Bishop Tom Breidenthal met with a study group at St. Mark’s before today’s service.
The topics he was asked to focus on were upcoming changes to our music or our Prayer Book.
Bishop Tom is a member of the Episcopal Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.
PRAYER BOOK REVISIONS:
- Two recommendations by the Commission
- Radical Revision
- Use following three years to get to know the Prayer Book
- The Commission would like to recommend the get to know the Prayer Book
- If changed, what changes would be considered?
- Name changes that are more gender neutral
- Include all of God’s people including transexuals
- Diversify the calendar of Saints (races, nationalities)
- The idea of having a Prayer Book is not accepted by all denominations.
- Jewish synagogues have Prayer Books (Torah)
- “Torah” means “The Way.”
- Changes to the Prayer Book must pass the House of Bishop and House of Deputies.
- General Convention convenes every three years.
- The recommendations can be altered in this process
- There can be a “tug-of-war” between Bishops and Deputies during convention.
- In budget matters, the Bishops and Deputies can work directly with each other.
- There were more young people at the last General Convention
MUSIC REVISION
- Not much interest at this time in changing the music.
- Young people seem to like the older traditions.
ALASKA VISIT
- The House of Bishops visited villages in Alaska September 21-26, 2017
- Focus on racism and ethnicity
- Native American members
- Huge harvest feast presented to the Bishops
- Awesome experience
- Goal to preserve the sacred arctic shorelines
- Oil drilling threatens caribou grounds
