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Grace Church Customary | |
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Liturgical Ministers in Grace Church revised July 14, 2005
Service in the eucharist is a gift to the church from the gifts God has given us. All liturgical ministers should approach their role in a spiritual frame of mind. They should prepare with prayer, and they should perform with care and reverence. The following guidelines refer mainly to the 10 a.m. celebration.
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Eucharistic Ministers (EMs) are licensed by the bishop to administer the sacrament (both bread and cup) during the eucharist. At Grace Church two EMs serve as: Master of Ceremonies (MC)—oversees the ceremonies Eucharistic Minister (EM)—assists with prayers of the people, communion, and ablutions 1. Scheduling If you cannot serve at the scheduled time, please get a substitute and inform the sacristan, church office, and your partner. 2. Preparations MC arrives 30 minutes before the liturgy, vests MC marks pages in Altar Book, using ribbons MC makes sure: altar, vessels, and books have been prepared hymnals and bulletins are at each seat in chancel font has water. EM lights the candles at the altar (unless someone else lights them) 3. Gathering A few minutes before 10 a.m., the Presider leads prayers in the sacristy. The entire Altar party goes in silence to the hall by the nave entrance. MC makes sure the door from the sacristy to the hallway is locked. Presider places incense in the thurible. All then enter nave and line up. MC walks behind the cross and torches.
Order of Procession[Thurifer] Torch Crucifer Torch MC EM Deacon Concelebrants Presider
On arrival before altar, thurifer bows profoundly and goes to right (near sacristy door). Just inside gate, crucifer and torch bearers (without bowing) turn left, put up cross and torches, and go to places. MC bows and goes to seat at left. EM bows and goes to seat at right. Presider (center), concelebrants, and deacon (far right) line up before altar and bow profoundly. Concelebrants go to seats left and right, and Presider puts on incense and censes altar. 4. Liturgy of the Word If a reader fails to come forward for one of the readings, EM reads the selection. There is silence after each reading (except the gospel) and the sermon—1 minute. MC rings gong to start silence and bell to end it. An assigned priest starts the Nicene Creed.
5. Prayers of the People After concelebrant reads introductory sentence, EM goes to the ambo and reads names. Deacon invites people to offer other names and concerns. Cantor leads response, and deacon sings biddings from midst of the people. In absence of deacon, EM or someone else reads or sings biddings from ambo. The forms for each Sunday are kept in two books in the chancel. Concelebrant chants concluding prayer.
6. Offertory MC goes to back during anthem to organize offertory procession.
6. Eucharistic Prayer Just before the prayer, an acolyte washes Presider’s hands, and MC brings book to altar. EM rings sanctus bell: (1) before Sursum corda, (2) at beginning of “Holy, holy, holy,” (3) after Great Amen, (4) after invitation to communion. During the prayer, concelebrants stand right and left of Presider, left turning pages in the Altar Book. Those administering the Sacrament receive behind or at side of altar. Others receive communion on either side of the altar, at bottom of steps.
7. Communion Administer communion from either a basket or a cup.
Say “The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven” and allow each person time to say “Amen” before you give the bread. Properly, the people receive the bread in the right hand (right hand open over left hand). Help children to hold their hands correctly. · Giving the cup, you have a cup and a purificator (napkin). Say “The Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation” and allow each person time to say “Amen” before you give the cup. People receive the cup in various ways: some without touching it, some taking it in their hands, some holding the bread for you to dip it in the cup and place it on their tongue, some dipping the bread themselves (if possible, discourage this). After each person has received, wipe the lip of the cup with the purificator. It is not necessary to turn the cup for each communicant. EM administers communion to those in congregation who cannot reach altar rail. When all have received, MC assists deacon in clearing altar. Bring remaining Sacrament, money, food, and other offerings to sacristy. Reverently consume remaining bread and wine. If there is too much wine to drink, get others to help. Rinse cup with tap water and drink the water.
8. Dismissal Immediately after dismissal, acolytes line up. They leave at the direction of the MC (given during second to last stanza of hymn). MC and EM bow and follow crucifer out of church. Presider, concelebrants, and deacon bow together and follow others. Clergy remain in back of church to greet worshippers, especially newcomers.
9. Afterwards MC places money from the Sunday offering in a bank bag and puts in safe. MC helps clear and put things away. All hang up vestments.
Acolytes are assigned from the youth of the congregation. Normally there are a thurifer, a crucifer (the EM may take one of these roles, if necessary) and two torchbearers. Arrive 30 minutes before the liturgy and vest.
ThuriferLight the charcoal 20 minutes before the liturgy. Take the thurible and incense boat and go to the front door. The Presider will put on incense. Lead entrance procession, gently swinging thurible from your right hand at full length (boat in your left hand). At top of stairs, after profound bow, move to right and wait for Presider to arrive. Go to Presider, hand boat to deacon, and open thurible for Presider to put on incense. Hand thurible to Presider. While Presider is censing the altar, wait near sacristy door. Deacon will hand you back the thurible. Put thurible up in the sacristy (closing door) and go to your seat on the right side. Before the gospel, get the thurible/boat and go the Presider, who puts on incense. Then stand at the gate, facing the altar. At MC’s signal, lead procession to stand at left of deacon at the ambo. After the gospel, follow deacon and return thurible to sacristy and go to your seat. During preparation of the table, get the thurible and boat and stand on sacristy side. After censing, when the deacon has returned the thurible to you, put it up in the sacristy (closing door) and go to your seat. Before the final hymn, get the thurible/boat, go to Presider to put on incense, and stand at the gate, behind the crucifer and torchbearers, facing the altar. At the direction of the MC, turn and lead the procession to the front door. Empty the thurible in the street gutter and put thurible/boat away. On occasion, a boat-bearer will accompany the thurifer, holding the incense boat.
CruciferA few minutes before the hour, take the processional cross and go to the front door. Follow thurifer with the cross and, without bowing, turn left just inside gate and take it to its place behind lectern. Then go to your seat on the lectern side. At offertory, get cross and lead procession to altar. Put cross up behind lectern. Before the final hymn, get the cross and stand at the gate, facing the altar. At the direction of the MC, follow thurifer to the front door. Put the cross away.
TorchbearersA few minutes before the hour, go to the front door and light the torches. At the entrance procession, flank the crucifer and, without bowing, turn left just inside gate and take the torches to their place at the lectern. Then go to your seats at the lectern side. Before the gospel, take the torches and stand inside altar rail, facing the altar. At MC’s signal, follow thurifer and stand on either side of the ambo, facing in. After the gospel, follow thurifer, return the torches to the lectern, and go to your seats. At fraction anthem, close the gates. After communion, open the gates. Before the final hymn, relight the torches (if necessary) and stand (with the crucifer) at the gate, facing the altar. Go out flanking the crucifer. Blow out the torches and put them away.
Acolytes should wear clean vestments. If yours is dirty or torn, bring it to attention of the sacristan.
The sacristan is the minister of the church who, working largely behind the scenes, provides support for all those participating in the liturgies of the congregation. Appointed by the rector, the sacristan works with the rector, liturgy committee, and others to prepare for and ensure the good conduct of worship. Specifically, the sacristan:
The acolyte warden, appointed by the rector, oversees the youth acolytes. The acolyte warden must receive boundaries training provided by the Diocese of Louisiana for all who work with youth. Specifically, the acolyte warden:
The acolyte warden may have an assistant to help with these duties.
In general the Altar Guild cares for the vessels and fabrics of the liturgy, prepares them for each celebration, and washes the altar linens. For each celebration on Sunday, a member of the Altar Guild prepares the altar, vessels, bread and wine, and sacred books, and cleans up afterwards. The member is scheduled in rotation. At least 30 minutes before the liturgy, unlock safe and remove candles and vessels and complete setup for the liturgy.
1. Prepare altar Remove cover, place candles on altar and retable, place flowers on retable. Light floodlights behind lectern and pulpit.
2. Prepare vessels Two chalices, one basket, one cruet for altar area:
One basket and one flagon for entrance area:
3. Prepare Bible
4. Clean-up After the liturgy, remove the candles and flowers from the altar and retable. Clean the vessels. Put all the vessels and candles back in the safe and lock it. Clean up in general.
An assigned Alter Guild member brings dirty linens and vestments home for washing and/or repairing, or gives them to another person responsible for this duty. The ministry of reader has roots in the ancient church, where readers were appointed by the bishop and served for life. Readers were significant officers in the local church, and many appear on early lists of martyrs. Today, in a more universally literate age, we consider any baptized person who has the gift of reading aloud as qualified to read scripture in liturgy, after appointment and training.
1. Preparation
2. Performance Before the liturgy, make sure the correct passage is marked in the ambo (lectern) Bible. The first reading begins immediately after the collect of the day, the second reading immediately after the psalm. Don’t wait to come to the ambo. At the time for the reading, approach the ambo and find the opening words. (Do not bow to the altar before and after the reading. We bow to the altar on entering and leaving church. At the readings we venerate the Word, not the altar.) Announce the reading clearly and firmly: “A reading from the book of Genesis.” book of Isaiah. Acts of the Apostles. the letter of Paul to the Romans. (See the titles in the NRSV.) (Do not give chapter and verse.) The reading is intended to be a solemn proclamation—but not a dramatic production. Read clearly, slowly, reverently, loud enough for all to hear and understand. Pause after each major group of words according to sense. Stress important syllables and words. At the end, pause a few seconds, then add firmly: “The Word of the Lord.” (Do not say “Here ends the reading,” which discourages the people from responding.) Then return to
your place. In the church of the first few centuries, a singer chanted the psalm after the first reading from a step, or gradus, leading to the lectern. Other singers chanted psalms at the entrance of the ministers, before the gospel, during the preparation of the gifts, and during communion—while the people sang alleluias or some other simple refrain. This is the origin of the ministry of cantor in the Christian church. Many modern cantors function both as psalmists, singing the gradual and other liturgical texts, and as song leaders, encouraging and directing the people in their singing.
1. Preparation In the days before you are to chant, rehearse the assigned psalm. You can get the music the week before.
2. Performance There is silence after each reading (but not after the gradual psalm) for about 60 seconds The next act of worship (gradual psalm or alleluia) does not begin until the silence ends. There is also silence after the sermon.
Responsorial psalm (gradual) The gradual psalm does not begin until the silence ends. After the silence following the first reading, come to the lectern. You may come from your place, or you may come down a side aisle during the reading. Do not bow to the altar before and after the psalm. Sing clearly and slowly enough for all to hear and understand. After each stanza, to start the response, look at the people. Do not sing the response with the people—let other singers help them respond. Afterward, return to your place.
Alleluia The Alleluia does not begin until the silence ends. Lead the Alleluia from your place. On occasion there will be a sequence hymn, and the Alleluia begins immediately after the hymn. In Lent there is no Alleluia.
Fraction anthemAfter the Presider breaks the bread into two pieces, wait 30 seconds. Then begin the fraction anthem. Lead the anthem from your place. Ushers are assigned in rotation and recruit others to assist them, recruiting others to assist them, usually for a total of four bearers each Sunday. Their main function is to collect and bring up the offerings of bread and wine, money, and other gifts (such as food for the hungry) at the offertory. At the beginning of the offertory, two offering-bearers pick up the collection places, bring them to the front of the congregation, and collect the people’s offerings of money, going from front to back. Two others gather up the bread and wine at the entrance. If there are other gifts, one or two other bearers may be needed. As the hymn begins, the offertory-bearers process in this order:
Crucifer MC Wine Bread Money Money (Other gifts)
On reaching the altar, the bearers of bread and wine hand the basket and cruet (or flagon) to the deacon. The bearers of money hand the collection plates to EM, and the bearers of other gifts place them before the altar. All then leave without waiting for the deacon to prepare the gifts.
GreetersGreeters are assigned in rotation, usually one each Sunday. The greeter meets people as they arrive, hands them a bulletin, welcomes them, and helps visitors find a place in the assembly.
Eucharistic Visitors are licensed by the bishop to bring the sacrament (both bread and wine) to absent members of the congregation, immediately after the celebration. Before the celebration, place your carrying vessels (pyx and bottle) on the table with the extra cup and basket. At the fraction, the deacon will place the sacrament in them. Immediately after communion (and before postcommunion prayer), approach altar. Deacon gives you the sacrament, saying: Go in peace, bearing holy gifts for holy people. Thanks be to God. Return to your place for announcements and dismissal. |
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Revised
14 July 2005
© 2005, Grace Episcopal Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
Grace Episcopal Church - 3700 Canal St. - New Orleans, LA - (504) 482-5242 - (504) 488-4402 fax