The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music presented its Report #27 on A055 (Authorize Daily Prayer for All Seasons) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution

(A055)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 77th General Convention authorize liturgical materials entitled "Daily Prayer for All Seasons," found in the Blue Book report of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, for publication and distribution by Church Publishing Incorporated for experimental use by individuals and in congregations and other church groups wishing to pray or meditate throughout the day.

Committee Amendment

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 77th General Convention authorize liturgical materials entitled "Daily Prayer for All Seasons," found in the Blue Book report of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, with the following changes, for publication and distribution by Church Publishing Incorporated for experimental use by individuals and in congregations and other church groups wishing to pray or meditate throughout the day.; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention Office work with the SCLM to perfect the Spanish translation of this resource.

Introduction Blue Book, pp. 353-354

p. 353: Retitle the Section How to Use What’s Here as How to Use These Materials and begin it on a separate page.

p. 353 Present last paragraph, last sentence: "Each hour has a foreign name …"

p. 354 Strike the last sentence of the present first paragraph and begin a new paragraph, to read:

In addition, it’s all right to adapt the texts as you need to. Adaptations for the prayers, lessons, meditations, and hymns may be made to suit the occasion. The questions that are provided for the meditations are only suggestions. They may be freely adapted, other questions may be used, or a period of silence may be kept.

p. 354 In the Section entitled, Format for the Hours, make the following addition:

Entering and Going out (or Closing): the same simple, short call-and-response, which emphasizes the spiritual work of the hour

Changes in the Texts of the Services

Proposed changes for "All Seasons"

For Compline and Vigils in all seasons, change the heading of the final section of the service from Going out to Closing (Blue Book, pp. 368, 369; 383, 384; 398, 399; 413,414; 428, 429; 441, 442; 456,457; 469, 470)

Proposed changes by Season

Advent

Prime

p. 357 Prayer

O Holy One, thank you for coming to us anew this day. Prepare our hearts and reawaken our love for you as we discern your call within us. May we make join with you in making level the path for all people. Amen.

p. 358 Prayer

God of hope, you call us from the exile of our sin with the good news of restoration; you build a highway through the wilderness; you come to us to bring us home. Comfort us with the expectation of your saving power, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christmas

Prime

p. 373 Prayers:

Reverse the order of the first 3 four-line petitions, so that each begins as follows:

• Wonderful Counselor, whose glory is beyond...
• Mighty God, whose power girds...
• Prince of Peace, whose righteousness is like...

Last petition:

• Emmanuel, whose property it is always to have mercy, and whose arm is long to save, we lift before you now:

Vespers

p. 380 Confession, third line:

when what we need is your love in our souls hearts.

p. 381 Prayers first petition:

For all who live in poverty are oppressed,

May we build the just kingdom of God now proclaim the justice of God’s Kingdom.

Epiphany

Lauds

p. 386

Opening: Arise, shine,

for your light has come.

Arise, shine for your light has come,

And the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.

Prayer 2nd line: Dawn on my our darkness and lend me us your thine aid.

Closing: Arise, shine,

for your light has come.

Arise, shine for your light has come,

And the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.

Lent

p. 400 (Introduction)

Figuring out how to keep a holy Lent can be a challenge, but if we move beyond the popular conceptions (and misconceptions), Lent holds the possibility for real change--or, to use the church's word, conversion--in our lives, as well as for rich and lasting spiritual growth. (The word “lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencton, referring to the springtime of the year when the days grow longer and warmer and brighter.) It is during the weeks of Lent that (at least spiritually) we begin to emerge from our protective winter burrows, to stretch our legs and sniff the air for signs of new life.

Lent emerged in our history as a season of final preparation for those who would be baptized at the Great Vigil of Easter. The entire Christian community was highly invested in walking alongside those who were about to commit their lives to Christ. In time, the season took on some extra layers of meaning, and many people now associate it with listening for a deeper awareness of our own sin--how we fall short of the ideals God sets before us--and the need for ongoing repentance and amendment of life.

This is not to say that Lent is a season of giddy celebration, but rather that That said, joy in the new life we have found in the Christian faith should never be overwhelmed by our struggles to live out that faith or our awareness of the ways we fall short. The ultimate purpose of Lent is to strengthen We can see Lent as an opportunity to deepen our spiritual lives. In Lent we step back and consider the ways we need to repent, to turn around—to be converted.

During Lent we as individual Christians and as a church—the Body of Christ—consider our spiritual health. How are we living the gospel in our lives, our homes, our churches, our towns, our schools, our places of work? What areas of growth or signs of renewal should we celebrate with gratitude and joy? In what ways have we fallen short, grown stagnant or cold-hearted, or failed to love God by embracing new life when we encounter it? These are the kinds of questions we ask ourselves during the weeks of Lent.

Lauds

p. 401 Opening: Remove Typo after “Lord,”

Prime

p. 403 Prayers Loving God, we want to be faithful, and so we pray:

Loving God, in our faith, we pray:

For reconciliation between the violated and the violent,

That we may rest in the peace of God your peace.

For generosity between rich and poor people everywhere,

That we may share the abundance of God’s your creation.

For the growth of love between broken peoples and nations,

That we may shape our common life as God’s your kingdom.

For mutual respect between immigrants and insiders,

That we may welcome God’s your image in all who come to us.

For protection for the weak and humility for the strong,

That we may serve others as God in Christ serves us you serve us in Christ.

Vespers

p. 410 Meditation “This only do I ask of thy your extreme kindness. That thou you convert me

wholly to thee you and thou you allow nothing to prevent me from wending my way to thee you.”

Holy Week

Prime

p. 417 Praise: Restore missing space between stanzas 2 and 3 of the hymn.

p. 418 Prayers: Line 5: on in this most holy of weeks …

Easter

Lauds

p. 431 Prayer: As the morning approaches, I pray:

Risen Lord, be my light, my life, and my hope.

Come: enlighten my darkness and bring me life by your life. Amen.

Prime

p. 433 Prayers: In the work we do this day,

May the Spirit of the risen Christ teach us.

In the challenges we face this day,

May the Spirit of the risen Christ guide us.

Through the people we meet this day,

May the Spirit of the risen Christ renew us.

p. 433 Prayer: Jesus, our friend and savior: Guide us in this new day, that we may know

God’s desire for us and gain strength and courage to live as beloved children of God; in whose name we pray. Amen.

Ordinary Time: Creation

Lauds

p. 444 Prayer:

I ask all blessings.

I ask them with reverence, of my mother the earth,

of the sky, moon, and sun my father.

I am old age: the essence of life,

I am the source of all happiness.

All is peaceful, all in beauty,

All in harmony, all in joy. Amen.

Many and great, O God, are thy works,

maker of earth and sky;

thy hands have set the heavens with stars;

thy fingers spread the mountains and plains.

Lo, at thy word the waters were formed;

deep seas obey thy voice.

Grant unto us communion with thee,

thou star-abiding one;

come unto us and dwell with us;

with thee are found the gifts of life.

Bless us with life that has no end,

eternal life with thee.

Wakantanka taku nitawa

tankaya qaota;

mahpiya kin eyahnake ca,

makakin he duowanca.

Mniowanca sbeya wanke cin,

hena ovakihi.

Prime

p. 445 Scripture: 2nd line: much fruit because, apart from me they you can do nothing…

Ordinary Time: Rest

Prime

p. 458 Prayer: beginning, last word of 4th Line:

trusting, O God, that God you will make all things right if I surrender to God’s your will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with God you for ever in the next.

Amen.

Vigils

p. 468 Meditation text formatting needs correction.

Notes

Advent

Note 3: add alt. after Revised Common Lectionary Prayers

Epiphany

Note 39 remove alt. after “Brightest and Best.”

Easter

p. 473-474 Notes 105 and 106 actually belong in the next section: Ordinary Time: Creation.

p. 473 Note 105 also needs the following change:

105 Navajo prayer (anon.), as found in Canticles of the Earth: Celebrating the Presence of God in Nature, F. Lynne Bachleda, ed.

105 Many and Great "Dakota Hymn" / Lacquiparle by Joseph R. Renville (1842), paraphrased by R. Phillip Frazier (1929). alt. Hymnal 1982, Hymn 385

The Bishop of the Convocation of Churches in Europe moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment

In the second resolve clause, after “Spanish,” add “and French.”

Motion carried

Amendment adopted

The Bishop of Montana moved an amendment.

Proposed Amendment

In the first resolve clause, delete “authorize” and replace with “make available.”

Motion carried

Amendment adopted

The question was called.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution A055 as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message # 182)