As with the first article in this series, this article deals with a part of the Book of Common Prayer 1979(BCP). Now is a good time to talk about the division of the services in the 1979 BCP. With the 1979 revision, a compromise was struck to reconcile those who felt betrayed by an abandonment of the older prosaic language in favor of more contemporary sounding liturgies. Thus we have in the BCP two versions of the main services, Rite I and Rite II. Rite I retains the "King's English" wording of the liturgies. Lots of "thee" and "thy" and "unto" are found there, along with a reverent, almost frightful tone. Rite II has modern language infused, and has been criticized as being not very poetic. Almost any Episcopalian you ask will describe her/himself as a "Rite I person" or a "Rite II person." Many churches I have attended use Rite I at an early service with no music, and Rite II at the larger, later service with music.
The Holy Eucharist
The central rite of Anglicans is the Holy Eucharist. Also called Mass, Holy Communion, or Divine Liturgy, the Eucharist is the Sunday morning worship service. In the rubrics of the BCP, it is explained that the service is best celebrated when all orders of the priesthood are present and performing their respective roles, bishop, priest, and deacon. It is appropriate that the chief celebrant be the bishop, with priests and bishops attending.
To celebrate the Holy Eucharist, one must be ordained a priest or bishop. Deacons serve during the service by reading the Gospel lesson, preparing the altar for communion, leading the prayers, and ministering the Sacrament to the people. Deacons cannot celebrate the Eucharist because they cannot give blessings, absolutions, or consecrate the bread and wine. Look for a future article examining the role and situation of deacons.
Others are involved in the celebration of Eucharist as well. Altar servers (usually school-age children), choirs, Lay Ministers, and Lectors all take part in the service. The service begins with a hymn, all standing, and the vested participants processing through the church towards the altar following the cross or crucifix borne by one the servers. Once the celebrant reaches the altar, all are in their places and the hymn has ended, the first part of the service, The Word of God, begins. A few verses from Scripture, like the one at the top of this article, are said to open the service and focus our minds. The celebrant then says a prayer to prepare the people for the celebration to come, and an ancient hymn, the Gloria, is sung. Depending on the liturgical season, the Kyrie or the Trisagion may replace the Gloria.
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