Transforming Worship
Transforming Worship is an initiative of the Church of England’s Liturgical Commission.
The Liturgical Commission launched Transforming Worship: Living the New Creation at the July 2007 Group of Sessions of the General Synod in York. It marks a shift in the emphasis of the Commission’s work: from generating texts for worship to enabling the formation of God’s people through worship.
On Saturday 7 July 2007, the General Synod debated the Report Transforming Worship: Living the New Creation (GS 1651). The full text of the Report may be dowloaded here: Transforming Worship.pdf
The debate followed a presentation by Professor John Harper (Director General of the Royal School of Church Music) and members of the Liturgical Commission.
The text of Professor John Harper’s presentation may be downloaded here: TW Presentation RSCM.pdf
An mp3 file of the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir singing the Choristers’ Prayer may be downloaded here: Chorister Prayer.mp3
The text of the Transforming Worship presentation may be downloaded here: TW Presentation Stories.pdf
A PowerPoint file of the multi-media presentation may be downloaded here: TW Presentation Movie.mpeg
The full text of the transcript of the debate in Synod may ne downloaded here: Synod Debate Transcript.pdf
The Report made a number of Recommendations to the Synod. To download a Summary of these Recommendations, click here: Summary of Recommendations.pdf
Transforming Worship is an invitation to the whole Church of England to take part in a process of liturgical growth. What happens immediately following the launch of the initiative will depend on the way in which those groups addressed in the Report respond to the suggestions that have been made.
There are, though, four actions to which the Commission has committed itself:1 - a series of Transforming Worship Roadshows in which Members of the Commission – together with others with particular expertise – will offer training in specific areas of liturgy and worship. 2 - the publication of a thought-provoking and attractive booklet early in 2008. This is designed to foster reflection and study within parishes – where it might be used with PCCs, worship planning groups and ministry teams – or other places of worship. The booklet – written in popular rather than technical language - examines ways in which worship transforms us.
3 - the Commission seeks to initiate a programme of training events under the Transforming Worship banner sponsored jointly with partner organizations (e.g. RSCM, Praxis and the Prayer Book Society) in the field of liturgical formation.
4 - the launch of this Transforming Worship website www.transformingworship.org.uk to complement the Church of England’s official BCP and Common Worship and liturgical resources.