We have worked to reflect the prayer book’s ethos in the BOS, paying attention to the sound of its language and the shape of its rites. The intention is not to duplicate resources in the BCP but to enrich, seasonally in many instances, the purposes of the prayer book. The Book of Occasional Services is designed to give congregations resources that both form our members in the faith and support the liturgical goals of the Book of Common Prayer. General Convention expressed a need for a revised book that would add new resources, subtract little-used ones, and respond to the church’s desire to include material that was relevant to the diverse membership we enjoy as a denomination. In the current triennium, the SCLM worked to complete the Book of Occasional Services (BOS)–work that began in the last triennium and is a revision of the BOS authorized in 2006. And although many church folks can craft their own liturgies for special occasions, it’s good to have a book for the whole church to use that celebrates what’s not in the BCP. It’s not that the prayer book doesn’t work well enough it’s just that there are occasions in the life of every congregation that need to be celebrated, and that aren’t between the covers of the red (or blue) book.
On certain occasions, the Book of Common Prayer isn’t quite what’s called for. We invite your comments and hope that our conversation here will be beneficial to the legislative committees of General Convention. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music is presenting essays describing portions of our Blue Book report and explaining the thinking that shaped our conclusions.
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