Today is the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, just another Sunday towards the end of Ordinary Time in the Church’s liturgical calendar. But for those of us lay people who lead a Book of Common Prayer Evensong on a regular basis, the main Collect for the day is very familiar, and, certainly in my case, much loved. It’s the prayer a lay person uses in place of the absolution, because we’re not able to absolve people of their sins as we’re not Priests.
The instruction in the Book of Common Prayers reads:
If no priest be present the person saying the Service shall read the Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, that person and the people still kneeling.
It’s the only place in the official service where what I’m able to differs from what an ordained Priest does. At Godmanchester we traditionally end the service with a blessing, and so I pray for a blessing for all of us, rather than blessing the congregation; just a small difference in the wording used, which makes a big difference to what is actually happening.
Evensong is the only service I lead on a regular basis where I’m able to do things so completely. Perhaps it’s, therefore, no wonder it’s the service I find most fulfilling as far as my upfront public ministry is concerned.
The prayer comes originally from the Gelasian Sacramentary, an ancient Catholic liturgy. Cranmer changed the original “indulgence” to “pardon” because of the medieval abuse associated with the prior term.
The Collect asks for pardon and peace, with the incomparable result of “a quiet mind”. Freedom from the heavy dead hand of the past, and past misdeeds, produces the opposite of anxiety. It produces tranquillity.
As someone who allows anxiety to take a hold of him all too readily, perhaps I should remember this prayer more often than when I’m leading corporate worship.
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord,
to thy faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from their sins
and serve thee with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect for The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity
from the Book of Common Prayer
Incidentally, had my health been better at the moment, we would have heard this prayer twice this evening at Godmanchester, as I was due to lead Evensong today. The first time when I prayed it after the corporate confession, and then again when I sang it as the first of the three Collects.
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Brother!
I would love for Anglican churches in the states to do more of the suggested services from the BCP! Evensong just sounds so… refreshing… like hot cocoa before bed, but even better because it’s Jesus!
Thanks for continually sharing.
The number of Churches that still celebrate a traditional BCP Evensong is dwindling here in the UK Tom. We don’t have huge numbers attend, quite small really.
When I first started in ministry it was a service that scared me, because much of it is sung/chanted, and the person leading the service sings quite a lot alone and unaccompanied. I’m not the best singer in the world, not by a long way, but I do manage Evensong; and now my confidence has grown a bit with it, really quite enjoy it. And it’s quite a special feeling to be a part of service that’s still happening in the same way as it has for many many years.
There is room for the traditional to live alongside the more contemporary. And both are good.
you could tell the story about how bad a singer people thought you were
but you sound wonderful when doing evensong, very proud of my daddy xx
You mean when I was persuaded to go and ring the bells instead of singing in the choir when I was seven or eight years old!
Having grown up believing I couldn’t sing at all, I was probably only marginally less surprised than my Mum was that first time I sang Evensong.