10 Sep GS 2022 art 156

Posted at 16:23h in CanRC, GS 2022 by

GS 2022 Article 156 – Overture RSE 2021 re Shorter Lord’s Supper Forms

1.   Material

  • 1.1    RSE 2021 Overture to GS 2022 to Provisionally Adopt, for Immediate Use and Testing in the Churches, Shorter Liturgical Forms for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper (8.4.5.1).
  • 1.2    Letters from the following CanRC: Carman West (8.5.5.1); Brampton-Grace (8.5.5.2); Niagara South (8.5.5.3); Sardis (8.5.5.4); Lynden (8.5.5.5); Nooksack Valley (8.5.5.6); Winnipeg-Grace (8.5.5.7); Guelph-Emmanuel (8.5.5.8); Willoughby Heights (8.5.5.9); Smithville (8.5.5.10); Owen Sound (8.5.5.11); Vernon (8.5.5.12); Coaldale (8.5.5.13); Carman East (8.5.5.14); Fergus-Maranatha (8.5.5.15); Calgary (8.5.5.16); Glanbrook-Trinity (8.5.5.17); Winnipeg-Redeemer (8.5.5.18); Neerlandia (North) (8.5.5.19); Edmonton-Immanuel (8.5.5.20); Lincoln-Vineyard (8.5.5.21); Edmonton-Providence (8.5.5.22); Langley-Refuge (8.5.5.23).

2.   Admissibility

  • 2.1    The submissions were declared admissible.

3.   Decisions

Synod decided:

  • 3.1    To deny the request in the overture from RSE 2021 for provisional approval for immediate use and testing of shorter forms for the celebration of Lord’s Supper;
  • 3.2    To accept the request in the overture to mandate a committee to provide shorter forms for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper;
  • 3.3    To mandate the Standing Committee for the Publication of the Book of Praise (SCBP) to review forms in use by our sister churches, or to draft new forms, and to present GS 2025 with one or more shorter forms for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper which are: (a) of Reformed character; (b) comparable in content to the current forms; (c) shorter than the current Abbreviated Form.

4.   Grounds

  • 4.1    Re 3.1: Neither the overture nor the Acts of RSE 2021 provides any grounds to show why shorter liturgical forms ought to be provisionally adopted for immediate use and testing in the churches. 
  • 4.2    Re 3.2: Both the overture and the Acts of RSE 2021 provide compelling grounds which show that having additional shorter liturgical forms would be of benefit to churches desiring to celebrate communion on a more frequent basis.
  • 4.3    Re 3.2, 3.3: The majority of churches which favoured adopting the overture were also in favour of establishing a committee to review forms in use by sister churches, or to draft new forms, for recommendation to GS 2025. 
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