Last sunday was my turn to lead the prayers at our 9:30 service. It was OK, but rather dry, and no one commented afterwards.
This week, since the vicar is away, I have been dumped with leading the 9:30 service, which being a communion one this time will be different and I don't know what I am supposed to be doing at all. Heeelllppp!
Then on Monday, I am speaking at or Bible Study - so I have to speak for 1 hour on the detail in James chapter 5. As usual, you learn more by dong the study for the sermon than just by listening to other people's contributions on other nights.
James has given rise to an almighty row brewing between the clergy at the church, some of whom believe in 'the assurance of salvation' while others believe that you can lose your salvation if you don't persevere to the end. So the next Bible Study session (after mine) looks likely to be a presidential style debate between the two main protagonists. I'm not sure this is a helpful format! I've told both sides to read 'Justification' by Tom Wright, whihc explains how the two views can be brought together.
Just out of interest, how will you be leading the Communion service? Lay celebration is something I'm interested in, but didn't know it existed in the C of E?
ReplyDeleteHi Gary
ReplyDeleteI am a strong advocate of Lay Presidency. There is nothing in stcripture restricting in to the clergy - on the contrary they all did it in a very informal manner in their homes. Acts 2v46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together However, I will just lead the remainder of the service - the communion part will be by our assistant minister, who is ordained.
Yeah, during my student reader days I would have led the opening section and the ministry of the word, then the Rector would have taken over. I thought it was probably something like that.
ReplyDeleteJust two weeks until I'm ordained as a Presbyter and can lead the Lord's Supper - strange that I can already baptise (as indeed any Christian can...) but not celebrate as a Deacon...
What has surprised me, though, is that my supposedly more reformed brethren in the Presbyterian Church have rules that are just as priestly, where both Baptism and Communion are reserved for the Teaching Elder only (not even the Ruling Elders can do these...).