Alternative Service Book - Further Changes

Further Changes

The ASB survived until the turn of the Millennium. General Synod learned not to repeat the time-hungry debates through which it had been born, and had amended standing orders allowing for a much more expeditious means of liturgical revision. The Daily or Sunday offices had been superseded in many churches by less formal forms - the Services of the Word - which accommodated the desire of Evangelicals not to be bound very much by liturgical forms and by the growing popularity of informal family services. Additional material had been provided for use by General Synod in such books as 'Patterns for Worship' and seasonal material in the book 'Lent, Holy Week and Easter' and, for the winter seasons of Advent, Christmas and Ephiphany, in 'The Promise of his Glory'. Some parishes were using the Roman Catholic derived Revised Common Lectionary, which allowed each Biblical writer to speak in his own voice and on a three year cycle. The intention had been to replace the ASB and the time seemed ripe. The single, if somewhat bulky book that the ASB was, was replaced by a series of books, none of which include readings, and by software packages and online support. This was Common Worship.