A141: Principles for Liturgical Revision (carried)
Download resolution A141
Subject: Principles for Liturgical Revision
Moved by: The Right Reverend Greg Kerr-Wilson, Diocese of Qu’Appelle
Seconded by: The Reverend Canon Pierre Voyer, Diocese of Quebec
Be it resolved that this General Synod:
1) receive the Report of the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee entitled Liturgical Principles: Principles to Guide the Revision of Contemporary Language Common Worship Texts of the Anglican Church of Canada as containing a set of principles and an agenda to guide the work of liturgical revision;
2) direct the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee to create a Task Force for Liturgy with membership drawn from the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee, the House of Bishops, and members at large with the necessary skills and breadth of experience of the Anglican Church of Canada, as well as ecumenical and full communion partners;
- that this Task Force report regularly to the Council of General Synod and to the House of Bishops through the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee;
- that the Task Force make the best use of all forms of communications technology in its work both in the creation of new and revised texts, and in the testing of such new texts in trial use and evaluation;
3) direct the Council of General Synod to ensure the adequate provision within the budget of the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee to undertake this work.
Source: Faith, Worship and Ministry
Submitted by: Janet Marshall, Chair of Faith, Worship and Ministry
Does this motion contain within it any financial implications? Yes x No __
If yes, has the General Synod Expenditures Committee considered the implications? Yes __ No __
EXPLANATORY NOTE/BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1965 work began toward producing contemporary language rites for the Anglican Church of Canada. Through a series of trial liturgies and their evaluation, this work culminated in the production of the Book of Alternative services in 1985. 2010 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of that publication, marking a period in our church’s life which has seen evaluations, the production of supplementary materials, and a growing awareness of the need for ongoing work, in a world and church in the midst of great transition.
In this ongoing process of renewing the worship of our church, General Synod 2010 directed the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee to develop a set of principles for the revision of our contemporary language liturgical texts. This work has been one of the major projects for the committee over the last triennium; the document Liturgical Principles: Principles to Guide the Revision of Contemporary Language Common Worship Texts of the Anglican Church of Canada is the result of that labour.
In the course of developing these principles the committee inevitably became aware of particular areas and items where the principles would indicate revision, development and/or the creation of new texts. These were collected and compiled as a nascent agenda for the work of liturgical revision. The motion’s proposal that a Task Force for Liturgy be established arises from these considerations.