Liturgical Resources Update, including new resources from The 81st General Convention

Dear Colleagues in Christ,

So many exciting things have been happening in The Episcopal Church – both prior to and as a result of The General Convention! We wanted to update you on some liturgical resources that are currently available and some that will be soon. We also wanted to provide some clarity around other liturgical questions that are emerging. 

Bishop Laura Ahrens and the Rev. Stacey Kohl have been working on expanding the Music & Liturgy section of ECCT’s website. These new pages include an ever-expanding library of helpful resources for liturgical planning, as well as highlighted approved resources for particular seasons, holidays, or special observances. In addition, an “Authorized Resources” list has been added to the website, which helps clarify what resources are approved for use without additional permissions and which require bishop permission before use. Should you wish to make use of a resource that requires bishop permission, you can make that request directly from the website via the new “Liturgical Permissions Form.” 

For example, if you were wondering if you need permission to add the “Baptismal Question about Creation Care” to the Renewal of the Baptismal Vows, a quick look at the “Authorized Resources” page would tell you this resource is already approved for use with no additional permission needed. However, if you are wondering if you can use “A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church” in place of the regular lectionary readings on Sunday mornings, you’ll discover you need to ask for bishop permission to utilize this resource.

We hope you will find this page helpful as you explore the width and breadth of the resources available to us in The Episcopal Church. If you would like additional clarity about a particular resource or would like to offer constructive feedback to help us improve this resource, please don’t hesitate to be touch. And keep in mind, we’ll be adding new (and old) resources regularly, so check back often if you’re unsure about a particular resource. 

The significant changes made at The General Convention in Louisville this year which we hope to soon make available on the “Authorized Resources” page are the additions to the Book of Common Prayer regarding the Liturgies for Marriage. These additions provide gender neutral options for the existing BCP Marriage Rites and have been authorized for Trial Use for the next three years (meaning you do not need a bishop’s permission to utilize them). If you have questions about the resources or wish to consider utilizing them before they are officially published, please reach out to Bishop Laura. “The Witnessing and Blessing of a Marriage” was also authorized for continued use and can be found on ECCT’s “Authorized Resources” webpage. 

If you have additional questions or concerns, please do reach out to Bishop Laura. In the meantime, we encourage you to spend some time in the new, expanded Liturgy & Music section of ECCT’s website. We believe that you will find it to be a clear and exciting resource for all of us.

Faithfully,