A guide to resources in the Book of Common Worship
There are a variety of reasons why a church or group of churches (such as a presbytery) might decide to hold a solemn assembly:
- in response to a crisis, conflict, or controversy in the life of the congregation, community, denomination or world
- in response to war, poverty, famine, disease, natural disaster or ecological emergency
- in response to divisive issues or acute pastoral concerns
A worshiping community might also decide to hold solemn assemblies on an occasional or regular basis during certain festivals or seasons of the church year, such as Advent, Ash Wednesday, Lent or Good Friday.
Whatever the motivation, the purpose is the same — to discern together God’s holy way, and to pray for the renewal of the church and world.
The following resources from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship would be helpful in planning such services:
Seasonal materials for Advent (BCW 165-177), Ash Wednesday (BCW 221-234), Lent (BCW 235-250) and Good Friday (BCW 281-293), including Sentences of Scripture, Prayers of the Day, Prayers of Confessions, Litanies, Prayers of Thanksgiving (non-eucharistic) and Great Thanksgivings.
The Solemn Reproaches of the Cross (BCW 288-291). This is Christ’s lament over the unfaithfulness and brokenness of the church. This powerful litany is typically used on Good Friday, but would be appropriate for solemn assemblies on other occasions as well.
The liturgy for the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Covenant for a Congregation (BCW 464-477) may be used at certain festivals of the church year (Baptism of the Lord, Lent, Easter Vigil, Easter Season, Pentecost or All Saints Day) or at any time in the life of the community of faith when it is necessary to reaffirm our unity in the body of Christ. The Calls to Confession and Congregational Litany for the Confession of Sin on (BCW 473-475) are particularly valuable resources for solemn assemblies.
The Service for Wholeness for Use with a Congregation (BCW 1005-1015) offers a useful model for a solemn assembly focusing on the healing of the community.
The Book of Common Worship includes prayers for the world (BCW 795-799), natural order (BCW 799-803), church and other people of faith (BCW 803-815), national life (BCW 816-818), social order (BCW 818-822), family and personal life (BCW 822-832), and human condition (BCW 832-837) that would be helpful in addressing a whole range of particular issues. There are three prayers for church unity (BCW 811-812) that would be fitting for solemn assemblies related to divisive issues in the life of the church.
Also, note the prayer for the unity of the church that is in nearly every Great Thanksgiving in the BCW, in one of two forms:
- By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ
and with all who are baptized in his name,
that we may be one in ministry in every place. - By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
that we may be one with all who share this feast,
united in ministry in every place.
You may find other resources in other places as well. Please share these with the Office of Theology and Worship so that your work might help others as we pass them along to others.
