Читать книгу A Working Manual for Altar Guilds - Dorothy C. Diggs - Страница 11

Morning and Evening Prayer are choir offices, which means they were said in the choir, not in the sanctuary. This is not possible now except in traditional churches. The altar is covered with the prayer cloth over its standard vestments. Nothing else need be upon it.

When there are two gradines or retables behind the altar, the cross and candlesticks may be upon the upper retable.

Flowers in appropriate color for the Church season should be carefully arranged and put upon the lower retable. Some churches have niches for flowers at the sides of the altar—others use stands. Some have corbels (see definitions, page 110).

The candles must stand straight in their sticks and be as nearly the same height as possible. As they burn down, the tallest should be put next to the cross and the rest graded proportionately down.

If the church has an altar without retables, the candle sticks and flowers can be put along the back of the altar itself.

Alms basins are placed on or under the credence table, or perhaps in a wall niche.

For Morning and Evening Prayer the clergy are normally vested in cassock and surplice with tippet, and academic hoods if desired. Some priests wear stoles in place of tippets, especially if they are preaching. Stoles, if worn, should be the color of the Church season.

The Bible marker and pulpit fall follow the color of the Church season. The altar service book is marked at places specified by the clergy.

Altar Guild members should arrive for duty at least a half hour before the service is to begin, in order not to be seen at work by the congregation. They should remain in the sacristy until the arrival of the clergy to carry out any requests or changes. They should not go into the sanctuary after the service is over until the congregation has left the church.

After the Morning or Evening Prayer service is concluded, the prayer cloth should be removed from the altar and the dust protector put upon it. The candles should be trimmed or straightened, if necessary, and the sanctuary carefully checked and made tidy. Kneeling cushions should be put straight and books closed.

The Bible usually stays permanently on the lectern and is left closed. Some ministers prefer the open Bible and have it left so at all times.

There should be a special box or bank bag in which to put the offerings after the service. Alms basins, if brass, should be kept in felt or flannel bags to protect the metal.