The report of the Liturgical Advisory Committee was presented to Synod this afternoon. It was proposed by the Revd Adrian Dorrian who said that the Book of Common Prayer was the most significant work of the LAC over the last 15 years. However, this is not the only thing the committee did.

He said that work on the Supplement to the Church Hymnal was in its final stages. It was hoped it would be ready for publication by 2015, he added. He expressed the hope it that it would add breadth and depth to the Church Hymnal. The newly reconstituted Recorded Church Music Committee would work alongside the LAC, he added.

Mr Dorrian said that the resources sub committee continued to work on liturgical resources for specific circumstances and was focusing on the First World War and 1916 commemorations currently. It was hoped that liturgical resources for the centenary of the start of World War I would be available on the Church of Ireland website soon.

“The resources we produce are used but the work cannot be effective without engagement with the wider church,” he added. He said that the work of the LAC should reflect liturgical practice of the wider church and they hoped to hold a symposium on new and enriching liturgical practices.

Contributions to the debate on the report covered the following subjects:

• A suggestion that the hymn numbers in the supplement carry on from the Church Hymnal for ease of announcing the hymns on notice boards.
• The importance of the 2021/22 period in the Decade of Commemorations was stressed with the hope that there would be a proper liturgical engagement with the institutions of government.
• Attention being paid to fresh expressions and messy church was welcomed.
• The celebration of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise’s 100th anniversary was highlighted.
• The LAC was thanked for the invitation to give suggestions to the new supplement, however, disappointment was expressed that some suggestions had been left out.
• The Recorded Church Music Committee was thanked for the provision of mini discs which have been invaluable in the absence of church musicians and was requested to provide MP3s or CDs to give congregations the opportunity to avail of the new supplement.
• It was suggested that Irish could be incorporated into services on a general basis rather than just at special services.
• Cumman Gaelach’s leaflet of short prayers as Gaelige was highlighted.
• The LAC’s plans to produce material dealing with situations of suicide, miscarriage and still birth were commended. It was suggest that they would go some way to help us to talk about these things, to pray about them and become communities of hope.
• Very high quality materials will be available to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War, Synod was told.

The report was passed by Synod.

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