Alternative liturgy

Discussion in 'Liturgy, and Book of Common Prayer' started by theEpiscopalavenger, Jun 18, 2017.

  1. theEpiscopalavenger

    theEpiscopalavenger New Member

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    does anyone have any experience with the English or American missal ? Or with the enriching our worship liturgys ? Can you explain the differences between these and the book of common prayer common prayer?
     
  2. Symphorian

    Symphorian Well-Known Member

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    I have some experience of the English Missal or Knott Missal as it's also known. I attended an Anglo-Catholic parish in the 1980's and early 1990's where the English Missal was used mainly for its Propers which were slotted into the Communion liturgy from the Proposed 1928 BCP. It was also used for Holy Week liturgies and some Votive Masses. I'm not aware of any parishes that still use it locally - it's probably quite unusual to find it in the Church of England today. The English Missal is basically the Missale Romanum of Pope Pius V translated into Prayer Book English with bits and pieces from the BCP thrown in.

    A little background to the English Missal here:

    http://www.theenglishmissalsociety.co.uk/history-of-the-missal.html

    In my diocese there was quite an extreme Anglo-Catholic presence during the first half of the 20th century. Many such parishes used the English Missal. The majority of our Diocesan Bishops were generally sympathetic to the Anglo-Catholic clergy but it did cause some controversy to the point where one church was desecrated by a bunch of Kensitites in the early 1930's with altars and ornaments being smashed. The story is related in a book by Bernard Walke 'Twenty Years at St Hilary'. Walke was the Anglo-Catholic vicar at the time. Quite an interesting read.

    Getting back to the English Missal, there are prayers in preparation for Mass and prayers of thanksgiving after Mass. It contains the Proper of the Season with Introit, Collect, Epistle, Gradual/Tract/Alleluia, Gospel, Offertory, Secret and Post-communion for Sundays and major holy days throughout the year. There is also a very extensive Proper of Saints and a number of Votive Masses, e.g. Votive Mass for Bridegroom & Bride, Mass in Time of War, Mass for Peace, Mass for Protection Against Disease, Mass for the Sick, to name a few.

    As far as alternative liturgies are concerned, I'm a Commissioned Lay Minister. Whilst our main Sunday services are from 1662 or Common Worship we like to have occasional alternative services on Sunday evenings a few times per year. I've put together a couple of Celtic style Evening Prayer liturgies and an Advent liturgy based on the 'O' Antiphons. The Celtic style Evening Prayer liturgies are based on the structure of Evening Prayer from Common Worship. These are reflective candlelit services so as well as singing hymns, the psalm and Magnificat, there are periods for reflection/meditation where we listen to Celtic style chants and instrumental music. Such alternative services have to conform to certain requirements such as having an authorised form of confession, Creed, Collect, at least one Bible reading, Lord's Prayer etc.
     
  3. Shane R

    Shane R Well-Known Member

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    The difference for the layman is not significant through most of the service. The parts that you say closely follow the BCP. But there is much more text for those serving at the altar. And the American missal offers variety in the 'Canons of the Mass' -basically the consecration prayers and the order of the preparatory prayers. There is a lot of research out there on how certain prayers in the Holy Communion service were moved around throughout the history of prayer book revision. So, if you were to attend a missal service you might think a couple of things are out of order. Then, most parishes celebrating from the missal will add a Marian devotion (typically Angelus) at the end and there is the "Last Gospel" (a reading from the first chapter of St. John).
     
  4. Aidan

    Aidan Well-Known Member

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    This all sounds quite similar to the 1962 Latin Mass missal which I read every Sunday
     
  5. theEpiscopalavenger

    theEpiscopalavenger New Member

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    Do you attend Anglican mass ?
     
  6. Shane R

    Shane R Well-Known Member

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    It is, but based on an older form. The English version first appeared in 1921.
     
  7. Aidan

    Aidan Well-Known Member

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    No, I'm a Roman Catholic and I practice the faith in a traditional way as opposed to modernist, friend