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Praise may be said or sung. Select hymns, songs or items from the Praise section of New Patterns or elsewhere. See here for further ideas. A set of versicles and responses (see here for examples) may be used in the Preparation or elsewhere. 6 Action A dismissal, ending or blessing should be the last item in any service, and should not normally be followed by a hymn or more prayers. Notes to the resources
When announcing the Peace, announce the hymn after it: ‘At the end of the Peace we shall sing …’. Then all that is needed is a nod to the organist, or an agreement that the organist takes the decision when to start. Some of the praise responses are suitable for saying or singing together, rather than in responsive form. These are marked with an asterisk*. Thanksgivings The Trinitarian or Eastern structure followed in Prayers F and G places the Sanctus within the thanksgiving, where it marks the change of focus from Father to Son. In this pattern the narrative of institution marks the shift from praise to petition and the focus on the Holy Spirit comes after it. This Trinitarian pattern is slightly less clear in Prayer D. Prayer H is also Trinitarian in pattern, but the initial thanksgiving is concluded with the narrative of institution and the Sanctus is the final climax of praise at the end of the prayer. We light this candle to remind us that when God the Father raised Jesus from the dead he defeated the power of death, and his light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. Other elements that are compulsory, but may vary in form. All of the authorized forms of confession and absolution from Common Worship may be found in Section B. When A Service of the Word with a Celebration of Holy Communion is being used, the readings must be governed by an authorized lectionary, but the Creed could be the Apostles’ Creed or an authorized Affirmation of Faith. All those currently authorized may be found in Section E.
Begin to plan the sermon. If the preacher is not part of the planning group, it is important to know the main drift of the sermon so that other items in the service support rather than conflict with this part of the Word. Does it need one ‘slot’ or more? Note 7 to A Service of the Word ( here) gives a new interpretation to the word ‘sermon’ which ‘includes less formal exposition, the use of drama, interviews, discussion, audio-visuals and the insertion of hymns or other sections of the service between parts of the sermon’. 4 Prayer The congregation accompanies the first three responses with a sweep of the arm towards a cross, as if throwing the objects of the prayer; the final response is a sweep of the arm towards heaven.
This refrain may be used at the beginning and end of the canticle and, in addition, between verses or groups of verses. No responses have been printed after the readings. This would not necessarily mean that they could not be used. Watch the rhythm. The language should be rhythmic and flow easily, but take care not to have a repetitive ‘dum-de-dum’. The Commandments have been included for their reference to ‘obeying your father and mother’. Care needs to be taken that their inclusion does not make the service feel too ‘heavy’, especially if many visitors have been invited and the overall feel of the service is one of celebration. The Commandments have been included here in a brief form, with only two responses. They could further be ‘lightened’ by the use of different voices, or by the careful choice of a different Bible translation from which they could be taken.In the section ‘Praising and thanking God’ the acclamations may be led by different voices from different parts of the church building. If a large candle is lit at this point the first section is used. A child might be invited to light the candle. Alternatively, a candle might be lit at the absolution. Is there a balance between word, prayer, praise and action? For instance the Word section may be top heavy with long readings and long introductions, or too many short readings.
They may also be used as a proper preface in the Eucharistic Prayer: in this case, the introduction ‘Father, we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord’ should be used only where indicated. The triple ‘solemn blessings’ included here (with Amens between each section) need particular care to ensure that the congregation know when to respond with ‘Amen’. Printing the full text for the congregation is one way of doing this. Another approach is to make sure that someone taking the deacon’s role has the full text and is clearly visible to give a lead to the congregation. In general the congregational ‘Amen’, which concludes a prayer said by the leader, has not been printed here. It may need to be added if a full congregational text is being produced.time to get straight with God before coming to communion (so you may need to be on your own, perhaps grappling with something from the sermon); These intercessions are especially suitable for a service for the commemoration of the faithful departed, but may appropriately be used at other times. The ‘Lord in your mercy hear our prayer’ response, and the concluding ‘Merciful Father, accept these prayers …’ have been included as options to facilitate connections being made between this service and celebrations of Holy Communion. If these forms are not used in communion services, other choices could be made.
Most modern rites place the Peace between the Prayers and the Preparation of the Table. Note the scope for placing it elsewhere, for example at the beginning or the end of the service, as well as the option to introduce it with other words, which may be composed for the occasion or the locality. See here. Preparation of the Table Where it is customary for the assembly to be sprinkled with water from the font or to sign themselves with water from the font, this may take place immediately after the Profession of Faith or during a hymn, canticle or song at the conclusion of this form. A Corporate Renewal of Baptismal Vows St Ann’s Evening Praise replaced Evening Prayer some years ago when people were looking for something much freer in their worship. The service this evening includes some teaching in preparation for an evangelistic event in a few weeks’ time, and is punctuated at intervals by one of the acclamations:
J Conclusion
As part of the response to the readings, and possibly as part of the sermon, there might be an opportunity to interview one or two people with a particular story to tell about how God has brought them together, or deepened their love, or overwhelmed them with his love in Christ.
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