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Title: Manual for Acolytes: The Duties of the Server at Liturgical Celebrations by Dennis G. Michno, Richard E. Mayberry ISBN: 0-8192-1272-5 Publisher: Morehouse Publishing Pub. Date: June, 1981 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: How things are done...
Comment: When I was the acolyte master and senior sacristan for my old parish, I developed a manual for teaching the service participants their roles in the liturgy. I wished for a more complete manual to give them, so that they could learn more about standard practices and all the possible service parts (our parish had a streamlined liturgy most of the time); Michno's 'Manual for Acolytes' fulfills that desire. It is a good, useful guide for illustrating the different parts of the standard services, as well as some of the not-so-standard ones.
Michno begins by giving some simple prayers and movements that acolytes of any age can easily memorise and enact in their practices. It also teaches the basics of vestments (how to dress for success in the liturgy) and the various things necessary for service preparation. A lot of things are for information purposes, rather than practice -- most acolytes will not actually set the altar or table in a service, but knowing the parts of the chalice set-up can be helpful.
Michno has brief sections for each of the major service positions -- acolyte, crucifer, thurifer; other server functions such as altar position and processional/recessional set-ups are explained, including line-art drawings and Book of Common Prayer sections relevant to the parts. In addition to the basic eucharistic service, Michno gives brief outlines for Morning and Evening Prayer, weddings, funerals, baptisms, and major processional services.
This book does not take the place of actual, in-person training. Particularly with positions such as thurifer, hands-on training with an experienced person is a must (any time you are going to be twirling burning coals over the heads of dozens of people, training is a good thing). Training is important also because no matter how good and complete a service manual may seem, each parish and congregation is different, with minor variations in service tone, style and choreography that need to be learned independent of any manual.
Michno concludes with several appendices. In the first appendix, there is a reprinted Service of Commissioning, taken from the Book of Occasional Services (a companion to the Book of Common Prayer). In the second appendix, there is a chart of liturgical seasons. The third appendix is a glossary of terms; not as complete as the Dictionary for Episcopalians, this glossary will nonetheless go a long way toward making the reader who learns these terms aware of the complexity and beauty of the liturgy. Indeed, the glossary is longer than any of the chapters.
Michno's book is written in an engaging style, and includes helpful hints scattered throughout -- for instance, the admonition to acolytes that they should be ready 15 minutes prior to the service appears during the description of the various vestments.
Despite the complexity and careful detail with which Michno presents this material, he concedes that there is no absolutely right or wrong way to do the liturgy (there are those who come close to making the liturgy the idol they worship, and if it is done 'wrong', then worship cannot be valid somehow), but that a care and attention to reverence and dignity in the service regardless of what one is doing should be the primary concern of servers.
This is a good book for anyone in Anglican and Catholic churches, to better understand the ceremonial. It is particularly valuable for those in Episcopal churches, who want to understand the particular liturgical roles of most churches in that denomination.
The one thing missing in this practical guide is the 'why' of things done. There are no theological discussions here -- not a bad things, for a how-to guide, but the theological guide underpinning why things are done the way they are, step by step, written to the same audience, would be useful.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Manual for Acolytes, Dennis G. Michno
Comment: Michno's Manual for Acolytes is a most useful reference for anyone involved with serving at the altar or in their training. Instructions are clear and concise and generally well supported by Mayberry's illustrations. A very well-done glossary is comprehensive and useful for anyone, including the altar guild! The manual covers liturgy from highest to lowest and the service from vesting to a final prayer of thanks for the privilege of serving (can't be reinforced onten enough). Reverence is emphasized and fussiness is discouraged. Ins and outs of censing and the thurible are clearly explained. Best of all, you know Michno writes from experience when he reminds the thurifer to "bring the boat!" six times (humor in a manual)! I would recommend this manual for all parish priests, acolyte trainers, and older servers who would value it as a reference. It would make a nice reward for a server who has served failthfully for a few years.
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Title: A Manual for Lay Eucharistic Ministers in the Episcopal Church by Beth Wickenberg Ely, Elizabeth W. Ely ISBN: 0819215732 Publisher: Morehouse Publishing Pub. Date: December, 1992 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: A Priest's Handbook: The Ceremonies of the Church by Dennis Michno ISBN: 0819217689 Publisher: Morehouse Publishing Pub. Date: August, 1998 List Price(USD): $34.00 |
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Title: Acolyte Handbook by Ralph R. Van Loon ISBN: 0800620593 Publisher: Fortress Press Pub. Date: September, 1990 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: The Ceremonies of the Eucharist: A Guide to Celebration by Howard E. Galley ISBN: 0936384832 Publisher: Cowley Publications Pub. Date: October, 1989 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Complete Training Course for Altar Guilds by B. Don Taylor, Don Taylor ISBN: 0819215937 Publisher: Morehouse Publishing Pub. Date: February, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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