A Curriculum of Liturgical Formation
New Every Morning Anglican Fellowship
After the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Track A — Diaconal Formation · Ten lessons for candidates for the diaconate
Track B — Presbyteral Formation · Eight lessons for candidates for the presbyterate
Track C — Lay Formation · Six lessons for confirmed members of the congregation
24 Lesson Plans in Three Tracks
© 2026 · The Reverend P. A. Ternahan, M.A. Hum., Editor
For use in the Continuing Anglican tradition of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Preface
The priesthood of believers begins with formation. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is the primary catechetical instrument of the Anglican tradition — but only for those who have been taught to read it. A deacon who does not know the difference between a rubrical "shall" and a rubrical "may" is not equipped to assist at the altar; a priest who cannot explain why the celebrant does not stand at the North End in an Anglo-Catholic parish does not understand what he is doing at the altar; and a layperson who has never been shown how to pray the Daily Office at home has been given a Prayer Book and denied the key.
This curriculum is designed to address all three deficiencies. It consists of twenty-four lesson plans in three tracks. Track A (Diaconal Formation) provides the foundational liturgical education every deacon needs before ordination and every deacon in ongoing formation should possess. Track B (Presbyteral Formation) builds on Track A, addressing those aspects of liturgical ministry — the Prayer of Consecration, the pronouncing of absolution, the blessing, the exercise of the cure of souls — that are specific to the presbyterate. Track C (Lay Formation) draws on both tracks, selecting the lessons of most direct relevance to the formed and engaged layperson.
Thirteen of the twenty-four lessons are designated for cross-reference between Track A and Track C, meaning they are appropriate for either clerical or lay use and are listed in both curricula. The lesson materials are the same; the depth of treatment and the discussion questions differ.
Each lesson plan follows the same structure: Lesson Number and Title; Track and Audience; Prerequisite knowledge; Time required; Primary BCP texts; Archive resources to assign as preparatory reading; Objectives; Content outline in five or six sections; Discussion questions; and a Rubrical focus — the specific rubrics from the 1928 BCP that govern the practices discussed in the lesson. The Rubrical focus is the spine of every lesson: the BCP text is the authority and the lesson is the commentary on it.
Table of Contents
Track A
1. The 1928 BCP: Structure, Authority, and the APCK's Use of It ◆
2. Rubrical Hermeneutics: Shall, May, Is to Be, and Silence ◆
3. Morning and Evening Prayer: The Deacon's Role and Duties ◆
4. The Litany, the Penitential Office, and Ash Wednesday ◆
5. Holy Communion I: Entrance Rite through the Gospel
6. Holy Communion II: Offertory through Dismissal
7. The Theology of the Diaconate: What a Deacon Is, Does, and May Not Do
8. The Occasional Offices: Baptism, Matrimony, and Burial ◆
9. The Visitation of the Sick and the Communion of the Sick
10. The Christian Year: Calendar, Lectionary, Feasts, Fasts, and Ember Days ◆
Track B
11. The Theology of the Presbyterate
12. Holy Communion III: Vestments, Ceremonial, and the North End
13. Holy Communion IV: Consecration, Manual Acts, Administration, Ablutions
14. Absolution: Forms, Authority, and the Pastoral Use of Confession
15. The Blessing: Who May Bless, What Forms, and When
16. The Ordinal: Making Deacons, Ordering Priests, Consecrating Bishops
17. Preaching from the BCP: The Harmony of Collect, Epistle, and Gospel ◆
18. Parish Administration: Registers, Canons, and the Annual Meeting
Track C
19. The Priesthood of All Believers: Your Baptismal Calling ◆
20. How to Pray the Daily Office at Home ◆
21. Understanding Holy Communion: Preparation, Reception, Thanksgiving ◆
22. The Christian Year at Home: Living the Liturgical Calendar ◆
23. The Psalter as Daily Prayer ◆
24. Understanding the Creeds: Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian ◆
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track A
Diaconal Formation
Ten lessons for candidates for the diaconate and for deacons in ongoing formation.
Track B
Presbyteral Formation
Eight additional lessons for candidates for the presbyterate and priests in ongoing formation.
Prerequisite: completion of all ten lessons of Track A (Diaconal Formation).
Track C
Lay Formation
Six lessons for confirmed members of the congregation, adult enquirers, and parish study groups.
Note: Lessons 1–4, 8, 10, and 17 of Tracks A/B are also assigned in Track C — see cross-references.
Lesson 1 The 1928 BCP: Structure, Authority, and the APCK's Use of It
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Completion of the Catechism for Confirmation Candidates
Primary BCP Texts
• The Preface to the BCP (p. iii)
• The Table of Contents
• Articles of Religion (pp. 603-634)
• The Catechism (pp. 577-585)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab I (Collects) and Tab IV (Services & Rubrics)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part V, Questions 63-65
• Hansen, A History of the APCK (assigned reading)
Learning Objectives
• Identify the major sections of the 1928 BCP and their page locations
• Explain why the APCK uses the 1928 BCP rather than later revisions
• Distinguish the 1928 American BCP from the 1662 English BCP
• Describe the BCP's place in the Anglican three-legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
• Navigate the BCP efficiently in preparation for liturgical ministry
Content Outline
1. The history of the BCP in four stages
Cranmer's first Prayer Book (1549) — a Catholic reform; the second (1552) — a more Protestant revision; the Elizabethan Settlement and the 1559 BCP; the 1662 revision after the Restoration; the American adaptations of 1789, 1892, and 1928. Each revision leaves its mark; a liturgist must know what layer of tradition each prayer belongs to.
2. The structure of the 1928 American BCP
Walk through the table of contents section by section: the Daily Office (pp. 3-34); the Litany (pp. 54-67); Holy Communion (pp. 67-87); the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for the Christian Year (pp. 87-261); the Occasional Offices (pp. 267-575); the Ordinal (pp. 529-575); the Catechism (pp. 577-585); the Articles of Religion (pp. 603-634); the Forms of Prayer (pp. 587-601). Candidates must know where everything is without having to search.
3. Why the APCK uses the 1928 BCP
The Affirmation of St. Louis (1977) identified the 1928 BCP as the liturgical standard of the Continuing Anglican movement. The reasons: the 1928 BCP maintains the classical Christology of the Prayer of Consecration (full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice); the traditional language of reverence; the apostolic ordering of the service; and the three-year lectionary connection. The 1979 revision altered all of these in ways the Affirmation judged incompatible with Catholic faith and order. [Assigned reading before the next session: the Thirty-Nine Articles at the back of the 1928 BCP — especially Articles VI, XIX, XX, XXV-XXXI, and XXXVI. These define what Anglican doctrine is not and are the doctrinal context within which all liturgical rubrics operate.
4. The BCP as the primary catechetical instrument; canonical requirements
The BCP was designed to teach as well as to worship. Cranmer's vision: a people formed by daily hearing of the Scriptures, the Psalms, and the prayers. The BCP Catechism (pp. 577-585) is a skeleton of the faith; the whole BCP is its flesh. A deacon or layperson who prays the Daily Office faithfully for one year will have read through most of the Old and New Testaments and the entire Psalter. Two canonical provisions bearing directly on Lesson 1: Canon 10.05 requires that only the King James Version of Scripture be used in public worship ("only the James Version shall be used in public worship"). Canon 11.01 and 11.02 draw a distinction the minister must know: a MEMBER is any baptised person enrolled in a parish; a COMMUNICANT is a person who has been properly confirmed. These are not the same. The gate to Holy Communion is Confirmation (or readiness for Confirmation); the canonical obligations of Canon 11.06 apply to Communicants, not merely to members.
5. The APCK's dual-rite provision: BCP and the Anglican Missal
The Continuing Anglican Tradition of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer authorises two forms of eucharistic worship: the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the People's Anglican Missal (PAM), published by the Frank Gavin Liturgical Foundation. Both are fully authorised; neither is merely supplementary to the other. The choice of rite rests with the congregation — parishes may use the BCP alone, the Anglican Missal alone, or elements of both in accordance with their liturgical tradition. The 1928 BCP remains the canonical doctrinal standard of the Province; the Anglican Missal provides the fuller ceremonial expression of the same faith in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. A deacon or priest in the APCK must be competent in both forms and must understand where they differ — in structure, in ceremonial, in the order of the Canon, and in the provision of saints' days and additional propers. The rubrical principle taught in Lesson 2 applies to both: "shall" is mandatory in either rite; "may" is permissive in either rite; and the distinction between rubric and custom must be maintained whether the missal or the prayer book is on the altar.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Open your BCP and find, without using the table of contents, the collect for the Third Sunday in Advent, the Prayer of Humble Access, and the form for the Visitation of the Sick. How long did it take? What does that tell you about your familiarity with the book?
Cranmer described his intention as holding up a light in the Church. What does the Daily Office actually teach, and how does it teach it?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A parishioner asks why you use this "old-fashioned" Prayer Book rather than the contemporary language version. What do you say?
What is the difference between the 1928 American BCP and the 1662 English BCP, and why does it matter for the APCK?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. iii
"The Preface: "it is a most invaluable part of that blessed Reformation, to restore to the laity the use of the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the forms of Divine Service.""
Articles XXV-XXXI
"The sacramental Articles define the doctrinal context within which all the liturgical rubrics operate."
Lesson 2 Rubrical Hermeneutics: Shall, May, Is to Be, and Silence
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 1
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion rubrics (pp. 67-87)
• Morning Prayer rubrics (pp. 3-6)
• Burial of the Dead rubrics (pp. 324-337)
• The Ornaments Rubric (p. 3)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab IV (Services & Rubrics)
• Subject Index to the Prayers of the 1928 BCP
Learning Objectives
• Define "rubric" and explain its origin and authority
• Distinguish between mandatory ("shall"), permissive ("may"), and descriptive rubrics
• Explain what silence in the rubrics means and how to handle it
• Apply rubrical hermeneutics to at least ten specific rubrics from the 1928 BCP
• Understand the difference between rubrical requirement and accumulated custom
Content Outline
1. What is a rubric?
The word "rubric" derives from the Latin rubrica — red, because rubrics were originally printed in red ink to distinguish them from the liturgical text. A rubric is an instruction printed in the liturgical text governing the performance of the service. In the 1928 BCP rubrics appear in italics. They have the authority of canon law when they use mandatory language; they are permissive when they use permissive language; and they are silent — neither permitting nor forbidding — when they say nothing at all.
2. "Shall" — the mandatory rubric
"Shall" in a rubric means the minister has no discretion: the act is required. Examples: "The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall be read." "The minister shall read one or both of the following sentences." "The Priest shall then offer..." A failure to comply with a "shall" rubric is a liturgical irregularity, not merely an eccentricity. In some cases it affects the validity of the rite. Candidates must identify "shall" rubrics on sight and treat them as non-negotiable.
3. "May" — the permissive rubric
"May" means the minister may do the thing or may omit it, at his discretion or in accordance with local custom. "The Minister may say..." "One or both of these prayers may be said..." "The following hymn may be sung..." The permissive rubric is an invitation, not a requirement. However, "may" does not mean "may not if inconvenient" — it means the action is liturgically legitimate and the minister must have a reason for omitting it, not a reason for including it.
4. "Is to be", "is said", and silence — the presumptive rubric and the unspoken
The phrase "is to be said" or "is said" indicates an expected practice — normal in ordinary circumstances but open to pastoral variation. It is stronger than "may" but weaker than "shall." Example: "The Gloria in Excelsis is to be sung or said." Treat this as a "shall" in ordinary circumstances; departure requires a reason. Silence is more complex. When the rubrics say nothing about a practice, the minister must determine whether it is: (a) implicitly authorised by the tradition the BCP inherits; (b) implicitly prohibited by the BCP's theology; or (c) genuinely indifferent and therefore at the bishop's discretion. The key principle: silence is not permission. A ceremony not mentioned in the rubrics requires justification from tradition or the bishop's jus liturgicum — it does not authorise itself by not being forbidden. Example: the sign of the cross at the Absolution is not in the rubric; tradition supplies it; the bishop's direction governs it.
5. Rubric versus custom; the BCP/missal hierarchy; and the jus liturgicum
Three principles complete the hermeneutical toolkit. First: rubric versus custom — a custom may be ancient and edifying and still not be a rubric. The answer to "why do we do this?" is either "because the rubric requires it" or "because our tradition commends it" — never "because we always have." Second: the canonical hierarchy of BCP over missal. Canon 10.01 (SHALL): the 1928 BCP is the mandatory standard. Canon 10.02 (MAY): the Anglican Missal may be used as a supplement, provided it conforms to the BCP. A missal rubric that departs from the BCP is custom only — Tier 3. Third: the bishop's jus liturgicum (Canon 10.04) — the bishop's ancient canonical prerogative to fill the BCP's rubrical silences, direct ceremonial, and govern what custom is permitted in his diocese. It operates within the BCP hierarchy; it cannot override a BCP "shall" rubric. Together these three principles — rubric, canonical hierarchy, jus liturgicum — give the minister the complete framework for every liturgical decision. [Job Aid 8 summarises the full three-tier structure for quick reference.]
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Open the Holy Communion service and identify all the "shall" rubrics on pages 67-87. How many are there? Which ones do you see most commonly ignored in practice?
The rubric at p. 83 says "The Priest shall then offer." What does "offer" mean here, and what does the mandatory language require?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A priest says "we've always done it this way." Is that a sufficient justification for a liturgical practice? What questions would you ask?
Find a rubric in the Burial of the Dead that uses "may." Now find one that uses "shall." What is the difference in practice?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 3
"The Ornaments Rubric: "The Minister officiating... shall use... such ornaments... as were in use in the second year of the reign of King Edward VI." This "shall" rubric is one of the most contested in Anglican history — its interpretation divides the Catholic and Evangelical wings of Anglicanism."
BCP p. 67
"Opening rubric of Holy Communion: "The Holy Eucharist, commonly called The Mass, or The Lord's Supper, shall be celebrated..." — mandatory language for the celebration itself."
BCP p. 75
"And there shall be no celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a convenient number to communicate with the Priest" — a "shall not" rubric.
APCK Canon 10.01
"Worship of Almighty God in this Province shall be according to the Book of Common Prayer, the 1928 version." — the SHALL canon establishing the BCP as the mandatory standard.
APCK Canon 10.02
"Missals and devotional manuals...may be used also; provided that the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops may in its discretion enumerate the permitted missals." — the MAY canon establishing the Anglican Missal as a permitted supplement, not a canonical equal. Conformity to the BCP is the condition of the missal's legitimacy.
APCK Canon 10.04
"Each Bishop shall be the liturgical authority in his own Diocese with the traditional right of jus liturgicum." — the canonical basis of the bishop's liturgical prerogative. The jus liturgicum operates within the BCP hierarchy: it fills rubrical silences and governs permitted customs; it cannot override BCP "shall" rubrics.
Lesson 3 Morning and Evening Prayer: The Deacon's Role and Duties
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 35 min content · 10 min practical · 10 min review)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 1 and 2
Primary BCP Texts
• Morning Prayer (pp. 3-22)
• Evening Prayer (pp. 23-34)
• The Table of Psalms
• The Lectionary
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab II (Epistles & Gospels)
• Psalter Companion with Thematic Titles
• Concordance to the Psalter
• Lectionary with Homilies (Morning and Evening Prayer volumes)
Learning Objectives
• Lead Morning and Evening Prayer from the 1928 BCP without error
• Identify which parts of the Daily Office a deacon may lead and which require a priest
• Explain the structure and theology of the Daily Office
• Select the correct psalms and lessons for any given day
• Distinguish the three levels of the Absolution: the priest's declaratory pronouncement, the deacon's customary use of the Trinity 21 Collect, and the lay reader's canonical omission with no substitution
Content Outline
1. The structure of Morning Prayer
Opening sentences — General Confession — Absolution or Declaration — Lord's Prayer — Versicles and Responses — Invitatory and Venite — Psalms — First Lesson — Te Deum or Benedicite — Second Lesson — Benedictus or Jubilate — Apostles' Creed — Prayers — Collects — Anthem — Closing sentences. The candidate must know each element by name, location, and theological function.
2. The Absolution: three levels — priest, deacon, and lay reader
The rubric at BCP p. 6 states: "Then the Priest (if present) shall pronounce the Absolution." The 1928 BCP provides no substitute form for when no priest is present — no Declaration of Forgiveness, no alternative prayer, and no direction to use any Collect. The "Declaration of Forgiveness" familiar from modern Anglican liturgies belongs to the 1979 and 2019 BCPs and has no rubrical basis in the 1928. The three levels must be clearly distinguished. FIRST LEVEL — THE PRIEST: pronounces the Absolution in the declaratory form: "Almighty God...He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent." This is an act of priestly authority; no other minister may say it. SECOND LEVEL — THE DEACON: the 1928 BCP rubric simply omits the Absolution when no priest is present. The traditional practice in many Anglican Catholic parishes — including those of the APCK — is to use the Collect for the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity as a non-rubrical, customary substitute: "Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind." This is a PRAYER for pardon, not a pronouncement of it — the distinction is theologically exact. This practice is custom, not rubric; it is subject to the bishop's jus liturgicum (Canon 10.04) and to the direction of the priest-in-charge. THIRD LEVEL — THE LAY READER: Canon 21.03(1)(a) is explicit and more restrictive than the rubric: the lay reader reads Morning and Evening Prayer "omitting the Absolution, and making no substitution for it." A lay reader omits the Absolution entirely and says nothing in its place — not even the Trinity 21 Collect. The deacon may use the customary substitute; the lay reader may not even do that.
3. Selecting psalms and lessons
The 1928 BCP provides a Table of Psalms dividing the 150 psalms across 30 mornings and 30 evenings of the month. A deacon must be able to find the correct psalm portion for any day. The Lectionary provides two lessons per service, morning and evening; the BCP Reference Tool Tab II shows the Sunday and feast day propers. On weekdays the continuous reading of Scripture prevails. The deacon must understand both systems.
4. The canticles and their alternatives
The 1928 BCP provides the Te Deum (morning, after the first lesson) with the Benedicite as an alternative in Lent and at the minister's discretion. The Benedictus (after the second lesson) with the Jubilate as an alternative. At Evening Prayer: the Magnificat (after the first lesson) with the Cantate Domino as an alternative; the Nunc Dimittis (after the second lesson) with the Deus Misereatur as an alternative. The rubrics governing these alternatives must be known precisely.
5. Evening Prayer and the particular duties of Evening Prayer leaders
Evening Prayer has the same structure as Morning Prayer with different canticles and slightly different collects. The three Evening Prayer collects — for peace, for aid against perils, and the third — are said in order. The Collect for the Day is the same as at Morning Prayer. At Evening Prayer the deacon who leads must know which canticles to choose in which season, and must read the lessons with care and clarity.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
What are the three levels of the Absolution at Morning Prayer, and what may each minister say or not say? Why does the lay reader's canonical position (Canon 21.03) differ from the deacon's?
A deacon is leading Evening Prayer and the priest is unavoidably absent. What may the deacon do, and what may the deacon not do?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
Look at the Venite (Psalm 95). Why is it the daily invitatory at Morning Prayer rather than a different psalm? What does it say about the character of the Office?
The Nunc Dimittis is said every evening at the close of Evening Prayer. Simeon said it when he held the infant Christ in the Temple. What does its daily use at Evensong say about the purpose of Evening Prayer?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 6
"Then the Priest (if present) shall pronounce the Absolution." The conditional "if present" is the key. Critically, the 1928 BCP provides NO substitute form when no priest is present — no Declaration of Forgiveness and no direction to use any Collect. The Absolution is omitted. The Trinity 21 Collect is used as a non-rubrical customary substitute by deacons in many APCK parishes, but it is custom, not rubric. Canon 21.03 explicitly forbids any substitution by a lay reader.
BCP p. 14
"Then shall be said or sung the following hymn [Te Deum]. Except on the Sundays in Advent, and on the Sundays and Week-days in Lent, when the following [Benedicite] shall be used." A "shall" governing a seasonal variation.
Lesson 4 The Litany, the Penitential Office, and Ash Wednesday
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 1 and 2
Primary BCP Texts
• The Litany (pp. 54-67)
• A Commination (pp. 59-67)
• The Penitential Office
• Ash Wednesday Collect (p. 124)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab III (Prayers)
• Subject Index to the Prayers — Penitential Prayers section
Learning Objectives
• Lead the Litany from the 1928 BCP
• Explain the structure and theology of the Litany as the Church's great intercession
• Distinguish the Penitential Office from ordinary Morning Prayer
• Explain the Ash Wednesday provisions of the 1928 BCP
• Understand when the Litany is required and when it is optional
Content Outline
1. The Litany: history and theology
The Litany is the oldest continuous liturgical text in the Book of Common Prayer — Cranmer's 1544 English Litany, based on the Sarum Litany, which drew on the ancient Greek and Latin litanies of the Church. It is the Church's comprehensive intercession, covering every dimension of human need: the Church, the civil order, the poor, the sick, travellers, the dying, and deliverance from sin and its consequences. The BCP appoints it for use "on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."
2. The structure of the Litany
Opening invocations to the Trinity — deprecations (from... deliver us) — obsecrations (by... deliver us) — intercessions (for... we beseech thee) — suffrages — Lord's Prayer — Kyrie — Closing prayers. The response "Good Lord, deliver us" and "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord" are the two poles of the Litany: deprecation and supplication. The candidate must know which role is the leader's and which is the people's.
3. The Litany as a processional form
The traditional form of the Litany is sung or said in procession, with the deacon or priest leading from before the altar or in procession around the church. In a smaller parish the Litany is often said at the foot of the altar or from the chancel step. The physical arrangement expresses the character of the Litany as a communal plea, not a private devotion.
4. The Penitential Office
The Penitential Office is the form appointed for Ash Wednesday in the 1928 BCP: Morning Prayer with the Ash Wednesday Collect, the Commination (Denouncing of God's Anger and Judgements Against Sinners), the Penitential Psalms, and the Litany. The Commination is a severe text — it is not widely used and many clergy are unfamiliar with it — but it is the BCP's provision for the opening of Lent and should be known.
5. The imposition of ashes
The imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday is not provided for in the 1928 BCP — it belongs to the People's Anglican Missal tradition. It is a legitimate and ancient ceremony, but it is a customary addition, not a rubrical requirement. The deacon must be able to distinguish: the Ash Wednesday Collect is rubrical; the imposition of ashes is customary.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
The Litany asks for deliverance "from all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice." In what order are these placed, and what does that order say about the theology of the Litany?
Why is the Litany appointed for Wednesdays and Fridays as well as Sundays? What does that tell us about the weekly rhythm of penitential prayer?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A parishioner objects that the imposition of ashes is "too Catholic." How do you respond, and how do you distinguish between what the BCP requires and what the tradition commends?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 54
"Opening rubric of the Litany: "Here followeth the Litany, to be sung or said after Morning Prayer upon Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays." Note: "to be sung or said" (presumptive/expected); "upon Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays" (days appointed)."
Lesson 5 Holy Communion I: Entrance Rite through the Gospel
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 35 min content · 10 min practical · 10 min review)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion (pp. 67-87)
• Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (pp. 87-261)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tabs I and II
• Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (APCK Archive)
• People's Anglican Missal — the Ante-Communion
Learning Objectives
• Assist at the altar through the Gospel without error
• Identify the deacon's specific duties in the Ante-Communion
• Explain the theological significance of each element from the Collect to the Gospel
• Know which ceremonial acts belong to the deacon and which to the priest
• Proclaim the Gospel in the traditional manner
Content Outline
1. The Introit and Entrance Rite
Before the service begins: the preparation of the altar, the vesting, the private prayers of preparation. The entrance of the ministers. In the Anglo-Catholic tradition the order is: crucifer, acolytes, deacon, priest (or: deacon, subdeacon, celebrant in a solemn Mass). The rubrics of the 1928 BCP are silent on the entrance procession. In a parish using the Anglican Missal, the PAM supplies the full ceremonial form; in a BCP parish, the entrance is a matter of established local custom. Both are fully authorised in the APCK.
2. The Collect for Purity, Decalogue or Summary, and Kyrie
The BCP begins Holy Communion with the Collect for Purity: "Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open..." This is said by the priest. The Ten Commandments follow, with the Kyrie responses; or the Summary of the Law may be said instead. The rubric governing this choice must be known. The Kyrie ("Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law") is the people's response; the deacon does not lead it independently.
3. The Collect of the Day
The Collect of the Day is the hinge between the preparatory rite and the Liturgy of the Word. The priest pronounces it after the BCP salutation. The deacon must know the Collect for every Sunday and Principal Feast — not necessarily by memory but by navigation. The Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (archive resource) shows how the Collect announces the theme that the Epistle and Gospel will develop.
4. The Epistle
In the traditional form, the Epistle is read by the subdeacon (or, in the absence of a subdeacon, by a lay reader or the deacon). The 1928 BCP rubric says simply "Then shall be read the Epistle." In practice in an APCK parish, the deacon frequently reads the Epistle at a Low Mass and the subdeacon at a High Mass. The deacon must know the traditional form of the announcement: "The Epistle is written in the [N] chapter of [Book], beginning at the [N] verse."
5. The Gospel: the deacon's principal duty at the Eucharist
The proclamation of the Gospel is the deacon's principal liturgical act at Holy Communion. The traditional form: the deacon carries the Book of the Gospels or the Missal to the north side of the altar (or to the ambo), sings or says the announcement, makes the sign of the cross on the book and on his own forehead, lips, and breast, proclaims the Gospel, and at the conclusion sings or says the versicle. The BCP rubric is minimal; the fuller form is in the People's Anglican Missal. Both must be known.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
The deacon carries the Gospel book in procession and proclaims the Gospel. What does this tell us about the diaconate's relationship to the ministry of the Word?
Why is the Gospel proclaimed from the north side (or the ambo) rather than from the priest's position? What is the traditional significance of the liturgical "north"?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
The Ten Commandments are recited at the beginning of Holy Communion. What is their function at this point in the liturgy?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 67-68
"Opening rubrics of Holy Communion: the preparation, the vestments, the assistants. Note that the rubrics speak of "The Priest" throughout the Ante-Communion; the deacon's role is partially implicit and partially drawn from tradition."
BCP p. 70
"Then shall be read the Epistle." Minimal rubric — tradition and the PAM supply the form.
BCP p. 71
"Then shall be said or sung the Gospel." Minimal rubric — the deacon's proclamation is traditional, not explicitly rubrical.
Lesson 6 Holy Communion II: Offertory through Dismissal
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 5
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion (pp. 71-87)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab I
• People's Anglican Missal — the Mass of the Faithful
Learning Objectives
• Assist at the altar from the Offertory through the Dismissal without error
• Explain the deacon's specific duties at the Offertory, during the Canon, and at the Communion
• Understand why the deacon may not perform the acts reserved to the priest
• Administer the chalice correctly
• Know the proper forms of the Dismissal
Content Outline
1. The Offertory
After the Creed and the sermon (or homily), the Offertory sentences are read. The deacon (or an acolyte under his direction) prepares the altar: the fair linen, the corporal, the chalice and paten. The bread and wine are brought to the altar. In the traditional form the deacon assists in the mixing of the chalice — a small amount of water with the wine (the mingling) — which is a ceremony not explicitly rubrical in the 1928 BCP but ancient and universal in the Catholic tradition.
2. The Exhortations, Confession, and the Canon — the deacon's role
Before the Canon: the 1928 BCP provides four Exhortations with different rubrical weight. The announcement of Communion (BCP p. 75) is a SHALL with episcopal consequences for unexcused omission. The longer Exhortation for negligent communicants (p. 74) is a conditional SHALL. The preparatory Exhortation is MAY. The Invitation ("Ye who do truly repent") is structurally integral — presumptive. The deacon does not control these; he must know their rubrical weight and not interrupt or abbreviate a SHALL element. The General Confession and Absolution (SHALL, priest only) follow. During the Prayer of Consecration the deacon stands at the priest's right hand (the liturgical south side of the altar), making the appropriate ceremonies — bowing, genuflecting — at the Words of Institution. The deacon does not join in the pronunciation of the consecration. The deacon elevates neither the host nor the chalice independently — those acts belong to the priest.
3. Administering the chalice
After the priest has communicated, the deacon administers the chalice to the communicants while the priest administers the host. The form: "The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee, and be thankful." This form must be known by memory. The deacon may not consume the remaining consecrated elements — that is the priest's act.
4. The ablutions
After the administration of Communion, the remaining consecrated elements are consumed by the priest. The ablutions of the chalice and paten follow. The 1928 BCP rubric (p. 83) requires that the consecrated elements not reserved be consumed "by the Priest and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him." The deacon may assist in the ablutions but may not perform the consumption of the remaining elements independently.
5. The Dismissal
The dismissal varies according to the rite in use. In an Anglican Missal parish the traditional form is "Ite, missa est" — "The Mass is ended, go in peace" — with the response "Thanks be to God." In a BCP parish the service ends with the final blessing (said by the priest), followed by the Gloria in Excelsis if not said earlier, and the recession. Both forms are fully authorised in the APCK. The deacon may give the dismissal sentence but may not give the blessing — that remains the priest's act in either rite.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
The deacon administers the chalice. What does this tell us about the deacon's relationship to the sacrament, and how does it differ from the priest's relationship?
Why may the deacon not consume the remaining consecrated elements? What is the theological reason behind this restriction?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A deacon is assisting at a Low Mass where only the priest and deacon are present. Describe exactly what the deacon does from the Offertory to the end.
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 82
"The Prayer of Humble Access: said by the priest alone or by priest and people together — an important rubrical question."
BCP p. 83
"The Priest shall then offer..." — the mandatory rubric governing the priest's acts at the consecration. Note that it is "The Priest" throughout, not "the minister."
BCP p. 83
"And if any of the consecrated Bread or Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same."
Lesson 7 The Theology of the Diaconate: What a Deacon Is, Does, and May Not Do
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 5 and 6
Primary BCP Texts
• The Form of Making Deacons (pp. 529-536)
• The Exhortation to the deacon at ordination
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Apostolic Succession Chart — note on the three orders
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 52
Learning Objectives
• Articulate the theology of the diaconate as a distinct order, not a probationary period
• List the specific acts a deacon may and may not perform
• Explain the difference between the diaconal and presbyteral ministry
• Understand the exhortation addressed to the deacon at ordination
• Describe the diaconate's specific vocation of service
Content Outline
1. The three orders: deacon, priest, bishop
The Anglican Church maintains the historic threefold ministry — not as an administrative convenience but as a theological necessity. Each order is distinct: the bishop is the chief shepherd and the fullness of the ministerial priesthood; the priest shares in the bishop's priesthood and exercises it within a parish; the deacon is the servant, the herald, the one who assists. No order is merely a step on the way to the next.
2. What the diaconate is
The BCP Ordination of Deacons charges the deacon: to assist the priest in the administration of Holy Communion; to read the Gospel; to instruct the people; to baptise (in an emergency); to search out the poor, the sick, and the needy and report their needs to the priest. The diaconate is fundamentally a ministry of service — the Greek diakonos means servant or minister. The deacon is the link between the altar and the world outside.
3. What the deacon may do
A deacon may: lead Morning and Evening Prayer (with the Declaration of Forgiveness, not the Absolution); read the Epistle and Gospel; assist the priest at the altar; administer the chalice; baptise in emergency; preach (if licensed); instruct confirmation candidates; visit the sick and bring Communion to them from the reserved sacrament (if authorised); officiate at a burial service.
4. What the deacon may not do
A deacon may not: pronounce absolution in any form; consecrate the Eucharist; give the blessing at the end of any service; administer the last rites independently; officiate at a marriage (in most Anglican canonical traditions); consume the remaining consecrated elements.
5. Canonical requirements for the diaconate
In the APCK tradition the diaconate is normally a transitional order — a period of formation before ordination to the priesthood. Some Anglican bodies recognise a permanent diaconate; the APCK's own canons provide for a Postulant to specify at application whether he seeks "the Perpetual Diaconate alone" (Canon 15.01(9)). Key canonical requirements the diaconal candidate must know: Canon 13.02 sets minimum ages — no man may be ordained deacon until age 21, nor priest until 24, nor bishop until 30. Canon 17.03 requires a minimum of one year as deacon before ordination to the priesthood (the bishop may shorten this to no less than six months for reasonable cause). Canon 13.04(b) bars from ordination any man who has been divorced or who married a divorced woman, unless the former marriage has been annulled by the Bishop. These are not merely disciplinary preferences but canonical requirements governing eligibility for holy orders.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
The ordination charge to the deacon says: "Search out the sick, the poor, and the impotent people of the Parish." How does this shape the deacon's daily ministry outside the liturgy?
A recently ordained deacon says, "I just have to get through this year and then I'll be a real minister." What is wrong with this view, and how do you respond?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between a deacon administering the chalice and a deacon "concelebrating"? Why does the distinction matter?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 529
"The Form of Making Deacons: "Do you believe that you are truly called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the due order of this Church, to the Ministry of a Deacon?" The question establishes that the diaconate is a genuine calling, not a waiting room."
BCP p. 536
"The charge to the newly made deacon: the full text must be read and discussed."
Lesson 8 The Occasional Offices: Baptism, Matrimony, and Burial — the Deacon's Role
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 1 and 2
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Baptism (pp. 267-299)
• Matrimony (pp. 300-304)
• Burial of the Dead (pp. 324-337)
• The Churching of Women (pp. 305-307)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab V (Saints' Days); Tab III (Prayers)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 47-51
Learning Objectives
• Explain the deacon's role in each of the principal Occasional Offices
• Identify which acts in each service require a priest
• Understand the pastoral context and theological significance of each office
• Know the BCP provisions for emergency Baptism
Content Outline
1. Holy Baptism: the deacon's role
The rubric requires that Baptism normally be administered at a public service, after the second lesson at Morning or Evening Prayer. The minister of Baptism is normally the priest; the deacon assists. In emergency, the deacon (or any baptised person) may baptise. The form of emergency Baptism (p. 276) is simple: water poured with the Trinitarian formula. The deacon must know this by memory. After an emergency Baptism, the surviving candidate should be received into the congregation by the priest.
2. Holy Matrimony: the deacon's role
Marriage in the 1928 BCP is solemnized by a priest. The deacon may not preside at a marriage — this is not a rubrical prohibition explicitly stated in all editions but is the canonical practice of the Catholic Anglican tradition. The deacon may assist at the service (reading lessons, leading prayers) but the declaration, blessing, and prayers at the altar are the priest's acts. The deacon must understand the theology of marriage and be able to prepare couples and assist in the instruction.
3. The Burial of the Dead: the deacon's role
The deacon may officiate at the Burial of the Dead in the absence of a priest — the BCP rubric does not explicitly restrict the burial office to the priesthood. In practice the priest normally officiates, but the deacon must know the full service and be prepared to lead it. The key pastoral element: the deacon may not give absolution; if a dying person desires absolution, the priest must be summoned. The Committal prayer at the graveside is within the deacon's ability.
4. The Churching of Women
The Churching of Women (p. 305) is the thanksgiving of a mother after childbirth — an ancient and beautiful office that is now rarely observed. The deacon should know it exists and be able to explain it. The BCP rubric does not restrict it to the priesthood, though in practice the priest normally officiates.
5. The pastoral dimensions of the Occasional Offices
The Occasional Offices are the Church's ministry at the turning points of human life: birth, marriage, death. The deacon's role is not merely liturgical but pastoral — he is present with the family, the couple, the bereaved. He must know the service; he must also know how to be present as a minister of Christ's compassion.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A child is born very ill and is not expected to survive the night. The priest cannot be reached. What does the deacon do, and what is the exact form of words used?
A parishioner says, "We don't bother with the Churching of Women — it seems old-fashioned." What is the theological case for its observance?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
At a burial the bereaved family asks the deacon to pronounce an absolution over the grave. What does the deacon do?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 268
"The Minister, coming to the Font (which is then to be filled with pure water)..." — the rubric specifies living water where possible.
BCP p. 276
"Private Baptism: "If a Child is in danger of death..." — the form for emergency Baptism by any person."
BCP p. 324
"The Office ensuing is to be used..." — the Burial rubric: note who is specified as "the Minister."
Lesson 9 The Visitation of the Sick and the Communion of the Sick
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 5 and 6
Primary BCP Texts
• The Order for the Visitation of the Sick (pp. 308-320)
• The Communion of the Sick (pp. 320-324)
• The Anointing of the Sick (p. 320)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Subject Index to the Prayers of the 1928 BCP — For the Sick and Suffering section
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 54
Learning Objectives
• Conduct the Visitation of the Sick from the 1928 BCP
• Explain the deacon's role in the Visitation and in the Communion of the Sick
• Understand the provision for anointing the sick
• Know what the deacon may and may not do in the pastoral care of the sick and dying
• Understand the theological significance of the Commendatory prayers
Content Outline
1. The Visitation of the Sick: what it is
The Order for the Visitation of the Sick is the richest of the Occasional Offices — a complete ministry of the Word, prayer, examination, and sacrament for those who are ill. It includes the reading of Scripture, prayers for healing, an exhortation to examine the conscience, the Kyrie, the Lord's Prayer, specific prayers for different conditions, the pronouncement of absolution (priest), the laying on of hands (priest), and anointing (priest). The deacon's role is to assist, to read, to pray — but the sacramental acts belong to the priest.
2. What the deacon may do in the sick room
The deacon may: lead the prayers of the Visitation; read the Scripture passages appointed; recite the Kyrie and the Lord's Prayer with the sick person; bring Holy Communion from the reserved sacrament (if authorised and if reservation is practised); sit with the dying and say the Commendatory prayers. The deacon may not: pronounce absolution; anoint; lay on hands for healing in the sacramental form; give the blessing.
3. The Communion of the Sick
The Communion of the Sick (p. 320) is a shortened form of Holy Communion for administration at the bedside. It requires a priest to consecrate. If the Communion is brought from the reserved sacrament already consecrated, the deacon may administer it — but may not consecrate. The rubrics of the Communion of the Sick must be studied: they contain important instructions about what elements may be administered and in what form.
4. The Commendatory prayers and the ministry to the dying
The Commendatory prayers (pp. 317-320) are among the most beautiful texts in the BCP: "Into thy hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend the soul of thy servant..." These may be said by anyone — deacon, layperson, family member — and the deacon should know them by memory. The ministry of the dying is the deacon's highest pastoral act; he must be prepared for it.
5. Calling the priest and Canon 11.11
The rubric of the Visitation requires: "The Minister shall not omit a convenient time to give warning to every sick person of the danger of death..." It is the deacon's duty to ensure the priest is summoned when a parishioner is seriously ill. He may not substitute his own ministry for the priest's in the sacramental acts; he must make the priest's ministry possible. Canon 11.11 contains a provision of the greatest pastoral importance: "Under no circumstances shall the Sacraments of the Church be denied to a Baptized Person who is penitent and who is in immediate danger of death." This means: even if the dying person is under ecclesiastical discipline, has contracted a marriage contrary to the canons, or is in any other irregular canonical state, if they are penitent and in immediate danger of death, no sacrament may be withheld. The priest must be summoned; the deacon must know this canon and act on it.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A deacon is visiting a dying parishioner when the person suddenly deteriorates and appears to be near death. No priest is available. Walk through exactly what the deacon does.
The Commendatory prayer begins "Into thy hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend the soul of thy servant." What is the theology of this prayer, and why does the BCP place it at this point in the service?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A family asks the deacon to give their mother absolution before she dies. The priest is twenty minutes away. What does the deacon do and say?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 308
"The Minister shall not omit a convenient time to give warning to every sick person of the danger of death, that so he may be in a readiness against the time..."
BCP p. 313
"I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." — this form is for the priest only.
BCP p. 317
"Into thy hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend the soul of thy servant..." — the Commendatory prayer, which any minister may say.
Lesson 10 The Christian Year: Calendar, Lectionary, Feasts, Fasts, and Ember Days
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track A
Audience: Diaconal candidates (Track A); confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 1
Primary BCP Texts
• The Table of Proper Lessons (pp. 1-2 of Calendar section)
• A Table of Fasts and Holy Days
• The Calendar of the Christian Year
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab II (Epistles & Gospels) and Tab V (Saints' Days)
• Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels
• Saints' Meditations Interactive Index
• Psalter Companion with Thematic Titles
Learning Objectives
• Navigate the Christian Year calendar, identifying the seasons, feasts, and fasts
• Explain the theological purpose of each season
• Understand the provision for colliding feasts and Sundays
• Explain the Ember Days and their purpose
• Use the Lectionary to find the correct lessons for any given day
Content Outline
1. The seasons of the Christian Year
Advent (four Sundays) — Christmas (to Epiphany) — Epiphany (to Septuagesima) — Pre-Lent Gesimas (three Sundays) — Ash Wednesday and Lent — Holy Week — Easter to Ascension — Ascension to Pentecost — Trinity Sunday — Sundays after Trinity (up to twenty-seven). The candidate must know the theological character of each season and the dates of the moveable feasts (Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday). Calculation of the moveable feasts from Easter: Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter (counting Easter Sunday itself); Ascension Day falls 40 days after Easter; Pentecost (Whitsunday) falls 50 days after Easter, counting Easter as Day 1; Trinity Sunday is the Sunday after Pentecost. These calculations must be known and practised.
2. Principal Feasts and how they take precedence
Principal Feasts (Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, All Saints) take precedence over Sundays when they fall on a Sunday. The BCP provides rules for the transfer of feasts that collide with higher feasts. The candidate must know how to determine which Collect, Epistle, and Gospel to use when a saint's day falls on a Sunday or another feast.
3. Fasts of the Church
The 1928 BCP provides a Table of Fasts: the forty days of Lent; the Ember Days (the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday, September 14, and December 13); the Rogation Days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension); and all Fridays in the year except Christmas Day. The deacon must know which days are fasts and how the BCP expects them to be observed.
4. The Ember Days and their significance for ordination
The Ember Days are the traditional seasons of prayer for the Church's ministry and for those being ordained. In the BCP tradition, ordinations are performed at the Ember seasons. The deacon ordained at an Ember season participates in a tradition going back to the early Church — the whole Church fasts and prays as new ministers are made.
5. The Saints' Days and the APCK Kalendar
The BCP provides a fixed Kalendar of saints' days with proper Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. The APCK expands this with the Saints' Meditations archive, which provides a meditation for each feast. The deacon should know the major saints of the Anglican Kalendar and be able to identify which saints have Proper services in the BCP.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Easter Sunday falls on April 20th this year. What date is Ash Wednesday? Ascension Day? Pentecost? Trinity Sunday? When does the Sunday after Trinity season begin?
All Saints' Day falls on a Tuesday. What is the proper Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the following Sunday?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
Why are ordinations performed at the Ember seasons rather than at any convenient time? What does this tell us about the theology of holy orders?
Rubrical Focus
BCP — Table of Fasts
"The Table of Fasts and Holy Days: candidates must be able to read this table and apply it to specific dates."
BCP p. 87
"The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall be used throughout the week in the Daily Service, except where other provision is made." — the week's liturgy flows from Sunday.
Lesson 11 The Theology of the Presbyterate: What a Priest Is and What Distinguishes Him from a Deacon
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: All of Track A, especially Lesson 7
Primary BCP Texts
• The Form of Ordering Priests (pp. 537-554)
• The Exhortation at ordination
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 52
• Apostolic Succession Chart — note on the three orders
Learning Objectives
• Articulate the theology of the presbyterate as distinct from both the diaconate and the episcopate
• List the specific acts reserved to the priesthood
• Explain the theology of the priest as alter Christus — another Christ
• Understand the obligation of the cure of souls
• Know the exhortation addressed to the priest at ordination
Content Outline
1. What the priest is
The priest is the one who offers sacrifice — the word "priest" derives from the Greek presbyteros (elder) but is functionally the Latin sacerdos (one who offers sacrifice). The Christian priest does not offer a new sacrifice but pleads before the Father the one perfect sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. He does this in persona Christi — in the person of Christ — which is why ordination is necessary: the priest acts not on his own authority but as the instrument of Christ's high priesthood.
2. What the priest may do that the deacon may not
The priest may: pronounce absolution in the first-person declaratory form ("I absolve thee"); consecrate the Eucharist; give the blessing at the close of services; anoint the sick in the sacramental rite; give the last rites; solemnize a marriage; perform conditional Baptism; pronounce the Commendation of the dying in the stronger form. These acts are not exclusive because of ecclesiastical convention but because they require the authority transmitted at ordination.
3. The cure of souls
The priest who has the cure of souls — the rector of a parish — has accepted responsibility for the spiritual wellbeing of every person in that parish. The BCP Visitation rubric: "the Minister shall not omit." The priest is not a professional who provides spiritual services on demand but a shepherd who knows his sheep, goes after the lost, and lays down his life for the flock.
4. The priest as teacher
The ordination charge includes: "Will you be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines?" The priest is charged to preach and teach the faith — not merely to perform services. This curriculum is itself an exercise of that charge: the priest who trains his deacons and forms his laity fulfils a central obligation of the presbyterate.
5. The priest's personal obligation to the Office and the sacraments
The BCP ordination service binds the priest to the Daily Office: "Will you be diligent in prayers, and in reading of the Holy Scriptures?" The priest who does not pray the Office does not model what he preaches. The obligation is personal before it is public.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A priest says, "I don't really believe in confession — it seems too Roman." How do you respond theologically, and what does the 1928 BCP say?
What is the difference between the priest saying "I absolve thee" and the deacon saying "The Almighty and merciful Lord grant unto you pardon"? Is it merely a verbal formula, or is there a real difference in what is happening?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A newly ordained priest asks you: "What is the single most important thing a priest can do for his parish?" What do you say?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 537
"The Form of Ordering Priests: the examination of the candidate, the laying on of hands with the formula "Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in the Church of God," the delivery of the Bible. The words of ordination must be studied."
BCP p. 6
"The Absolution at Morning Prayer: "He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent..." — the priest's form, reserved to the priest alone. When no priest is present the 1928 BCP omits the Absolution; the deacon may use the Trinity 21 Collect as a non-rubrical custom; the lay reader omits with no substitution (Canon 21.03)."
Lesson 12 Holy Communion III: Vestments, Ceremonial, and the North End Question
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 35 min content · 10 min practical · 10 min review)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 5, 6, and 11
Primary BCP Texts
• The Ornaments Rubric (p. 3)
• Holy Communion opening rubrics (p. 67)
• The Table of Proper Lessons — note on the celebrant's position
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• People's Anglican Missal — introduction and rubrical notes
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab IV (Services & Rubrics)
Learning Objectives
• Know the vestments prescribed for Holy Communion and their theological significance
• Explain the three positions of the celebrant at the altar and the theology behind each
• Explain the North End question: its history, its theology, and the APCK's practice
• Know the difference between what the rubrics require and what the Anglo-Catholic tradition commends
• Explain the APCK's dual-rite provision and its pastoral application
• Celebrate at the altar in the traditional form without rubrical error
Content Outline
1. The vestments of the 1928 BCP
The Ornaments Rubric (p. 3) requires "such ornaments of the Church, and of the Ministers thereof... as were in use in the second year of the reign of King Edward VI" — i.e., the vestments of the Sarum Rite: alb, amice, chasuble (or cope), maniple, stole, girdle. This rubric has been the subject of controversy for four centuries; the Anglo-Catholic tradition interprets it as requiring the full Eucharistic vestments. The priest must know what each vestment is, what it signifies, and how to vest properly.
2. The three positions of the celebrant
Ad orientem (eastward, back to the people): the priest leads the people toward God; the altar is the place of sacrifice and the people's prayer is directed through the priest toward heaven. This is the traditional Catholic position and the one most consistent with the theology of the 1928 BCP Canon. Versus populum (facing the people): a post-Vatican II innovation not contemplated by the 1928 BCP. The North End: the "table position" introduced in 1552 as a Protestant statement against the massing. The 1928 BCP does not explicitly require ad orientem but its rubrics are most naturally read in that context.
3. The North End question in full
The North End of the altar (the liturgical left of a traditionally oriented altar, facing south-east) is the position specified by the 1552 BCP when the "table" was placed in the body of the church. The 1928 American BCP retains a rubric at p. 75 referring to "the north side of the Table" for the saying of the comfortable words — a vestige of the 1552 arrangement. In an Anglo-Catholic parish with a fixed high altar, the North End position is impossible or meaningless. The APCK's tradition is ad orientem; the priest must be able to explain why.
4. The canonical hierarchy: BCP, Anglican Missal, and the bishop's jus liturgicum
The APCK canons establish a precise three-level hierarchy for every liturgical question. Canon 10.01 is a SHALL canon: worship in this Province SHALL be according to the 1928 BCP. This is the mandatory foundation. Canon 10.02 is a MAY canon: the Anglican Missal and American Missal MAY be used also — the word "also" is significant, placing the missals as supplements to the BCP, not as alternatives to it. They are canonically permitted only insofar as they are "based on, conforming to, and/or incorporating the services set forth in the said Book of Common Prayer." A missal rubric that conforms to the BCP has canonical force; a missal rubric that departs from the BCP is custom only, governed by the bishop's discretion, not by canonical obligation. Between the mandatory BCP and the accumulated custom of parishes stands the bishop's jus liturgicum. This term — the bishop's liturgical right — names the ancient authority of the bishop as chief liturgist of his diocese. In the APCK it is codified in Canon 10.04: "each Bishop shall be the liturgical authority in his own Diocese with the traditional right of jus liturgicum." Its basis in the 1928 BCP itself lies in the rubrics that defer to the Ordinary — phrases such as "as the Ordinary shall appoint" and the general principle that the bishop has canonical authority over all matters of worship within his diocese. The jus liturgicum allows the bishop to: permit the use of the Anglican Missal in some or all parishes of his diocese; direct specific ceremonial forms (ad orientem, vestments, the manual acts); fill the BCP's rubrical silences with consistent diocesan practice; and restrict or expand what customary additions may be made to the BCP services. It does not allow the bishop to override a BCP "shall" rubric, nor to displace the 1928 BCP as the canonical standard. The practical consequence for the celebrant is a clear discipline: identify whether any given liturgical act is (a) required by the BCP, (b) permitted by the BCP and directed by the bishop's jus liturgicum, (c) found in the missal and consistent with the BCP, or (d) parish custom with no higher authority. Each category carries different weight and a different answer to the question "may I omit this?"
5. The theology of the celebrant's position
Why does it matter which way the priest faces? Because the position expresses the theology of the Eucharist. Ad orientem says: we are all — priest and people together — going somewhere; the priest leads us. Versus populum says: the priest is the host at a communal meal. The 1928 BCP's theology of the Eucharist as sacrifice (full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice) is most coherently expressed in the ad orientem position.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A newly appointed rector finds that his parish has been celebrating versus populum for twenty years. How does he handle the transition to ad orientem, and what does he say to the congregation?
A visitor from an evangelical Anglican parish asks why you face "away from the people." How do you explain the theology of ad orientem in five minutes?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
The rubric says "north side of the Table." In your parish the altar is fixed against the east wall. What does this rubric mean in your context, and what do you do with it?
Your parish has always used the 1928 BCP. A newly arrived family is accustomed to the Anglican Missal from their previous parish. They ask why you do not use the fuller ceremonial. What do you tell them, and how do you help them understand that both forms are authorised in the APCK?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 3
"The Ornaments Rubric: "such ornaments of the Church, and of the Ministers thereof, at all times of their Ministration, shall be retained and be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward VI.""
BCP p. 75
"The Priest, standing at the north side of the Table, shall say the Lord's Prayer..." — the vestigial North End rubric.
APCK Canons 10.01 and 10.02
"Canon 10.01 (SHALL): the 1928 BCP is the mandatory liturgical standard of the Province. Canon 10.02 (MAY): the Anglican Missal and American Missal may be used as supplements, provided they conform to the BCP. A missal rubric that conforms to the BCP has derivative canonical force; a missal rubric that departs from the BCP is custom governed by the bishop — not a canonical requirement. The celebrant must know which authority governs each act: BCP "shall" rubric, bishop's direction, missal custom, or parish practice."
APCK Canon 10.04 — the jus liturgicum
"Canon 10.04: "Each Bishop shall be the liturgical authority in his own Diocese with the traditional right of jus liturgicum." The jus liturgicum — the bishop's liturgical right — is the ancient canonical prerogative of the bishop as chief liturgist of his diocese. Its basis in the 1928 BCP lies in rubrics deferring to the Ordinary and in the general principle of episcopal governance of worship. In practice: the bishop may direct ad orientem celebration, require or permit specific vestments, authorise or restrict the use of the missal, and fill the BCP's ceremonial silences with consistent diocesan practice. He may not override a BCP "shall" rubric. A priest who departs from the bishop's liturgical direction without permission violates Canon 10.04 and is liable under Canon 27.01(4)."
Lesson 13 Holy Communion IV: The Prayer of Consecration, Manual Acts, Administration, and Ablutions
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 35 min content · 10 min practical · 10 min review)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 12
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion pp. 79-84
• The Prayer of Consecration (p. 80)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• People's Anglican Missal — the Canon
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 49-51
Learning Objectives
• Celebrate the Prayer of Consecration in its full traditional form
• Know the manual acts required and recommended at the Consecration
• Administer both kinds with the correct forms
• Know the provisions for consuming the remaining consecrated elements
• Understand the theology of the Consecration as it is expressed in the 1928 BCP Canon
Content Outline
1. The structure of the Canon
Sursum Corda — Preface — Sanctus and Benedictus — Prayer of Humble Access — Prayer of Consecration (Words of Institution — Manual Acts) — Prayer of Oblation or Prayer of Thanksgiving — Lord's Prayer — Peace — Administration — Ablutions — Gloria in Excelsis or Hymn — Blessing — Dismissal. The priest must know every element and its function; he must be able to celebrate without reference to a printed order.
2. The Words of Institution and the Manual Acts
At the Words of Institution the priest takes the bread and the cup as directed by the rubric (p. 80): "Here the Priest is to take the Paten into his hands... Here the Priest is to take the Cup into his hands." These are mandatory acts — "is to" is a strong rubric. The elevation of the host and chalice after the Words of Institution is a traditional act supplied by the PAM; the BCP rubric does not explicitly require it but the tradition of the Church commends it strongly as an act of adoration.
3. The theology of the Consecration in the 1928 BCP
The 1928 BCP Canon retains the central Eucharistic theology: "who made there by his one oblation of himself once offered a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world." This language is absent from the 1979 revision. The priest must understand what "full, perfect, and sufficient" means and be able to explain it — it is the heart of the Anglican doctrine of the Eucharist.
4. Administering both kinds
The priest administers the host; the deacon (or the priest) administers the chalice. The forms must be known by memory. When the priest administers both kinds alone (Low Mass with no deacon), he administers the host to each communicant first and then returns with the chalice. A communicant who cannot receive the chalice may receive the host alone — the rubric permits this (p. 83: "it shall suffice that both the Bread and the Wine be received by the Priest alone").
5. The ablutions
After the Communion, the remaining consecrated elements must be reverently consumed by the priest. The ablutions of the vessels follow — the paten and chalice are rinsed with wine and water, which the priest consumes. This is required by the rubric at p. 83 and is among the most important of the priest's rubrical obligations. Nothing of the Consecrated Body and Blood of Christ is to be treated carelessly or discarded.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
The Words of Institution in the 1928 BCP say "made there... a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice." What does "there" refer to, and what is the theological implication for how we celebrate the Eucharist today?
A priest consecrates more bread and wine than are needed. What does he do with the surplus? What does the BCP require?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A communicant is gluten-intolerant and cannot receive the host. What does the priest do, and what is the rubrical authority for it?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 80
"Here the Priest is to take the Paten into his hands" — mandatory language governing the manual acts.
BCP p. 83
"The ablutions rubric: the most important rubric most frequently ignored. Every priest must know it by memory."
Lesson 14 Absolution: Forms, Authority, and the Pastoral Use of Private Confession
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 11 and 13
Primary BCP Texts
• Morning Prayer Absolution (p. 6)
• Holy Communion — no explicit absolution form
• Visitation of the Sick — Absolution (p. 313)
• Penitential Office (pp. 58-67)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Subject Index to the Prayers — Penitential Prayers section
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 51
Learning Objectives
• Know all three forms of absolution in the 1928 BCP and when each is used
• Explain the theology of priestly absolution
• Conduct a simple form of private confession and absolution
• Know the BCP teaching on private confession (permitted, not required)
• Understand the principle of the seal of confession
Content Outline
1. The three BCP forms
Form 1 — Morning/Evening Prayer (p. 6): the declaratory form, third person — "He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent." Said by the priest; a declaration that God forgives. Form 2 — Visitation of the Sick (p. 313): the direct form, first person — "I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This is the form of private sacramental absolution, reserved to the priest alone. Form 3 — the customary omission — for deacons and lay leaders in the 1928 BCP: The 1928 BCP provides no third form. When no priest is present the Absolution is simply omitted; the 1928 text gives no substitute. The traditional custom in many APCK parishes is for a deacon to use the Collect for Trinity 21 in its place: "Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind." This is a prayer for pardon, not a pronouncement of it — the distinction is theologically and canonically essential. Lay readers omit the Absolution and make no substitution whatsoever (Canon 21.03). The "Declaration of Forgiveness" belongs to the 1979 and 2019 BCPs and has no rubrical standing in the 1928 BCP.
2. The theology of absolution
Christ gave his apostles the authority to forgive sins: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them." The priest, as the successor of the apostles by ordination, exercises this authority as the instrument of Christ — not by his own power but "by his authority committed to me" (the words of the Visitation absolution). Absolution is not merely a statement that God has forgiven; it is an act by which, in the sacramental order, God's forgiveness is declared and applied.
3. Private confession in the Anglican tradition
The BCP Exhortation at Holy Communion (p. 75): "if there be any of you who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word, and open his grief." The Anglican principle: private confession is permitted to all and required of none. The priest must be willing and able to hear confession; he may not press it upon anyone.
4. The seal of confession
The confession made in private to a priest is absolutely confidential. Nothing disclosed in sacramental confession may be revealed by the priest under any circumstances, even at the cost of his own life or liberty. This is not a canonical nicety but a theological necessity: if the seal can be broken, the sacrament cannot function.
5. The practical conduct of private confession
The priest should know a simple form: the penitent kneels; the priest gives a blessing to begin; the penitent makes a general confession; the priest may ask clarifying questions; the priest gives counsel and assigns a penance; the penitent makes an act of contrition; the priest pronounces absolution in the Visitation form ("I absolve thee"); the priest gives a blessing to conclude. The whole should be unhurried and marked by charity.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A parishioner asks: "If God forgives directly when I pray, why do I need a priest to pronounce absolution?" What is the theological answer?
A priest is asked in a civil court case to reveal what was told him in confession. What does he do?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between the absolution at Morning Prayer and the absolution in the Visitation of the Sick? Is there a difference in what actually happens, or only in the form?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 6
"Then the Priest (if present) shall pronounce the Absolution." — The declaratory form; priest only.
BCP p. 313
"I absolve thee from all thy sins." — The direct form; priest only; in the Visitation of the Sick.
BCP p. 75
"The Exhortation: the BCP's provision for private confession — "come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Minister.""
Lesson 15 The Blessing: Who May Bless, What Forms, and When
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 11
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion — final Blessing (p. 84)
• Morning Prayer — no blessing
• Evening Prayer — no blessing
• Burial of the Dead (p. 336)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• People's Anglican Missal — the blessing forms and Benediction
• Subject Index to the Prayers — For Special Occasions section
Learning Objectives
• Know all the blessing forms in the 1928 BCP and when each is used
• Explain why only a priest (and a fortiori a bishop) may give the blessing
• Distinguish the blessing from the benediction and from the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
• Know the traditional blessing forms used in the APCK tradition
• Know what a deacon may and may not do in place of a blessing
Content Outline
1. The blessing in the 1928 BCP
The 1928 BCP provides one explicit blessing at Holy Communion (p. 84): "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always." This is a rubrical act of the priest. Morning and Evening Prayer contain no blessing; the service ends with the grace (2 Cor. 13:14) or with a closing sentence.
2. Why only a priest may give the blessing
The blessing is an act of priestly authority — it invokes the name of God upon the people with the authority transmitted at ordination. A deacon may pray for God's blessing upon the people; he may not pronounce a blessing in the form "The blessing of God Almighty... be amongst you." The deacon's dismissal is "Go in peace" — a directive, not a blessing.
3. Pontifical and presbyteral blessings
A bishop gives the solemn (pontifical) blessing with three Signs of the Cross and the full Trinitarian form. A priest gives the simple blessing. In an Anglo-Catholic parish the form of blessing may be more elaborate than the bare BCP text; the PAM provides various forms. The priest must know the difference between the episcopal and the presbyteral blessing and may not give the episcopally reserved form.
4. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
Benediction is not provided in the 1928 BCP but is included in the Anglican Missal tradition, used in APCK parishes that celebrate according to the Missal. It is an act of Eucharistic adoration in which the priest exposes the consecrated host in a monstrance, leads the O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo, and gives the blessing with the sacrament. In a BCP parish, Benediction is a customary devotion not provided by the rubrics; in an Anglican Missal parish it has the authority of that rite's tradition. The priest must know which rite his parish uses and act accordingly.
5. Blessing of persons, objects, and places
The priest may bless persons (at Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, etc.), objects (holy water, ashes, palms, candles), and places (Form for Consecrating a Church, p. 573). These acts are specific to the priesthood. A deacon may not bless objects in the sacramental sense; he may pray over them.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A deacon is leading Morning Prayer at which no priest is present. At the end the congregation expects the blessing. What does the deacon do?
A parishioner asks the priest to "bless" a rosary she has bought. What form does the blessing take, and is this act rubrical or customary?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between the priest saying "God bless you" informally and the priest pronouncing the blessing at the end of Holy Communion?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 84
"Then shall the Priest bless the people." The only mandatory blessing in the Holy Communion service.
BCP p. 19
"The Grace at the end of Morning Prayer: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ..." — this is not a blessing pronounced by the priest but a scriptural sentence said by all."
Lesson 16 The Ordinal: Making Deacons, Ordering Priests, Consecrating Bishops
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 7, 11
Primary BCP Texts
• The Form of Making Deacons (pp. 529-536)
• The Form of Ordering Priests (pp. 537-554)
• The Form of Consecrating Bishops (pp. 555-572)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Apostolic Succession Chart — Denver consecrations
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 52; Part V, Q. 75
Learning Objectives
• Know the structure and theology of each of the three ordination rites
• Identify the essential act and form of each ordination
• Explain the Anglican claim to valid apostolic succession
• Know the APCK's own succession and how it was established
• Understand the bishop's role in ordination and why only a bishop may ordain
Content Outline
1. The structure of the three rites
Each of the three ordination rites has the same basic structure: Morning Prayer — Litany — Holy Communion — the ordination rite itself (examination of the candidate — sermon — Veni Creator Spiritus — presentation — examination — litany — laying on of hands — prayer — delivery of instruments). The priest must know all three rites thoroughly, both as a potential ordinand and as one who may be called upon to assist.
2. The essential act: the laying on of hands
The essential act of each ordination is the laying on of hands by the bishop (and, for the priesthood, by the priests present) with the prayer for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The formula for the priesthood: "Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in the Church of God: whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained." This formula contains the specific power transmitted: the authority to forgive and retain sins.
3. Why only a bishop may ordain
The bishop is the fullness of the ministerial priesthood and the link in the apostolic chain. Only a bishop who has himself received valid apostolic succession can transmit it. This is why the Denver consecrations of 1978 were so carefully arranged: three bishops with unimpeachable succession were present to ensure that the chain was carried forward without break.
4. The Anglican claim to valid orders and the Filioque
Rome's Apostolicae Curae (1896) declared Anglican orders "absolutely null and utterly void" on grounds of defective intention and defective form. The Anglican reply (Saepius Officio, 1897) challenged both grounds. The APCK's position: its orders, derived through Seabury's Scottish consecration and the Denver line, are valid by every Catholic standard — the essential matter (laying on of hands), form (prayer for the Holy Ghost), and intention are all present. The Filioque ("and the Son") is the Western addition to the Nicene Creed, stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father AND the Son. The original Nicene text reads "proceedeth from the Father" alone. The Eastern Orthodox Churches regard the Western addition as illegitimate — made without an Ecumenical Council — and as a theological error about the procession of the Spirit. It remains one of the principal points of division between East and West, relevant to every priest who recites the Nicene Creed at every Eucharist.
5. The examination of the candidate and canonical eligibility
The examination of the ordinand in each rite is the most searching moment of the service: "Do you believe that you are truly called?" "Will you be diligent in prayers?" "Will you be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines?" The priest must know these questions and be able to answer them — not merely in the ceremony but in his life. Canonical eligibility requirements the priest must know: Canon 13.02 sets minimum ages (deacon 21, priest 24, bishop 30). Canon 13.04(b) bars from ordination any man who has been divorced or married a divorced woman, unless the Bishop has annulled the former marriage. Canon 18.01 requires that every candidate for the priesthood undergo an oral examination by the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops and receive their approval — a requirement that goes beyond the diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains. Canon 17.03 requires at least one year as a deacon before ordination to the priesthood (reducible to six months at the bishop's discretion for reasonable cause). These canons apply to every candidate in this Province.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A candidate for ordination says he has not prayed Morning Prayer consistently for the past year. Is this a disqualifying deficiency? Why or why not?
Why does the 1928 BCP require ordinations to take place at a public Eucharist rather than in a private ceremony?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A Roman Catholic acquaintance says your orders are "absolutely null and utterly void." What is the Anglican reply?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 537
"The opening rubric of the Ordering of Priests: who must be present, what the setting is, and when ordinations are to take place."
BCP p. 541
"The laying on of hands: the essential act of ordination. "Then the Bishop with the Priests present, shall lay their hands upon the head of every one that receiveth the Order of Priesthood.""
Lesson 17 Preaching from the BCP: The Harmony of Collect, Epistle, and Gospel
◆ Also assigned in Track C — Lay Formation
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B); advanced laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 1 and 10 (Track A); or Track C completion
Primary BCP Texts
• Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (pp. 87-261)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (APCK Archive)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab II
• Saints' Meditations Archive — as models of devotional exposition
Learning Objectives
• Explain the harmony principle: how the Collect announces the theme, the Epistle develops it, and the Gospel enacts it
• Prepare a homily based on the harmony of a given Sunday's propers
• Explain the difference between a homily and a sermon
• Know the structure of the traditional homily
• Use the Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (archive resource) as a preaching tool
Content Outline
1. The harmony principle
Melville Scott's Harmony of the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (1903) demonstrated that the three propers of each Sunday in the 1662 BCP (and by extension the 1928 BCP) form a single doctrinal and devotional whole — the Collect announces the theme in prayer, the Epistle develops it in doctrine, and the Gospel enacts it in narrative. The preacher who begins with the harmony has his sermon already structured: the BCP has done the doctrinal work; the preacher's task is to make it live for the congregation.
2. The Collect as sermon text
The Collect is the Sunday's theme sentence in miniature. The Advent 1 Collect: "cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light." The Epistle answers: "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." The Gospel shows: the King comes to his city. A homily that begins with the Collect and asks "what does this mean for us today?" and then turns to the Epistle and Gospel to answer the question already has its argument.
3. The difference between homily and sermon
A homily is an exposition of the liturgical text — it works through the Scripture passage read in the service, drawing out its meaning in relation to the liturgical season and the congregation's needs. A sermon may range more widely — topical, doctrinal, or apologetic. The BCP tradition favours the homily; the expository sermon on a single text is also legitimate. The preacher must know which he is doing and do it intentionally.
4. The structure of the traditional homily
Introduction — statement of the theme (often from the Collect) — exposition of the Epistle — exposition of the Gospel — application — conclusion. The ideal homily takes seven to ten minutes to deliver and can be prepared in thirty minutes by a priest who knows the harmony. The homily is not an academic lecture; it is food for the soul.
5. Using the archive resources for preaching
The Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels in the APCK archive provides a devotional analysis of each Sunday's harmony with homiletical notes. The Saints' Meditations provide models of how to turn theological material into devotional prose. The BCP Reference Tool Tab II provides instant access to every Sunday's Epistle, Gospel, and Collect. Together these resources equip the priest for systematic, liturgically grounded preaching.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Take the Collect for the Fourth Sunday after Easter ("Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men"). Open the BCP to find the Epistle and Gospel for that Sunday. Now write the opening sentence of a homily that holds all three together.
What is the difference between a sermon and a lecture? Between a homily and a devotional address?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
A priest preaches for thirty-five minutes every Sunday. Is this necessarily better than preaching for ten minutes? What are the respective risks?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 71
"Then shall be declared unto the people what Holy-days, or Fasting-days, are in the Week following to be observed. And then also (if occasion be) shall Notice be given of the Communion; and the Banns of Matrimony published; and Briefs, Citations, and Excommunications read. And nothing shall be proclaimed or published in the Church, during the time of Divine Service, but by the Minister." — the notices rubric; the sermon is implied but not explicitly required.
Lesson 18 Parish Administration: Registers, Canonical Requirements, and the Annual Meeting
Track: Track B
Audience: Presbyteral candidates (Track B)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Completion of Track A
Primary BCP Texts
• Various rubrics concerning records and registers
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• APCK Provincial Canons (available at anglicanpck.org)
• Hansen, A History of the APCK — section on provincial structure
Learning Objectives
• Know what registers are required in an APCK parish and how to maintain them
• Understand the canonical requirements for reporting to the diocese
• Know the requirements for the annual meeting and vestry elections
• Understand the priest's relationship to the bishop and the canonical authority structure
• Know the requirements concerning marriages, Baptisms, and burials
Content Outline
1. Parish registers
The 1928 BCP and the APCK canons require the priest to maintain registers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, and Burials. These are legal and canonical documents; entries must be dated, signed, and preserved. The registers are the property of the parish, not the priest; they remain when the priest departs. The priest must know how to make a correct register entry for each of the Occasional Offices.
2. Canonical reporting
The APCK canons require annual reports from each parish to the diocesan bishop: communicant numbers, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials, financial summary. These must be submitted at the diocesan synod or as otherwise directed. Failure to report is a canonical irregularity.
3. The annual meeting and vestry
An APCK parish normally holds an annual meeting of the congregation at which the vestry is elected, the annual accounts are presented, and the parish programme is discussed. The priest chairs the meeting but does not control it; the vestry is the lay governing body of the parish in temporal matters. The priest must know the APCK's canonical provisions for the vestry and the annual meeting.
4. The priest's relationship to the bishop
The priest serves under the authority of the diocesan bishop and owes him canonical obedience. He must be licensed by the bishop to serve in the diocese; he may not function as a priest in another diocese without that bishop's permission. He reports to the bishop on the state of the parish and on any serious pastoral issues that arise. The bishop's canonical visitation is the occasion for this annual accounting.
5. Supply clergy, the bishop as rector, and the marriage checklist
Three canonical provisions govern service to a congregation without its own priest. Canon 9.12: in a Diocesan Mission the bishop IS the Rector by canonical definition — he appoints a Priest or Deacon as his VICAR, who serves under the bishop's authority; the cure of souls belongs to the bishop alone. Canon 9.16: when a Parish is vacant the bishop becomes acting Rector automatically — no appointment needed; he may appoint a priest, deacon, or lay reader to conduct services under his direction; the appointed minister is the bishop's agent; canonical restrictions on deacons (Canon 24) and lay readers (Canon 21) continue to apply regardless of who appointed them. Canon 25.04: a supply priest in an occupied parish requires the resident rector's consent OR the bishop's authority — this is canonical, not merely courteous. Canon 25.05: a supply priest from another diocese requires the bishop's written licence for more than one occasion. In all three cases: authority is delegated, not independent; the bishop's jus liturgicum always applies; register entries are made under Canon 25.01 on behalf of the bishop or rector. Marriage law: the full ten-item canonical checklist (Canon 12.03), the right of refusal (Canon 12.04), and the consequences of civil divorce (Canon 12.05) are in Job Aid 7 — review it before every marriage preparation.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
A newly married couple asks the priest for a copy of their marriage register entry. What does the priest provide, and in what form?
A bishop appoints a deacon to conduct Sunday services in a vacant parish. A parishioner asks the deacon to pronounce the Absolution since he has been appointed by the bishop. What does the deacon do, and what canon governs the answer?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
The vestry overrules the priest on a matter of parish finances. What are the respective authorities of the priest and the vestry, and how does the priest respond?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 300
"The Matrimony rubric: "First, the Banns of all them that are to be married together must be published..." — the canonical provision for public notice. The APCK's own canons govern whether banns are required."
APCK Canons 9.12, 9.16, 25.04, 25.05
"The supply and vacancy framework: Canon 9.12 — bishop is rector of every Diocesan Mission; Canon 9.16 — bishop is acting rector of every vacant parish, may appoint agents; Canon 25.04 — supply requires rector's consent or bishop's authority; Canon 25.05 — cross-diocesan supply requires written licence for more than one occasion."
Lesson 19 The Priesthood of All Believers: Your Baptismal Calling and Its Obligations
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Confirmation
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Baptism (pp. 267-282)
• The Catechism (pp. 577-585)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part II, Q. 30; Part VII, Q. 84-93
• Saints' Meditations — All Saints' Day (1 November)
Learning Objectives
• Articulate the meaning of the royal priesthood in 1 Peter 2:9
• Identify the specific obligations of a confirmed member of the APCK
• Understand how the baptismal calling is expressed in daily life
• Know the difference between the priesthood of all believers and the ordained priesthood
• Understand stewardship as an expression of the royal priesthood
Content Outline
1. 1 Peter 2:9 and its Anglican interpretation
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." This text is not a Protestant rejection of the ordained ministry but a description of the whole Church's vocation. Every baptised person shares in Christ's threefold office: prophet (bearing witness to the truth), priest (offering praise and intercession), and king (serving in the governance of creation).
2. What the baptismal calling requires
The obligations of a confirmed member: regular Sunday worship (especially Holy Communion); daily prayer (the Office or equivalent); regular Scripture reading; financial support of the Church (the tithe as the goal); service in the parish and community; works of mercy; bearing witness to the faith. None of these is optional for a serious Anglican Christian — they are the content of the baptismal vow renewed at Confirmation.
3. The layperson at the Eucharist
The layperson is not a passive spectator at the Eucharist but an active participant in the offering. The offertory is the layperson's act — the bread and wine brought to the altar represent the whole of their labour and their lives. The reception of Communion is the completion of that offering: the life given to God is returned transformed in the Body and Blood of Christ.
4. Stewardship as royal priesthood
The offering of tithes and gifts to the Church is not a fundraising exercise but a priestly act: the acknowledgement that all things belong to God and that we hold them in trust. The Church can only do its work — maintaining the worship, training the clergy, caring for the poor — if the laity exercise their priesthood in this way.
5. The parish as a community of priests
A healthy parish is not a congregation served by a clergyman but a community of royal priests among whom some have been ordained to serve the priestly calling of all. The layperson who prays daily, gives generously, serves faithfully, and witnesses clearly is exercising the priesthood of believers in its fullest form.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
What did you promise at your Confirmation? Have you kept those promises? What would it look like to keep them more faithfully?
A friend says, "I don't need to go to church — I can be spiritual on my own." How do you respond?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between a layperson "helping out" at the church and a layperson exercising the royal priesthood? Is the difference significant?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 280
"Holy Baptism of Adults: the baptismal promises made by the candidate. These are the foundation of the lay vocation."
Lesson 20 How to Pray the Daily Office at Home: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Laity
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 35 min content · 10 min practical · 10 min review)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 19
Primary BCP Texts
• Morning Prayer (pp. 3-22)
• Evening Prayer (pp. 23-34)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Psalter Companion with Thematic Titles
• Concordance to the Psalter
• Lectionary with Homilies (for the daily lessons)
Learning Objectives
• Pray Morning and Evening Prayer from the 1928 BCP without assistance
• Find the correct psalm and lessons for any given day
• Understand a simple form of the Office suitable for daily private use
• Understand the spiritual purpose of the Daily Office
• Know how to adapt the Office for use when alone
Content Outline
1. Why pray the Office?
The Daily Office is not an obligation invented by the clergy to burden the laity — it is the Church's provision for the sanctification of the whole day. By praying the Office, the layperson joins the Church's worldwide chorus of praise at sunrise and sunset. By hearing the Scriptures read systematically, the layperson receives the full breadth of biblical revelation — not just the passages they happen to prefer. By praying the Psalms, the layperson enters the prayer that Christ himself prayed and that the Church has prayed for three thousand years.
2. A simple form for private use
For the layperson alone or with family: Opening Sentence — Lord's Prayer — Versicles and Responses — Venite (or a portion of it) — Psalm of the day (even one or two verses) — Scripture reading (even one chapter) — Te Deum or Benedictus (morning) / Magnificat (evening) — Creed — Collects — General Thanksgiving. This can be prayed in fifteen minutes and yet contains all the essentials of the Office.
3. Using the BCP for daily psalmody
The Table of Psalms divides the 150 psalms across 30 mornings and 30 evenings. The Psalter Companion in the archive provides a thematic title for each psalm to orient the pray-er. The Concordance to the Psalter allows the pray-er to find every occurrence of a significant word across the whole Psalter. These resources make the Psalter accessible to a layperson who has never been taught to use it systematically.
4. The role of canticles and Scripture in daily formation
The canticles — Te Deum, Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis — are Scripture set to be sung or said daily. After a year of praying the Office, the layperson will know these texts by heart — not by deliberate memorisation but by daily repetition. This is exactly what Cranmer intended: formation through use.
5. When you miss a day
The Office is a rhythm, not a law. Missing a day is not a sin; it is an opportunity for the next day's beginning. The layperson who prays the Office five days out of seven is more formed by it than the one who prays it perfectly for a week and then gives up because it seems too demanding.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Pray Morning Prayer together now, using the BCP. Then discuss: what did you notice? What was unfamiliar? What was more meaningful than you expected?
Cranmer intended the Daily Office to be the normal daily prayer of every English Christian. Is that still achievable? What would it require?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between "saying your prayers" (personal informal prayer) and praying the Office? Is the Office better or worse? What does each offer that the other does not?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 3
"The Order for Daily Morning Prayer, as it is to be said throughout the Year." "As it is to be said" — presumptive, not conditional. The Office is the Church's default form of daily prayer.
Lesson 21 Understanding Holy Communion: Preparation, Reception, and Thanksgiving
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 20
Primary BCP Texts
• Holy Communion — Exhortation (p. 75)
• Prayer of Humble Access (p. 82)
• The Post-Communion Prayer (p. 83)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part IV, Q. 45-51
• Subject Index to the Prayers — Thanksgivings section
Learning Objectives
• Prepare for Holy Communion according to the BCP's own provision
• Receive Holy Communion in the traditional Anglican manner
• Make a proper thanksgiving after Communion
• Understand what is happening at the Eucharist — the theology in plain terms
• Know the BCP's teaching on self-examination before Communion
Content Outline
1. The BCP Exhortation: self-examination and private confession
The Exhortation at Holy Communion (p. 75) is among the most searching texts in the BCP: it calls the communicant to examine himself — to consider his sins against God and against his neighbour, to make restitution where he has wronged anyone, and to approach the altar with "penitent hearts and lively faith." This is not spiritual terrorism but pastoral wisdom: a person who receives Communion carelessly does himself harm; a person who prepares carefully receives a great good. The same Exhortation addresses private confession directly: "if there be any of you who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word." The Anglican principle is therefore clear: private confession is permitted to all and required of none. It is not a mandatory preparation for Communion but a resource for the troubled conscience.
2. What preparation looks like in practice
The night before: a review of the week — where have I sinned? where have I failed to love? Is there anyone I need to forgive or from whom I need to seek forgiveness? A private confession of specific sins to God. The morning of: a period of quiet prayer; the fasting (if observed); a reading of the proper Collect. Arriving at the church before the service begins, not at the Offertory. The physical posture of coming to the altar: on one's knees, hands together, head bowed.
3. Receiving the elements
The traditional Anglican manner: kneeling at the altar rail; holding out the cupped right hand under the left for the host; saying "Amen" after the administration formula; receiving the chalice with both hands, tilting it gently, and saying "Amen." Not reaching for the chalice before it is offered; not consuming the host before moving to the next position; not hurrying. The physical manner of reception expresses the spiritual disposition.
4. Thanksgiving after Communion
The Post-Communion Collect (p. 83) is the Church's thanksgiving prayer: "Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us..." The layperson who leaves immediately after receiving, without remaining for the blessing and the thanksgiving, has received the gift but not given thanks. The tradition commends a period of private thanksgiving after the service: five to ten minutes of silent prayer before returning to the day. What is received in Holy Communion: the 1928 BCP administration formula — "The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life" — affirms the Real Presence of Christ in the sacrament. The Anglican tradition holds that Christ is truly and really present in the consecrated elements; the manner of that presence is a mystery of faith, not a matter for philosophical definition. The layperson should be able to affirm this in their own words.
5. How often should a layperson communicate?
The APCK Canons (Canon 11.06c) require reception of Holy Communion at least three times a year, at Christmastide, Eastertide, and Whitsuntide (Pentecost) — all three seasons are named and required, not merely Easter alone as is sometimes supposed. The 1928 BCP rubric (p. 75) specifies the same minimum of three times per year. The Catholic Anglican tradition expects weekly as the normal frequency for a committed parishioner. Daily Communion, where available, is a high ideal. The question to ask is not "how little is required?" but "how much do I need?" — and the honest answer for most people is: more than they are receiving.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Read the Exhortation at Holy Communion (p. 75) aloud together. Then discuss: what does it require of you? What would it mean to take it seriously every Sunday?
A parishioner says, "I don't receive Communion very often because I never feel ready." What is the right response — to encourage more frequent reception or less frequent?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
What is the difference between receiving Communion "worthily" and receiving it "perfectly"? Which does the BCP require?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 75
"The Exhortation: the communicant's preparation in the BCP's own words."
BCP p. 82
"The Prayer of Humble Access: "We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies." The layperson's prayer immediately before receiving."
Lesson 22 The Christian Year at Home: Living the Liturgical Calendar as a Household
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 21
Primary BCP Texts
• Calendar and Tables (front of BCP)
• Table of Fasts
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• BCP 1928 Reference Tool — Tab V (Saints' Days)
• Saints' Meditations Interactive Index
• Harmony of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels
Learning Objectives
• Know the seasons of the Christian Year and their domestic observance
• Establish a household rhythm of fasting and feasting
• Use the Saints' Days as occasions of household devotion
• Understand how the home is the "domestic church" in Anglican tradition
• Know how to mark the Principal Feasts in the home
Content Outline
1. The home as domestic church
The BCP provides Family Prayer (pp. 587-590) for household use — morning and evening prayers for a family or household. The home is not merely the place where people sleep before going to church; it is the "domestic church" (the phrase is patristic), the smallest unit of the Body of Christ. The Christian household has its own liturgical life: the blessing of meals, the keeping of fasts, the observance of feasts, the night prayer before bed.
2. Advent in the home
Advent is four weeks of preparation for Christmas — not four weeks of premature Christmas celebration. Household practices: the Advent wreath (lighting one candle on the first Sunday, two on the second, etc.); reading the Advent propers each day; abstaining from festive music and decorations until Christmas Eve; using the O Antiphons in the last seven days before Christmas. The contrast between Advent's preparation and Christmas's celebration makes both more meaningful.
3. Lent in the home
Ash Wednesday begins with fasting (the strictest fast of the year in the Anglican tradition) and the imposition of ashes at church. Household Lenten practices: a specific fast or abstinence observed consistently through the forty days; a daily reading from one of the Lenten saints' meditations; the avoidance of festive entertainments; a specific work of charity or service. Holy Week requires the whole family to attend the principal services.
4. The feasts of the saints in the home
Every day of the year has one or more saints' days in the BCP calendar. The Saints' Meditations Index (archive) provides a devotional text for the major feasts. Household observance: reading the meditation for the day at the morning meal; lighting a candle on the feast day of the patron saint of the household or of a family member; naming children after saints and marking their name day. These practices are the domestic expression of the communion of saints.
5. Fasting on Fridays
The BCP Table of Fasts lists "all the Fridays in the year, except Christmas Day." Friday fasting is one of the most ancient Christian practices — every Friday is a commemoration of the Crucifixion. The household that fasts every Friday (abstaining from meat, or from food until midday, or in whatever form is sustainable) keeps its week anchored in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Describe your household's current observance of Advent. Now describe what it would look like if it fully reflected the character of the season as the BCP intends it.
Why do Christians fast? Is it merely a discipline of the will, or does it have a deeper spiritual significance?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
The custom of observing a saint's day as a "name day" is very old but has largely died out in Protestant cultures. What would be gained by its revival?
Rubrical Focus
BCP — Table of Fasts
"All the Fridays in the year, except Christmas Day" — the weekly fast. Most Anglicans are unaware this is in the BCP.
BCP p. 587
"Family Prayer: "A Form of Morning Prayer for Families." This is the BCP's provision for household worship — rarely used and worth recovering."
Lesson 23 The Psalter as Daily Prayer: Using the Psalms in Private Devotion
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lesson 20
Primary BCP Texts
• The Psalter (pp. 341-524 in the Winston edition)
• Table of Psalms
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Psalter Companion with Thematic Titles
• Concordance to the Psalter (docx and interactive HTML)
• Table of Principal Changes in the Psalter (1928)
Learning Objectives
• Use the Table of Psalms to find the correct psalm for any day
• Understand the five Books of the Psalter and their different characters
• Use the Gladstone/Pepper thematic titles to navigate the Psalms devotionally
• Understand the Psalter as the prayer of Christ and of the Church
• Know how to use the Concordance to find psalms on specific themes
Content Outline
1. What the Psalter is
The Psalter is not a collection of Jewish hymns now used in Christian worship out of reverence for Scripture. It is the prayer book of Christ himself — he prayed the Psalms in the synagogue and the Temple; he quoted them on the Cross; the early Church used them as the core of its worship. When a Christian prays the Psalms, he enters into the prayer of Christ. This is why the Church has always given the Psalter a unique place in her worship.
2. The five Books and their characters
The Psalter is divided into five books, each ending with a doxology. Book I (Psalms 1-41): largely Davidic; personal and intimate. Book II (42-72): the longing of the soul for God; the kingship psalms. Book III (73-89): the community in crisis; the great penitential and national psalms. Book IV (90-106): the sovereignty of God; Exodus themes. Book V (107-150): the grand doxological finale; the Hallel psalms. The character of each Book shapes the devotional tone of the month's reading.
3. Using the thematic titles
Gladstone's Psalter Companion (as revised by Pepper and reproduced in the APCK archive) gives each psalm a thematic title: Psalm 23 — "The Good Shepherd"; Psalm 51 — "The Cry of the Penitent"; Psalm 91 — "Dwelling Under the Defence of the Most High." These titles are not scholarly conclusions but devotional signposts — they tell the pray-er what the psalm is primarily about and prepare him to pray it in that spirit.
4. Using the Concordance
The Concordance to the Psalter (APCK archive, docx and HTML) lists every significant word in the Psalter with its references. A layperson who wants to find all the psalms about mercy, or about the poor, or about God's judgment, can find them instantly. The Concordance is not an academic tool but a devotional one: it reveals the Psalter's own theology by showing how its key words and themes recur and develop.
5. The Psalms in time of distress
The Psalms are the Church's provision for every condition of the human soul — including the darkest ones. Psalm 88 ends without resolution: "darkness is my closest companion." The Church has preserved this psalm precisely because it gives voice to the person whose distress is beyond human comfort. The pray-er who knows the Psalter has a resource for every season of the soul that no human self-help book can provide.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Open the Psalter Companion to Psalm 139 — "God, the Searcher of Hearts." Read the first five verses. Then discuss: what does Gladstone's title open up in the psalm that you might not have noticed without it?
A parishioner says, "Some of the psalms are very violent — I can't use them in prayer." How do you respond?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
Use the Concordance to find all the psalms that contain the word "shepherd." What do you find? What does the list tell you?
Rubrical Focus
BCP — Table of Psalms
"The 1928 BCP's division of the Psalter across 30 mornings and 30 evenings. The candidate must be able to use this table."
Lesson 24 Understanding the Creeds: Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian
Track: Track C
Audience: Confirmed laity (Track C)
Time: 60 minutes (5 min administration · 45 min content · 10 min review and discussion)
5 min administration │ 45 min content │ 10 min review
Prerequisite: Lessons 19-23
Primary BCP Texts
• The Apostles' Creed (in Morning and Evening Prayer, pp. 15, 29)
• The Nicene Creed (in Holy Communion, p. 71)
• The Athanasian Creed (pp. 62-67)
Archive Resources (assigned reading)
• Catechism for Confirmation Candidates — Part I, Q. 1-5
• Saints' Meditations — Trinity Sunday
Learning Objectives
• Explain the origin and authority of each of the three Creeds
• Know the Apostles' Creed by memory
• Explain the meaning of each clause of the Nicene Creed
• Understand why the Athanasian Creed is in the BCP and what it teaches
• Know the Filioque clause and its significance
Content Outline
1. The three Creeds and why the Church has three
The Apostles' Creed is the baptismal Creed — the faith into which we were baptised; it is used at Morning and Evening Prayer as the daily renewal of that faith. The Nicene Creed is the conciliar Creed — the definitive statement of Trinitarian and Christological orthodoxy produced by the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381); it is used at Holy Communion because every Eucharist is an act of the one Catholic Church. The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult) is the most detailed and the most severe — it is used on Trinity Sunday and on certain other occasions and states with precision the terms of Trinitarian orthodoxy.
2. The Apostles' Creed clause by clause
Walk through the Apostles' Creed clause by clause: "I believe in God the Father Almighty" — personal faith in the Creator. "Maker of heaven and earth" — the doctrine of creation. "And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord" — the Incarnation and Lordship. "Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary" — the Virgin Birth. "Suffered under Pontius Pilate" — the historical reality of the Passion. "The third day he rose again from the dead" — the bodily Resurrection. "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." Each clause is a doctrinal commitment, not merely a liturgical formula.
3. The Nicene Creed and the defeat of Arianism
The Nicene Creed was produced specifically to defeat Arianism — the teaching that the Son was the first and greatest of God's creatures but not himself fully God. The phrase "of one substance with the Father" (homoousios) is the decisive anti-Arian formula. The Creed's expansion of the third article ("who proceedeth from the Father and the Son" — the Filioque) was added by the Western Church and remains disputed by the Orthodox. The layperson who recites the Nicene Creed at Holy Communion is standing in the tradition of Athanasius and the Council Fathers.
4. The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult): canonical position and rubrical status
The Athanasian Creed (not actually by Athanasius but bearing his name as a mark of its orthodoxy) is the most precise and demanding of the three Creeds. Its opening and closing damnatory clauses ("Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith... which except a man believe faithfully and stedfastly, he cannot be saved") have generated controversy since the nineteenth century. The APCK position is established by two canonical texts. Canon 13.03 requires every candidate for ordination to publicly subscribe to "the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Creed of St. Athanasius" — subscription as a doctrinal standard is a canonical obligation for all clergy of this Province. Article VIII of the Thirty-Nine Articles states that the three Creeds "ought thoroughly to be received and believed." Its liturgical use in the 1928 BCP is governed by a permissive rubric at BCP p. 139 (Additional Directions): the Athanasian Creed MAY be used in place of the Nicene Creed on Trinity Sunday and other occasions as appropriate. This is a MAY, not a SHALL. The 1662 English BCP required it on thirteen named occasions (SHALL); the 1928 American BCP reduced this to permissive use. The traditional principal occasion is Trinity Sunday. On the damnatory clauses: the Catholic Anglican position, consistent with the APCK's doctrinal foundations, is that these clauses state the objective necessity of the Catholic Faith for salvation — they are not a judgment on the subjective state of any individual soul nor on invincible ignorance. The precision that makes the Creed seem severe is precisely what makes it valuable: it states with exactness what the Church has always believed about the Trinity and the Incarnation, and the damnatory clauses protect those definitions from being treated as optional. The bishop's jus liturgicum (Canon 10.04) governs the frequency and manner of its use in diocesan worship.
5. Why the Creeds are recited rather than read
The Creeds are recited standing, by the whole congregation, because they are the Church's confession of faith — an act of witness as well as of belief. The practice of turning toward the altar during the Nicene Creed (a traditional ceremonial act) expresses the direction of the confession: we speak to God, not merely about him. The bow at "was incarnate... and was made man" is the act of adoration at the mystery of the Incarnation.
Discussion Questions (10-minute review)
Recite the Apostles' Creed from memory. Now explain in your own words what you just said — clause by clause. Which clauses are most familiar? Which are hardest to explain?
The Nicene Creed says the Son is "of one substance with the Father." What would it mean if the Son were not of one substance? What would be at stake?
Further Discussion (optional — for extended class or second session)
Is it possible to be an Anglican Christian and not believe everything in the Apostles' Creed? What does the Church say about this?
Rubrical Focus
BCP p. 15
"Then shall be said the Apostles' Creed by the Minister and the people, standing." — mandatory ("shall be said") and congregational ("by the Minister and the people").
BCP p. 71
"Then shall be sung or said the Nicene Creed, standing." — mandatory at Holy Communion.