The first question on the 2013 General Ordination Examination

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Set 1: Liturgy and Church Music

Limited Resources: A printed one-volume annotated Bible; a printed 1979 Book of Common Prayer; a printed Book of Occasional Services; a printed Lesser Feasts and Fasts; the printed Enriching Our Worship volumes; a printed Holy Women, Holy Men; and printed authorized Episcopal hymnals. NO electronic or Internet resources.

Create a liturgy for a nature-oriented event in your pastoral context. You may imagine any such situation: for example, the planting or harvesting of crops, the blessing of a fishing fleet, the planting of a community garden, the reclaiming of land after a natural disaster, or the blessing of animals.

1. In a well-organized essay of approximately 750 words:

A. Give the pastoral reason for the rite;
B. Explain the theological understanding of creation that informs your liturgical design.

2. In another essay of approximately 750 words:

A. Outline the celebration, explaining why you structured it this way and why you chose the liturgical texts, readings and music, showing how your choices conform to the rubrics of the liturgical books listed above;
B. Describe the roles of the members of the congregation, including the liturgical leaders;
C. Describe the liturgical choreography (the movement of the assembly, including the liturgical ministers) and the use of space.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • * Christian Life / Church Life • Liturgy, Music, Worship • Parish Ministry • Ministry of the Ordained • * Theology • Seminary / Theological Education

8 Comments
Posted January 12, 2013 at 10:29 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Archer_of_the_Forest wrote:

I heard a seminary friend of mine talking about this a few weeks back. I had hoped he was joking.

January 12, 10:47 pm | [comment link]
2. Stefano wrote:

Where’s the theology in this? Or is this more like being an event planner? You just make it up as you go along! The questions on the GOE for our diocese are boatload tougher than this…..stuff.

January 13, 12:21 am | [comment link]
3. driver8 wrote:

Celebrant: The Lord be with you
People:

January 13, 2:16 am | [comment link]
4. driver8 wrote:

Celebrant: The Lord be with you
Pack: Woof

The congregation may speedily move their palms towards their foreheads..

January 13, 2:18 am | [comment link]
5. Archer_of_the_Forest wrote:

I have a member of my congregation who is a reader for the General Ordination Exams. I am going to have to corner him and ask what sort of answers he got for this one.

January 13, 9:44 am | [comment link]
6. Archer_of_the_Forest wrote:

What I find ironic here is that the Episcopal Church spent some money and published a Catechism of Creation a few years back that was actually pretty good in terms of having some theological substance as things of that sort go. I think even NT Wright was a consultant on that. I don’t understand why that would not have been a usable resource for the ordinands taking this exam.

January 13, 9:47 am | [comment link]
7. Pb wrote:

It is all about indiscriminate inclusion. This is just another example. You get to pick the event, its theology and its ritual. Anything you want. Just like TEC.

January 13, 11:03 am | [comment link]
8. Pageantmaster [KJS to Coventry] wrote:

Presiding cow: Let us offer one anudder a sign of Peace ......

January 14, 10:30 am | [comment link]
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