I once had a book (loaned to a priest who never returned it to me!) entitled 'What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary'. That might in some ways be the subtitle of this text, for often people learn in seminary the theological and historical underpinnings of liturgy, but somehow the actual mechanics falls short (this is true in many denominations). It is particularly difficult for denominations who require their ministers to wait until after ordination to begin many of the actual liturgical actions; they get no real experience prior to being on-stage for the first time. Also, given the wide range of liturgical practice within a denomination, each parish adapts to its own use, and it is hard for seminaries to teach specifically to all practical situations. This is where Michno's text comes in very handy.Dennis Michno served as a priest and music director, learning first-hand the ins and outs of church liturgical functions. In addition to this text, he wrote 'A Manual for Acolytes', which I used as a base text when I was an acolyte master and senior sacristan. His work in 'A Priest's Handbook', supplemented for the third edition by Christopher Webber, a priest also know for helpful books on liturgical practice, as well as vestry functioning, serves as a guide for priests in almost every possible setting.
The book follows in broad strokes the format of the Book of Common Prayer, the base text for Anglican worship, as it is in its 1979 American variety. The book begins with an introduction discussing the intentions of the book, other liturgical books, and those pre-service things that need to be seen to prior to the formal liturgy. Some of the things addressed here are the basic movements of the service, both ceremonial acts (bowing and the like) and manual acts (crossing, etc.). These are illustrated by line-art drawings, done by Richard Mayberry, which continue throughout the text in the form of personal drawings, line art maps and diagrams. The introductory material concludes by looking at vestments, candles, and the general atmosphere of reverence and respect in the silence of liturgical preparation.
The section the Holy Eucharist follows the basic patterns set forth in the 1979 BCP, dealing with both forms of the traditional (Rite I) prayer and all four forms of the contemporary (Rite II) prayer. Nothing is left to chance here, and all movements and motions, acts and considerations are brought into play. This includes how to use incense (or not), processions, manual acts, and other liturgical practices.
There are additional sections on the calendar, the lectionary, the Daily Office, and liturgical explanations for additional services both in the BCP and also found in the Book of Occasional Services (BOS). Michno gives particular attention to Holy Week, Baptism (including Emergency Baptism), other sacramenal rites and services such as marriages and funerals. Michno talks about what is appropriate and what is not in such services, often a hard thing for ministers to enforce given the high emotions of the situations.
There is an appendix that goes into a lot of detail about special events in the career of a priest, from an order prior to the priest's first eucharistic celebration to the burial of a priest. Many of these elaborate on the services found in the Book of Occasional Services.
The Book of Common Prayer, the Book of Occasional Services, and other liturgical resources often have rubrics, but these are rather spare and non-specific about a lot of detail. On the other hand, the rubrics allow for local variation and adaptation that a rigid set of rules would not permit. Michno's handbook is a good via media (as befits a good Anglican) at addressing the need to know without being dogmatic or inflexible about the need to do. It fills in many of the gaps of practice, and this book is a necessary reference for any priest and deacon in the Anglican church, and can be of great benefit to ministers in other traditions who look for liturgical guidance.
This book is also a good guide for laypersons who observe services, so that they can become more accustomed and knowledgable about the services of which they are an integral part. The priests are supposed to be acting on their behalf and as their represenatives -- it is meet and right that laypersons would understand what is going on.
This is not a book with lengthy theological discourse -- this is more of a book on what is done, rather than why it is done. There are other texts available for that. This is a good book on mechanics, on choreography if you will, and we are all invited to take our part in the liturgical dance.
