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PREFACE

W ORSHIP IS AT THE VERY heart of the church’s life. All that the church is and
does is rooted in its worship. The community of faith, gathered in response to
God’s call, is formed in its worship. Worship is the principal influence that shapes
our faith, and is the most visible way we express the faith.
In worship, through Word and Sacrament, the church is sustained by the pres-
ence of Christ. Joined in worship to the One who is the source of its life, the
church is empowered to serve God in the world.
Because of the centrality of worship in the church’s life, the continuing reform
of worship is of primary importance in maintaining the integrity of the people of
God. In an age dominated by individualism and secularism, it is particularly im-
portant to embrace forms of worship that are firmly rooted in the faith and foster
a strong communal sense of being united with God, with the community of faith
in every time and place, and with a broken world in need of God’s healing touch.
In other words, the concern for the reform of worship is, above everything else, a
concern for the renewal of the church.
This conviction has informed every stage of the development of this edition of
the Book of Common Worship, the fifth service book to be published in this century
to serve American Presbyterians. As with each of its four predecessors, this edi-
tion of the Book of Common Worship was prepared with the intention of seeking a
liturgical expression that is faithful to the tradition of the church catholic, truly
reformed, rooted in scripture, and related to life.
The purpose of this preface is to provide an overview of the place a service
book has within the Reformed tradition, and to describe aspects of this book that
will contribute to its usefulness in shaping worship in Presbyterian congregations.

THE SERVICE BOOK AND THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP

American Presbyterians have both a directory for worship and a service book.
There is often a confusion over the distinction between the two, and over the role
of each.

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A Directory for Worship is a part of the constitution of the church and thus
has the authority of church law. It provides the theology that undergirds worship,
and includes appropriate directions for worship. It sets forth the standards and
the norms for the ordering of worship. It does not have fixed orders of worship or
liturgical texts.
The church’s service book, on the other hand, provides orders and texts for
worship. It is in harmony with the directory and is approved for voluntary use.
Where both a directory and a service book coexist, as in those churches served by
this book, the service book sets forth, in orders of services and in liturgical texts, the
theology and norms described in the directory. Service books have a longer history
in the Reformed tradition than directories, and most churches in the Reformed com-
munity do not have directories but do have service books.

THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES

Reformed churches in the sixteenth century used service books. Ulrich Zwingli,
Martin Bucer, and John Calvin all prepared worship forms for use in the congre-
gations. John Knox, following Calvin, prepared The Forme of Prayers and subse-
quently a service book, the Book of Common Order, for use in Scotland. Liturgical
forms were in general use in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Holland, England,
and Scotland.
However, the Reformation in England and Scotland after the death of Thomas
Cranmer was formed in a very different context from that on the continent, where
entire political entities were Reformed. The Reformed were thus able to prepare
their own service books without interference. In England and Scotland those seek-
ing to carry the reform from the continent had the difficult task of reforming within
a state church hostile to Genevan-inspired reform. Even after the Scottish kirk was
reformed under John Knox, it continued to endure English political and religious
pressures, resulting in bitter conflict with the English crown.
As the contending party in a state church, the Puritans were vulnerable. The lib-
erty of the church to order its life and worship in harmony with the Word of God
was threatened. The Puritans felt under attack by both church and nation. It was in
worship that the conflict raged.
The Puritans’ struggle for liberty put them in direct conflict with those who
had power to legislate the content of the service book and to require its use. Initially,
the Puritan conflict was not about opposition to the propriety and use of a service book.
The Puritans proposed their own service books. Rather, the conflict was about a serv-
ice book that was being imposed upon the Puritans that did not reflect their concerns.
The struggle ultimately drove the Puritans to join forces with the separatists. As
a result, both the English Puritans and the Scots were forced into a more radical litur-
gical position than that of the reform on the continent, which did not have to face
such issues. Whereas the Reformers were in a position to reform the forms of wor-
ship, the political and ecclesiastical situation compelled the Puritans, for the sake of
liberty, to reject the forms thrust upon them.

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It was in this context that the Westminster Directory for the Publique Worship
of God, devoid of liturgical text, was created in 1644, under the influence of Puri-
tans and separatists. This directory was destined to play the dominant role in shap-
ing the worship of American Presbyterians.
It was at this moment in history that Puritans and Scots settled in the New World.
They were the nucleus that initially shaped American Presbyterianism. Puritan views
thus dominated the way the church took root in American soil. Opposition to serv-
ice books continued even though the Puritans were no longer engaged in a struggle
for liberty. The agenda remained, even though the context had changed. American
Presbyterians soon forgot why they opposed service books. What began as a strug-
gle for liberty turned into a new legalism.
In keeping with their Puritan legacy, Presbyterians who settled in the New World
chose to be served by a directory for worship rather than a service book. Colonial
Presbyterians had the 1644 Westminster Directory available to them until, in 1788,
the Westminster Directory was revised for use in the United States and subsequently
adopted by the first General Assembly. Two generations after the first General
Assembly, things began to change.

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

In the middle of the nineteenth century a movement emerged among American

Presbyterians and other Reformed churches that sought to restore a liturgical tradi-
tion that was both Reformed and catholic, and thus to recover the values associated
with use of a service book.
Individuals began to write service books for use by Presbyterians. Toward the end
of the century, demand for such resources prompted the publishing house of the
northern Presbyterians to produce collections of liturgical forms.
But it was the southern General Assembly that first extended official sanction to
liturgical forms. In 1894 a directory for worship was adopted for use in the southern
church that contained liturgical formulas, and liturgies for marriages and funerals
were appended to it.
Nine years later, the northern General Assembly was ready to respond positively
to overtures calling for a book of services.

BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP—1906, 1932, 1946

In 1903, in response to the growing expression of need for worship forms, the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (northern) approved
overtures calling for the preparation of a book of services. The result was that the
first Book of Common Worship was published in 1906. In approving this book, the
church embraced the growing concern for the reform of Presbyterian worship.
Although American Presbyterians had a directory for worship to guide them in litur-
gical matters, the approval of a service book gave official recognition to the value of
liturgical orders and texts in shaping worship.

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The 1906 book was therefore a significant milepost in the reform of Presbyter-
ian worship. It included orders with liturgical texts for both morning and evening
Lord’s Day worship. It provided for celebrating Holy Communion, and included an
exemplary eucharistic prayer (in this book called “great thanksgiving”). Texts were
provided for some festivals and seasons of the liturgical calendar. There were orders
and liturgical texts for Baptism and for Confirmation of Baptismal Vows. A treasury
of prayer, with family prayers, was included, as well as a selective psalter and a col-
lection of ancient hymns and canticles. Congregational participation was encour-
aged with the provision of responses and unison prayers. This service book included
prayers drawn from a wide range within the church catholic and from across many
centuries.
By 1928, the book began to appear dated. Responding to popular demand, the
General Assembly appointed a committee to revise the Book of Common Worship. The
revised edition appeared in 1932. This edition was an expanded version of the 1906
book. Texts for additional festivals and seasons were added. A rudimentary lectionary
was included. It is significant that the southern General Assembly approved it for use
by its congregations.
Nine years later the northern General Assembly established a permanent com-
mittee on the revision of the Book of Common Worship to monitor the liturgical
needs of the church and to periodically propose revisions. This underscores the
importance that the Office of the General Assembly gave to the service book at
that time.
A thoroughgoing revision of the Book of Common Worship resulted in a new edi-
tion being published in 1946. Those who prepared this book had the advantage of
increasing ecumenical liturgical scholarship and of more knowledge about the wor-
ship of the Reformers. This edition of the service book provided for still greater con-
gregational participation. It contained expanded resources for Sunday morning and
Sunday evening worship and for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The reading
of scripture in worship was given emphasis by the addition of a complete two-year
lectionary from the Church of Scotland’s Book of Common Order, published in 1940.
The liturgical year also received increased emphasis, with prayers included from the
service books of other churches.

THE WORSHIPBOOK—1970

In 1955 the northern General Assembly called for another revision. As the com-
mittee appointed to revise the Book of Common Worship began its work, it was con-
fronted with the great disparity between the Directory for Worship and the Book of
Common Worship. The committee reported back to the assembly that it could not
proceed until a new directory was adopted to replace the existing one, which for the
northern church had remained virtually unchanged since its adoption nearly one
hundred and seventy years earlier.
The southern Presbyterians joined with the northern church to produce the new
service book but decided to prepare their own directory. Also joining the project was

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the United Presbyterian Church in North America, which in 1947 had published a
book entitled The Manual for Worship, which included general guidelines for wor-
ship with some orders and liturgical texts. Before the new service book was com-
pleted, the United Presbyterian Church in North America had merged with the
Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. to form the United Presbyterian Church in the
U.S.A. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church also joined in the project to produce
the new service book. The Cumberland Presbyterians later engaged in preparing a
new Directory for Worship, which was approved by their General Assembly in 1984.
Other Reformed churches participated in early phases of the development of a new
Book of Common Worship.
Work resumed on a revised Book of Common Worship when in 1961 the United
Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., and in 1963 the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.,
adopted new directories.
The committee distributed two trial use pieces prior to publication: one in 1964,
another in 1966. In 1970 the service book was published with the title The Worship-
book—Services. Two years later it was published as part of The Worshipbook—Services
and Hymns.
The contributions of The Worshipbook are noteworthy. As the first of a wave of
new service books among American denominations, it broke new ground. It de-
parted from Elizabethan English and began the search for a suitable contem-
porary style of language appropriate for the worship of God. It set forth with clarity
that the norm of Christian worship on the Lord’s Day is a service of the Word and
Sacrament. Although six years earlier the committee had proposed a new lectionary,
it recognized that the lectionary then being completed by the Roman Catholic
Church was superior to the lectionary it had prepared. The committee therefore
modified the Roman lectionary for use by Presbyterians and included it in the final
publication of The Worshipbook. Other denominations also made revisions of the
Roman lectionary.
But with all of its contributions, The Worshipbook was vulnerable. Following Vat-
ican Council II there was a great resurgence of liturgical reform that continues
unabated in virtually every branch of the church. Service book revision was begun
by every church that had a service book. Presbyterians began to recognize the need
to go beyond The Worshipbook. It was therefore no surprise that a new service book
was soon called for.

BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP—1993

In 1980 the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
approved an overture from the Presbytery of the Cascades calling for “a new book
of services for corporate worship.” In adopting the overture, the General Assembly
expressed the fervent hope that the new book would be “an instrument for the
renewal of the church at its life-giving center.” Immediately the Presbyterian Church
in the United States and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church approved participa-
tion in the project.

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The process leading to a new service book called for the publication of trial-use
resources prior to the finalization of the service book itself. Between 1984 and 1992
seven trial-use resources were published, each including proposed text for a portion
of the service book. The trial-use volumes were published under the series title: Sup-
plemental Liturgical Resources. Each volume was prepared by a task force chosen
for the task. From fifty to one hundred congregations were invited to review testing
drafts of each of these resources prior to its approval for publication. Suggestions
received from these evaluations greatly contributed to the preparation of the final
drafts, and thus to their usefulness in the church. Following the publication of each
volume, evaluations and suggestions were received. These responses, based on their
use, were carefully considered and were a valuable aid in revising the liturgical texts
for inclusion in this book. In revised form the liturgical texts of the seven trial-use
resources are included in this book.
During the course of the development of this service book, the reunion in
1983 of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church
in the U.S.A. to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) occurred. This resulted
in the preparation of a new Directory for Worship. In the years that followed re-
union, until the adoption of the new Directory for Worship in 1989, the prepara-
tion of the directory and the development of the service book followed parallel
tracks. Because the work was concurrent, there was a creative exchange between
the two tasks. Each influenced the other. Appearing four years after the adoption
of the Directory, the final Book of Common Worship is consistent with the provisions
of the Directory.

FORM AND FREEDOM

This book honors the Reformed approach to worship, freedom within order, and
thus provides a great variety of options and alternatives. Unlike other service books
this book welcomes free prayer by providing guidelines for preparation of prayers
for public worship.
The forms of worship included here thus provide for a wide spectrum of styles
ranging from free and spontaneous prayer to the use of prayer texts. It is envisioned
that while the style of praying will vary from one locale to another, the shape of the
service will remain the same.
Each service is provided with an outline that gives the minister and those involved
in the preparation and actual celebration a clear overview of the content and flow of
the service.
Local pastoral concerns will determine the appropriate way to use the texts and
services. Some will find strength and a sense of unity in the prayers shared in com-
mon with the whole church and so will use the liturgical texts as they appear in this
book. Others will find it more appropriate to adapt the prayers for use in a particu-
lar setting. Others will be prompted to follow the structure of the services as they
are outlined and use the texts as models for a free and more spontaneous style of

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prayer. Each of these styles is appropriate within the provisions of the directories for
worship, and it is the intent of the Book of Common Worship to provide the necessary
resources.

ECUMENICAL CONVERGENCE

The reform of worship in our time is the fruit of a movement that is now over
one hundred and fifty years old. Beginning early in the nineteenth century the litur-
gical movement emerged as a force for the renewal of the Christian faith. While its
early expressions tended toward romanticism, it matured into a vital force for
renewal. It is now a major force directed toward the renewal of the Christian faith,
both in its life together in worship and in its engagement in the world as a sign of
the reign of God. While the movement started outside church bureaucracies and
ecclesiastical councils, the churches have now embraced the central convictions of
the movement. The liturgical reforms set in motion by Vatican II are the primary
example.
During the past thirty years the Christian churches throughout the world have
seen a reformation in worship unequaled in any other century. While styles vary
between traditions, the shape of the liturgy among the various Christian traditions
is witnessing a remarkable convergence. An example of such a convergence is the
work of the World Council of Churches in Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry and its
related documents.
The preparation of the 1993 edition of the Book of Common Worship has had the
advantage of the continuing liturgical work in all branches of the Christian church,
and it reflects these emerging areas of convergence.
We are beginning to recognize that our true unity begins at the baptismal font.
Baptism is now recognized as fundamental to the life of faith, forming Christians in
faith and service.
The centrality of the scripture read and proclaimed is being recovered due in large
measure to the use of the lectionary. Since the publication of a lectionary that is
embraced in whole or in part by a variety of traditions, we are recognizing our unity
as we gather as one around the Word. We also share a common liturgical calendar.
In celebrating the festivals and seasons, we find a certain unity as together we draw
our life from the saving events of God in history.
We are moving toward unity at the table, as we are beginning to recognize
that in belief and practice there is more that unites us in the Eucharist than di-
vides us. The Eucharist is increasingly recognized as central to the liturgy on the
Lord’s Day, and there is a steady movement toward weekly celebration. The con-
tinuing barriers that separate us from one another at the table stand in grievous con-
trast to the growing sense of unity we understand in our baptism, and as we hear
the Word.
We are learning that unity at the font, pulpit, and table is the true road to heal-
ing the brokenness of Christ’s church.

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It is important to recognize that as Christians we share much of our history in

common with other parts of the church. While the sixteenth-century reforms and
events of later centuries are very important in shaping the particular way we wor-
ship, we share in common with other Christians fifteen centuries of pre-Reformation
history.
Churches are beginning to recognize that the context in which we are called to
witness to the gospel today is increasingly a missionary situation. This awareness is
causing churches in a variety of traditions to go back to the sources, to find their roots
in scripture and in the formative period of the church’s life. As we are reawakened to
our common origins, liturgical reform results. It is in this search for renewal, which
we share in common with other traditions, that convergence begins to take shape.
In a variety of ways this book reflects this increasing convergence.
The ecumenical contributions to this book include the revised Common Lec-
tionary and liturgical texts prepared by ecumenical consultations. It should be no
surprise that the book draws freely from various portions of the body of Christ, given
the commitment that the Reformed tradition has to the ecumenical movement. The
book seeks to rise above sectarian limitations in embodying the prayer of the church
ecumenical.

REFORMED AND CATHOLIC

This book is offered to the church as a resource that is fully Reformed and truly
catholic.
In being Reformed, it embodies dominant characteristics of worship within the
Reformed tradition. An important characteristic of worship in the Reformed tradi-
tion is that it centers on God rather than ourselves and our feelings. Our attention
is drawn to the majesty and glory of the triune God, who created all things and
by whose power all things are sustained, who was revealed in Jesus Christ raised
from the dead to rule over all things, and who is at work as the giver of life in and
among us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The focus of the forms in this book is fully
theocentric.
True to the Reformed tradition, this book is thoroughly biblical, expressing the
faith proclaimed in scripture. Its texts are rooted in the story of God’s calling and
redeeming a people in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of God’s send-
ing them in the power of the Holy Spirit to minister in the world. Liturgical texts
make much use of biblical language and metaphor. The centrality of the proclama-
tion of the Word through the reading of scripture and preaching is preserved.
This service book also honors the Reformed conviction that God is acting in his-
tory. God is not only the creator of all things, but rules over all things, and is involved
in the affairs of the world to the end that the purposes of God may be embraced in
all creation. In a variety of ways, the orders and forms contained in these pages under-
score that liturgy and life, worship and mission belong together. The book therefore
seeks to be in touch with the concerns of our times. Its prayers focus on the living
issues in the world that confront us as we seek to be faithful disciples.

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As stated above, this book honors the blend of freedom within form that charac-
terizes Presbyterian worship. True freedom does not do away with form. On the con-
trary, form enables freedom to be truly free. Without structure, freedom can
degenerate into license.The liturgical directions throughout the book are carefully
worded to give direction without being mandatory.
While it is thoroughly Reformed, this book, like its predecessors, is also an expres-
sion of worship that is fully catholic. Indeed one could say that we are not truly
Reformed unless we are truly catholic. This book is an expression of the church
catholic, both in the faith that it expresses and in the liturgical practice it provides.
As with the sixteenth-century Reformers, the forms in this book are rooted in the
earliest liturgical traditions that have characterized Christian worship throughout
history. In keeping with the directories for worship, this book, like its 1970 prede-
cessor, sets forth the Service for the Lord’s Day as a service of Word and Sacrament.
The variety of eucharistic prayers in this book should serve the church well as it
moves toward recognizing the centrality of the Lord’s Supper in its worship.
The celebrations of days and seasons that are provided for in these pages are those
that have been at the heart of the way Christians keep time, centering most espe-
cially on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In being catholic, the book is universal in scope. It is informed by the way Chris-
tians have worshiped since earliest times, and so it reflects the growing convergence
in liturgical theology and practice that characterizes our time.

COMMON WORSHIP

This book restores the title Book of Common Worship, long associated with Re-
formed service books. True to its title, the book embodies “common” prayer. While
hundreds of contemporary prayers are included, prayers are also drawn from the
ancient church and from across the centuries of Christian worship. Prayers and forms
shared in common with the church from other times and places give a sense of our
unity with the people of God throughout time. This book is faithful to the long tra-
dition of Christian worship because the foundation of its orders is worship that cen-
ters on Word and Sacrament.
Prayers shared in common may be compared with the vast collection of hymns
we share in common. In reality hymns are sung prayers. Just as hymns through famil-
iarity are cherished and are a source of strength in daily life, so prayers in the litur-
gical treasury become familiar and greatly loved through repeated use. Set within
our minds and hearts, they provide a rich reservoir of devotion available when needed
in the varying circumstances of life.

LOCAL AND UNIVERSAL

The book seeks to keep both the local and the universal in focus. It is essential
that worship express the burdens and concerns of the time and place in which we
live. Forms are provided to help a congregation express its deepest concerns in its

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prayers. At the same time, the universal dimensions of Christian worship are essen-
tial. When both the local and the universal are thus held together, it becomes clear,
in the ordering of prayer and in the prayers we pray, that the congregation in this
place is a living expression of the church universal.

LANGUAGE

Care was taken in the development of the Book of Common Worship that its lan-
guage be inclusive, not only in reference to the people of God but also in language
about God and address to God. Guidelines for inclusive language adopted by the
General Assembly in 1975, 1979, 1980, and 1985 were implicitly followed in the
preparation of the texts. The result is that a richer biblical imagery is employed than
was the case in prior service books.
It was a goal in the preparation of this book that the language of the prayers be
eloquent and rhythmic, contemporary in language and comprehended with ease,
believing that well crafted prayers engage the ear and are remembered by the
worshiper.
The book also recognizes that language involves more than what we hear. The
language of the visual and the tactile are also included in suggestions for actions that
engage the whole person in the worship of God.

MORE YET TO BE PUBLISHED

This book does not include some liturgical resources that ordinarily are included
in the service book, namely, ordinations, installations, and occasional services such
as dedications. At the time of its publication, a major study on ordination is before
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This has precluded the finalization of an ordina-
tion rite. The decision was made to do as other churches have done and produce
a book of occasional services separate from this book, to include additional liturgi-
cal resources needed by the church, such as ordinations, installations, dedications,
and other occasional services, and liturgies needed by presbyteries to fulfill their
responsibilities.

THOSE WHO SHARED IN THE CREATION OF THIS BOOK

Development of this service book has involved more people and a broader spec-
trum of the church than any of its predecessors. This is appropriate to the develop-
ment of a book that helps form and express the prayer of the church.
Seven task forces worked on portions of the book. Collectively, this work spanned
ten years. Each task force produced a trial-use resource of an assigned section of the
service book, published as Supplemental Liturgical Resources. Until the Presbyter-
ian Church (U.S.A.) was restructured in 1988, the Administrative Committee of the
Joint Office of Worship (Office of Worship after reunion) appointed the task forces

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and monitored the work of each task force. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church
also appointed members to some of the task forces. Until restructuring, the Advi-
sory Council on Discipleship and Worship through its Worship Committee was also
responsible for reviewing the testing drafts of the work of the task forces prior to the
completion of final drafts.
Since 1988, all of these functions have been the responsibility of the Theology
and Worship Ministry Unit.
Those who served on one of the task forces were: Horace T. Allen, Jr., Martha
Blunt, Peter C. Bower, Lewis A. Briner, Donald K. Campbell, Thomas D. Camp-
bell, David Dyer, Karmen Van Dyke, William R. Forbes, Catherine Gunsalus
Gonzalez, Lucile L. Hair, Jung Han, Cynthia A. Jarvis, Judith Kolwicz,
J. Michael Krech, Thomas G. Long, William P. Lytle, Ross Mackenzie, Thomas
Mainor, Roger A. Martin, Neddy Mason, James Hastings Nichols, Thomas E.
Pass, Betty Peek, David H. Pfleiderer, Howard L. Rice, V. Bruce Rigdon, David W.
Romig, Robert E. Shelton, Robert M. Shelton, Sue Spencer, Donald Wilson
Stake, Juan Trevino, Jesse Truvillion, Jeannette Wessler. Staff to each task force:
Harold M. Daniels.
Those who served on the Administrative Committee of the Joint Office of Wor-
ship or the Office of Worship during the period when the Supplemental Liturgical
Resources were developed were: Melva W. Costen, Arlo D. Duba, Lucile L. Hair,
Helen Hamilton, Collier S. Harvey, Jr., Robert H. Kempes, James G. Kirk, Wynn
McGregor, Ray Meester, Robert D. Miller, Clementine Morrison, David C. Part-
ington, Betty Peek, Dorothea Snyder, Robert Stigall, Darius L. Swann, James Vande
Berg, John Weaver. Staff: Harold M. Daniels (Director), Marion L. Liebert (Admin-
istrative Associate).
Those who served on the Worship Committee of the Advisory Council on
Discipleship and Worship during the development of the Supplemental Liturgi-
cal Resources were: Moffet Swaim Churn, Jay Dee Conrad, Melva W. Costen,
Craig D. Erickson, Francis M. Gray, Robert S. Moorhead, Irene Overton,
Franklin E. Perkins, J. Barrie Shepherd, Harriet Smith, Donald Wilson Stake,
Helen Wright. Staff: James G. Kirk, Elizabeth Kirk. Adjunct staff: Harold M.
Daniels.
Those who served on the Theology and Worship Ministry Unit during the
completion of the Supplemental Liturgical Resources series were: Ruben P. Ar-
mendariz, José H. Bibiloni, Muriel Brown, Sandra Hanna Charles, Harland
Collins, Melva W. Costen, Margery Curtiss, Donna Frey DeCou, Joseph G.
Dempsey, Burnette W. Dowler, Gershon B. Fiawoo, Richard Fiete, Daniell C.
Hamby, Roberta Hestenes, Thomas L. Jones, Clements E. Lamberth, Jr., Daniel
W. Martin, William McIvor, Raquel Montalvo, Lewis Mudge, Deborah Mullen,
Peter Ota, Douglas Ottati, Heath K. Rada, Marilee M. Scroggs, James C. Spald-
ing, R. David Steele, Benjamin M. Weir, Mary Jane Winter, May Murakami
Nakagawa (Presbyterian Association of Musicians Representative), Gordon Turn-
bull (Theological Institutions Advisory Member), Helen Wright (Presbyterian

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Association of Musicians Representative). Staff: George B. Telford, Jr. (Director of

the Unit), Joseph D. Small (Associate Director of the Unit). Staff of the worship
function were: Harold M. Daniels, Janet Wolfe, Nalini Jayasuriya.
Those serving on the Worship Sub-Unit of the Theology and Worship Ministry
Unit during the completion of the Supplemental Liturgical Resources series were:
Ruben P. Armendariz, Melva W. Costen, Donna Frey DeCou, Gershon B. Fiawoo,
Daniell C. Hamby, Daniel W. Martin, May Murakami Nakagawa, R. David Steele,
Mary Jane Winter, Robert T. Henderson (consultant), Fred Holper (consultant),
Donald Wilson Stake (consultant). Staff: Harold M. Daniels, Janet Wolfe, Nalini
Jayasuriya.
Administrative details during the completion of the Supplemental Liturgical
Resources series were provided by Valerie Hofmann (Associate for Administration),
Cindy Ohlmann Stairs (Worship Administrative Assistant), Regina J. Noel (first as
Worship Secretary and then as Worship Administrative Assistant).
Throughout the entire process of preparing the Supplemental Liturgical
Resources, valuable editorial assistance was provided by Patrick Byrne, who provided
detailed critique of each manuscript.
In 1991 work began on editing the liturgical material published in the Supple-
mental Liturgical Resources series. Harold M. Daniels, who served as project di-
rector and editor of the Supplemental Liturgical Resources series, also had
responsibility for final editing of the material. To assist him, a group of editorial advi-
sors was appointed in the fall of 1991. This network gave guidance to the editor at
each phase of final editing. Communication was principally by computer.
In addition, four consultants were appointed to work with the Worship Sub-
Unit to assist in overseeing the completion of the manuscript and recom-
mending it to the Unit for publication. The Worship Sub-Unit, or a working
group of the sub-unit, met four times during the spring and summer of 1992 to
complete the task.
Those serving actively as editorial consultants were: Fred Anderson, John
Burkhart, Cynthia Campbell, Melva W. Costen, Alan Detscher, Arlo Duba, Pa-
tricia Fort, Stanley Hall, Daniell C. Hamby, Duncan Hanson, Dennis Hughes,
Paul Huh, James H. Logan, Jr., Deborah McKinley, D. Cameron Murchison,
Elizabeth Nordquist, David Partington, K. C. Ptomey, Jr., Donald Wilson Stake,
Diane Karay Tripp, Karmen Van Dyke, Marney Wasserman, Steven Yamaguchi.
Bryan Hoover, Donald Wilson Stake, Diane Karay Tripp, and Marney Wasser-
man accepted and fulfilled major responsibilities in completing portions of the
manuscript. Alan Detscher provided valuable assistance most particularly in for-
matting the book and making certain that the rubrics were succinct and clearly
stated.
The Worship Sub-Unit responsible for overseeing the completion of the final
draft and recommending it to the Theology and Worship Ministry Unit for its ap-
proval included Melva W. Costen, Donna Frey DeCou (chair), Gershon B. Fiawoo,
Daniell C. Hamby, May Murakami Nakagawa, K. C. Ptomey, Jr., Larry Rhoades.

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Consultants: Stanley Hall, Fred Holper, James Logan, Marney Wasserman. Staff:
Deborah McKinley, Harold M. Daniels.
Membership of the Theology and Worship Ministry Unit Committee at the time
the manuscript was approved for publication was: Melva W. Costen (chair), Donna
Frey DeCou, David Eicher, Daniell C. Hamby, James B. Harper, John W. Larson,
Sr., Daniel W. Martin, William McIvor, Lewis Mudge, Deborah Mullen, D.
Cameron Murchison, Peter Ota, K. C. Ptomey, Jr., Ruth Sauter, Mary Elva Smith,
Jack L. Stotts, Carol Wehrheim, Barbara Van Ark Wilson, Karmen Van Dyke,
William C. Yeager, Martin Shelton-Jenck (theological advisor), Casper Glenn (mis-
sionary advisor), Larry Rhoades (Presbyterian Association of Musicians Represen-
tative). Staff: George B. Telford, Jr. (Director), Joseph D. Small, III (Associate
Director). Worship staff: Harold M. Daniels, Deborah McKinley. Administrative
assistance was provided by Valerie Hofmann (Associate for Administration), Regina
Noel (Administrative Assistant for Worship), and Denise Williams (Secretary for
Worship).
The Theology and Worship Ministry Unit also greatly appreciates the strong con-
tinued support of Robert D. McIntyre, Publisher of Westminster/John Knox Press,
who has given enthusiastic support for this project from its inception, and especially
for the completion of the Book of Common Worship. The competency of the staff of
Westminster John Knox Press has been invaluable to the success of the project. While
many shared in tasks related to its completion, gratitude is extended especially to all
who devoted careful attention to every detail in producing a quality book, and who
evidenced strong commitment by working long hours to complete the project in a
timely manner. Thanks especially to Danielle Alexander and Carl Helmich, who
were responsible for copyediting, and to Maureen O’Connor, Director of Creative
Publishing Services, and staff: Susan Jackson, designer, who also participated with
Laura Lee, Drew Stevens, and Ron Sharpe in the composition of the book.
The Book of Common Worship is offered to the church with a fervent prayer that it
may be an effective aid to congregations as they worship God, and that it may fur-
ther the renewal of the church’s faith and life.

THEOLOGY AND WORSHIP MINISTRY UNIT

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