Enriching Our Worship

During the month of April, you will notice some changes in the prayers we use at the 10:00 service on Sundays.  The confession of sin, Eucharistic prayer and post communion prayer and blessing will come from a source called Enriching Our Worship.  This resource was approved by The Episcopal Church (i.e. voted in at General Convention) in 1997.

The preface, written by former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, states:  “Enriching our worship is not intended to supplant the Book of Common Prayer, but rather to provide additional resources to assist worshipping communities wishing to expand the language, images and metaphors used in worship.  In some cases the canticles and prayers represent the recovery of ancient biblical and patristic images, such as the identification of Christ with Wisdom, and in other cases images which speak of God in other than the familiar masculine terms which have been so much a part of our liturgical prayer. Expanding our vocabulary of prayer and the ways in which we name the Holy One bear witness to the fact that the mystery of God transcends all categories of knowing, including those of masculine and feminine.”  ( EOW p.5)

I especially like the last line of that statement.  The mystery of God is so much bigger than the language we have to describe that mystery.  Expanding our language by using feminine and gender neutral images of God in addition to masculine images gives us a much fuller experience of the Divine Reality.

There is also a very practical reason for expanding the language we use in worship.  Sadly, some people have grown up with a father who was less than loving.  Some had an absent father.  Some lived in fear.  Some were abused sexually, physically, emotionally and mentally.  Imagine what it is like for those people to come to church and hear God almost exclusively referred to as “father.”  That language might be a barrier to their experience of God.

We will not be replacing the Father image of God entirely.  We will still say the creed and pray the Lord’s Prayer using the traditional form.  It is clear from scripture that Jesus referred to God as his father.  Jesus prayed to God in this way and taught his followers to do the same.  What we are doing is expanding some of the prayers in hopes of opening some doors to the Sacred that are limited by masculine imagery.

Please let me know what you think of the changes.  The true test of quality corporate prayer is if it leads the people to a deeper, fuller and richer experience of God.  It may take a few weeks for the beauty of these prayers to sink in.  Please give them a chance.  Enriching Our Worship will, I believe, help us to know God more fully and, hopefully, love God more deeply.  In the end, that’s what it’s all about.

Peace,  Bill Van Oss