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HOW TO PREPARE LITURGIES

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Presuppositions: l. Tlte group that prepares liturgy is r.eally interested. in celebrating a rneaningful liturgy f'or the community / congregation. 2. The group wants to lrelp the whole community / congregation to participate. 3. The group wants to grow together tlrough this effort at preparation and rvants to help the community / congregation go through a meaningful expeiience. 4. The group wants to maintain a balance bctween tradition/s and creativity (not introducing anything just for the sake of novelty) 5. The group -is willing and open to "new" experiences and is equally willing to charge rvhen it finds out that sorne elements rvere not helpful/ prayerlul /;rutlrentic. 6. The mernbers of the group are rvilting to listen to one anotlrcr and to the Spirit speaking through each one and are willing to accept and accomrlodate. 7. It is not a questbn of majority of opinion but a consensus arrivecl at, even picking up n'hat just one menrber might have very hesitatingly suggested.
Bef'ore starting the Group Meeting: Choose a facilitator.

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Have a secretary who will -iot down the points and inform the group rvhen tlrc group asks for them. Make srrre you have brought Bibles, Hymn books and song books, calencla.r, prayer books, church calendar ofevents, ifthere is.

S.T.E.P.S. I. What?

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1. Tlrme
What is it that we want to celebrate? / Helps us to focus our attention to rvhat is relevant and nreaningful. r' Need to grapple with the context - the context of our life as individuals / group / community / society world so that rvhat we celebrate becomes an expression of wlret we experience as wellas our respolse to it. '/ Whiie it is true that we celebrate the life, deat[ resurrection of Jesus - rvhat do they mean to us today, here and norv, in our context? Each express their focus briefly to tlre point. tt is important that everyone shares. Let the facifitator ask each one to explain rvhy slhe chose that focus. This slrould be eione quickly and to tile point. Facilitator, with the help of tlre secretary, surrls up the rvhole thing iqto 3 to 4 headings. Let tlre group nalTow it down to one and to conrc to a consensus. (Everything is inrportant but rvhat is it that you want to celebrate now?)

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FIow do we wanr to celebrate it?

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Find out rvhich forrn of liturgy will best express rvhat rve want to celebrate. (Proclamation-word; sacrarnent; other emphasei - reconciliatioq growth, healing, remembering, hope, anticipation, etc.)
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2. Fid ttle otber conporcnts -liturgical elements rreeded for celebnation a- Symbols whbhare [-n*ls] appropriate.

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S)"nbols spcak br tlenxelves. Evokes in an emotional Touch our hearts and rernain there even after tlre celebration is over. iv. 'We "carqr" the symbols home with us. Irnage * concretize concept / values /truths. vi. Do not explain the symbol in detail unless you are giving a special interpretat"ion to it stightly different from the usual understanding of it. E.g. calendar, jar filled with water, altar with various symbolic offerings. Readings (Scriptures / others) * One or npre readings is alright according to

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After Word - Silence! c. Choice of songs / music / litwgical darrce - congregational, solo, duet, quartet, choir, taped or live rendition. e. "Environment" - helps in creating a fitting atrnsptrere for the celebration. Both interior (mood) or exterior (decor, setting arangerrcnt, floral decoration, lighting, air flow, tealperarure, attitude to people, proper introduction, etc.)
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How to make the assernbly participate actively? { In tlie preparation - gattrer ideas and suggestions. Assign irdividual

group for

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@Tfic-parrsEm

cebbrat io n. What the congregation is asked to do during the celebration

Th Format (order) { Introduction -, focus of the Liturgy {. Instructbn for the consresation. t Sadenc-ard flow of ire-celebration '/ fFeEnngjbrttt help the preparatory group to see if there is a florv (program to a clinrl4 in the u'hole celebratlon. Tasking - Assigning Responsibilities l. Who will *tite the instructiorr? 2. Who will xrite ttre introduction? 3. Wili tfrc presider (facilitator) add sorne more lires to the prayers, to bring home the meaning of the celehation? 4. Who will give the reflections after the readings? 5. Wlrat are ttre prayers of the congregation? 6. Who are responsible for the symbols and the decorations? 7. 'Mlo takes care of the songs? 8. Will the whole group and sorne nembers of tlre cornmunity be involved in setting up the environment? 9. Anyhing else? (Sometiures 2 or 3 persons may join together to prepars one of the above. At least I or 2 days before the actual celebration, the group member shoulcl come together with the in*ructiorq introduction, additional prayer, reflection,
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congreptb ml payer,66inU rt"s$ etc. and cbeck them to ei";,it- ttrt ,n y have &re reflects tbc spirit of titurgy that tbe goup has in mind. They cin lrclp one anotber to corrwt, to rnodify, qole.ngthen or shorten or even drop something if in tbeir discernrrent of Spirit's biOi"el the group feels that it may rpt be helpfill for community building.)

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Practice / Instructions for the Congregation Beauty of Liturgy- is a community celebration.

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Before sart of the Liturgy - congregation is prepared as to what is going to take plarn, why certain things are introduced and where the whole cgmmunity is invited to do sonrcthing. If song leader (cantor / choir-master) introduce [new] songs, the cboir leads the community into a brief singing practice (new song) to bctter enable thern to participate more actively in the celebration itself. All these should be done briefly. Relax! - even while preparmg, enjoy. During the celeb'ration, don't be anxious if things turn out all right or not. Remember, we are in the house of the compassionate Father! (Our God is not in the least bothered if rve messed up the "Birthday Cake" we had baked for Him. We tried our best. God lovingly embraces us all the sanre. What is important is that we too embrace in our hearts the persons who messed things up: people who read hurriedly, those whose sharing was inaudible; those who trembled while lighting a ca.ndle and rrnde the people laugh wlren they were supposed to be' lost in contemplation What really matters is cornpassion before, during, and after tlre celebration Compassion just like the Father.

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Follow-up / Evaluation 1. So that tlre community continuous the celeb,ration outside tbroughout the rveelc/s, brought with their honte / into theii w'orkplaces. 2. Helpful if syn&ols - given as reminder of the liturgy celebrated together. Sornething chosen aocording to the focus of the celebration. 3. Living a life suited to tire spirit of the liturgy - the best follorv-up one hopes for. 4. Within couple of days after the celebration, it is very helpful to have a brief evaluation, if possible, with some nrernbers of the congregation: a. To thank one another for each contribution. b. To support one another in success or failure. c. To learn from experience: (What were helpful and rvhy? What is not helpful
and rvhy?)

(Note: 3d point is very inrportant for sometirnes things tum out differerrtly, for better or for worse, from what we had planned or imagined, luve courage to build on things that were helpful., to change things which were not urrderstood, and to drop those that were not and will not be helpful in building up a praying, ceiebrating faith-co rnmunity. )

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