Praxis at 25

Issue 45 Spring 2015 Praxis at 25 £2.50 NOW The first Head of THEN First days for the Praxis In this issue Ministerial Training, Helen Bent Education Officer, Mark Earey stand on the threshold of becoming n a snowy day in November 1996, Praxis Now and Then 1 the first Head of Ministerial Training, I left Chatham not sure if I would Celebrating 25 years 2 I O a new joint initiative between the RSCM make it to Salisbury for a meeting at Sarum Praxis Time Line 3 and Praxis. In many ways this new post College where the new Praxis National 25 years of Music 3 is a natural progression from my role as Education Officer post was to be based. It Music News 4 Bishop’s Adviser in Music and Worship was all a bit vague: funding was uncertain Michael Saward RIP 5 within Sheffield Diocese, giving me the and Sarum College had just emerged Events 5 opportunity to promote excellence across as a new sort of ecumenical theological Reports 6 the country and to contribute to the education resource, primarily for lay Books 7 formation of worship leaders, both ordained Christians. I was to be based at the Institute Colin’s Column 8 and lay. for Liturgy and Mission and its role was Designing Common Worship 8 In 1927, Sir Sydney Nicholson, founder uncertain. Just about the only clear thing of the RSCM, identified the importance of was that I was to work with Chris Walsh, a What is Praxis? clergy and lay ministers who understood the distinguished Roman Catholic liturgist, and value of music in worship. Later, Michael with Robert Fielding, a gifted musician. See www.praxisworship.org.uk Vasey, a founder of Praxis, envisioned a When I moved to Salisbury in May 1997, Praxis was formed in 1990, Church where a broad range of people the Praxis part of the role was as unclear sponsored by the Liturgical would become confident in developing as the rest. There was a lot of excitement Commission, the Group for the Renewal of Worship (GROW) and liturgy and leading worship. Over the past that we’d got the post up and running, the Alcuin Club to provide and ten years, I have pioneered much training but no clear idea of what I would do. support liturgical education in the in Sheffield including the Worship 4 Today There had never been a national liturgical Church of England. Course (published by CHP), enabling those officer, Praxis had never had an employee across the spectrum of churchmanship, before, and there were interesting questions tradition and style to worship and learn about accountability (Praxis Council), Praxis News of Worship is copyright together. Building on this, my new role will line management (the Principal of Sarum © Praxis 2015. Material for inclusion involve the creation of further programmes, College) and support (the Bishop of should be sent to the editor, events and resources. Salisbury). [email protected] I have been a church musician; I am a Thankfully, the first part of Common We reserve the right to edit material priest and active practitioner, modelling Worship appeared (it wasn’t yet called and make no guarantee to include liturgy and music in a variety of styles and ‘Common Worship’), the Lectionary and material submitted. The views settings. I combine a passion for worship Collects, and people couldn’t get their heads expressed are not necessarily those of with a passion for mission and church round them, so a project had emerged – a Praxis or the Praxis Council. growth, whilst remaining firmly rooted in training pack to explore the reasons behind the local church alongside my husband, a the change and what it meant. It proved to Contact praxis@praxisworship. Team Rector in Sheffield Diocese. be the first of a series. org.uk Inspiring worship ‘glorifies God and The other key challenge was how to ‘add For general enquiries, affiliation and edifies the people’ (Canon B1.2); it draws value’ to Praxis affiliation. Praxis News (as programme information, contact people into God’s presence and grows the it was before joining with News of Liturgy) Praxis, 19 The Close, Salisbury, Church. There is no such thing as ordinary began - a liturgical newsletter for non- SP1 2EB, 01202 296886, praxis@ time! Each act of worship is a unique anoraks - offering information about events praxisworship.org.uk opportunity to encounter God, to grow and help available. in discipleship, and to go back out into I still meet people who remember the Affiliation the community to make a difference. The ‘pipeline’ diagrams which helped keep The work that Praxis does is vision for this new role is both exciting and people in touch with Common Worship’s supported mainly by affiliation. If challenging and I look forward to helping flow through the Synodical system. It was a you are not an affiliate, why not to encourage, equip, resource and establish good way for me to keep connected to my consider becoming one? those who are called to lead God’s people in own background as a sewage engineer… worship. Page 1 Celebrating 25 years of Praxis his reply, “We don’t need you to do any and ecumenical. In the appreciation which How Praxis began work, we just need your name!” It was the he edited1, Colin Buchanan cites no fewer with thanks to Colin Buchanan, Philip first time anyone had suggested my name than sixteen areas of work, suggesting he Chester, Christine Hall, Richard Hines was worth having and I accepted. He was had ‘a finger in every pie’. He recalls that and Michael Perham. wrong, of course, he did need me to do ‘In February 1990 representatives of the he movement towards Praxis began in some work and I did so willingly and spoke Liturgical Commission, of the Alcuin Tthe late 1980s as the ten authorised at many of the early London gatherings. But Club and of GROW put their hands to a years of the ASB 1980 were coming to I think my own particular contribution was jointly-sponsored Anglican agency for the an end. A group of clergy and lay people, to encourage and to some extent shape the promotion of liturgical understanding – and longing for a new, more liturgical future regional approach.’ actual praxis. He secured funds from friends for Church of England worship, began to Richard Hines also recalls that supportive both willing and reluctant; he provided buzz ideas around. Richard Hines (then publications were an early priority for a constitution; he enthroned successive Oak Hill liturgy lecturer) remembers initial Praxis. ‘Perhaps the main contribution I chairmen; and he firmly became secretary meetings at King’s College, London with made personally then was to suggest the title from the start. He was then willing and able Philip Chester, Christine Hall and the of our first publication, At All Times and In to throw great energies into nurturing the late Michael Vasey. ‘My main memory’, All Places: a Syllabus for Liturgical Formation enterprise, which both needed his creativity says Christine, ‘is of people who were in the Church of England, for which I also and due course flourished through it.’ experimenting and writing new liturgies. did a lot of the secretarial and editorial work 1 Michael Vasey, Liturgist and Friend, edited Things changed hugely when Praxis became and wrote some of the units.’ by Colin Buchanan, Grove Books, 1999. a ‘training’ organisation. We were leading " Anne Horton is a member of the Praxis new thinking. This was a group who could Council. Chairs of Praxis Council do, think and say things that the Liturgical 1990-1996 Michael Perham Commission couldn’t say officially. And we The Praxis Visionary 1997-2001 Stephen Oliver wanted both wings of the Church involved.’ 2001-2006 Paul Roberts ‘I was the one who thought of the name!’ 2006-2011 David Kennedy recalls Philip. ‘Michael Vasey was initially 2011-date Jo Spreadbury resistant but came round.’ Michael Perham, of whom Richard Hines says, ‘once he was Secretaries involved, we began to get more focussed’, describes Michael Vasey as ‘the visionary’. 1990–1998 Michael Vasey ‘Others,’ he says, ‘including me, quickly 1998-2004 Gilly Myers caught his vision.’ For Vasey, notes Richard 2004-2013 Michael Rawson Hines, the priority was that Praxis take a 2013-date Richard Curtis practical and hands-on approach. ‘Our main aim was to stimulate and enable better Editors of Praxis News liturgical understanding and practice among 1998-2003 Mark Earey Church of England parishes.’ Michael Vasey 1946-1998 2004-2009 Gilly Myers Colin Buchanan is ‘pretty hazy about the 2009-2011 Tim Hone stages by which Michael Vasey manipulated ho was Michael Vasey? Older 2011-date Gill Ambrose us (I choose the word carefully) into Wreaders will know the answer to forming Praxis, and also got a four-figure this question, of course, but for those who Publications sum almost by mistake from Winchester have begun to lead and study worship • At All Times and In All Places, Michael diocese via the Bishop, Colin James, then more recently, his contribution to the Perham, Continuum, 1995 chair of the Liturgical Commission, who development of our worship, both in (rightly) valued Michael highly’. writing texts and in training people to use • Understanding Worship, A Praxis Study According to Michael Perham, ‘Michael them, is obscured in the mists of time. Guide, Mark Earey, Perran Gay and Vasey’s instinct was to give Praxis a dual Born in Africa, of a Jewish mother, Anne Horton, Mowbray, 2001 management structure to cover both policy Michael Vasey became a Christian as a Using Common Worship: Practical Guides to and action.

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