By Fr. Sean McDermott
Earlier this year, Earth & Altar published its first book: Guide to the Mass: For Anglican Youth and Newcomers. Jackie Jamison and I spent a lot of time preparing this text and have already found the book quite useful in the parish. It is very helpful to have a book like this to hand out to visitors who express some interest in the liturgy. But don’t take my word for it! Fr. Wesley Walker published a review of the book over at North American Anglican a couple of weeks ago. Here is an excerpt:
The book is a wonderful gift to parishes that utilize the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. First and foremost, the book makes the Mass more approachable for parishioners. The BCP’s antiquated language can be overwhelming to many, making the service feel foreign. Rather than dumbing down the service in a move of cultural accommodation, a book like this elevates the bar, understanding that our congregants are able to rise to the occasion. Assuming that people are unable to understand the elevated language of the older Prayer Books is often a form of elitism based on the assumption that “uneducated” folks are incapable of understanding the service. Personally, I have found this to be untrue and a helpful aid like Guide to the Mass is a helpful way to supplement the service to teach the people.
Read the rest of the article here.
And if you want to purchase the book, head on over to the Amazon page here.
Fr. Sean McDermott is Curate at All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, VA and Editor in Chief of Earth & Altar.
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