had adjusted the height of it since one of the children read last Sunday.

Making it live

St Ann's worship group plans how the readings are done, usually a month at a time to make sure that there is variety and that the 'unusual' element is not overdone. Different methods they have used include:
* gentle musical backing to the reading, on tape or live;
* mime to the reading;
* especially at an all-age service, having the reading interrupted by someone asking questions, and putting in mistakes and asking the children to spot them;
* memorizing a Gospel reading and telling it as a story;
* a dramatic reading using different parts of the building;
* putting out all lights apart from a spotlight on the reader;
* breaking up long story reading with songs or choruses.

The sermon: what and where?

Note 7 in A Service of the Word and Note 13 in Holy Communion in Common Worship redefine the sermon. There are a number of possibilities:
* the use of drama, interviews, discussion and audio-visuals;
* having more than one person taking part;
* dividing the congregation into groups for all (as at St Ann's here), or for part of the time (for example, getting people talking to those near them about how what is being said applies to them);
* preaching the sermon in, say, two parts at different points in the service;
* time for silent - or guided - reflection or meditation after the sermon.

Add to this some further things to consider:
* the use of handouts, either outlining the whole sermon or giving points for action;
* using data projector or overhead projector visuals in an integrated way, with pictures taking the application or story further, rather than merely summarizing the sermon in words;
* sermons with deliberate interruptions and questions, or with pauses to pray or worship and sing;
* the use of drama, again as an integral part of the sermon.

Discussing these ideas should open some new possibilities and also begin to answer the question 'Where?' Clearly not all of these sermon activities are suitable for the pulpit. Different areas of the church may be used. And even with a more traditional sermon there may be a case for leaving the pulpit, moving nearer a small congregation at the back, or moving to and speaking from different points in the church, for example from the lectern where the word has been read, or from under a window whose stained glass enshrines the story.

Responding to the readings

St Bartholomew's have been making a list of possible ways the congregation might respond to the readings:
* more pauses for meditation;
* responses which reflect the nature of the reading (such as those in the modular material in this resource section);
* short prayers or a verse of a psalm after the reading;
* involving the congregation in drama and dialogue readings;
* physical action, such as the stamping of feet in the synagogue when the story of Haman in the book of Esther is read!

Discussion starter:
improving Bible reading in our worship

1 Make a list of the problems with reading the Bible, for example:

* The readings sound boring and are simply something to get through as a duty, and not as part of the worship.
* They are too long.
* Bad introductions impose partial or unhelpful meanings on the readings, or fail to raise expectations. This might lead into some discussion about how the readings should be introduced.
* Failure to use the lectionary provision can result in a narrower overall diet of Scripture: sometimes only a few verses are read, to be used as the sermon text, determined by the particular interests of the minister.
* People are not used to listening to large amounts of prose being read, so those who read need training and may need time to prepare. There might be some discussion about the pros and cons of having children reading in all-age services, and whether the advantages of involving them outweigh the possible disadvantages of inaudibility or lack of understanding.
* Nowadays people think in visual terms, and many readings do not conjure up pictures in people's minds.
* People don't know why the Bible is being read.
* No response is expected.

2 Working in pairs, put the following reasons for reading the Bible in church in order of importance, and then discuss the results with everyone else:

* To teach and instruct;
* to link us firmly with the tradition;
* to ensure that we listen to the whole counsel of God;
* to deliver us from the personal whim or interest of the preacher or worship leader;
* to allow one part of Scripture to throw kaleidoscopic light on another;
* to identify ourselves again as the people to whom God is speaking.

By publicly rehearsing its corporate story the community is proclaiming its identity as the people of God. Shared stories bind people together. Story is important because
* it is easy to listen to, identify with, remember and re-tell;
* it links the community clearly with the tradition of God's saving action;
* in worship, it can more easily be used to stimulate praise, as we hear what God has done, rather than receive instruction;
* it is important for children: action stories keep things moving, add a sense of excitement and humanity.

3 How can we get the whole congregation to 'own' the readings?

Discuss the ideas in the section 'Responding to the readings' on page 101. Are there other ideas, or some other things in the St Ann's section 'Making it live' on page 100, which we could put into practice in our church?

Liturgy of the Word:
modular lectionary material

The use of one of the authorized lectionaries (from Common Worship or The Book of Common Prayer) around the main festivals serves to foster the sense that different worshipping communities are all 'telling the same story'. This is more possible than ever since the advent of the three-year Common Worship lectionary which shares so much in common with the versions of the three-year lectionary in use in other churches.

Some parts of the early Church used this principle of thematic reading for festivals, and we can see this reflected in the traditional readings for Lent and Easter, Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.

Outside that time, in Ordinary Time, the particular needs of different congregations may be met by different patterns of readings. A particular event in the life of the church (for instance, a new building project, a new phase in the life of the church, a disastrous fire, or a traumatic pastoral situation) might be the trigger for such a pattern. The reason might equally be the more mundane desire to match the Sunday preaching to the material being studied in small groups, such as home groups or cell groups, during the week. There will be times when the small groups will follow the lead given by the Sunday readings, but there might be other times when the lead is given by the small group materials.

Common Worship makes provision in two places for just such flexibility:

1 The Lectionary

During the period from the First Sunday of Advent to the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, during the period from Ash Wednesday to Trinity Sunday, and on All Saints' Day, the readings shall come from an authorized lectionary. During Ordinary Time (i.e. between the Presentation and Ash Wednesday and between Trinity Sunday and Advent Sunday), authorized lectionary provision remains the norm but, after due consultation with the Parochial Church Council, the minister may, from time to time, depart from the lectionary provision for pastoral reasons or preaching or teaching purposes.

Rule 7,Common Worship, page 540

2 A Service of the Word

There should preferably be at least two readings from the Bible, but it is recognized that if occasion demands there may be only one reading. It may be dramatized, sung or read responsively. The readings are taken from an authorized lectionary during the period from the Third Sunday of Advent to the Baptism of Christ, and from Palm Sunday to Trinity Sunday.When A Service of the Word is combined with Holy Communion on Sundays and Principal Holy Days, the readings of the day are normally used.

Note 5, A Service of the Word

This means that there are periods during which one of the authorized lectionaries is to be followed. The Note indicates that normally these periods are longer in the case of services of Holy Communion than in the case of non-eucharistic services.

Services of Holy Communion

Non-eucharistic services

The modular lectionary provision

The lectionary modules provided here are designed as replacements for the authorized readings during parts of the remaining periods of the year.

They illustrate how provision can be made for the semi-continuous reading of Scripture in short units comprising several weeks.They also provide examples of thematic and story material suitable both for all-age services and for adult worship.

These modules are samples only. The local church is at liberty to amend these, or other provision, or to produce its own material, as long as the requirements of Note 6 below are fulfilled.

Verse numbers for Bible readings have been taken from the New Revised Standard Version, except for the Psalms, where the numbering used in the Common Worship psalter has been followed.

Notes to the resources

1 Controlling reading

The controlling reading, in bold, must always be used in some form. For some modules (mainly those in which the controlling reading takes the form of a narrative) the controlling reading is given a brief 'title'. This is designed to aid planning, and it should not be taken as the only way of summarizing the reading.

2 Adapting the length of modules

It is important to plan ahead.Where necessary, the modules may be shortened or amended, to fit the number of weeks available. Square brackets [ ] around the week number in the lectionary charts indicate suggested weeks to omit where necessary. This may also occasionally be necessary in order to avoid having the same or similar readings at the point at which the local church moves from one of these modules to another, or between these (or other local provision) and an authorized lectionary.

When omitting part of the module in this way, care should be taken to preserve the balance of the readings.

3 Editing and adapting the length of readings

Where verses have been bracketed or omitted to shorten the reading, a longer version may be used if appropriate. Long readings may be broken up by teaching or songs. Care should be taken in the selection of the translation to be used at the service, and in any editing of the passages, to ensure that the reading makes sense. Particular care is needed in identifying speakers in the passage and making clear to whom pronouns refer.

4 Collects and other prayers

The Common Worship collects, especially in Ordinary Time, do not relate particularly to the readings and so will be just as appropriate with these readings as with the authorized lectionary readings. If a thematic prayer is required, this may be sought from other sources or devised locally.

5 Use of responses

Each module below is provided with a verse and response. This could be used in one or more of the following places:
* at the start of the service, following the greeting;
* as a refrain for the psalm (perhaps in an adapted form);
* before the reading;
* after the reading;
* after the sermon, or other teaching, as part of the response;
* after the Creed or Affirmation of Faith;
* as part of the conclusion of the service;
* as part of worship in small groups (such as cell groups, home groups or all-age worship) taking place during the week.

6 Local provision

Churches may design their own reading scheme for parts of the church year, in accordance with the Notes in Common Worship and A Service of the Word.Where they do so they should ensure that an adequate amount of Scripture is chosen; that justice is done to the balance of the book and to the general teaching of Scripture; that appropriate Gospel passages are included if the services include Holy Communion; and that the PCC or an appropriate lay group is involved in the decisions.

7 Appropriate times for the use of modules

In some cases, a particular time (or times) of the year may suggest itself for the use of a particular module. Some modules could appropriately be used in more than one season.

8 Interruptions to the modules

The modules do not have to be used for a series of consecutive Sundays. It may sometimes be necessary to interrupt a module for a special service or celebration (such as Harvest Festival).

Further, a module could be spread over a number of months, being used only for certain sorts of services (such as all-age services).Where this is the case, the provision of readings for the other Sundays will need to take account of this. One way of tackling this sort of situation would be to have two modular sets of readings operating in parallel: one for all-age services and one for other services.

Texts for this section