St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

With the new blue services book now launched at St Luke's, here are some more thoughts on the changes...

We do not presume no more?

We do not presume
to come to this your table, merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table.
But you are the same Lord
whose nature is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.
Amen.*

When Cranmer wrote the Prayer Book he translated some bits from the Latin services of the Catholic Church, but he started afresh for some other bits. The “consecration prayer” was one bit which he scrapped and started again. He included the confession in this part of the service, and also the “prayer of humble access” which begins “We do not presume...” (above).

But when the services in modern English were coming in, the writers went back to the way things were done in the early church, and Cranmer’s prayer of humble access no longer fitted into the “consecration” part of the service. So, in the ASB (Alternative Services Book 1980), it was moved to between the intercessions and the Peace.

Now, in the Common Worship service, they’ve decided they don’t want it after the intercessions either as it disturbs the flow of God’s people praying together and then expressing their unity together. It still doesn’t fit into the consecration, so it has become a liturgical orphan without a home of its own. It can be used just before the people receive communion, although it’s a bit awkward there as it separates the invitation “Draw near with faith” from the drawing near with faith.

We shall be using it, or “Most merciful Lord” (an alternative), on about half of the Sundays of the year. On the occasions when we don’t, I suggest you use it for private prayer before you come to the rail to receive communion.

John Hartley

* The text above is copied for the benefit of on-line readers, and is taken from "Common Worship" (C) copyright the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England 2000. The text itself did not appear in the original magazine article.

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. October 2001, Page 2.
Home Page. Index of articles. Worship: index, Our Father, Creed, New books, Creed 2, Humble Access, HC prayers. In this issue: (October 2001) Vicar's Letter, CW book, Money, Question, History.	With the new blue services book now launched at St Luke's, here are some more thoughts on the changes... We do not presume no more? We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.* When Cranmer wrote the Prayer Book he translated some bits from the Latin services of the Catholic Church, but he started afresh for some other bits. The “consecration prayer” was one bit which he scrapped and started again. He included the confession in this part of the service, and also the “prayer of humble access” which begins “We do not presume...” (above). But when the services in modern English were coming in, the writers went back to the way things were done in the early church, and Cranmer’s prayer of humble access no longer fitted into the “consecration” part of the service. So, in the ASB (Alternative Services Book 1980), it was moved to between the intercessions and the Peace. Now, in the Common Worship service, they’ve decided they don’t want it after the intercessions either as it disturbs the flow of God’s people praying together and then expressing their unity together. It still doesn’t fit into the consecration, so it has become a liturgical orphan without a home of its own. It can be used just before the people receive communion, although it’s a bit awkward there as it separates the invitation “Draw near with faith” from the drawing near with faith. We shall be using it, or “Most merciful Lord” (an alternative), on about half of the Sundays of the year. On the occasions when we don’t, I suggest you use it for private prayer before you come to the rail to receive communion. John Hartley * The text above is copied for the benefit of on-line readers, and is taken from "Common Worship" (C) copyright the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England 2000. The text itself did not appear in the original magazine article.
Top of page.	This web page was last updated on 11th December 2002.