Marlea Gilbert - The Work of the People: What We Do in Worship and Why

Christian Reformed Church in North America. Psalter Hymnal. Grand Rapids, MI: CRC Publications, 1987.

The Psalter Hymnal is the official book of worship of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Published in 1987, Psalter Hymnal includes the psalms, Bible songs, hymns, ecumenical creeds, doctrinal standards, and liturgical forms. Building on the traditional publications of the denomination, the 1987 Psalter Hymnal not only includes the historic liturgies of the Christian Reformed Church but also includes contemporary orders and texts. A small selection of texts are included for the various parts of the worship service.

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Chalice Worship. Eds. Colbert S. Cartwright and O. I. Cricket Harrison. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1997.

The publication of this worship resource by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) paralleled the adoptions of the denominations Chalice Hymnal, also in 1997. Chalice Worship serves as a guide to congregations for planning services of Word and Table. Faithful to the Disciples of Christ tradition, it offers many suggestions for congregations and pastors accustomed to great autonomy in designing worship services. The worship resources section found toward the back of the book offers options for prayers of confession, illumination, intercession, and eucharistic liturgies and prayers. The introductory material The Lords Day Service among Disciples Congregations honors particular Disciples of Christ traditions while also taking note of the Disciples commitment to Christian unity.

Episcopal Church (USA). The Book of Common Prayer. New York: Seabury Press, 1979. Long title: The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church: Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David According to the Use of the Episcopal Church.

At the denominations General Convention of 1789, the convention established a Book of Common Prayer for the churches and acknowledged that in the course of time it might be the responsibility of future churches to alter, abridge, enlarge or amend it. The 1979 version did just that, updating the beloved Book of Common Prayer in ways faithful to its origins for a new generation. This book contains a schedule of lectionary and Psalter readings, services of morning and evening prayer, Sunday collects in both traditional and contemporary versions, and the texts of Holy Eucharist Rites I and II as well as liturgies for other rites. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2006.

The ELCA has published a new hymnal and worship book, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, which is commended to the churches for use and will effectively replace the prior Lutheran Book of Worship. Further information on worship is available on the denominations Web site, www.elca.org/worship, including a summary of the liturgical-review process undertaken by the denomination that has resulted in the publication of Evangelical Lutheran Worship. In addition, a list of hymns and background documents on liturgical music and the use of Scripture in the language of prayer and worship are provided.

Presbyterian Church (USA) and Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Book of Common Worship. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993.

Developed jointly by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Book of Common Worship was published in 1993. The resource contains complete orders and texts for worship on the Lords Day as well as liturgical resources for seasons and holy days of the liturgical year. Eight Prayers of the People and 24 Great Thanksgiving prayers are included. The resource includes materials for baptism/initiation, daily prayer, marriage, funerals, ministry with the sick, as well as a complete Psalter, calendars, and lectionaries.

Reformed Church in America. www.rca.org/worship.

The Reformed Church in America conducted a denominational survey of worship practices and attitudes in 2004. The results of the survey are available at the denominations Web site. Also available in either Rich Text Format or as PDFs are a service for the Lords Day, which includes the Lords Supper, and two Lords Day Preparation Services that include material up to the celebration of the Lords Supper. At the Web site one can also find seasonal worship materials, the Revised Common Lectionary, special liturgies, and articles about beliefs on the sacraments and about theology and the place of music in worship. Pastors and worship leaders are encouraged to browse and download resources.

United Church of Christ Office for Church Life and Leadership. Book of Worship, United Church of Christ. New York: UCC Office for Church Life and Leadership, 1986.

The publication of the UCC Book of Worship in 1986 was a response to the denominations 1977 General Synod resolution to produce a book of worship for the UCC using inclusive language. The result is a book faithful to the various denominational strands that united to form the UCC. The book is also faithful to ecumenical conversations regarding worship. Pastors and worship leaders find a variety of services of Word and Table and services of the Word, as well as many options for prayers and guidelines for praying extemporaneously, either in the prayers of the people or at the eucharistic table. The Services of Word and Sacrament I and II are sensitive to the discussions about historical patterns of Eucharistic prayer that were taking place at the time of the books publication. The UCC recently conducted a denomination-wide worship survey, leading to the publication and periodic distribution of additional worship resources to congregations. Some of these materials can be found at the denominations website, www.ucc.org.

United Methodist Church. United Methodist Book of Worship. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992.

The United Methodist Book of Worship contains the official worship resources of the United Methodist Church. The first section of the book, The Basic Pattern of Worship, establishes the order of worship for Sunday worship. Ordinary and seasonal resources for the various acts of worship follow. Nineteen Great Thanksgiving prayers are included for Eucharistic celebrations.

This guide is intended to help groups study The Work of the People to reflect on their congregations regular Sunday worship service. It will help your group (1) broaden its understanding of the elements of worship and how together they create a coherent and integrated worship service and (2) prepare for full participation in worship. It will better equip those involved in planning worship for their task.

This study uses an appreciative approach. This means we have shaped the questions to elicit what is good about worship rather than criticism of current practice. We believe that by building on the positive, we can enhance and revitalize worship and our communities of faith. During the study, criticisms may arise. These are important and should be acknowledged and discussed if others share the concerns. Following such a discussion with a question such as What would be a way to improve this situation? can return the group to a positive approach.

This guide does not assume the leader has any special knowledge beyond a familiarity with the book and the congregations own worship practice. We hope leaders will join in the discussions and participate in the group work along with other study participants.

Using the questions for discussion and reflection in the text plus the activities suggested below, a study group could engage in a detailed study of worship in ten sessions of about one hour each. A suggested outline is presented below. The sessions build on one another. Other study approaches may better suit your situation. You may want to focus on the principles or on a specific portion of worship. A worship-planning group may want to begin a years work with a retreat and cover most of the material over two days.