On Liturgical Peculiarities.

 

As I wander around the diocese a wee bit (Spiky Mike's for choice, Eyemouth if I'm with Rachel and not on duty and elsewhere if covering services) it has come to my attention that a new liturgical oddity has surfaced in the last few months. (The last oddity I noticed in all honesty was the funny habit of the congregation saying bits of the Eucharistic Prayer that the priest normally did solo, but this is now the "norm" in the SEC and it's hardly worth protesting about now).  We have now taken to praying for a new Trinity in the intercessions - viz "David our Primus, John our Bishop and Susan our Dean".

Now don't get me wrong, all three are good and godly and doubtless need and appreciate all the prayers they can get (don't we all?).  But I am somewhat baffled by this sudden and peculiar elevation of 2 "Offices" to equal status as an "Order".  The Bishop is the chief pastor of the diocese - the Primus is the elected Chair of the College of Bishops and "1st amongst equals" Not and never an Archbishop, quasi, virtual or otherwise.  One of the reasons the Anglican Covenant fell flat in Scotland was it's odd idea that "Primates" were super special and wise and needed more authority and less accountability to the clergy and laity of the Church.  That is not an idea the Scots have ever borne well with - I mean we shot Archbishop Sharp for that sort of thing in the old days.  Prelacy it was called and not at all the "pure and primitive episcopacy" that Bishops Jolly and Skinner sent to Connecticut in 17Oatcake!  Equally, Deans have never been elevated to near Episcopal status. (I can't actually recall hearing anyone pray for "Kevin our Dean" or even "John our Dean" prior to the recent vacancy in the See).  I can understand the enthusiasm for Susan and her breaching the glass ceiling and all that but...  it's a bit like praying for yer Archdeacon in England.  And I've never heard of that happening in the mass very often.

Then again, maybe I'm just the grumpy old man of Scottish liturgy!  It's all gone down hill since the '70 Liturgy (1570 I mean!).  And I do pray for them all.  When directed by the Diocesan cycle of prayer!  (It's probably an Asperger's sorta thing!)

Liturgical car crash or what?

Yesterday was one of those horrid collisions of liturgical principles which horrify the purist and confuse everyone else. All Saint's fell on Saturday, so yesterday was All Souls, right? Nope, because All Souls is a much lesser festival than a Sunday in Ordinary Time. So I kept All Saint's Sunday. Easy enough so far. But it is the local tradition that we also observe the reading of the list of the departed on the Sunday. And it's meant to be a Family Service. Arrgh! So the order for Festivals was used, 2 readings dropped and a lengthy list of departed recited. Seemed to meet general satisfaction. Probably not to the taste of the high heid yins of the Liturgy Committee, but then I've never thought much about their collective wisdom - 'handsel' forsooth!

The afternoon had the pleasure of a baptism interview. For the first time in my career, I'll be baptising twins on the 10th January! I must get the names in the right order! And then "Godtalk 3" at Erskine Church. Discussing music and spirituality. Stimulating given that 2 of those present were on the Editorial Board of CH4. Quite a lively day, all told.