A126 A Resolution Supporting a Comprehensive Review of the Book Of Common Prayer, The Hymnal 1982, and other approved liturgical material
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That this 80th General Convention instruct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to examine all the language of the Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal 1982 and other approved liturgical material in regard to the colonialist, racist and white supremacist, imperialist and nationalistic language and content as the Commission carries out their revisions,
Resolved, That in order to accomplish this review it is authorized to convene gatherings of Episcopalians of Color and of a wide variety of ethnicities and from all the countries where The Episcopal Church is gathered, for this review and for the discernment of cultural assumptions in these resources and materials, and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music communicate its learnings ongoing and widely throughout the next two years.
Explanation
"We are becoming a new and re-formed church, the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement— individuals, small gathered communities and congregations whose way of life is the way of Jesus and his way of love, no longer centered on empire and establishment, no longer fixated on preserving institutions, no longer shoring up white supremacy or anything else that hurts or harms any child of God. By God’s grace …we are becoming a church that looks and acts like Jesus." (Presiding Bishop Curry)
This resolution seeks to address the ways in which, as Episcopalians, we are formed by the words we pray together in worship. In order to truly become a new and re-formed church, we must examine the ways in which our formation in worship has been steeped within a larger culture of colonialism, imperialism, nationalism, and white supremacy. This calls for a thorough and complete scholarly examination of the words and practices in our liturgical materials to identify and address those legacies.
Across the Church there has been energy for revision of our liturgical materials and this resolution seeks to make sure that the leadership and voices of People of Color across the Church are widely included in those revisions.