The Habit Of Holiness: Daily Prayer

Rating:
Summary: Day by day...
Review: For most Anglicans, the Book of Common Prayer is the spiritual touchstone. The Episcopal church, the American branch of the Anglicans, commonly use a book produced in 1979. There have been many books that have had the title 'Book of Common Prayer' since the first one appeared in 1549; it has been used continuously in one edition or another in the Anglican tradition since 1559; the 'main' edition remains the 1662 edition. The American church modified the Book of Common Prayer for its own use beginning shortly after the Revolutionary War -- this book is the successor of a long and worthy tradition.

A bishop in the Episcopal church once said to me, 'We don't have a theology that we have to believe -- what we have is the prayerbook.' Please forgive the absence of context for this phrase -- while he would say that this statement in isolation is an exaggeration, and I would agree, nonetheless his statement serves to highlight both the importance of and the strength of the Book of Common Prayer.

To be an Anglican (in the United States, read Episcopalian for the same in the context of this article), one does not have to subscribe to any particular systematic theological framework. One does not have to practice a particular brand of liturgical style. One does not have to have an approved politico-theological viewpoint. One can be a conservative, liberal or moderate; one can be high church, low church, or broad; one can be charismatic, evangelical, or mainline traditional -- one can be any number of things in a rich diversity of choices, and the Book of Common Prayer can still be the book upon which spirituality and worship is centred.

However, for all of its virtues, the Book of Common Prayer can be a bit cumbersome. It is for ease of private and personal devotions that Martin Warner, Canon Pastor of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, has put together this little gem of a book. Divided into six sections (plus an introduction), it addresses daily devotions and devotions for the holy eucharist (one of the central practices of the Anglicans), devotions for seasons and saints, penitential devotions (particularly useful in Lenten, but also useful beyond), prayers in life and death, and liturgical/devotional patterns for morning prayer and evening prayer. Of these last, patterns can be found in the Book of Common Prayer, but that book is designed more for corporate worship than for private devotions; Warner's book can be used by groups, but is especially useful in personal, individual practices. It makes incorporating the practice of daily offices into one's regular routine much less of a chore, and much more of an enlightening experience.

While Warner draws extensively from the Book of Common Prayer, he also draws on other spiritual and devotional material. Bible verses are used directly in many contexts and places. Prayer books and texts from such sources as St. Benedict's prayer book, the Syrian liturgy, adaptations from the Common Worship book, Anglicans such as William Laud and general church leaders such as St. Anselm also find their way into the collection.

One of my favourite prayers also in the Book of Common Prayer, is found here; it has been part of the English prayer book from the very first one in 1549:

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee, and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his name, thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting. Amen.

Warner's text is a wonderful devotional tool, easy to use. The print might be a bit smaller than some will find comfortable, but the font is easy to read, and the spacing on the pages with generous white space and the occasional graphic make up for this a bit.

This is a great gift for others, and for oneself.