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Liturgical Language

Convener

J. Barrington Bates
Church of the Annunciation
Oradell, NJ 07649
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Mission Statement

The Liturgical Language Seminar attends to issues of the language of worship by examining liturgical texts, considering scholarly essays, and discussing ideas and issues related to liturgical language. We welcome guest presenters and occasional participants, as well as Academy visitors and regular members. We also strive to maintain a seminar group of a manageable size to encourage full and active participation by all.

2012 Academy Meeting Plans

Textual revision in new hymnals, based on “To Me, to All, Thy Bowels Move: Why Do They Keep Changing the Good Old Hymns?” from Praying Twice (Brian Wren, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2000).

DAVID GAMBRELL – Common Worship in the Next Presbyterian Hymnal

Prayers of confession, including specific texts, theological considerations, and pastoral issues

GAIL RAMSHAW – Mortality, Injustice, Disease, Meaninglessness: Texts For Confessing More Than Sin

KIM LONG – Presentation on a forthcoming liturgical companion to the Feasting on the Word series (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2010)

MARIT RONG – Trinitarian Models in the Baptismal Liturgy, With Special Regard to the New Liturgy of the Church of Norway 

Examination of texts of liturgies for pilgrimage

 

2011 Academy Meeting Agenda

  1. Welcome and Introductions
  2. Rhodora Beaton, “Pneumatological Perspectives onthe One Table of the Word of God and the Body of Christ.”
  3. Robert Farlee, text of “St. Luke Carol”
  4. Gail Ramshaw, text of “An Earth Eucharistic Prayer”
  5. Patrick Evans, demonstration of singing paperlessly in congregations
  6. Brian Wren, three Easter hymns: “If Christ is risen from the dead,” “Are you now alive,” and “Can we now believe in life?”
  7. Nancy Hale, “A Sacramental Mode of Expression: Calvin’s Use of Metonymy in the Lord’s Supper.”
  8. Marit Rong, “Figures of Models and Metaphors: A Help to Extend Liturgical Language?”
  9. David Batchelder, “This Table of Mercy,” new text (with musical composition by Hal Hopson) to accompany the ritual action of processing the eucharistic gifts and preparing the table for the meal.
  10. Kim Long, proposed Eucharistic prayer for forthcoming PCUSA hymnal
  11. Discussion: How and why do the words of worship matter?
  12. Plans for Montreal: January 5-8, 2012

2010 Academy Meeting Agenda

The seminar group has invited Gil Ostdiek, O.F.M., to meet with us about his work on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. In addition we will hear presentations by Robin Knowles Wallace, Kimberly Bracken Long, Jennifer Lord, and Gail Ramshaw.

2009 Academy Meeting Agenda

Saturday

1:30 - 2:30 Kimberly Bracken Long: "The Writers' Roundtable: An Experiment   with Liturgical Language for the PCUSA"

2:30 - 3:30 David Gambrell:  "So Far From My Words: Psalm 22 and the Language of Lament"

4:00 - 5:00 Gail Ramshaw:  "A Postmodern Eucharistic Prayer"

5:00 - 5:45 Jennifer Lord: "The RCL and Images for Preaching"

Sunday

1:30 - 2:30 Discussion of Maxwell Johnson's "The Loss of a Common Language; The End of Ecumenical-Liturgical Convergence?"

2:30 - 3:30 Preparations for NAAL 2010

2008 Academy Meeting Agenda

Friday

11:15-12:00 Robin Knowles Wallace, “Defining the Leitmotifs of Music of the Heart”

1:45-2:30 Marit Rong, "God-language and God-identification in the Liturgy"

2:30-3:15 Barrie Bates, “Liturgically Enacted Public Theology: Can Liturgicam Authenticam Be Saved from the Time of Trial?”

4:00-4:45 Kimberly Long, "And My Mouth Shall Proclaim Your Praise," from a book tentatively titled The Worshiping Body.

4:45-5:30 Specific Liturgical Language Matters: David Gambrell, Report on the PCUSA language issues; others.

Saturday

10:45-12:00 Gail Ramshaw, "What is a symbol?," Chapter Two of Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals

1:30-2:30, The Swedish liturgical group: Presentation on principles and issues that have surfaced in the work on the new Swedish worship book. (tentative)

2:30-3:15 Specific Liturgical Language Matters: Kimberly Long, Language of Confession and Forgiveness; others.

Number of participants: 10-12