Sunday, February 21, 2010

Teaser

As I make my life through the church I have had the privilege of being part of many and varied occasions of worship services. I am well aware that some services I have been part of would cause at least an eyebrow to be raised if one our liturgical experts were also present. A few might even lead to that expert writing to the bishop querying whether what he had experienced constituted an authorised form of service according to the canonical requirements of our church. Generally the question which would be raised by these services is whether the service included sufficient required elements, and used wording according to the specifications of our rubrics and doctrinal requirements. Flexible though these requirements are, they have limits!

In short: I have experienced plenty of services where one might fairly discuss whether things had been omitted which should not have been.

But I have also experienced services where one might fairly discuss whether things had been added which should not have been.

Liturgical sins of omission. Liturgical sins of commission. My teaser: is one worse than the other?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have problems going to Anglican Services (are they Anglican?) that do not have a confession of any sort and no Lord's Prayer.
Barry Smithson

Peter Carrell said...

Hi Barry
It would be interesting to work out what might constitute a "minimum" requirement for an "Anglican" service. For me, confession/absolution and the Lord's Prayer would definitely be within that minimum! I would add the dismissal into it as well ...