23 August 2026

Robert W. Hovda wrote a beautiful book about presiding in liturgy. It was called, ‘Strong, Loving and Wise’. Every assembly of people needs a presider. The people assembled for worship is no exception. The presider’s office is unrelated to worldly categories of superiority or inferiority.

‘It can seem to be, that, since everyone is a minister, no one should have a specific ministerial office with concrete  authority and accountability.’ writes Hovda. This is a problem which has grown out of the desire for greater participation in our worship. The office of presider belongs to the Church and not to the minister.

‘The presider facilitates, discreetly yields the focus to the one who is operating at a particular moment, guides, prompts when necessary, leads the congregation in attending to the action …’ The presence of the presider should be discreet, hardly noticed, but providing a calm and reassuring conduct of worship.

When words are used, Hovda suggests that we should make an effort to make them really count. ‘If we are aware that our words are poetic and symbolic, we may learn to be less heavy-handed with them, more delicate, more modest, more humble.’

‘Some apparently feel called upon by spirits (who shall be unnamed) to offer a running commentary which covers the ritual action like a heavy and almost impenetrable syrup.’  Not everything needs to be explained. Silence is sometimes a more eloquent safeguard of symbol and action.

One of the qualities which belongs to all those gathered together to worship God is reverence. ‘Reverence is not stiffness and pomposity,’ writes Hovda, ‘quite the opposite, for those qualities involve a self-assertion and a feeling of self-importance that are antithetical to reverence.’ This respects the mystery.