Resolved, That the 81st General Convention authorize for use throughout the Church under Article X.c until the 82nd General Convention, with the consent of the Bishop or the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Alternative Texts for the Good Friday Liturgy, Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) Blue Book report pp. 18-27, with the following revisions:

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 19: Revise Epistle to read “Ephesians 1:3-14 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 19: In the rubric that begins “The Passion Gospel may be read,” add the following sentence: “The Notes at the end of this liturgy include suggested translations of the Passion Gospel.”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 23: In the first collect, change “O God of Abraham and Sarah” to “O God of Abraham [and Sarah and Hagar]”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 23: Revise “For the contemptuous and the scornful” to read “For those who are contemptuous or scornful”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 26: In the concluding collect, replace “sinner” with “sinners” and “Gather” with “Father”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 26: Revise the first note, adding italicized text and deleting text that is struck through, as follows: “The options for the reading from the epistles are designed to provide alternative perspectives on the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ. The traditional first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:1-25), not included in this alternative liturgy, frames the death of Jesus as the final sacrifice offered to God. Jesus Christ becomes both the sacrifice and the high priest offering the sacrifice. The first alternative reading from the Letter to the Ephesians (1:3-14) situates the death of Jesus Christ within a larger arc of salvation history. God the Father chose his Son before creation to be for humans the means by which they attain redemption as children of God. This happens through the death of Jesus Christ, which secures the forgiveness of sins. In the reading from Hebrews (4:14-16, 5:5-7), currently an option in the Book of Common Prayer, the image of Jesus Christ as an interceding high priest does not call into question the validity of the Temple sacrifices given by God to the Jewish people to offer as worship. The source of salvation rests in Christ’s obedience to God the Father, which those who follow Christ call upon for their own salvation.”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 26: In the third note, add the following sentence: “Congregations are encouraged to consider the introductory material and emended Passion according to John available from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as ‘Seasonal Rites for the Three Days,’ which is available for free download with copyright permission for congregational use.”

SCLM Blue Book Report p. 26: In the fourth note, revise the third sentence, adding italicized text and deleting text that is struck through, to read as follows: “While such a prayer has never been in the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer, it A prayer to this effect was in the 1789 and 1892 Prayer Books of the Episcopal Church and changed in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. It is a legacy to which we are accountable, given that it at times inspired violence against Jews.”

And be it further

Resolved, That the Alternative Texts for the Good Friday Liturgy be provided to the church at no cost via electronic distribution; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music be directed to engage a dynamic equivalence translation of the Alternative Texts for the Good Friday Liturgy into Spanish, French, and Kreyol languages; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music be directed to develop a process for evaluation of the use of the Alternative Texts for the Good Friday Liturgy among the dioceses and congregations of this Church and report to the 82nd General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Executive Council Budget Committee to allocate $2500 for translation.