19 Sep GS 1980 art 136

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GS 1980 ARTICLE 136 – Book of Praise (Liturgical Forms) – Forms for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper (original and abbreviated)

A. Material – 

Agenda VIII, B, 8, 9, 17, 24, 25, 26.

B. Observations

  • 1. a) Synod Coaldale 1977 (Acts, Article 60) gave as mandate that “especially the Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper be updated in language.”
    • b) In its considerations, Synod Coaldale also expressed “the desirability of having an abbreviated Form for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper” and that “this should be taken into account” so that “the Synod 1980 can make the final decision on a complete Book of Praise (Article 60, Considerations 1 and 10, Recommendation 4).
  • 2. In accordance with its mandate the Committee has served Synod with a (corrected) “Revised Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper” and added an “Abbreviated Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper.”
  • 3. a) The Church at Burlington-East requests that Synod “not delete from the revised Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper the list of sinners who have no part in the Kingdom of Christ when they persevere in their sins” and gives as reason that “especially in our age of licentiousness and declining morals it is a testimony before the world and a preaching to the members of the Church.”
    • b) The Church at Carman requests Synod “to retain in the section of invi­tation and admonition the new omitted list of offensive sins, be it updated to modern time and usage of language,” the reason being, “this list was and is in the spirit of Galatians 5 among other places in Scripture, many sins which were not prevalent then but which are now or go under a different name, examples are misuse of drugs, the idolatry of astrology.”
  • 4. The Church at Surrey passes on to Synod “some remarks that a sub­ committee of our consistory came up with.” The Consistory does “not necessarily endorse all the conclusions or suggestions of the enclosed material.”

C. Considerations

  • 1. a) The list of sins is also omitted in the new Dutch version, but as an application of the Ten Commandments the list of sins has a concrete function in the Form, especially in a time of “declining morals” as a means of admonition and exhortation, also with a view to the holiness of the table of the Lord. It is not expedient that the list be maintained in the Abbreviated Form.
    • b) The list of sins, if maintained, should be updated as the rest of the Form.
  • 2. The remarks sent in by the Church at Surrey, although not endorsed by the Consistory, mostly concern matters of language.
  • 3. a) It is regrettable that the practice of adding texts in the margin for evi­dence and reference (as begun in the Forms for Baptism) is not con­tinued with respect to the Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
    • b) Under “self-examination,” second part, “as if he himself had fulfilled all righteousness” should be added. As it is, too much of the original is lost.
    • c) The list of sins should be included as follows:
      • “we admonish all those who know themselves to be guilty of the following sins to abstain from the table of the Lord and we declare to them that they have no part in the Kingdom of Christ. Such as: all idolators; those who call upon deceased saints, angels or other creatures; all sorcerers, fortune-tellers, and all who engage in astrol­ogy and the occult: all who despise God, His Word and the holy sacraments; all who blaspheme, curse and use foul language; all who promote disunity and schism in the church or revolt against the civil government; all perjurers; all who disobey their parents and superiors: all murderers, all who are contentious and those who live in envy and hatred against their neighbours; all adulterers, fornicators, those who live common-law or practice homosexuality; all who abuse alcohol or drugs; all thieves or robbers, all gamblers and covetous persons; and all who lead offensive lives. While they persist in their sins, they … etc.”
    • d) “prevents” (page 2, bottom) should read “can prevent.”
    • e) Although the R.S.V. uses the word “participation” in I Corinthians 10. the old rendition “communion” (indicated also in a footnote) is prefer­ able.
  • 4. It should be noted that the Abbreviated Form is not meant as a replace­ment of the original Form, rather as a help to be used in the p.m. service when also a sermon is delivered.

D. Recommendations

Synod decide:

  • 1. Provisionally to adopt the Revised Form and the Abbreviated Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper for use in the Churches, as emended by Synod (see Considerations 3a, b, c, d, and e).
  • 2. To pass on the suggestions of the Church at Surrey to the Committee to be used for linguistic correction.

ADOPTED

The following motions, duly seconded, are discussed:

  • 1. “To add in the title of the Abbreviated Form, between brackets (For the afternoon service);
  • 2. To retain in the words spoken at the communion, the words ‘broken’ and ‘poured out,’ instead of the word ‘given.'”

ADOPTED

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