From nhepiscopal.org
Liturgy Task Force
By Scott Erickson
Jun 16, 2004, 12:01
MEMO/AGENDA to committee: Sent 16 June 2004
Liturgy Task Force: Next Meeting
Friday 2 July from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Refectory (called “Coit Upper”) conference room, St. Paul’s School
Lunch served at 11:30 a.m.
Agenda
(Developed as a result of our previous meeting, particularly the notes below)
1. Review of notes below: Is anything missing that should be added? Should anything be revised or re-worded? (Scott’s next task: Put these ideas and words into text format)
2. Discussion of a proposed title or overarching theme for this work (see “second” category below)
3. Development of a proposed timeline and assignment of projects: Things we can begin immediately, short-term implications, long-term aspirations, how to initiate a “quiet phase” prior to full implementation, when to consider our liaison with other groups for collaboration (see “third” and “fourth” categories below)
4. Discussion on planning the Convention Eucharist for Saturday afternoon 30 October: Meeting our goal to present excellent and compelling diocesan liturgies as a good start
5. Discussion of our ideas about preparation, implementation, and feedback: How best to brief people in advance about what we are doing and then debrief with them afterwards
6. Do we need to add a member to this task force (e.g. a musician from a small congregation)?
7. Next meeting and summer meeting plan
Notes from the Meeting on Friday 11 June 2004
FIRST: PHILOSOPHY AND COMMUNICATION
Question A: Who is our audience?
1. Who isn’t our audience? Include clergy, congregation, “outsiders” looking for something new, each worshipping community
2. Outsiders: What would attract new people to Episcopal parishes and congregations?
3. Our audience could begin with a few leaders, starting with clergy and key laypeople, and then expands and rises up to all people.
4. Multifaceted and multi-layered process in that we focus initially on clergy and lay leaders, with infusion into congregations later and as we move along
5. The issue of creating an “audience” of potential mentors: Importance of DOING not TELLING
6. Consider young people and evangelism: How can we involve more young people?
Question B: How do we want our audience to respond?
1. Inspired, moved, appreciate being an Episcopalian
2. Understand the church year; give people an identity as the People of God
3. Forward thinking: Keeping our liturgy current and not worn out
4. Understand the core power of ritual (as opposed to mere repetition)
5. Not a “dumbing” down but rather helping people grasp the complex
6. Mystery and wonder
7. Liturgy as making connections to God and encountering God
8. To “DO” the meaning of God, even to “perform” it, rather than talk about it
9. BCP offers certain parameters within which we do liturgy, but we need to encourage an openness to change and to think differently about how to work within these parameters.
Question C: What message will move the audience toward the desired response?
1. Offer tools and resources, not just words, or else folks will get frustrated and stop participating in this process.
2. Examples and experiences that are effective; people will try things that they experience and appreciate.
3. Be careful to target different kinds of churches carefully: Taylor the message on multiple levels and areas.
4. Something tangible for our ministries in various geographical locations
Question D: How can we most effectively deliver that message?
1. Sensitivity, that is, delivering our message without judgments about current work being good or bad, right or wrong, etc.
2. Ask questions so that people can shape the program that we are asking them to embrace. Ask people to talk about what works in their own communities. Ask people, “What particular things do you need?”
3. A message that encourages people to USE the tools that they are offered and SHARE resources
4. Give people time to think and react: Foster dialogue. Process of preparing people for what they experience and then debrief it
5. Make absolutely sure that we offer a process of FOLLOW-UP in different ways.
6. Make sure our message is embedded in authenticity and with passion for this kind of work.
7. Consider humor, tone, dialogical models
Question E: How will we know if this process has worked and if it is effective?
1. When liturgy in on the radar screen and it has become a subject in the diocese through lots of ongoing conversations
2. When people know that there are options other than those they currently use
3. When the greater diocesan community comes to us so that they can tell us what they doing, rather than our going to them to ask about it
4. When ideas are being shared actively
5. When people begin to implement the ideas that are being shared
6. When people begin to take risks concerning the way they traditionally have done liturgy
7. When our diocese is connected to the national scene concerning liturgy
8. When our process of ongoing feedback drives the conversation forward
SECOND: THEME OR TITLE FOR THIS WORK
Be careful that our theme or title is not too complex or wordy.
Be careful that our title reflects the dynamism of liturgy (not something static).
“Living Liturgy”
“Liturgy for Life: Feeding, Welcoming”
“Liturgy: Sustaining the Community, Welcoming the World”
Liturgy: Empowering the Community, etc.
“Liturgy as Evangelism: Reaching In, Reaching Out”
Other Words: Moving, Shaping, and Creating
THIRD: SPECIFIC ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN OUR WORK
1. Monthly column in the diocesan newspaper
2. Development of diocesan-wide liturgies (convention; Holy Week; etc.)
3. Liturgies with the Bishop, e.g. Confirmations and Ordinations
4. Diocesan Customary (as a guide)
5. Conversation on youth and children in the liturgy
6. Sensitivity to the liturgical calendar and shaping the liturgy according to church seasons
7. Availability of consultations (local training) on liturgy (resources)
8. The nature of liturgy as evangelism: How can we use new services?
9. Training of deacons, LEMs, and lectors: Intentional and Careful
10. The role of music
11. Creativity: Enriching Our Worship; liturgy for same-gender blessings; alternative liturgies, PowerPoint, CD music, variety of instruments, artwork, dance, Taize, etc.)
12. The priest as liturgical leader (body language; presiding; praying; passing the peace; etc.)
13. Liturgical space
14. Sunday morning schedule as conducive to liturgy
15. Possibilities for a liturgical university/institute in the diocese
FOURTH: CONNECTIONS OF WHICH TO BE AWARE
1. “Re-imagining the Diocese” process
2. Clergy development program
3. Committee for Liturgy, Music, and the Arts
4. Musicians in Small Congregations
5. Convocations
6. Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, etc.
7. The former “Association of Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commissions,” which is no longer functional: There is a meeting in November, which Scott plans to attend, for liturgical officers to discuss what kind of national organizations might be worthwhile and helpful now that ADLMC no longer exists.
8. ECUSA’s chief liturgical officer: Meeting with Scott forthcoming
FIFTH: PROCESS AND TIMELINE STRATEGY
1. Sensitivity: People in the diocese are worn out by the recent episcopal transition. We need time for rejuvenation and recuperation. Be careful about doing too much at one time.
2. Too much on the agenda right now: New process for the new calendar year
3. But shouldn’t we jump at this new opportunity so that we don’t miss it?
4. Sensitive to the nature of diocesan priorities so that the re-imagining process maintains its integrity and this liturgy-focus does not get lost in the shuffle
5. Proposal: A tiered process that starts with some natural things that we can deal with right away (e.g. columns in the diocesan paper, planning the diocesan HE at convention; diocesan customary, etc.) and then moves into a more active phase in January 2005
*****
Task Force Membership
Bishop Gene Robinson: Grinnh@aol.com
Heath Civetta: phcivetta@comcast.net
Peter Civetta: phcivetta@comcast.net
Chair: Scott Erickson: serickson@sps.edu
Peter Faass: RevFaass@aol.com
Debbie Harris: DebHarris14@aol.com
John McCausland: holyx@gsinet.net
Abbey Hallberg Siegfried: abbeyhsiegfried@hotmail.com; asiegfried@exeter.edu; music_director@stjohnsnh.org
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