Notes for Anglican Ceremonial

These ceremonial guides are republished here with the hope “that priest and people may worship with undisturbed recollection, and that the ways of the minister may help, not hinder, the devotion both of the congregation and of himself.” (ATLT, p.65) Readiness and Decency is one of the more concise ceremonial guides for a traditional Prayer Book Service. It was written before the Canadian revision of 1962, but as such serves as an excellent Prayer Book Catholic ceremonial guide for those using the 1928 American, 1928 English Proposed, 1662, 1662: International Edition, as well as, with some service order adjustments, the 2019 revisions of the Book of Common Prayer. Of peculiar note is the ceremonial instruction for North End Celebration, once ubiquitous and now almost entirely in disuse. Some Anglican parishes are beginning to use the 1662: International Edition with North End, and may benefit from this work. Readiness and Decency may also be downloaded freely from the Prayer Book Society Canada: https://prayerbook.ca/liturgical-resources/ At the Lord’s Table is an obscure practical manual for an Anglo-Catholic celebration of mass, utilizing the English Missal or 1662 with Catholic additions, and is useful for any Anglo-Catholic mass, adjusting according to one’s Missal or Prayer Book. Unlike a work such as Ritual Notes, this is very practical, and expects a small group at the altar. Of particular note is the Common Mistakes sections, which give a humorous snapshot of various mistakes ministers have made, and ways in which one can avoid distracting the worshippers.