wfn.org | [ENS] Plans for culturally diverse rites, music

["Mika Larson" <mini_mika@earthlink.net>]

August 1, 2003

Plans for culturally diverse rites, music

by Sharon Sheridan
Convention Daily
 
The church should continue to collect and prepare culturally diverse
rites and music for use in various settings to advance the goals of
20/20, the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Worship cognate committee voted
Friday. 
The committee also voted to recommend adopting a new set of liturgies
for church plantings, to revise Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2000 and to
adopt the Revised Common Lectionary - now authorized for trial use -
beginning Advent 2004. It recommended allocating $130,000 for developing
the liturgies and $20,000 for the revision.

Substitute resolution A092, which combines several Standing Commission
on Liturgy and Music resolutions, directs the commission to develop such
rites as Quinceaneras celebrations, mission-based prayers, resources for
multisensory worship and Spanish music resources. The commission would
develop them using models drawing on and reflecting the church's
diversity and would begin to create a network for sharing these
learnings and resources.

"To me, it is just so incredibly exciting," said the Very Rev. Ernesto
Medina, vice chair of the deputies committee and provost of the
Cathedral Center of St. Paul in the Diocese of Los Angeles. "We were
able to put together a resolution that from the very beginning allows
the voices that have never been heard to be heard. The richness that the
Episcopal Church will experience in what I believe to be an incredible
gift to the next convention will be yet another reason for a great
celebration.

"One of the greatest joys is to be able to experience God through the
experiences of another," he concluded, "and the more that we figure out
how to do that, the easier the job against racism becomes."

At a hearing on the Revised Common Lectionary, most of those testifying
supported adoption. Witnesses praised adopting a lectionary used by many
other denominations and some parts of the Anglican Communion, the chance
for preachers to use the many resources based on this lectionary and the
optional Old Testament cycles of readings.

"That long season after Pentecost, we can take great sections of the
Hebrew Scripture and get to know them in breadth and depth and get to
know themes like covenant theology," said the Rev. Carol Arney of the
Diocese of Hawaii.

The committee rejected a suggestion by member Ted Yumoto of the Diocese
of San Joaquin to continue authorizing the lectionary for trial use.

"If they don't have to use it, people aren't going to change," said the
Rev. Susan Anslow Williams of the Diocese of Western New York. "I think
our congregations really need a kick in the pants."

The church-planting liturgies, presented side-by-side in English and
Spanish, include services for discerning a new church mission;
commissioning a church planter, missioner or mission team; opening a new
congregation; and setting apart secular space for sacred use. The
materials also include a litany for the mission of the church; various
collects, blessings and prayers; and hymn suggestions.