As I have had my head down, working hard on preparing Common Worship: Christian Initiation ready for the Visual Liturgy Live launch, I thought I would take some time out to tell you a little bit about the book, and what you can expect to find in the software on release day!
You can find all of the Christian Initiation material in this one volume that was published as a book earlier this year. The services provide a liturgical structure for the journey to and beyond baptism and confirmation.
As well as the well known services of Baptism and Confirmation, there are the brand new ‘Rites on the Way’ designed to be used with adults who have recently found faith. These services mark those adults’ coming to faith and are designed to help them on the journey towards baptism and confirmation. Other new services include Reconciliation and Restoration.
The book contains four major groups of services
Rites on the Way: Approaching Baptism
Thanksgiving for the gift of a child and Rites Supporting Disciples on the Way of Christ
Baptism and Confirmation
The complete liturgies for Baptism and Confirmation
Rites of Affirmation: Appropriating Baptism
Admission of the Baptized to Communion, Affirmation of Baptismal Faith and Reception into the Communion of the Church of England
Reconciliation and Restoration: Recovering Baptism
A Corporate Service of Penitence, The Reconciliation of a Penitent and A Celebration of Wholeness and Healing
The material also contains a detailed introduction explaining the content and symbolism of the service and ways of approaching the services of initiation as well as the significance of baptism for the Church. There is also a comprehensive commentary by the liturgical commission that provides background information to the services. All of this material will be covered by the notes in Visual Liturgy and the help files.
Naturally, Visual Liturgy Live will contain the complete material organised into ready-to-use service templates and a number of other templates which will contain all of the extra Rites on the Way resources for you to use.
The only thing Visual Liturgy Live won’t have is the four ribbons!