From the Rector

EDITOR’S NOTE: During Fr Robert’s sabbatical, the Bell & Tower will publish a series of articles he wrote to explain the Episcopal liturgy.

Entering with Joy
In the Liturgy of the Palms for Palm Sunday, there is an evocative line which asks that we “enter with joy upon the contemplation of these mighty acts.” The liturgy anticipates all that will unfold and enfold us in that week as we enter the reality of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That entrance into the mystery of the deepest Christian realities unfolds not only in Holy Week but in every gathering around the Lord’s Table. In this series of essays, I will look at the basics of our liturgical life and unpack what we do together in Remembrance each and every week. —Fr Robert

Grand Entrance
The Book of Common Prayer has two “rites.” Rite I is the more formal feeling, using more traditional language, with Rite II using more modern idiom and expression. The two, however, have the same basic structure and are roughly divided into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Table.

In older forms these two parts were called the Mass of the Catechumens (those being instructed for Baptism) and the Mass of the Faithful (the consecration and receiving of Communion for Baptized believers). In ancient liturgical practice, those who had not been baptized would leave the service where our Prayers of the People are now and go out to prepare a feast for the whole community to enjoy while the baptized received Communion. They looked forward to the day when they, too, would take part in the holiest mysteries of the faith while other newly welcomed members of the community would oversee the joyful celebrations that came at the end of the liturgy.

The entrance rite has one basic purpose, to prepare the People of God to encounter the Word of God revealed in Scripture and the Breaking of Bread. If you remember the Baptismal Covenant, these are the basic markers of Christian duty and proficiency—that we will “continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.” So when we gather on a Sunday it is not with a secular purpose such as companionship, social activism, or entertainment (though all of these may mark some parts of the life of a joyful community). Rather, we gather to be and to ever-become the holy people of God.

When we enter, it is generally to a hymn of praise in procession. Those hymns (like all the hymns in any service) are carefully chosen to illustrate or elaborate upon the themes we will hear in Scripture that day.

When the Altar Party (Celebrant, Deacon, and Sub-Deacon) arrives at the Altar, the Prayer Book specifies that after a hymn, psalm, or anthem, that “The people standing, the Celebrant says ‘Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.’” This may seem an abrupt beginning—some might expect (as one certainly finds in other traditions) a more generic and secular (and maybe warmer) welcome with some announcements and housekeeping notes. Yet, the Prayer Book gives us the clear reminder that we gather together to say not “Hello, my name is Robert” or the like but, to bless God's holy name and to be drawn into the mystery of God with us.

That acclamation, in the manner of Eastern liturgies and Jewish prayers (Blessed be God) is fleshed out with the Christian affirmation that God is Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). During other seasons, other opening lines may be used, but the first lines after our arrival at the Altar are always a salutation that declares the glory of the one around whom we gather and in whose name we are made one.

Following that opening acclamation comes the Collect for Purity—this is reminiscent of Psalm 51. It has been used for centuries (its use is documented to at least the ninth century) as a preparatory prayer by priests as they prepare to come to the Altar. The Book of Common Prayer puts that prayer at the beginning of the liturgy so that the Celebrant is saying it not just for herself but for the gathered priesthood of all believers as we all come to the Altar together.

In Rite I, to my delight, the use of the Summary of the Law (Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself) is retained and comes next. It is an unfortunate omission in Rite II. I believe that now more than ever we need the simple reminder that Christ himself has declared that loving God and loving neighbor are the beating heart of a Christian community.

Next week we will move into the next steps of the liturgy - the Kyrie and the Gloria.