Evangelical & Reformed Worship

Sources

The Evangelical & Reformed Book of Worship (BoW) sets forth the services and calendar for E&R churches from its publication in 1947 until merger into the UCC, where it would become a spiritual father of that denomination’s liturgical book.

The liturgy is moderate and traditional. The committee behind the book (including one H. Richard Neibhur) clearly stated their expectation that the liturgy contained would become a source of unity in the denomination even as it is open to manipulation. It may have even been disregarded by member churches, having no constitutional obligation to follow the book at all. Especially compared to the prior ESNA liturgical book, it also reaches across ecumenical lines to follow a broader pattern of worship familiar with Episcopalians and confessional Lutherans. The liturgical year, with introits, collects, epistle and gospel readings match exactly the Common Service (CS) of 1887 which united much of North American Lutheranism. Both the Common Service (in English) and the BoW draw heavily from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in renderings of the ancient prayers, introits and collects into English, as well as some elements original to the BCP like the general confession (Almighty and most merciful father … ). 

Unlike the Common Service and Book of Common Prayer, there were never any editions of the Book of Worship pointed for chanting any portion of the liturgy. The minister is not directed to sing at any time the congregation is not also singing. The BoW also contains many fewer rubrics. The CS contains pages of general rubrics, but the BoW only lists three: the singing of the Amen, standing or kneeling for prayer, and the use of “Spirit” or “Ghost” in the Creeds.

Orders of Worship

In Secion 1: Worship and Sacraments, the BoW provides four primary services for Sunday mornings: The Order of Worship, An Alternate Order of Worship, The Order for Holy Communion, & An Alternate Order for Holy Communion. The Alternate Order of Worship takes the same basic shape as the first order, but with fewer items making for a shorter service. The first Order for Holy Communion is a standalone service, from the trinitarian invocation to the benediction, while the shorter Alternate Order for Holy Communion is meant to follow the Order for Worship, starting with a pastoral exhortation regarding the Lord’s Supper.

Even though the entire BoW is offered as a recommended, not enforceable, liturgical source, different items in the Order are nevertheless distinguished with “shall” and “may”. These communicate what the Committee found to be necessary to the service, and what other elements are suggested while nonessential. To follow every “may” rubric would require a choir to sing responses, a processional and a recessional.

In the following, “may” items are italicized, while all others are assumed “shall.”

Outline

• Prelude

• Processional Hymn

• Trinitarian Invocation

• Sentences of Scripture (Seasonal)

• Confession of Sin

• Absolution

• Introit for the Day

• Psalm 51:15 (responsive with congregation)

• The Gloria in Excelsis or a Hymn of Praise

• Collect for the Day

• Responsive reading of Psalter or other Scriptures

• Gloria Patri

• Epistle for the Day

• Gloria Tibi

• Gospel for the Day

• Response

• Laus Tibi

• Hymn or Canticle

• The Apostles’ Creed

• Salutation & General Prayer

• Special Prayer

• Anthem

• Offering

• Hymn

• Sermon

• *Alternate Order for Holy Communion*

• Concluding Prayers

• Lord’s Prayer

• Doxology or Hymn

• Benediction

• Recessional Hymn

• Postlude

From prelue to postlude, the service without communion contains 31 total items, with 10 of these being optional. There are 2 to 6 hymns & anthems, and 11 total items to be sung if all responses are used.