The introduction of Common Worship services in the Church of England has gone remarkably smoothly, considering the immensity of the task. But despite its overall success, the sheer variety of material, coupled with the complex rules about what is and is not allowed, have left some parishes, clergy and Readers wondering if this is really the best way to produce good worship.

This revised, expanded edition of the Common Worship President’s Edition contains everything to celebrate Holy Communion Order One throughout the church year. It combines relevant material from the original President’s Edition with Eucharistic material from Times and Seasons, Festivals and Pastoral Services, and the Additional Collects.

This versatile collection provides a wealth of supplementary material to help you customize Common Worship services for any locality, age group, special occasion or festival. It offers: • Advice and guidance on planning, preparing and structuring services. • Over 250 pages of prayers and liturgy, conveniently organised by function, e.g. Gathering and Greeting, Praise and Thanksgiving, Action and Movement. • 22 easy-to-adapt sample services for eucharistic, non-eucharistic, all-age worship and seasonal services.

The introduction of Common Worship services in the Church of England has gone remarkably smoothly, considering the immensity of the task. But despite its overall success, the sheer variety of material, coupled with the complex rules about what is and is not allowed, have left some parishes, clergy and Readers wondering if this is really the best way to produce good worship. A question such as, ‘How do we use Common Worship for a Messy Church service of Holy Communion?’ focuses the issue – but it is a question being asked in different ways in lots of different places. In this book, Mark Earey turns to the future, asking whether the framework of canon law, notes and rubrics within which Common Worship operates is any longer fit for purpose. In a mixed economy Church in which fresh expressions of church, alt.worship and new monasticism all sit alongside traditional parish churches, he asks whether it is time for the current rules-based approach to Church of England liturgy to make way for an approach based on trust and accountability. Such an approach would allow for more local flexibility and creativity, but raises big questions about how such worship can be truly indigenous yet authentically Anglican.

To complement the popular 'how to do it' publications, which give guidance on the move to Common Worship, a serious and scholarly commentary on the whole range of Common Worship texts is offered here. There is an historical survey of the origins and development of each rite from New Testament times, through the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and up to the present day. This is followed by a detailed commentary on the rite as a whole, and on each part of it, including a comparison with the ASB and other contemporary liturgies, and a short list of books for further reading.