In the Adult Forum this year, we are exploring the core pillars of our identity – who we are, why we are, and who we are called to be. I hope that by the end of this shared work, everyone in the room will be able to articulate not only what makes Good Shepherd special but why we have chosen to live/pray/work in this special way. There is a reason behind everything we do.
This Sunday, we will begin to explore our use of traditional language. Several folks have asked me, “What is traditional language?” Here is a brief introduction:
What is traditional language?
Our liturgies come from the Book of Common Prayer 1979. This BCP contains prayers in contemporary English (e.g. “The Lord be with you… And also with you.”) and in Elizabethan English (e.g. “The Lord be with you… and with thy spirit.”) The Elizabethan language very closely resembles that in which Thomas Cramner wrote the first Book of Common Prayer in the 16th century. From 1549 until the first drafts of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer were published for trial use, Episcopalians prayed in that traditional, Elizabethan language. In 1979, the Episcopal Church formally approved rites for worship in both contemporary and traditional language. We call the traditional language prayers Rite I and contemporary language prayers Rite II. You can read them all here.
The 1979 BCP contains 6 Eucharistic prayers. Each one expresses a unique set of theologies. (The Prayer Book, like the Bible, does not speak with one voice!) On Sunday, we will focus our discussion on the language we use in prayer. After that discussion has concluded, we will explore the theologies of the 6 BCP Eucharistic Prayers.
What is the history of traditional language at Good Shepherd?
The 1979 BCP brought big changes to Episcopal worship – new Eucharistic prayers were added, ancient liturgies restored, and important improvements made to our Proper Liturgies for Special Days (e.g. Good Friday.) In the 1979 BCP, some of the liturgies (like Baptism and the Holy Week liturgies) are only written in contemporary language. But the authors and editors of the BCP made provision for parishes to “translate” Rite II language into Rite I language. On page 14, we read, “In any of the Proper Liturgies for Special Days, and in other services contained in this Book celebrated in the context of a Rite One service, the contemporary idiom may be conformed to traditional language.” At Good Shepherd, this is our custom today.
In the 1990’s, Good Shepherd published the Anglican Service Book. In its preface, it states: “The purpose of this work is to facilitate corporate worship in the traditional idiom as provided for in the prayer book: it is a devotional enrichment,” and, “Many people continue to express a heartfelt preference for ‘traditional language’ worship, the majesty of which speaks to the soul in a way in which modern English cannot.”
Now, the Anglican Service Book is… complicated. It does provide “traditional language” translations of much of the BCP, but it also makes many other startling omissions (like the ordination of a bishop) and additions (like a long exhortation in the marriage rite urging women to be fruitful and to submit to their husbands.) For these reasons, and others, it was never approved for use by the Episcopal Church.
While we are no longer using the ASB, we are still using traditional language in all of our liturgies. Importantly, we are doing so according to the instructions set forth in the BCP (called rubrics) and Church law (called canons.) We will continue to uphold the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church. This is a commitment on which we will not waver.
And so, on Sunday we will examine our use of traditional language. As you prepare for this conversation, consider how traditional language has formed this community over the last 157 years. What gifts does traditional language bring us? What challenges does it present?
I am excited about our conversation on Sunday. I look forward to the ways in which we will learn from one another. I am grateful that we find ourself in a tradition which entrusts us with both great patrimony and the freedom to wonder, discuss, and debate about it. Most of all, I am grateful for you.
See y’all in Church.