I wonder what people, especially newcomers to our churches, make of the announcement of ‘the Collect’ in church services when what follows is a short prayer. Collects appear in the liturgies of many churches: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Methodist churches, among others.
The word Collect comes from the Latin phrase ecclesia collecta, which means that it is a public prayer by and for the church: a prayer that “collects” the prayers of the people. They are usually formal, succinct and profound. Many Collects used in worship can do with a lot of reflection or ‘unpacking’ as we say these days. Indeed, new priests are often advised that they could do worse than basing their sermons on the Collect of the day!
Collects, short as they are, usually follow a pattern with four or five parts to their structure:
(1) calling on God ,
(2) recalling a truth about his nature,
(3) requesting a gift or a blessing and
(4) explaining why the petition is being made.
These could be called the address, the doctrine, the petition and the aspiration. The final part is the statement that the prayer is offered in Jesus’ name.
You might like to consider some of the regular Collects in our liturgies and analyse them: Almighty God | unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, | cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, | that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name, | through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
Anglicans will probably think of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s Collects in Book of Common Prayer (BCP) as the Collects, although they were translations and adaptations of much earlier daily prayers. The BCP has beautifully crafted Collects in the Morning and Evening Prayers, after the Collect for the liturgical season. Cranmer’s Collects for the different Sundays are probably one of our greatest treasures. In other liturgies, the Collect comes just before the Scripture readings.
I have in the past reflected on the Collect for Advent. There is so much to choose from, but as I am writing this in the season of Lent, so I start by looking at the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which used to be said traditionally throughout Lent, although that practice is, sadly, not always followed these days. In modern language it reads:
(1) Almighty and everlasting God,
(2) you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent:
(3) Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
(4) that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness;
(5) through Jesus Christ our Lord, (who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever). Amen.
We can easily discern the invocation, the doctrine underlying this particular prayer (appropriate for the season of Lent), the petition and the reason for the petition and the result we hope for.
There is a danger that these prayers can become too inaccessible as they are too condensed, and too economical with words, unlike many spontaneous prayers. However, the distinction between private prayer and public prayer is worth noting. In public worship, the emphasis is on the collective nature of what we do: “Our Father…”, “We believe in..”, “We are truly sorry and repent of our sins…”. In private prayer, the individual listens and talks to God one-to-one, about anything that concerns them and things that may be deeply personal.
I finish with the Collects for Pentecost (in May this year) and Bible Sunday. I hope that in these, and other Collects you come across, you may be able to discern their structure and that will draw you more deeply into the prayer they offer.
God, who as at this time taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
[Cover image "Large Topaz Gemstones" by Michelle Jo is licensed under CC BY 3.0.]
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